As far as I know there are two basic strategies you can follow in SMAC to build a large economy. Popbooming, or ICSing and founding lots of small-sized bases. What strategy is best depends on circumstances, such as your technology level and which faction you’re playing. Of course there are other side-strategies that can help you get through the early game, such as conquest, worm hunting, pod popping, or explore to meet other factions early for trading. But in the long run I think you need to do one of the above two (popboom, or ICS) to survive.
Our favourite capitalist and communist, Morgan and Yang, are best suited for ICS. Morgan under FM/Wealth gives lots of energy on all base squares. And while Yang has an energy less than standard on base squares, under PS/Planned his Police and Support boni, together with his general boni in Industry & Growth, make up for his difficulty to popboom, and make ICS profitable.
Many other factions are well able for popbooming. The Believers, Gaians, Spartans, Peacekeepers, Cult, Drones and Angels.
And let’s not forget the University and the Aliens, who can profit both from popbooming and ICS (network node for the UoP, even further strengthened by the Virtual World, and rec tanks for the aliens).
The Consciousness and Pirates can’t do either. They can’t popboom (easily), nor do they have a special bonus which makes ICS extra good for them. Of course the Consciousness could run FM/Wealth to get some extra energy out of their base squares, but unlike the Peacekeepers, Drones or University (with Virtual World), they don’t get free drone control that makes it easy to run Free Market early in the game. So I’m wondering, when you can’t get the HGP or PTS, what strategy can you follow to get a large economy with the Consciousness or Pirates? Can they be competitive with the other factions??
Our favourite capitalist and communist, Morgan and Yang, are best suited for ICS. Morgan under FM/Wealth gives lots of energy on all base squares. And while Yang has an energy less than standard on base squares, under PS/Planned his Police and Support boni, together with his general boni in Industry & Growth, make up for his difficulty to popboom, and make ICS profitable.
Many other factions are well able for popbooming. The Believers, Gaians, Spartans, Peacekeepers, Cult, Drones and Angels.
And let’s not forget the University and the Aliens, who can profit both from popbooming and ICS (network node for the UoP, even further strengthened by the Virtual World, and rec tanks for the aliens).
The Consciousness and Pirates can’t do either. They can’t popboom (easily), nor do they have a special bonus which makes ICS extra good for them. Of course the Consciousness could run FM/Wealth to get some extra energy out of their base squares, but unlike the Peacekeepers, Drones or University (with Virtual World), they don’t get free drone control that makes it easy to run Free Market early in the game. So I’m wondering, when you can’t get the HGP or PTS, what strategy can you follow to get a large economy with the Consciousness or Pirates? Can they be competitive with the other factions??
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