A suggestion for a different way to play

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Author Topic:   A suggestion for a different way to play

JohnnyJohnny posted 05-05-99 11:39 AM ET
I have been playing SMAC since Feb. and reading the forum for about a month. I tried
MP once.
My suggestion :
someone creates a game -
saves it without taking a turn -
posts it somewhere -
players download it -
everyone plays at their own pace -
when finished they post their save(s)-
This way you get to compare play styles apples for apples. Everyone is playing the same start and only play style (and buggy processors) affect the outcomes. I think it
would help everyone play better in the long run. Whaddaya Thimk ?
Rong posted 05-05-99 11:58 AM ET
Why don't you just play MP games then?
Frank Moore posted 05-05-99 12:19 PM ET
I like the idea, I have always thought that I could learn some new playing styles by seeing how other people would play the same map.
JohnnyJohnny posted 05-05-99 12:29 PM ET
1. both networks have proxies, have to reconfigure a machine to play.
2. slow, style is limited.
3. this way competion is as much as possible
between the players not the factions.(sorta makes all the debate about which is best moot).
4. you would get to see what 'you' could have done.
tsawdak posted 05-05-99 12:47 PM ET
sounds like a good idea, but where would it be posted and remember that some files can be altered alpha.txt. you would have to include those as well.
MoSe posted 05-05-99 01:15 PM ET
This too had been proposed long ago, but the topic sank down.
I liked the idea.
MariOne
Salkin posted 05-05-99 01:47 PM ET
I also like the idea. Maybe someone with some free space on their web site could host the saves? After all, save games aren't very large...
JohnnyJohnny posted 05-05-99 01:52 PM ET
I don't think that modified text files would be such an issue. When you loaded the game on your system you would see if it had been cheated. Remember the goal is to learn. The competion aspect is just for grins. As for where we could exchange files - by email?
The thing that spurred this is the discriptions of bases and stuff that I read here are way more than I can achieve. If some one would like to try -email me.
Rong posted 05-05-99 02:16 PM ET
The question is, how much can you learn from looking at a save file? Not much I have to say.
Imagine you received a save file from "Analyst the Great". Looking at his faction, you see tons of air units; on the other hand, his opponent, now reduced to a single base, only has trance units as defenders. Can you easily deduce Analyst's playing style without prior knowledge?
Had you played a MP game with him, you'd know the process, not just the end result. Maybe he started by pounding you with mindworms. In a hurry to defend him, you rush upgraded all your defenders to trance units, in the process exhausting your energy reserve. You were delighted to find his mindworm army reduced to pieces before reaching your inner cities. Suddendy, you looked up the sky, you saw his needlejets flying in, streching over the whole horizon. Sadly now you didn't have the energy credits to upgrade your defenders again to AAA units. Your fate was sealed.
See my point?
Ok, maybe I am a little biased because I am having too much fun in tsf99's "May Madness SMAC Tournament". Check out the MP forum at apolyton:
Mundane MM game progress reports:
http://apolyton.net/forums/Forum27/HTML/000005.html
MM Narrative/Role Playing Reports: http://apolyton.net/forums/Forum27/HTML/000004.html
JohnnyJohnny posted 05-05-99 02:28 PM ET
Actually I think I could learn quite a bit about how the described feat was accomplished by looking at a saved game where such things had transpired. Would you send me one?
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Author	Topic: A suggestion for a different way to play
JohnnyJohnny	posted 05-05-99 11:39 AM ET I have been playing SMAC since Feb. and reading the forum for about a month. I tried MP once. My suggestion : someone creates a game - saves it without taking a turn - posts it somewhere - players download it - everyone plays at their own pace - when finished they post their save(s)- This way you get to compare play styles apples for apples. Everyone is playing the same start and only play style (and buggy processors) affect the outcomes. I think it would help everyone play better in the long run. Whaddaya Thimk ?
Rong	posted 05-05-99 11:58 AM ET Why don't you just play MP games then?
Frank Moore	posted 05-05-99 12:19 PM ET I like the idea, I have always thought that I could learn some new playing styles by seeing how other people would play the same map.
JohnnyJohnny	posted 05-05-99 12:29 PM ET 1. both networks have proxies, have to reconfigure a machine to play. 2. slow, style is limited. 3. this way competion is as much as possible between the players not the factions.(sorta makes all the debate about which is best moot). 4. you would get to see what 'you' could have done.
tsawdak	posted 05-05-99 12:47 PM ET sounds like a good idea, but where would it be posted and remember that some files can be altered alpha.txt. you would have to include those as well.
MoSe	posted 05-05-99 01:15 PM ET This too had been proposed long ago, but the topic sank down. I liked the idea. MariOne
Salkin	posted 05-05-99 01:47 PM ET I also like the idea. Maybe someone with some free space on their web site could host the saves? After all, save games aren't very large...
JohnnyJohnny	posted 05-05-99 01:52 PM ET I don't think that modified text files would be such an issue. When you loaded the game on your system you would see if it had been cheated. Remember the goal is to learn. The competion aspect is just for grins. As for where we could exchange files - by email? The thing that spurred this is the discriptions of bases and stuff that I read here are way more than I can achieve. If some one would like to try -email me.
Rong	posted 05-05-99 02:16 PM ET The question is, how much can you learn from looking at a save file? Not much I have to say. Imagine you received a save file from "Analyst the Great". Looking at his faction, you see tons of air units; on the other hand, his opponent, now reduced to a single base, only has trance units as defenders. Can you easily deduce Analyst's playing style without prior knowledge? Had you played a MP game with him, you'd know the process, not just the end result. Maybe he started by pounding you with mindworms. In a hurry to defend him, you rush upgraded all your defenders to trance units, in the process exhausting your energy reserve. You were delighted to find his mindworm army reduced to pieces before reaching your inner cities. Suddendy, you looked up the sky, you saw his needlejets flying in, streching over the whole horizon. Sadly now you didn't have the energy credits to upgrade your defenders again to AAA units. Your fate was sealed. See my point? Ok, maybe I am a little biased because I am having too much fun in tsf99's "May Madness SMAC Tournament". Check out the MP forum at apolyton: Mundane MM game progress reports: http://apolyton.net/forums/Forum27/HTML/000005.html MM Narrative/Role Playing Reports: http://apolyton.net/forums/Forum27/HTML/000004.html
JohnnyJohnny	posted 05-05-99 02:28 PM ET Actually I think I could learn quite a bit about how the described feat was accomplished by looking at a saved game where such things had transpired. Would you send me one?