when, generally, are you finished with your first SP?

[dmm1285]

I'm usually done by 2145-2150, but I'm thinkin thats a little slow vs humans, I'm not really sure how to get done any faster though, without getting lucky with the AA's (I play with unity pods off usually)

[Chaos Theory]

2125-2150. Depends on pod results, terrain, faction, others' factions, whether the AI is pumped up, etc. In one PBEM game, I'm going quite well but haven't even tried to build a SP, and it's past 2150.

[Commy]

For me, I usually get it about 2145-2150...almost always it's the human genome project...

[binTravkin]

You may want to read things published here:

Smac Academy
and
Vel's Guide

for a faster SP building.

My usual result with University(which is clearly one of the first facs having an SP) on Large map is 2130-2135 depending on variables as starting position, neighbour proximity, popped bonuses.

[dacole]

Yup as soon as you have five pods and the tech for th VW it is built (unless you are playing with a souped up peacekeeper faction who has control of the monsoon jungle from the begining of the game and so build the hunter seeker algorithim by 2170...googlie outdid himself on this one)

[Flubber]

Lets see. I think my fastest was something like 2120 but that was assisted by an instabuild crawler and a AA as well as several disbanded units.

My usual varies A LOT by faction and what my oponents are doing. My uni might be building 2 SPs in the 2130s whereas as the drones I might miss out on some of the early ones since others get the techs first ( and I don't care about the others available). I don't see ANY of the early SPs as a gamebreaker

The id game is different as both Cloudbase and Hunter seeker radically change the game. I could add the Cloning Vats here but I find the game is usually decided around the time of Cloudbase and HSA

[Kirov]

In an MP game I'm in, Shawnmmcc playing Pirates managed to build three SPs before 2123, with the first one constructed somewhere in 2114.

Now, talk about instabuilding... I can't fathom out how he possibly did this, unless of course he found 10 AAs, which is rather impossible for an aquatic faction triggering pods with gun foils...

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Kirov
In an MP game I'm in, Shawnmmcc playing Pirates managed to build three SPs before 2123, with the first one constructed somewhere in 2114.

Now, talk about instabuilding... I can't fathom out how he possibly did this, unless of course he found 10 AAs, which is rather impossible for an aquatic faction triggering pods with gun foils...

If you have crawlers, you can make your base nearest the pod to be popped start building an extremely expensive crawler. Later in the game it can be half the cost or more of an SP. If you don't have crawlers, you can do the same thing with units ( an armored seaformer can get quite expensive-- you just fool around and try to make the most expensive unit possible) you just accept the fact that you lose a lot of minerals when you disband them.

To get that many SPs that early, he may have beelined to crawlers, been disbanding units heavily AND hit a few AAs or instabuilds in the pod lotto

[Commy]

One of the pods would have to have been either a unity transport or a rover on the land...if you explored there...

[dmm1285]

Originally posted by binTravkin
You may want to read things published here:

Smac Academy
and
Vel's Guide

for a faster SP building.

My usual result with University(which is clearly one of the first facs having an SP) on Large map is 2130-2135 depending on variables as starting position, neighbour proximity, popped bonuses.

hmmm, I've been playing with the PKers lately, and even with with 1 spaced ICS in this saveI dont get IA until aroud 2135 (forced to make a detour), I'm gonna attach the game, I'm curious to see how long you (and anyone else) gets IA, and the first SP complete

[dmm1285]

Originally posted by Kirov
In an MP game I'm in, Shawnmmcc playing Pirates managed to build three SPs before 2123, with the first one constructed somewhere in 2114.

Now, talk about instabuilding... I can't fathom out how he possibly did this, unless of course he found 10 AAs, which is rather impossible for an aquatic faction triggering pods with gun foils...

all right, that's insane, is there any way we can see how he did it when the game is done?

[dmm1285]

also, the question I forgot to ask, do you use the crawler upgrade trick, isnt that generally frowned upon it multiplayer, or is it whatever goes

[Lazerus]

I think it's almost forced upon any player who wants to compete to use the upgrade trick, most good players i've seen use it.
I normally complete my first project between 2130-2135, depends on my situation, plenty of times i've done earlier and plenty i've totally screwed up and not had a SP built until around 2145-50. It all depends on the circumstances, rocky mineral bonuses, AA's, all round terrain, lucky early IA etc

[Kirov]

I hate this upgrade trick, but unfortunately, it is often allowed in some games.

[Chaos Theory]

In the early game, upgrading crawlers is only marginally better than rushing normal crawlers, and the advantage is further reduced for high-industry factions. It actually balances play somewhat.