How Young To Start SMAC

[Sprayber]

I had just quit playing a round of SMAC the other day and my girlfriends 6 year old asked to play a computer game. (no one else will let him play but he sits for hours sometimes and watches) He didnt watch me play SMAC so I was sort of sceptical that it would appeal to him since he does all his playing on the Playstation. So I pulled out Age of Empires 2 and let him play that I and I was sort of surprised at how well he understood most of the concepts. So I wonder if he would enjoy SMAC or not since it isn't as visual as AOE ie nothing to build that you can see.

What are your thoughts and experiences in younger kids playing SMAC?

[Chaos Theory]

Hook them early!

[Senethro]

6 is too young, 10 I suspect is the minimum age for enjoyment and success as well. Probably best to start him on Civ3. Playing Civ 3 first never did me any harm.

[Lazerus]

I once did a hotseat with my 2 9 year old nephews where i was teaching them how to play. I'd helped them conquer most of the AI while i just did a OCC, then i walked in on the little brats conspiring to kill me !!! Needless to say I wasn't amused and promptly let them think for themselves while my Hive wiped them out

I doubt many kids will appreciate turn based games before the age of 13 though, age of empires is great though they should like that and from there get going in strategy games. I'm still playing age of conquerors today alongside smac, ah i remember when aoe first came out when i was 13 .... can't believe my brother keeps telling me to get a better graphics card and get more games when i've got these two

[#endgame]

I got civ-hooked in primary school, probably ~9-11 y.o. Didn't really understand it, but still was hopelessly hooked,

[Darsnan]

Re: How Young To Start SMAC

Originally posted by Sprayber

What are your thoughts and experiences in younger kids playing SMAC?

I installed a 4th loading of SMAC(X) on my machine for my son when he was 8, at his request, as I was busy building games/ desigining units in my PBEM loading, which confused him as to what was going on with the game. He plays occasionally, especially when he sees me doing "something cool" with the game, such as when I set up a simulated orbital assault in one SP Challenge. However for the most part he has gravitated towards RTS games, with "Star Wars Battle Grounds" being his favorite right now (and I've even seem him opening up the scenario editor for this game and fiddling around with it - sniff - makes a Dad proud when his son follows in his footsteps....).


D

[Flubber]

Re: Re: How Young To Start SMAC

Originally posted by Darsnan

such as when I set up a simulated orbital assault in one SP Challenge.

D

That was fun!! I am also enjoying testing your latest creation

[Darsnan]

Re: Re: Re: How Young To Start SMAC

Originally posted by Flubber


That was fun!! I am also enjoying testing your latest creation

Yeah, I really liked the perspective change - just wish I could've found the right balance for the game (although in retrospect I should've made them the aliens doing an orbital assault on human-held Planet - make them go thru 6 other Factions or something like that).

Oh yeah, and here's my son (circa 2 years ago) planning the demise of Yang....

[#endgame]

Training your son up to be another CMN? And here I was thinking to myself the other day that the new generation of gamers are all going to be playing focused and not creation focused - leading to less skills with the computer (programming, modding etc.) and more gaming related skills (not so useful IMHO). At least there's still hope.

[spartak]

I imagine they are old enough when they are interested in the game.

[Kataphraktoi]

6 is too young, 10 I suspect is the minimum age for enjoyment and success as well. Probably best to start him on Civ3. Playing Civ 3 first never did me any harm.

nonsense ive been pwning people in age of games since i was nine (way back in 97 when aoe was released)

on a historical note, i played civ2 2 weeks before aoe was out...i came to my dads on the weekend and he had a new one...so i had a foot into rts and tbs

[Xian]

I've been playing since I was 14 and understood i perectly, my little brother's been hooked since 10 and also gets it (he's not particularly good at it though)

[Dis]

just let him play around with it a while. don't pressure him into playing it or anything. He'll either discover it (or not) on his own.

yeah there's the part about obliterating bases and killing thousands of people. But no one ever thinks about that. I do it all the time.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Dis
just let him play around with it a while. don't pressure him into playing it or anything. He'll either discover it (or not) on his own.

yeah there's the part about obliterating bases and killing thousands of people. But no one ever thinks about that. I do it all the time.

Think about it or being a war criminal ?

[Illuminatus]

Luckly for us, Jack Thompson hasn't heard of SMAC yet.