Retrospective-- A look back

[Flubber]

I was realizing that I have been on here a long long time (this is post number 5000 for me) and started to think back to all the Smaxers that have come and gone since this game came out.

So this thread is to reflect a bit on your special Smax moments. I think that most of us can recall a feeling of elation at our first transcend win etc . I have to get to get back to work but I will compile my own list of special moments but I can first mention a few people that have played a big part in my smaxing.


Vel -- who can forget his contributions
Googlie-- Probably CMNed 80% of my games-- great sense of balance and playability
Tau ceti-- Ran a poly tournament for years
Marione -- taught me to distinguish between what I thought I knew and what I had tested . .. he singlehandedly exploded many long held beliefs that seemed right
Darsnan-- CMNer extraordanaire-- I love his ways of creating new and interesting maps
Buster-- Quite simply the best player I ever faced-- While I have lost to others, I have never been so thoroughly beaten (and I was miles ahead of the other two players in the game)

Hobbes-- an ally in two of my few co-operative victories and the person I have faced in more games than any other

More later

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Some oldie but moldies for me aside from the deserving folks mentioned above,

CEO Bernard(?) - First to elevate and expand upon the power of Morgan from Firaxis boards I believe

David Byron(?) - Avid ICSer

Sikander and Bondetampe - for helping to refine and add to all things specialization

Misotu - A right fine player and person of valuiable critique

Allie Cove - SMAC Writer and humorist extraordinare.

[Darsnan]

Re: Retrospective-- A look back

Originally posted by Flubber
I was realizing that I have been on here a long long time (this is post number 5000 for me) and started to think back to all the Smaxers that have come and gone since this game came out.

So this thread is to reflect a bit on your special Smax moments.

Many thoughts come to mind here, as I also have been around the boards a while (although personally I am still well shy of 3000 posts myself). The one thing that strikes me though is the number of names in both Flubber's and Ogie's posts that I only know by reputation! I really regret nowadays not getting online earlier than I did, as I could've learned a lot from these players who've now moved on (or Transcended?).
Regardless, there have been several very influential players to hit the boards that weren't previously mentioned here:

Northswordsman: say what you will about him, but he was instrumental in establishing the SMAC Academy over at CGN. His enthusiasm was very infectious, and I enjoyed many a game with him.

Krysia's Krusader: a great player, and a great human being: he is the only person who I've ever lent my personal SMAC(X) CD's to, and KK repaid the kindness by absolutely expanding my PBEM knowledgebase exponentially! Much that our community has experienced/ enjoyed thru my PBEM's were a direct result of the things KK taught me.....

arborman: in my earliest days here at 'poly arborman was already a regular, and we enjoyed fencing over PBEM's and IP Games for many months! Here's to hoping his forests are growing strong!


D

[binTravkin]

Hey, this thread should not ever sink!

Not that I want it topped, but, well, we *need* this kind of place for more or less nostalgic memories, a monument for SMAXers of the past and present, the SMAX legends!

Hey, why noone has mentioned persons as:

Kody - strategies and hacks ( ) all around

SmackSim - one of the deepest diggers into the labyrinths of SMACX mechanisms.

Hydro - a fanfiction fellow to be remembered

Flubber - for starting this thread..

Ogie Oglethorpe - another deep digger along with

Minute Mirage

HongHu - a person of great psychical beauty..

Petek - he's always around for newbies

blockhead - for giving us some good fun

and more (I went out of memory, but will definitely remember some mor eby the end of the day)..

[Mart]

First time I could see SMAC was its web page, it was back when civ2 was on top, and I think I had Civ2 Gold Multiplayer, that I was using extensively. I downloaded a demo and it really felt strange after civ2 experience. However, I did not put much attention to it, as I was waiting for full game more.

Shortly after its release I got it and played almost only University on large planet map. My first game was NE from freshwater sea. I remember a war with other faction, Believers or Sparta? on that thin landbridge to volcano area.

Then had some time away from the game. I returned occasionally.

I missed crossfire in stores, and later its price $60-$100 on ebay was a bit high, so I "tested" other games and played SMAC. Nice addition was borehole cluster and Manifold Nexus in a patch, if you recall.

Then I returned for multiplayer, got Planetary Pack in a package of 5 PC games for $20, and now I definitely spend too much time on it...

The best challenge scenarios I played were Gaian one by Googlie, where for the first time I saw satellite trick in action. And the Pirate one with Kra-lek threat by Darsnan, where I started to like that sea faction. Before I was rather away from it.

Some of the best strategies I saw by Lazerus, Shawnmmcc and Kryssia's Krusader. There were more players, but these three somehow got into my memory most permanently.

[Lazerus]

I remember my really early days playing my first IP game with people i met on poly where i was being bribed for votes by everyone because my pop was a deciding factor made me feel so loved, though in actual fact i did nothing more then eat 2 AI's that entire game while the other players (hendrik and others i think) raced for transcendance and gave me some occasional techs to keep me happy because they probably thought i had more brains then what i actually did at the time.

Jamski and FrankyChan - Fellow comrades, always a good laugh

Darsnan, Flubber, Googlie - You three for the CMN'ing, playing and general all round helpfullness

Sikander, buster and vel - always interested in hearing playing styles from these though i can never do them properly heh

BinT - he'll shout at me if i dont j/k he's like an automated reply service on the forums and helps around with so much on poly and CGN

hydro - his and frankys fiction are always great reads

everyone - contributions small and large

[binTravkin]

he's like an automated reply service

Im not a robot, Im not a robot!

[Flubber]

Re: Re: Retrospective-- A look back

Originally posted by Darsnan


Northswordsman: say what you will about him, but he was instrumental in establishing the SMAC Academy over at CGN. His enthusiasm was very infectious, and I enjoyed many a game with him.


D

In my early days I played a LOT of games with Northswordsman. The very first was when in came in as a replacement in AXT042 in a pretty hopeless position as the cult. See MMs list of threads for a detailed game description but suffice it to say that Northswordsman eradicated ALL his bases when his position became completely untenable. WE played a TON of games after that, including a few duels and he was always fun even though he was never a top player. Outspoken and enthusiastic are two very good words for him.

[Flubber]

Re: Re: Retrospective-- A look back

Originally posted by Darsnan


Many thoughts come to mind here, as I also have been around the boards a while (although personally I am still well shy of 3000 posts myself). The one thing that strikes me though is the number of names in both Flubber's and Ogie's posts that I only know by reputation! I really regret nowadays not getting online earlier than I did, as I could've learned a lot from these players who've now moved on (or Transcended?).
D

Even though I got here earlier, ditto on the sentiments.

Oh and Darsnan . . if you played more and CMNed less, your post count would be much higher but frankly I think the community here would be much worse off

[Flubber]

Originally posted by binTravkin
Flubber - for starting this thread..

Is this what is know as being "damned by faint praise"

Originally posted by binTravkin
blockhead - for giving us some good fun

Ya look here shouldn't I get some of the credit for playing along with the guy


And if we are talking INFAMOUS people, who can forget Enigma Nova

[binTravkin]

Ya look here shouldn't I get some of the credit for playing along with the guy

But if there wasn't such guy to play along, there would be no such plan, so this time a bigger credit to him!
And I've actually played a couple of games with him, needless to say he got smashed badly.

who can forget Enigma Nova

I was already thinking about mentioning the menace, but was not brave enough..

Is this what is know as being "damned by faint praise"

Well, dunno this expression, am not a native English speaker.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by binTravkin

Well, dunno this expression, am not a native English speaker.

Uh sorry-- "damned by faint praise" is when you give a compliment that is not much of a compliment. For instance " Bob exceeded expectations by smashing our monthly sales record and Larry made it to work every day on time"

Larry was just very faintly praised

I made the comment since in the light of the other folks you listed, being mentioned for starting a thread was faint praise indeed

[binTravkin]

Heah, well it was meant more as a joke, but I just don't know you well enough to make a good praise and at the moment I was feeling thankful about this thread or your idea to start it.

[Ouro_827]

Everyone's already mentioned most of the names I would, but...
(In No particular order)

Ogie, for his insightful commentary, on, if I remember, Golden-Aging

Hydro, for some great fiction

There are so many other names I can remember, faintly and not so from my reading, too countless to name...

Vel - what more needs be said? Everything! I partiularly remember his discourse on synergy...

Googlie for being Googlie, and giving me a great boost in learning a little about the CMN trade...

Darsnan, for just being his general cunning self

Illum and Lauri, for welcoming me into the ACDG when I finally stopped lurking

[Marid Audran]

I also remember Ned, who once made many cogent points concerning AI mechanics and strategy in a brainstorming effort to give it a booster shot.

Oh, and Girlfightclub for having a sexy avatar & moniker.

And everyone already mentioned of course; Hydro in particular for his fiction and Allie Collie for her racy sense of humor and general aplomb. Apolyton, and the habitees of the AC forums especially, are made of classier stuff.