Running Free Market

[Clear Skies]

I have a confession to make

I've been playing SMAC since I was thirteenish. That's nearly seven years now (how depressing). And yet, until a couple of games ago, I had never run FM for more than a few turns :/

Why? Simply put, I'd never thought the benefits outweighed the detriments sufficiently to be worth it. Drone riots annoy me enough as it is with a normal police rating, and I like my +Planet as much as the next man. However, somewhere down the line I got fed up with a six-base AI researching faster than me and my seventeen-odd bases, and decided to give it a try.

And, a hundred and thirty years, four vendettas and two base revolts (I was distracted, okay?) later, was still running it :/

I actually like that FM is difficult to run - it makes pursuing aerial vendettas harder, for one thing. (Those two base revolts were both the result of supporting too many noodles - both times I intended to move the offending planes back to base and disband them, and immediately forgot :E) And fighting mindworms becomes a question of hiding behind your trace sentinels and praying.

I haven't run FM seriously since, but for so many years I refused to believe it was feasible :/ My apologies to all those FM junkies to whom I naysaid!

[Dis]

It takes some practice.

I admit I normally run green- because it's "easy".

But my last game I played the morganites, which kind of dictates I should run free market and wealth. Which I did. At first, the money isn't exactly rolling in. but eventually the money come faster than you can spend it (almost).

[Clear Skies]

Free Market and Wealth? I thought beyond +2 Econ the returns began to diminish to such an extent that it wasn't worth suffering the penalties?

[binTravkin]

Buddy, FM + Wealth is the most common combo for most factions

Many players instate it ASAP and keep running it all the game.

Exceptions are
Hive & Gaia: Planned/Wealth
Sparta: FM + Knowledge (due to inability to instate Wealth)
Cult: Planned or Green/Knowledge (due to inability to instate Wealth)

Try playing Morgan and compare +1 econ vs +2, +3 and +4 - big difference!

[Clear Skies]

Well, colour me surprised (unless the colour of surprise is purple, because purple so isn't my colour). I've never run FM/Wealth in my life. I've been a Demo/Green/Knowledge junkie for longer than I can remember :/

[Major Guz]

Re: Running Free Market

Originally posted by Clear Skies

Those two base revolts were both the result of supporting too many noodles - both times I intended to move the offending planes back to base and disband them, and immediately forgot

If you make interceptors (noodles with SAM special ability), no extra pacifism drones are appearing in that base, because interceptors are there for "defense" off course.
The only detriment to this is they get the air to ground -50% penalty. But when out teching the others that doesn't matter (fusion laser Attack = 10/2 (SAM penalty) = 5 and that beats a plasma steel (3) any day, ignoring morale for this example). If they have AAA or aerospace, that is another thing, but units outside of a base are toast.
Otherwise you could build a punishment sphere in the offending base. Just make sure you have plenty of minerals for support and scrap the research upgrades, because PS brings about -50% tech.

Hope this helps in refining even more your new way of SMACX! Good luck!

[-SafaN-]

Make a high mineral city your command center: Place a punishment sphere, and then rehome your jets and copters. No more problems.

greetz

[Clear Skies]

I was tempted, but I like my high mineral bases :/ And clean reactors cost a little too much. And the punishment sphere quote freaks me out just a little :E

Still, I'll get over it :P It's a good idea...I'll try it next time I'm playing. I guess with all the extra FM energy I can afford a punishment sphere or two.

[Dis]

Re: Re: Running Free Market

Originally posted by Major Guz


If you make interceptors (noodles with SAM special ability), no extra pacifism drones are appearing in that base, because interceptors are there for "defense" off course.
The only detriment to this is they get the air to ground -50% penalty. But when out teching the others that doesn't matter (fusion laser Attack = 10/2 (SAM penalty) = 5 and that beats a plasma steel (3) any day, ignoring morale for this example). If they have AAA or aerospace, that is another thing, but units outside of a base are toast.
Otherwise you could build a punishment sphere in the offending base. Just make sure you have plenty of minerals for support and scrap the research upgrades, because PS brings about -50% tech.

Hope this helps in refining even more your new way of SMACX! Good luck!

punishment sphere (1 city only) and clean reactors.

my fist time I screwed up and built the punishment sphere in an inland city. I had to transfer it to an ocean city. Because this way I can base my ships out of there.

[joncnunn]

On Economy, I never found a big difference between +2 and +3, but +3 and +4 is a big difference.

Similarly, I didn't find much difference between 0 and +1 on Economy, and between 0 and -1 was so small as to be almost non-existant.

Originally posted by Clear Skies
Free Market and Wealth? I thought beyond +2 Econ the returns began to diminish to such an extent that it wasn't worth suffering the penalties?

[joncnunn]

Myself, I was generally a fan of Democracy - Planned - Knowlege + Childrens Crehe for population boom!

When not booming:
Democracy - Green - Knowlege.

Exceptions:

Morgon:
Democracy - Green - Wealth

Yang:
Police State - Planned - Wealth

[Commy]

Since I play as the Angels, and only go offensive with probe teams and mind-controlled units, I always play Free Market, as it goes with my libertarian (and anarchist) ideals...and since it doesn't affect my military strategy...

As for values, I always do knowledge, to prevent the probe rollover problem and also to boost research. While in some instances, wealth can actually boost research more than knowledge, I find it more useful to not risk any negative morale effects, as it hurts the few garrison units I have. It might affect probe teams, but I'm not so sure about that...

And of course I do demo and cybernetic...almost cancels out the free market negatives on planet...leaving me with only -9 police, -2 support, and -1 planet...which isn't that bad when only using probe teams...

[Chaos Theory]

Your Morale rating has no impact on your probe teams' morale. This is why armored probe teams can make nice garrisons for Morgan or others running FM/Wealth.

I find that I almost never run Green before Hab Domes. Industry or Economy are more important than Planet or the extra Efficiency before then. Morgan running Demo/Green/Wealth is an exception, as that allows for both +2 econ and 100% labs as needed.

[dacole]

If you think you are going to be in a protracted war I've always found it useful to get rid of free market to avoid the drone riots, after you have built all the units of course or saved up enough money to rush build all the units you think you are going to need.

[Commy]

An old strategy (that I have abolished) that I used to due was demo, planned, power, eudaimonia, as it had no disadvantages. However, eudaimonia comes to late, and -1 industry isn't particularly nice. Also, an early +2 economy is just too good, especially when you have a smaller empire and need the boost to stay in the tech lead...but then again, that's what probe teams are for...