Fun Hypothetical

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by GeoModder
Wonder if a gravship former then can raise/lower a tile both on sea and land...

No problem, but they can't be automated wich is annoying.

[Senethro]

Originally posted by Darsnan


In some of my later PBEM's I've started players out with Rover Formers and several Rover CP's to boost the early game.


D

Yes, I know. They worked very well.

(and you gave my next door neighbour the ruins which gave him 2 monoliths for each of his first four 1x1 spacing bases )

[Ka Plewy]

Originally posted by GeoModder
Wonder if a gravship former then can raise/lower a tile both on sea and land...

Before I knew what I was doing, I would avoid building very many formers until this tech became available. Now, if I make it that far, I might build a few gravship formers. They're very useful for making that city 1 tile away from ocean a coastal city in just one spot. Raising some tiles so an ocean city can have a borehole.

EDIT:This information is clearly wrong, perhaps it worked this way pre-patch? Or my memory is playing tricks on me.

[Petek]

Originally posted by GeoModder
Wonder if a gravship former then can raise/lower a tile both on sea and land...

Gravship formers can:

* Raise land tiles
* Lower land tiles, but not to below sea level
* Raise sea tiles, but not to above sea level
* Lower sea tiles

[Mart]

Originally posted by GeoModder
Wonder if a gravship former then can raise/lower a tile both on sea and land...

I always was annoyed by small lakes on the map, where fungus was inside and I happened not having a base on the shore. Even if I had, making a sea former for a single tile lake was a bit excessive for me. Anyway, later I found grav former could solve the problem and terraform that tile. Rise/lower sea terrain? I need to check it.

[Ka Plewy]

Originally posted by Petek


Gravship formers can:

* Raise land tiles
* Lower land tiles, but not to below sea level
* Raise sea tiles, but not to above sea level
* Lower sea tiles

You're right, I wonder if this was fixed in a patch, because I distinctly remember using gravship formers to work any tile. Of course, my memory could be playing tricks on me, from long ago when I first bought/played SMAC.

[paramir]

And other former stuff right?

[Lord Nword]

Yes, the gravship formers can do everything a normal former can do...

I use them a lot...

[paramir]

Is that real?

[GeoModder]

Jeez, 't looks like a swarm of locusts...

[Senethro]

bah, 4 square spacing

Originally posted by TimeTraveler

Reason 1: Digital Sentience gives the Cybernetic society and the Network Backbone. While Cybernetic could be used by opposing factions if they grab Digital Sentience, they'd be unable to benefit from the network backbone unless they got it before the player originally with DS could.

I'll bet pounds to pennies that Eudaimonia has double effect on early game research rate compared with Cybernetic.

[TimeTraveler]

I have two possible choices: Biomachinery and Digital Sentience. I guess I'll start with arguing for Biomachinery.

Reason 1: The only major thing it gives is the Cloning Vats, and only one faction can have that. Therefore, even if another faction stole it, they won't be able to really benefit from that tech unless they somehow took the cloning vats, first.

Reason 2: After researching Doctrine: Initiative, Homo Superior also becomes available. ...which allows for the production of Nanohospitals and the Universal Translator.

I guess in a way, it's almost like getting two advanced techs, with most of their benefits likely to only to reach the player that gets them first.

...and now for reasons in favor of Digital Sentience.

Reason 1: Digital Sentience gives the Cybernetic society and the Network Backbone. While Cybernetic could be used by opposing factions if they grab Digital Sentience, they'd be unable to benefit from the network backbone unless they got it before the player originally with DS could.

Reason 2: After researching Planetary Econimics (a tech we'll want anyway), Sentient Econometrics becomes available. At that point, commerce increases, rec commons stop requiring maintenance, and paradise gardens become available. However, any faction that steals all that will also be able to benefit from it all.

Once again, it's almost like getting two advanced techs. ...and after getting to Advanced Spaceflight or Centauri Psi, it'll end up more like three advanced techs (the third being Self-Aware Machines or Secrets of Alpha Centauri).

I guess after looking at all that, I'd go with Digital Sentience. Maybe.

I also guess that Quantum Power would be in third. ...for both the Quantum Chamber and Quantum Lab. ...although both of those could be probed...

As far as formers and crawlers are concerned, I see them as low-tech enough that I can research them normally. As far as Graviton Theory is concerned, I'm not in as much of a hurry to make my formers able to fly, especially since they'd be using fission reactors (and therefore be quite expensive) for much of the game.

Just thoughts of mine, really.

[Commy]

I didn't know sentient econometrics covered maintenance for recreation commons...are you sure about this?

Anyway, I agree with digital sentience...however, by the time you managed to build the cloning vats...someone get easily expand faster than you by pop-booming...

Secrets of Alpha Centauri would probably be pretty good as well...you could immediately use Transcends for ICSing or whatever, and you'd have the whole map...even if someone stole the tech, it wouldn't help them that much more...

By the way, singularity reactors make units cheaper, except for missiles and PBs...with scout patrols, they'd just be the same price...

[TimeTraveler]

As I check out alpha.txt, it looks like Sentient Econometrics will make the Rec Commons 'free'. ...although I'm not sure whether it will merely make maintenance costs for them to drop to zero or if they come with every new base or what... I guess I'll need to report in what happens upon researching Sentient Econometrics in my current SMAC game.

Pop booming does seem like a big thing... although for some reason I haven't quite figured out the full potential of pop booming. I guess you could call it my relatively low experience.

I agree that Secrets of Alpha Centauri does rock. ...and amazingly enough, a lot of stuff that leads up to it also rocks.

I did consider Singularity Mechanics, but also saw that the reactors would be its only benefit until Applied Gravitonics. Additionally, they could still be stolen. I suppose the sing.reactors alone could be that powerful... but then again... tech stealing.

One interesting idea could be to take Pre-Sentient Algorithms, take the Hunter Seeker Algorithm, and beeline to Superconductor and Doctrine: Air Power to have Fusion and Orbital Spaceflight readily available.

Then I suppose more beelines coule be made to go to Advanced Spaceflight and Advanced Ecological Engineering.

[Ka Plewy]

Pop booming does seem like a big thing... although for some reason I haven't quite figured out the full potential of pop booming. I guess you could call it my relatively low experience.
Imagine expanding up to your habitation limit in 10 turns or under, in all your bases. Then turning those people into specialists which are inefficiency immune inputs to your economy. Engineers are a favorite of many.
You only need to do it once to see what it can do to your economy, and then you'll be a believer (in the process, not the faction).