Alien Crossfire

[uberloz]

Would you consider it a foregone conclusion that anyone who owns and enjoys Alpha Centauri would be remiss in not picking up a copy of Alien Crossfire?

Or is Alpha Centauri alone really as good as it gets?

I only have Alpha Centauri (coming in the mail) and the expansion still goes for a pretty penny. Is that more due to it's rarity, or it's gameplay?

Does anyone here recommend 'not' buying the expansion? If so, why not?

Thanks in advance for any answers, I realize you all must have gone over this sometime during the years of the games release, and I appreciate you revisiting the question.

[Dis]

it's due to rarity.

The good thing about the expansion, is you can still play the original game (just use the original exe file).

The expansion doesn't add that much gameplay that I'd recommend spending lots of money for it. But it's still a decent expansion. If you are hardcore SMAC fan (as anyone who's been playing this long is), I'd recommend getting it.

Have you tried searching for the laptop collection? doh!, I just checked that's fairly expensive as well. $41 at Amazon.com. I bought my laptop collection for $20 at Fry's electronics (though in recent months it appears they have decreased the size of their bargain bin section - though the laptop collection I didn't find in the bargain bin, but it wasn't mixed with the regular games either).

Basically the laptop collection is a collection of games. One of which is SMAC and SMAC expansion. The other games aren't too bad either. Though I haven't actually played them. I couldn't get into Sim City 3000 for some reason. Everyone says it's great. Oh well.

I looked at the prices for SMAX on Amazon. About the same prices, if not higher. I'd recommend getting the laptop collection instead (though you won't get the "box" container for SMAC X). But if you don't have the other games in the collection, that might still be a great value at $40. You also won't get the rules, but those can be found online at various websites.

[BlackCat]

I got both in the Planetary Pack, so it hasn't been an issue to go for the expansion.

Besides the new SP' s in X there are also completely new factions such as Svensgaard and the nonhumans.

Svensgaard differs because he is a seabased faction with those challenges that gives.

The nonhumans are a little twisty. Playing them is POC - having them as neighbours from the start is a *****, and sitting in the midldle of the shortest path between them is an annoyance - both considers you as a nice stepstone. Otherwise they are just a little thougher to knock out.

Oh, and then there are some bugs that are fixed (and of course some new introduced ).

Usually I play SMAX, but sometimes get nostalgic and start good ole SMAC.

Another good thing about SMAX is that you can play with the old SMAC factions.

[WotanAnubis]

Add, add. The concept is a bit difficult. There are seven new factions to play with, a couple of new techs, new base facilities, new SP's (one of which is majorly overpowered), etc.

So, no, SMAX does not drastically change or improve the original and if you view SMAC as nothing but a "pretty OK game" but nothing more then it really isn't worth buying. On the other hand, if you turn out to adore SMAC and become, like, A Fan you can't really afford to miss SMAX.

[Darsnan]

Re: Alien Crossfire

Originally posted by uberloz
Would you consider it a foregone conclusion that anyone who owns and enjoys Alpha Centauri would be remiss in not picking up a copy of Alien Crossfire?

Depends on the price - I remember back in '03 the price on E-Bay was getting up towards $60 US. Not what you want to pay for a (then) 4 year old game.

Originally posted by uberloz
Or is Alpha Centauri alone really as good as it gets?

SMAC is fine by itself. SMAX has more bells and whistles and some new Factions and abilities (like the "Marine Detachment" ability which allows endowed units to capture enemy ships). These allow fo some new strategies, but the underlying game theme is the same.

Originally posted by uberloz
I only have Alpha Centauri (coming in the mail) and the expansion still goes for a pretty penny. Is that more due to it's rarity, or it's gameplay?

Its rare, and considering it was just re-released for a short time and was gobbled up, why the price for SMAX is only going to go back up....

PM binTravkin for info on alternative purchase sites fo SMAX. You might be able to find it cheaper than E-Bay and related sites.

Originally posted by uberloz
Does anyone here recommend 'not' buying the expansion? If so, why not?

If you like'd SMAC, you'll like SMAX.

Originally posted by uberloz
Thanks in advance for any answers, I realize you all must have gone over this sometime during the years of the games release, and I appreciate you revisiting the question.

You can search back thru the years in this same forum for all this info, as well as everything else you ever wanted to ask. FYI.


D

[Commy]

Well, besides new factions and techs, so more specific things...

String disruptors now have an attack of 30...

Originally, with a perimeter defense and a stasis generator, or a 1-12-1 unit, you would have a total defense of 29...+125% from both the perimeter defense and "intrisicate base defenses"...now with the attack of 30, non-infantry units can attack these bases and have equal odds...or near to equal...

Also, land bases on the coast now extend their territory 1 square into nearby ocean...so seabases can't start working squares right by your coast, you have a little buffer zone...

If you like seabases, you'll like SMAX...three new facilities have been added, among others...but these three really help seabases...one adds an additional nutrient to all kelp farms, another an additional mineral to all mining platforms, same for tidal harnesses...

Also, due to the aliens and the new culture they brought, the game now includes specialized armor...there is now 3r armor, instead of just plasma steel, that not only has a defense of 3 but also adds 25% to psi defense...pulse armor does the same thing for defense against units with more than one move...

On the other hand, there are now 6r lasers that have +25% against psi attack...

A really nice facility for next generation cold wars...flechette defense systems...

These have a 50% chance of shooting down planet busters when your obital pods fail...this facility also adds 50% defense against missiles...

A special ability, algorithmic enhancement, allows probe teams to bypass social engineering and the hunter-seeker algorithm...however, they still have a high failure rate...

4 SPS have been added...

Planetary Energy grid gives free energy banks...

Nethack terminus equips all probe teams with the algorithmic enhancement and has other probe benifits...

Manifold Harmonics give added resources to fungus squares, depending on your planet rating...

The Cloudbase Academy, overpowered really, gives free aerospace complexes to all bases...

Really, there are so many new things...but the original SMAC is still good, I still play the University...

Ultimately, it's up to you...lots of new features, but you'll probably have to drop 30 bucks on Ebay...I thought it was worth it, but that's me...

[Whitering]

In the end I only play with four of the new factions. I often include the aliens in my games, and other than that the cyborgs and drones. I do occasionally play as data angels, but they are never ai opponents, I could not think of any way to make them strong enough.

I beefed up the old factions and only revert the one to original that I happen to play, it makes for a better challenge to be sure.

As to the new projects, you could probably do without. I often build the cloudbase academy then destroy it, it really is overpowered.

The new techs are decent I suppose, but really the expansion techs mostly help the gaians, and the expansion cult, as well as the pirates.

I probably wouldn't spend 40 bucks on it if I could go back in time and get my money back. Having said that, there wasn't any buyer's remorse, so it's not a poor choice for a purchase. I just don't feel it quite adds double the fun.

[molly bloom]

Get the expansion- it's worth it.

[uberloz]

For those of you that think the expansion is worth the money, would you recommend playing through the original first?

Or just plug in the expansion and play using it?

[livid imp]

You wont lose out on anything if you just put the expansion in

[Alex]

Play through the original a couple of times... The original factions are way more cool and balanced than the expansion ones, and the original story was created using these factions - it is an interesting story.

[H.Humpel]

Well.... the "original" first 7 factions are the better ones (better balanced, more depth and more interesting), but I really wouldn't like to miss the extended Tech-tree which comes with Alien Crossfire.
But the good thing is: you can play Alien Crossfire with just the original 7 factions. It is somekind of "you only win" by using the extension things for me (as you don't lose anything, especially as you still can start the original game anytime). Not to forget the possibility of custom factions...
Clearly for me: Alien Crossfire is the better choice and worth buying.

[Commy]

I have to agree the original factions are better and more balanced, but the added features, as I have mentioned early, I feel make the game a lot better and more balance...with the exception of the cloudbase academy...

[Dis]

planetary energy grid seems pretty powerful as well, though not as much as cloudbase.

[livid imp]

The PEGrid, is nowhere near as powerful as say Virtual World or Hunter-Seeker which are both SMAC SPs.