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SMAC: Gameplay
Automation
"Simplify the management of your empire with unprecedented levels of Auto commands, unit patrol orders, intuitive go-tos with waypoints, colony build queues, and intelligent colony governors." Official Features. Firaxis SMAC-FAQ
"An extensive list of automated features has been drafted in the hopes of reducing some of the burdensome tasks of running an ever-expanding empire. You can issue automated commands to your units, including patrol orders, building queues, and specialized terraformer actions. For instance, tell a terraformer to construct a road connecting one city to another, and it will first clear the intervening terrain, then lay a road, both jobs performed in the most sensible and economical fashion. You can also tell the terraformer to drive around and link up all of the cities within an empire, without having to monitor its progress. You'll also be able to call units to a specified location or stack a variety of units within a specific square." Marc Dultz. Sneak Peaks: Alpha Centauri: Stranger in a Strange Land. Gamecenter Review. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ.
"Atomation [sic] for all unit types, but especially for terraformers, lots of specific options: fully automate, improve around particular base,build road to location, connect bases with roads in general, etc
Automation options for base production, including build queues, and also "Governors" to take over control of bases.
Excellent "go to" algorithm, including showing you the path the unit will take as you drag the arrow from it. Uses roads, avoids enemy territory where possible, etc."
'Patrol' function for units. February Feature Call
Borders
"SMAC will have borders that are defined by proximity to your bases. Factions with whom you have a treaty cannot found bases inside those borders, and if military units come across the border, you may ask them to leave." Official FAQ from Firaxis. SMAC-FAQ.
"Better concept of "territory", including don't-build-bases-in-my-territory." February Feature Call
Sensors: It's been stated that there will be sensors as a type of terrain upgrade. It sees units approaching within two squares. Adam. 08 June 1998
Blockades
"Blockades are not modeled in SMAC." Tim Train of Firaxis. From Dante’s Inferno SMAC page.
Link to source: SMAC-FAQ
Building
Material Carryovers
"Excess minerals in SMAC do indeed carry over to the next project! This is a nice feature over earlier games of this type." Tim Train of Firaxis. From Dante’s Inferno SMAC page. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ
Mineral Convoys
"You can establish convoys between bases, so that minerals are taken from one base and put to use in another."
"The other cool feature of the game is the brand-spanking new build queue, which makes management and production much easier than in other games of this type." Tim Train of Firaxis. From Dante’s Inferno SMAC page. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ
Cut-scenes or Extended Story Line
"There are no cutscenes with speech that are related to the plot or that pass along any useful information. The only speech comes up when you build a Secret Project, and you get a piece of flavoring text. That text is also shown on the Datalinks screen explaining the benefit of the Project, so you still have access to the information." Tim Train of Firaxis. From Dante’s Inferno SMAC page. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ
Game Saves and Iron Man Option
"There is now an "Iron Man" option that you can turn on that does not allow for saves. And, of course, there will be no saving and reloading in multiplayer." Tim Train of Firaxis. From Dante’s Inferno SMAC page. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ
Ranged Attacks
"Ranged fire has been modeled, too, which can then be influenced by terrain elevation. Moreover, psionic (mind) combat will also be portrayed." Marc Dultz. Sneak Peaks: Alpha Centauri: Stranger in a Strange Land. Gamecenter Review. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ.
"You can indeed attack from 2 squares away with certain units that are equipped with a specific unit special. The attacks only do partial damage, unless you attack a square with an enemy artillery unit in it, in which case the enemy will return defensive fire until one of you is dead. So one new tactic is to use your artillery to soften up a target before sending in your fast movers." From Dante’s Inferno SMAC page. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ.
Resources
"Three principal resources are depicted in the game: nutrients, minerals, and energy." Marc Dultz. Sneak Peaks: Alpha Centauri: Stranger in a Strange Land. Gamecenter Review. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ.
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"Simplify the management of your empire with unprecedented levels of Auto commands, unit patrol orders, intuitive go-tos with waypoints, colony build queues, and intelligent colony governors." Official Features. Firaxis SMAC-FAQ
"An extensive list of automated features has been drafted in the hopes of reducing some of the burdensome tasks of running an ever-expanding empire. You can issue automated commands to your units, including patrol orders, building queues, and specialized terraformer actions. For instance, tell a terraformer to construct a road connecting one city to another, and it will first clear the intervening terrain, then lay a road, both jobs performed in the most sensible and economical fashion. You can also tell the terraformer to drive around and link up all of the cities within an empire, without having to monitor its progress. You'll also be able to call units to a specified location or stack a variety of units within a specific square." Marc Dultz. Sneak Peaks: Alpha Centauri: Stranger in a Strange Land. Gamecenter Review. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ.
"Atomation [sic] for all unit types, but especially for terraformers, lots of specific options: fully automate, improve around particular base,build road to location, connect bases with roads in general, etc
Automation options for base production, including build queues, and also "Governors" to take over control of bases.
Excellent "go to" algorithm, including showing you the path the unit will take as you drag the arrow from it. Uses roads, avoids enemy territory where possible, etc."
'Patrol' function for units. February Feature Call
Borders
"SMAC will have borders that are defined by proximity to your bases. Factions with whom you have a treaty cannot found bases inside those borders, and if military units come across the border, you may ask them to leave." Official FAQ from Firaxis. SMAC-FAQ.
"Better concept of "territory", including don't-build-bases-in-my-territory." February Feature Call
Sensors: It's been stated that there will be sensors as a type of terrain upgrade. It sees units approaching within two squares. Adam. 08 June 1998
Blockades
"Blockades are not modeled in SMAC." Tim Train of Firaxis. From Dante’s Inferno SMAC page.
Link to source: SMAC-FAQ
Building
Material Carryovers
"Excess minerals in SMAC do indeed carry over to the next project! This is a nice feature over earlier games of this type." Tim Train of Firaxis. From Dante’s Inferno SMAC page. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ
Mineral Convoys
"You can establish convoys between bases, so that minerals are taken from one base and put to use in another."
"The other cool feature of the game is the brand-spanking new build queue, which makes management and production much easier than in other games of this type." Tim Train of Firaxis. From Dante’s Inferno SMAC page. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ
Cut-scenes or Extended Story Line
"There are no cutscenes with speech that are related to the plot or that pass along any useful information. The only speech comes up when you build a Secret Project, and you get a piece of flavoring text. That text is also shown on the Datalinks screen explaining the benefit of the Project, so you still have access to the information." Tim Train of Firaxis. From Dante’s Inferno SMAC page. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ
Game Saves and Iron Man Option
"There is now an "Iron Man" option that you can turn on that does not allow for saves. And, of course, there will be no saving and reloading in multiplayer." Tim Train of Firaxis. From Dante’s Inferno SMAC page. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ
Ranged Attacks
"Ranged fire has been modeled, too, which can then be influenced by terrain elevation. Moreover, psionic (mind) combat will also be portrayed." Marc Dultz. Sneak Peaks: Alpha Centauri: Stranger in a Strange Land. Gamecenter Review. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ.
"You can indeed attack from 2 squares away with certain units that are equipped with a specific unit special. The attacks only do partial damage, unless you attack a square with an enemy artillery unit in it, in which case the enemy will return defensive fire until one of you is dead. So one new tactic is to use your artillery to soften up a target before sending in your fast movers." From Dante’s Inferno SMAC page. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ.
Resources
"Three principal resources are depicted in the game: nutrients, minerals, and energy." Marc Dultz. Sneak Peaks: Alpha Centauri: Stranger in a Strange Land. Gamecenter Review. Link to source: SMAC-FAQ.
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