SMAC2 on gameshout interview

[Chaos Theory]

Originally posted by mart7x5
SMACX is however that buggy in TCP/IP that renders almost unplayable.

Not true. There are some problems (such as with the FREEFAC ability), but I've played and completed many TCP/IP games, with simultaneous turns. I really like how worms appear due to ecodamage and then attack before you get a chance to kill them. I don't like how most preferences are set in stone, completely unchangeable, since the game continually tries to upgrade my probe garrison production to probe team production.

[Illuminatus]

Originally posted by mart7x5
Smacx is something close to what I have in mind. You have real time there, though a turn is clearly defined.

Do you mean something like PitBoss mode that is being developed for Civilization IV?

Another good example is Start Trek: BOTF. no pbem there, just TCP/IP multiplayer.

Oh, I liked that game, although I never managed to get multiplayer to work.

[Maniac]

I listened to the interview. Nothing interesting was said about SMAC.

Basically one can deduct Sid Meier's Colonization II* will be one of their next games, and SMAC is in the freezer.

*I'd rather have Europa Universalis III though...

[Illuminatus]

Originally posted by Maniac
*I'd rather have Europa Universalis III though...

Unlike SMAC 2, making of Europa Universalis III is only a matter of time.

[Mart]

Originally posted by Chaos Theory I don't like how most preferences are set in stone, completely unchangeable, since the game continually tries to upgrade my probe garrison production to probe team production.

The part I dislike is when some my top of the line units vanish...

[MarkG]

Originally posted by GeoModder
But if BR would be inclined, chances are that it will become an RTS.

QFT

they have been converted to the dark side....

[Mart]

It is nothing lost yet. We need to design a special type of probe team, with algorythmic enhancement and mind control enhancement in the second ability slot. Then send it to infiltrate BHG.

[GeoModder]

Infiltrate? I want nothing less then a total mind control!

[binTravkin]

Unlike SMAC 2, making of Europa Universalis III is only a matter of time.

Yes, Im visiting Paradox forums daily and the moderators (most of them are involved in development as well) already said that the EU3 engine is under construction atm, at least they've seen it in action and could report that with how it is now Crusader Kings (another wonderful Paradox game) 2 wouldn't be very hard (and long) to develop out of it.

You can also go and see the wishlist at general EU2 forum - Paradox tends to respect wishlists at high level.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by binTravkin


Yes, Im visiting Paradox forums daily and the moderators (most of them are involved in development as well) already said that the EU3 engine is under construction atm, at least they've seen it in action and could report that with how it is now Crusader Kings (another wonderful Paradox game) 2 wouldn't be very hard (and long) to develop out of it.

You can also go and see the wishlist at general EU2 forum - Paradox tends to respect wishlists at high level.

Has Crusader Kings been improved recently? I got it last year sometime and was bored with it rather quickly. EU on the other hand I've taken up and put down many times. It seems to be constantly improved, and always fun for a while. I never reached the sort of obsession with it that I have with SMAC, but it's certainly a great classic franchise.

[binTravkin]

Has Crusader Kings been improved recently? I got it last year sometime and was bored with it rather quickly. EU on the other hand I've taken up and put down many times. It seems to be constantly improved, and always fun for a while. I never reached the sort of obsession with it that I have with SMAC, but it's certainly a great classic franchise.

Have you been using betas for Paradox games?
The betas for both CK and EU add a lot to gameplay, plus there are numerous mods (SMACK, BOPACK and Totomod for CK; AGCEEP and EP for EU2) which greatly increase historical accuracy and fun of gameplay.
EP might be of your best interest - AI has been made pretty challenging in that one.

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by binTravkin
Wow, look who's back!

Yeah, orchestrating SMACX warfare in a battlefield would be something really superb.

That'd probably be my fantasy SMAC2: add some extra features like civil war, disease and Great People, but keep gameplay very similar, and then revamp the graphics with a 3D map like civ4 and a Total War style battles.

[Darkstar]

Great People? Ewww! No way! Keep that HoMM champions out of the game.

There is already disease in the game. Although that could be expanded from its present form.

Civil War? You want the capture of the HQ to cause a faction to split? Well, actually, that's also already in the game. But in the original SMAC, you had to have eliminated factions. And we demanded Firaxis block out that code. How exactly did Miriam's faction come out of Lal's, when Miriam was captured by the Deidre? It's not like Deidre freed her! Especially bad when the new faction started off with all the tech from the faction it split from.

Remember, SMAC represents civil war *already*.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by binTravkin


Have you been using betas for Paradox games?
The betas for both CK and EU add a lot to gameplay, plus there are numerous mods (SMACK, BOPACK and Totomod for CK; AGCEEP and EP for EU2) which greatly increase historical accuracy and fun of gameplay.
EP might be of your best interest - AI has been made pretty challenging in that one.

I haven't been using betas, just proven stable vanilla official releases. Just getting informed and keeping up to date with the betas requires a lot of time, and I often don't play EU for months at a time. Generally I've been happy enough with EU's official versions to not be tempted to try the AGCEEP etc. CK was a disappointment though, and I'm not sure whether it can be saved with betas or not.

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by Darkstar
Great People? Ewww! No way! Keep that HoMM champions out of the game.

Civ4 will have Great People. Are you saying you are against civ4 having them?

I think the concept of Great People is great. You could have a famous general give your units +1 morale or a famous politician give a base +1 pop growth. This would add more flavor to the game as the player could get excited that General X took Sparta Command thanks to +1 morale to all units in the stack. It would add a sense of history to the game.

I would suggest having a special unit on the map that would represent your faction leader. So there would be a Zacharov unit, a Miriam unit, a Deirdre unit etc. This units could add a bonus to whatever base they were in and/or a bonus to units in the same stack.

Remember, SMAC represents civil war *already*.

Just because SMAC deals with factions, doesn't mean those factions couldn't split apart. Why couldn't the University faction split into two over some ideological difference? This could be modelled in SMAC2 by having bases form a rebel version of the same faction if the bases riot x number of turns. In SMAC, base riots were never an issue because it was too easy to reduce drones. For a civil war system to work, all you would have to do is have drones that the player could not reduce except through nerve stapling.