posted 05-06-99 03:32 PM ET     

One of the things I disliked about Civ2 was that other nations would simply gang up on you and/or make horrendous demands as soon as your nation was at the top of the dominance list. This might be justified if you had been bombing them into submission or had a bad reputation. However, it always occured regardless of how peacful you might have been acting. Now, I had hoped this might be have been axed for SMAC. Alas, no! My current campaing has the Green's off in their little corner of a very huge map going about the business of building a prosperous faction. No hostilities of any kind with anybody save two exceptions: The Hive didn't like my democracy. Fine, that makes sense. And the Spartan's didn't like being told to leave my territory. Her transport full of missle infantry landed, I killed them, we pleged truce. No problem. My other interactions with the rest were always peaceful. Reputation was noble, might unsurpassed. I built the first plantet buster and had it sitting around for a good 25 - 30 years. Now, within 3 years my loyal allies ditched me, and pronounced vendetta. Same with the other factions. So, without posing a military threat to anyone I had them all sending my little idle threats about how the other factions would do XYZ if I was foolish enough to yaddayadda. Totally unrealistic. There is simply no basis for this in a game where all conquest options are allowed. And, realisitcally, you would think someone would be happy to have the most powerful faction on their side etc. And, if this was triggered by having a planet buster, it seems a bit weak. As we all know, the Hive, for example, is not adverse to commiting atrocites which makes such a dterrent valuable.

This leads to nag #2:

Another planet UN item is needed, namely to disarm planet busters. The idea is to have the START treaties and such incoporated. This action would require the same tech needed for a planet buster itself. As soon as one faction had discovered the tech then a new item would appear: "Approve arms treaty." This would be subject to the usual vote. If approved then the manufacture of a planet buster would be prohibited and existant busters would be disbanded. There could be no covert production. Alternatively, all factions would decalre war on the violator. This might seem redundant with the charter business but I disagree. Busting is such an atrocity that it might merit special condition.

Speaking of the UN: It seems foolish for those factions who lack orbital spaceflight to be able to vote on the various UN options that involve spaceflight. If you have no capacity to even get something into space then you ought to keep your mouth shut.

Another UN thing: If there is but one abstain then there can be no unanomous vote, the veto still works. Abstain is delgating the decision to others which should not compromise the veto power.

Back to AI:
In this game of mine, after the bastards had somehow thought that Gaia was a bad thing and sent many a transport my way I came up with a strategy. I captured bases with my navy and then obliterated them. Bear in mind, we're beyond complaining about the other factions sudden dislike of the Greens. The others were a bit ticked by this. Fine, but this is a minor atrocity. And, given the fact that I could not have any trade with anyone anyway it was irrelevant. I torched everything. What I find a bit weak is that no other faction would even talk to me. Picture the following: I'm in front of the sea-based UN HQ with a fleet of battleships, the base is empty, I try to talk to Lal. No reponse. If the fact that I am capable to releive him of his main city (pop. 10), steal his wonders etc. has no effect on his willingness to enter a dialogue (even if he just etlls me off), I think it's off. He's miffed and has every right to be miffed, but you think he would try to remain a force on planet and maybe try to talk his way out? BTW, I would have listened as my goal in the game was to win via transedence. The diplomatic AI seems too static, doesn't react to the realities of the map.

Bear with me, two more things

This brings me to another issue relating to faction-faction interaction. I would love another preference menu for diplomacy. Items such as "threaten vendetta if other faction colonizes within your territory" and "auto-refuse all loan proposals" would be most useful. How about asking factions that do not settle in your turf but settle so that they gain possession of improvments you have made to pay up. This might also be a cause for war too, one that does not harm you rep. Another point here is the static nature of the dialogues themselves. Morgan always bithced at me to give up my planned or green economy. Fine, that suits him. But you would think he might stop complaing when that same green econmy makes his look pitiful. The bogger had no right in complaingin about a model that was outperfomring his. Maybe that could be worked in, e.g., "Well, I am surprised that your green economy is so vibrant but I am sure you could do better by removing environmental regulation etc." in other words, a more dynamic dialogue based on how well each faction is doing. In a similar vain, I dislike it when I try to contact a faction wiht whom I have a war and can only crush them, apologize and pay or apologize and pay a little less. The missing option is "No, Chairman, is is you who must apologize to end this waste of resources." The idea is that you inform the other faction that you have the upper hand but are willing to let the matter slide. I don't think this is truly possible with the currect set-up.

The last matter is the AI, again: In this game of mine, everybody hates me. Fine, I'm over it What is skewed is their means to combat their own self-fulfilled prophecy. They are doing everything the can to raise the sea-levels. I can't veto them. Fine. Makes sense that they want to somehow get me (although I'm the only power with satellites so I'm intrigued how they want to do this, but I digress...) This seemed vaild and such. But, I jest you not: Every other faction lost cities to the rising sea levels, except me! The bastards killed themselves and did not want to lauch solar shade to lower the sea-levels again. AI that dooms itself to destruction is just a bit tiresome. That is a bug, not a feature, in my book.

In any event, I really like the game but found these few bugs/nags. BTW, the Greens marched to victory in this game, of course I would appreciate any comments, esp. from FIRAXIS. Thanks for your patience and time...

Oh, game is most recent version with most recent patch etc. No tech. problems at all. Just playability issues.