Maps, Terraforming, Colony Pods, and ICS

[Kataphraktoi]

The relative political merits of each faction frequently come up on these boards, with each of their values superimposed on real-world situations. The problem I see is that the factions are designed to be absolutists, so as to promote conflict in gameplay. In other words, their aims are skewed to as to ensure that they'll be mutually irreconcilable. If that weren't enough to skewer any moralistic debate on the relative merits of each faction, there's also the fact that the game has been designed in such a way as each choice is a viable alternative to the others. What really makes one policy better or worse than another is to compare its costs with its benefits. In the real world, they are often very, very different. In the game, they're balanced to a nicety.

I always got the impression that there were two arguments going on, one about ingame strategy and the other real world 'moralistic' debates and often in the same breath. This seems to be a constant as far back as 2001 when i came here.

What really makes one policy better or worse than another is to compare its costs with its benefits.

Or compare the costs of the policy versus the contributation towards your goal. The benefits may not be in line with what you want.



RE ICS...i have to say, the fastest transcend on record, blowing mine (first real try;2218)away by 30 turns, was a pure perfectionist strategy. The essense of perfect development in SMAX seems to be getting the right number of bases, getting the proper techs in the proper order and starting a population boom(much better than ICS) at the right time. Getting to that exponential growth stage super fast is critical. Thats why my transcend times suffer-i get my pop boom started later than other people's tries, even though my transcend games have the best econ hands down out of any transcend attempt-its just too big and bulky and slow. (and 400 formers\crawlers is exhausting)

For pure research i cant see ICS as that great. Its hands down the best policy in multiplayer, though. Lazerus playing hive is just scary to me...as is his incomprehensibly fast transcend times

If i seem wandering about, i am. I just cant find anything to disagree with in the last two posts is all

[Senethro]

I love watching Laz play. Its so beautiful.

Has anyone done anything interesting with ICS recently? The last thing to blow my mind was the use of early, hurried recycling tanks with Morgan to fuel your expansion.