I'm ready for another SMAC/SMAX game.

[Net Warrior]

Oops, I overlooked this one when I was examining the game conditions post. I'd like scatter on too.

Googlie, I really hate playing with coopeative victory. I don't like building positions just to see them brought down by 2 other players who are just looking for an easy conquest win. I feel like "well why bother playing" when this has happened in the past.

Regarding transendence, maybe we could turn transendent victory off if you'd like, if you still want to be an alien, and the others agree.

[Googlie]

Naw - that's a bit unfair and imbalancing.

I could play as the Usurpers (not so attractive a faction as the C's though) as they can transcend, or I'll play as the Cult, and then we can go with 7 non-alien factions and all victory conditions (except co-op) activated

If I play the U's, then I'd vote for leaving the C's in as well

(How do the others feel about making nervegas dependent on sing mech - the same tech that enables the special Progenitor victory conditions? If I get that far, then you have until I complete the 6 subspace generators to gas those bases out of existence)

[Chaunk]

Re nerve gas, would really rather not move it that far in the tree, simply because if I were you Googlie, I'd build all six of those generators in one turn, leaving us with no choice but an instant vendetta and decimating you.

How about MMI? With the rules regarding choppers, they're somewhat weakened, so adding nerve gas gives the tech back some of it's bite?

[Mart]

Do you consider making special alphax.txt for this game?
It can be done for multiplayer, but we would have to coordinate the file paths.

[Googlie]

either amend the alphax.txt, or just agree internally to restrict the Choppers' abilities and to not X-anything until the agreed-upon tech has been researched (and how about delaying it until Sentient Resonance - that way I have a chance to get res-8 armour on defensive units to counteract the +100% attack bonus on the nervegas - might survive 1 attack at least and save some population points)

But as I say, I'm happy enough to play as Fungboy - have already been brainstiorming some fiction that might go along with the turns if I'm the Cult

[Googlie]

Originally posted by Googlie
to counteract the +100% attack bonus on the nervegas - might survive 1 attack at least and save some population points

Hmm - it's actually just a 50% bonus on offence per the alphax.txt (I always thought it was 100%) - but it's the halving population per strike that's the killer. Is that what the "Can" means as per the "Can +50% offense"?

And has it ever been tested whether Diss Wave negates this? (I know I haven't tried that in scenario testing)

[Maniac]

Contrary to what the manual claims, Dissociative Wave is only for offensive use, negating the abilities of defenders. So it won't effect nerve gas.

Just peeking at this thread.

[Mart]

Proposed recently changes to setup:

- sparse cloud cover
- No random events change to No (means: we do have rnd events)
- Change nerve gas requirement to Sentient resonance

Re first change, I can help the AI a bit here, with dense cloud cover there is more nutrients, game may proceed faster. So sparse cloud cover would not be needed.

To all players, please say what you think about the 3 changes to setup.

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by mart7x5
Proposed recently changes to setup:

- sparse cloud cover
- No random events change to No (means: we do have rnd events)
- Change nerve gas requirement to Sentient resonance

To all players, please say what you think about the 3 changes to setup.

I don't have an issue with any of these.

D

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Net Warrior

Googlie, I really hate playing with coopeative victory. I don't like building positions just to see them brought down by 2 other players who are just looking for an easy conquest win. I feel like "well why bother playing" when this has happened in the past.

Just lurking too but I am with net warrior on co-operative victories. I like the diplomacy better when factions know they can team up to take down a leader but that ultimately they must turn on each other.

The diplomatic possibilities are endless. As the leader you can threaten that all the repercussions of an attack will go against one of the players and not not at all against the other -- Its interesting watching 2 factions that want to attack you but neither wants to emerge as the weaker of the two victors ( its like an end of European WW2 scenario)

[Net Warrior]

Flubber, thanks for the support. It seems that great minds think alike .

Re: random events on, I've never tried this in a PBEM...it might be fun for a change (if I can keep it in mind).

Re: sparse cloudcover, I prefer lots of rain myself but I'll go along with the majority.

Re: nerve gas, it's fine with me if we eliminate it altogether, so delaying it is fine as well.

[Googlie]

I'm happy with random events on - I play all me games that way, if I can

Obviously happy with the nervegas - but I think I'll play the Cult, so it's a bit of a non-issue

In my experience, the AI playes better on sparse cloud/arid land (actually plants oodles of forests)

[Mart]

Ok, then. I think setup of the game is clear now.
nerve gas stays in HEC and we have no aliens

Re sparse cloud cover.
I wonder, if declaring a map "sparse cloud cover" and then adding more rivers in order to have more moist climate would still enhance AI performance as you mentioned, Googlie (more forests and no farms on arid). Any observations?

[Googlie]

Interesting question. Ususally in my CMN-created maps for PBEM's I add more rivers than the map generator gives anyways, but it's in SP games that I see the AI thrive on arid set-ups

My gut says that they'd build farms first if there's a hint of moisture (as that seems to be the algorithm that the programmers gave the AI - farms/solars in preference to forests unless the land was barren)

[Mart]

One more thing though
Chaunk and Darsnan request different setting for Tech stagnation.

To other players - any oppinion on this setting?