"Iron man" rules?

[Bogdanovist]

I play only SP as I don't have the time or net connection to play MP. Obviously the AI struggles to give a good challenge once you've played for a while (which I certainly have...).

I'm sure this is nothing new, but does anyone know any fun "iron man" self imposed rules that make the game more fun, challenging or interesting? My first thought would be to ban trawlers/crawlers which the AI never seems to use anyway but I'm sure there would have been discussion of these things before (I did do a quick search but couldn't find anything).

I saw a post a while back that mentioned a "three city challenge" does anyone know what this means exactly, or have any other nice ideas?

[Zoetrope]

Well, you could attempt to restrict yourself to the tactics that are employed by the AI, such as sending troops in dribs and drabs to be slaughtered, and letting all your formers operate on automatic, and declaring vendetta against neighboring factions much more powerful than yourself because you don't like the society they've been running for most of the past 20 turns.

The "three city" challenge was whatever its proposer intended it to mean, but I suppose it would restrict you to owning 3 bases at a time. If you capture a base, you have to give one up in the same turn. But it's probably hard to win a 3CC without relying on supply transports. (Why are they called commonly "crawlers", even when they are hovertanks or gravships?)

[Darsnan]

Re: "Iron man" rules?

Originally posted by Bogdanovist
does anyone know any fun "iron man" self imposed rules that make the game more fun, challenging or interesting?

Flubber has mentioned on occasion a game style whereby you switch Factions every 50 years, always going to the weakest Faction. Thats pretty tough - going against the Factions that you'd previously built up.

There are also SP Challenges over at CGN that you can play at your leisure. Here is a link to Googlie's June Gaian Challenge. These SP Challenges have all sorts of AI tweaks to make the games much harder than your used to just playing random computer set up games. FYI.


D

[binTravkin]

Flubber has mentioned on occasion a game style whereby you switch Factions every 50 years, always going to the weakest Faction. Thats pretty tough - going against the Factions that you'd previously built up.

Those challenges are listed in SMACX academy at CGN IIRC (but need to take a look to be sure).

I use the 50yrs switch challenge like - I first choose Uni, so it's sure to be the most powerful.

But you can't see who's most powerful until 2120 or until estimated number (which I don't know) of commlinks has been gained.

SO in 2120 I seek out the least powerful fac and continue playing with it. Then, at the same turn I get to "unsurpassed" status again, I seek out for the weakest fac again and play it.

Makes it even more challenging as I found most often myself in real jeopardy after 3rd or 4th switch..

[binTravkin]

Ahh and don't forget to switch "dp or die" off - you won't regret that!

[livid imp]

In real life I fix messes that other idiots leave behind. So the 50yr switch doesn't appeal to me. If you see things like I do, try a OCC (One City Challenge). You still get a lot of the challenge, but you start on your own clean slate.

[binTravkin]

Yes and OCC tends to be WAY faster than a normal game because you have only one city and therefore less micromanagement.

[Dis]

I should play Iron Man. I'm one of these silly players that likes to get a high score (though I won't delay transcendence just to run up the score). I want that +100% score bonus. I get crashes occasionally though. But it's not something that happens often.

[Flubber]

Ya I mentioned the three city challenge. I had done the one city challenge to death and got bored with one perfect city that buiklt crawler after crawler so I allowed myself 3 cities and added some more restrictions.

I toy around with different restrictions all the time.

The switching factions challenge can be a real beast if you do it right. Essentially you are playing against the monster factions you created earlier. Its great fun to take over a faction that has 3 bases in 2250 and look up to see that your first two factions now have 30+bases each and great terraforming. It can be a real stretch and occasionally you might find yourself in an unwinnable situation ( say your new faction is being attacked by hordes of unit with massive tech superiority) but I have been lucky so far in that I've inherited positions that are possible.

Another nice challenge is no formers-- painful for someone with a builder bent but you learn that crawlers can do ok even on relatively crappy terrain-- you also learn to appreciate even the AI's crappy terraforming

[Bogdanovist]

So what exactly are the restrictions you impose in the one city or 3 city challenges? Are they specific custom maps or just any random map with the restrictions?

I tried last night on a tiny to limit myself to 3 cities with the University. I didn't do to well, though I had a horrible little flea bitten continent that I started on. I assumed tiny map would make it easier, since their are less bases in this case anyway, but it's too crowded to protect all the crawlers and trawlers. I might try with a bigger map. Plus I play with blind research, which maybe I have to change as it took ages to get Industrial Automation even with my priorities set on build the whole time.

The switching factions things sounds interesting, how do you win in the end though, or is it more a zen like journey than a destination?

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Bogdanovist
So what exactly are the restrictions you impose in the one city or 3 city challenges? Are they specific custom maps or just any random map with the restrictions?

I tried last night on a tiny to limit myself to 3 cities with the University. I didn't do to well, though I had a horrible little flea bitten continent that I started on. I assumed tiny map would make it easier, since their are less bases in this case anyway, but it's too crowded to protect all the crawlers and trawlers. I might try with a bigger map. Plus I play with blind research, which maybe I have to change as it took ages to get Industrial Automation even with my priorities set on build the whole time.

The switching factions things sounds interesting, how do you win in the end though, or is it more a zen like journey than a destination?

I've tried it on all sizes of maps. Huge is actually easiest IMHO since you have fewer AI that you need to keep happy. With tiny it is harder to keep your crawler fields secure.

I generally do it on a mid size map, random with all settings in the middle.

AS for restrictions, there are all kinds. The strictest OCC rules I saw included never being allowed to build a units with a weapon above 1 and building 16 Secret Projects but I think most people just settle for a rule that says they can never END a turn with more then x bases. THat allows you to conquer a nearby threatening base and gift it immediately to your chosen friendly AI

[Frankychan]

I did the 3 city challenge as the University. I also added a little twist by limiting each city to only 5 crawlers each. I got my butt thoroughly whupped, even with the CyCon surrounding me as a pactmate.

Seems like Yang and the Pirates don't like the braniac team.

I was on my way to building the ascent to transcendence when Yang steamrolled me with his airforce and shard speeders. That sucked...royally.

Almost won, too.

[Flubber]

I am doing a 2 city challenge as Lal on a standard map that is shaping up in an interesting fashion. The AI are all pretty distant from me so attacks are not a problem but it has made stealing tech a long process.

I have gotten to 2225 and am the governor and the leader in tech with 2 size 16 bases. Currently running Demo/Green/wealth with a 90 % science allocation and am building crawlers for my still small but growing energy park.

The biggest challenge is that the University has just parked a seabase on the other isde of my energy park from my bases and I am building an airbase within my crawlers and plan to locate some interceptors there once I see them building needlejets. Nobody has bases within airstrike range of my bases yet

[Dis]

how did you get governor?

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Dissident
how did you get governor?

I pacted with a couple of the smaller factions and bought their votes plus as Lal I get extra votes and I built the empath guild for another 50%

32*2*1.5= 96 iirc was enough to be the vote leader-- I delayed the vote until after I built the empath guild --- The gaians were far away from everyone else and it appeared they hadn't met anyone but me-- I sold their comm freq just before I called the council.