How to make a SMAC Stategy Guide...

[Commy]

Okay, so I am some lazy bum who has lots of time on his hands this summer...and I'd like to make a SMAC strategy guide...

Not to rival anyone else's strategy guide, not to buy out Apolyton or anything, just a simple website, probably on freewebs.com...I think I'll find that the strategy guide will help me more than anyone else...

But anyway, before wasting any of my "precious" time planning a website, I was just wondering, what would be some good things to include...I have come up with the following...

1. Base Facilities Guide--A lot like what Jamski started, only finished...probably will explain when and what bases to build certain facilities in...

2. Social Engineering--Will include things like best SE for beginning, middle, and end of game, like there is an end...possibly when and why to change SE in the middle of the game, like switching to power during war, etc...

3. Factions--I really wish to make a test that could "tell" you what faction fits you "idealogically" or by playing style...but that seems a little...far fetched...although I still want it. Also will hope to include strategy for each faction, suggested SE and SPs, etc...

4. Units--Basically, good special ability combinations, what units to build, what not to build, how to make a field army with 3-4 units (defense, base attack, mobile attack, artillery), maybe surface, water, and air unit coordination...

5. Playing styles--This might also be called terraforming strategies...compare ICS, forest-and-forget, all fungus, or just plain advanced terraforming, seeing the total energy outputs, pros and cons of each...

Also, I kind of need to know how complex to get...I already made a guide for the headquarters facility...that's right, the headquarters...it was about 1 and a half pages on Microsoft word, font 12...single-spaced...

I got so mad I just deleted it by holding the backspace key...think it should maybe be kept to half a page at the most...

Anyway, the poll above lets you vote for as much as you want, so don't abuse it, just pick what you think is necessary...

[Kataphraktoi]

Also, I kind of need to know how complex to get...I already made a guide for the headquarters facility...that's right, the headquarters...it was about 1 and a half pages on Microsoft word, font 12...single-spaced...

i dont get it...you spent time making a HQ guide then deleted it for as i can see,no aparent reason? a page and a half,long as its technical info,is good.

i guess ill eat a xenobanana and see what others say...

edit: i voted structure guide,precise terraforming, complexity(make that HQ guide 3 pages!!-or not). whatever you do,long long technical discorses always interst me to read for some reason

[Barinthus]

Everybody have different taste - I wouldn't want to read a guide that's all about number crunching and 'under the hood' stuff.

What I'd love to read are tips and suggestions along with advice on terraforming, spacing, and so on.

[Commy]

Perhaps for each subject, there should be a section on strategy that is...short and simple, and then a reference sheet for each subject that show the mathematical equations, possibly even downloads of a SMAC game that shows a certain example?

[Kataphraktoi]

instead of a new guide,why not get links and mini-descriptions+ organized by class of every single smac link known to man? you could call it....... The Planetary Datalinks

i think one was made before or started but not finshed IIRC

[binTravkin]

instead of a new guide,why not get links and mini-descriptions+ organized by class of every single smac link known to man

That is a good idea, but even better idea would be, read through all those links, summarize and citate in the Manual you make.

I remember a citate from Buster:

"It's better to get your opponent infiltrated early than to have one more high productive base."

It's simple and clear.

[Maniac]

DON'T write a base facilities or a "What to produce" guide. With all respect to Jamski, but I think such an effort is completely useles, as what to produce completely depends on the circumstances.

To follow binTravkin's example, a what-to-produce guide can be summarized in the following three sentences:

"Calculate what benefits the intended production item will give. If you can find another production item that would give more benefits per mineral spent, build that one instead. If not, continue with the original plan."

[Commy]

Originally posted by Cataphract887
instead of a new guide,why not get links and mini-descriptions+ organized by class of every single smac link known to man? you could call it....... The Planetary Datalinks

i think one was made before or started but not finshed IIRC

I was actually was going to call it the University of Planet, but Planetary Datalinks will work...perhaps as a second Website? I think I can find the time...

[Kirov]

Originally posted by Commy
Perhaps for each subject, there should be a section on strategy that is...short and simple, and then a reference sheet for each subject that show the mathematical equations, possibly even downloads of a SMAC game that shows a certain example?

I guess that's the best idea, a short piece for impatient guys and a loooong one for others.

Why the heck did you delete 1,5 page about HQs? You should have posted it here... Anyway, I voted for "make it very complex". Let's face it, not many of apolytonian people need tips like "build many formers".

PS. I really liked the Buster's tip that binTravkin quoted - simple and _practical_. Vel's guide really lack the latter, with most tips along the lines of "Build X. It's very important. Build Y. It's very important. Build Z. It's very important." There's was so many wishful thinking there that I wasn't sure if those tips are for MP or for SP on Citizen level ("Build a cruiser with best weapon and best armour"... Well, thanks Vel, but really a foil probe is usu all I need).

So don't make the mistake of saying to people: "Build a huge empire, with superb economy, excellent research and outstanding army." On the sidenote, I remember that "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu was full of such "advice" as well.

Oh, I've also noticed some mistakes in Vels' guide, mostly petty but still, so remember to cross check any info before pasting it. Claims that an armoured probe gets an upper hand in a probe duel can sometimes turn up false in a very painful way...

[Kataphraktoi]

So don't make the mistake of saying to people: "Build a huge empire, with superb economy, excellent research and outstanding army." On the sidenote, I remember that "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu was full of such "advice" as well.

i recently read the art of war.i was not impressed...

"It's better to get your opponent infiltrated early than to have one more high productive base."

while that advice is it(seems) useless in the sense that there isnt teeming masses of newbies to teach to.

the skill-to-players ratio is very high here compared to a game just released.

Let's face it, not many of apolytonian people need tips like "build many formers".

[Commy]

Originally posted by Cataphract887 i recently read the art of war.i was not impressed...

I read parts of it...I do believe Sun Tzu was most likely a military genius, but honestly, I think anyone intelligent enough to get into the military could figure all that crap out on there own...

Now, back to the strategy guide...I definitely agree that telling people "have good research and build an empire" is worthless...I have looked at so many strategy guides on the Internet, and they are all crap, all the same...so I think it was wise to ask the people here who actually have heard of the difficultly level called transcend...I could have sworn some of the people that wrote those guides had LD or something, "make sure to build atleast one garrison unit per base" is quite frankly not advice at all...

[Kirov]

Originally posted by Cataphract887

while that advice is it(seems) useless in the sense that there isnt teeming masses of newbies to teach to.

Well, while Commy should take Apolytonian vets into consideration, he can't write a guide _for_ them: there's really not much Googlie or some other Darsnan can be taught about the game...

I'd say you should focus on a certain group, for example those who just start to play MP. An SP game is to MP like masturbation to sex, and "virgins" certainly could use a hand...

[Kataphraktoi]

i resent that remark

[Commy]

Originally posted by Kirov
Well, while Commy should take Apolytonian vets into consideration, he can't write a guide _for_ them: there's really not much Googlie or some other Darsnan can be taught about the game...

I definitely agree with this, and that is exactly why I hesitated to even start a strategy guide...but, you never know, you could learn something, although probably not from me...

I think things vets appreciate most is tools that help them in the game...not strategy...although, I doubt anyone here would think me as a vet, I don't, so I guess I couldn't really say what veterans of SMAC want...

[SIZE=1] I'd say you should focus on a certain group, for example those who just start to play MP. An SP game is to MP like masturbation to sex, and "virgins" certainly could use a hand...

And yet, notice that people generally masturbate more than they have sex...

...unless, they are sexually repressed or have a "side" job...

[Commy]

Well, well, I have very good news...maybe...

I have completed the first part of my website, the strategy on "relocating your headquarters"...I don't know if it is 3 pages, but I hope it will do, as it amazingly took me many hours to do...which doesn't even seem possible...

The website is...

https://www.freewebs.com/universityofplanet/

My e-mail addresses are located on the website, you can e-mail me or just post on here, as I would like feedback...

It's pretty obvious, but on the navbar to the left click on Base Facilities, then scroll down a ways on the new page and click on Headquarters...

Now, just one warning, don't you all visit my site at the same time, as I have a limited bandwidth...like I'd ever have to worry about that...