I just got the game. Will I have time to miss my family?

[Commy]

Well, it depends on how you really want to play...

If you are ICSing (you'll have to look that up...), your strategy will be much different than if you aren't using crawlers...basically, playing more like the AI...

Ultimatelly, you learn the most from your own experience...there are so many strategies here it isn't even worth asking...

Althought I will agree Gaians are best starting faction, Spartans aren't bad either...

I would get SMAX also off of Ebay...it'll probably be 30 bucks, but its worth it...and make sure no stupid European tries to charge an extra 20 bucks for shipping and handling to the U.S...honestly, like it doesn't cost more to ship it to Japan...

[Alex]

Link to BooksurgeDirect, where you can buy the printed version of Vel's SMAX guide:

http://www.booksurgedirect.com/author.php3?accountID=GRTU00118

You can always google for it , but I won't post any links here because Vel deserves all the respect I have for him...

[Zoetrope]

I ordered Vel's guidebook after reading his notes on the net (must have been either Apolyton or usenet).

When the book arrived and I'd opened the pages, I had the strange feeling that it was missing some of the material he'd previously written.

Recently I found a copy of Vel's net notes, and downloaded them so as to be satisfied that I had the complete collection. Skimming the notes didn't show me anything obvious that isn't in the book.

Vel has a writing career outside of SMAC/X but I am much more entertained by the high knowledge density of his AC strategy book.

Yes, my first faction was University. After all, I work there.

The Gaian "food from fungus" advantage is another help to new players.

Btw, I think that the Fungus Patch Doll (Cha Dawn) from SMAX should have had +2 food (or even +2 industry or +2 energy) from fungus instead of its wimpy stats. It doesn't even have free-support mindworm police! So what good is that special ability?

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Zoetrope

Btw, I think that the Fungus Patch Doll (Cha Dawn) from SMAX should have had +2 food (or even +2 industry or +2 energy) from fungus instead of its wimpy stats. It doesn't even have free-support mindworm police! So what good is that special ability?

I agree they could have done something more for the Cult. I would actually like it if they had gone whole hog and let the cult have forest (1-2-1) or even rainy rolling type attributes (say a 2-1-1) when harvesting fungus. That would have gone a long way toward balancing the faction and allowing them to build a little bit.

As it stands, the Cults advantage is the early worm rush. Harvest the fungus for a worm army ( and the worms are support free while in the fungus). In the early game, a worm in fungus is the most mobile unit out there so you need to be agressive in exploration and pod popping. If the cult can get an early victim or two, they can do all right even against good opposition. Playing the AI you can win no matter what you do so no worries. heck you can play the cult as a pure builder and win . . .