posted 06-23-99 06:39 PM ET        

I have signed a pact to serve you.

Hopefully others will attempt to beat your score - so i can renounce my pact and achieve total victory !!

We need others to beat your score. They can download the scenarios at

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dome/3802/

Lots of veterans who post here claim to be the best - well, now we will find out if they can beat you....

posted 06-24-99 04:48 AM ET            

I have, of course, downloaded this scenario and will proceed to see how good you really are.

I noticed you chose the very easy scenario. This, I feel, speaks volumes.

I volunteer to play the five AI factions in this charming little one on one......

jimmytrick,
Lord of SMAC,
SMACGOD PRIME, and
AAGG

posted 06-24-99 01:21 PM ET            

Very interesting. I went the economic route and just missed your score. I took only one base.

posted 06-24-99 07:08 PM ET            

I play both ways, but didn't have the time to go conqueror.

MtG:
While Aceplayer is a profound bootlicker, I find nothing exceptional about your score. I hereby serve notice: to be acknowledged as a Smacmaster, you must prove your worth in multiplay against skilled human competition.

Practice awhile and when you are ready, I'll let you pick your faction.........

BTW, we heard from an interesting lurker today, HelloKitty. She seems to think a lot of you. Go and take a look at her thread.

posted 06-24-99 08:19 PM ET            

Acknowledged as a SMAC master by who?
I'm trying to recall that great line of Mel Gibson's at the beginning of the first real battle in Braveheart - when the two nobles ride up and tell him he has to pay homage to them to join their army, and he tells them in effect that they've got to pay homage to join his army.

I've been toying with the idea of creating a truly balanced scenario map for one on one challenge play with no AI factions, where someone could just go into the map and seed cities for the appropriate factions, and then do a tfs "SMAC points" auction for units, techs, improvements, etc.

BTW Lt. Col JT, sir, I too am a builder, not a conqueror. I merely wanted to try the conqueror approach. I would happily engage you in a one on one challenge of any kind, all in fun, of course.

Besides, after reading all your posts, I must confess to a great degree of curiousity about your play style. Also, I'd happily invite Hello Kitty, Rimmer, aceplayer, or anyone at all into a friendly five to seven player PBEM - I'm creating a crazy scenario with seven totally symmetric starting positions for non-accelerated PBEMs. The starting continents are all clones, with a random assortment of islands in towards the center of the map to later compare how each player developed in the early stages from an identical position.

I don't think aceplayer is a bootlicker, I think he was merely a little shocked at how we upped the ante on the scores in his scenarios.

I prefer non-accelerated starts, even though that is slow to launch, and I like to either have a CMN look at the start position to see if it is at least viable, or to give any player the option of requesting a restart in the first very few turns if he or she finds her position totally untenable.

I've got a one on one PBEM I'm still in where I got started around the great dunes on a small island, and my opponent got started around the borehole cluster and monsoon jungle. Hardly a fair contest of supremacy, but I want to see what I can scrape out of that position.

posted 06-24-99 08:32 PM ET            

I prefer a tfs99 auction or from scratch start, let me know if you like the ideas in the other post. I certainly object to playing from anything you have create, homefield advantage you know.

As for bootlicker...er, Aceplayer, I was of course just trying to get his dander up.

If he also is from the south, it will have certainly done the trick.

posted 06-24-99 09:07 PM ET            

If ace is southern, he's no doubt hand rolling a special load just for you for that bootlicker remark.

posted 06-25-99 09:58 PM ET            

Pbem games can have 7 players. But then they have a tendency to move really sloooooow.

Right jimmytrick?

posted 06-26-99 12:23 AM ET            

*********START SAMPLE********
MasterVader,
I have countered your well planned assault with a rather brilliant move which entails the following: I have brought up 6 probe teams via magtubes from Morgan Mines(60,15). Then using my superior resources I captured 6 of your units, and have annihilated the others with my 5 units of Chaos/Shard Infantry. And currently am attacking your border colony with 6 Chaos Copters. Have fun.
--DarkNutz

DarkNutz,
Aha, I was about to begin chastizing you for being a retard when I noticed something that could prove that your stupidity is in fact based on a slight mistake. You see, your 6 Probe teams are actually at coordinates (15,56), right next to my University Expansion Alpha colony, and now, they are dead, as my Silksteel Squad just screwed them. Also, if I am correct, you do not have any copter, and in fact, the units residing at the coordinates you gave me were 7 formers working on a borehole which could provide enough minerals to save your original base from disbanding all the units. I have therefore applied your move to them, and promptly captured them with MY probe teams. Thus, the attack on my border colony failed miserably, as my defenders (who were NOT captured by your missing probe teams) outnumbered your attackers by 3 and made quick work of them. Have a nice day.
--MasterVader

*********SAMPLE ENDS*********

Is it like that? That seems kinda silly to me =P.

posted 06-26-99 12:56 AM ET            

This time I paid attention to what I was doing.

Sit down and grab yerself a hanky.

Are ya sittin down?

Might want to grab a stiff shot of fine Kentucky bourbon to ease the pain, for those who have struggled to beat my first score.

Are ya ready?

1540 points. One Five Four Zero

Yep, you heard right.

posted 06-26-99 09:30 AM ET            

For those of you who have not tried out PBEM, yes, the games will last forever, and yes, some of them may never be finished, but...it is a blast, try at least one!

posted 06-26-99 11:50 AM ET            

The way PBEM works is this. The players play in the regular faction order of play, i.e.:
1. Gaians
2. Hive
3. UoP
4. Morgans
5. Spartans
6. Believers
7. PKs

You can have anything from two to seven human players. Whoever is playing first generates the game, plays their turn, saves it and sends it on to the next human player. If there are AI players, they take their turns immediately after the human player saves the game, so the turn arrives at the next human player with the correct faction about to play. The next player plays their turn, saves the file, and emails it to the human player following them. And so on.

PBEM games are by default Iron Man, i.e. when you click Turn Complete, you have no option but to Save and Exit. The game also tells you who is the next human faction to play, so you know who to send the file to.

It can be slow, especially when there are several human players, but it's far more fun than playing against the AI, once you've learned all the tricks and find you can usually win on Transcend level.

Depending on who's playing, some people like to accompany the save file with "in-character" emails, but other players don't do this. It's a matter of preference.

Trust me, it's fun

posted 06-26-99 11:59 AM ET            

Wow... congrats on the immense score!!
Shall I just swear a pact to serve you now, and have done with it?? hehe
Nell... in awe

PS: Thanks for the info on how you did it... hmmm yeah I suppose I should have just binned all the existing base production and gone for a mighty army instead... but it all goes back to my inability to "get into" half-played scenarios... I can't be bothered to work out which base is building what and why, and whether or not it's more sensible to go for the big army or use the sneaky drop probe approach (love those!), which isn't a problem when you've started from scratch, as then you're well aware of your long-term strategy and can remember every unit, where it is, what it's up to and where it should go next, not to mention being aware of your enemies' weaknesses and strengths. Anyway, you get the point.

posted 06-26-99 12:56 PM ET            

I played on a symetrical planet shaped like a pizza with H2O as the slice divisions an inner sea containing the ruins on an island. The seas were stocked with MANY isle of the deep and full of fungus. I lost the file to a network crash but have been putting a new one together. If I ever have some time off I will finish and we can trade copies.

Kitty

posted 06-26-99 03:51 PM ET            

Nell - re your PPS - The first thing I targeted were the two Spartan cities with the damned needlejets. First principal of modern land-sea-air war is that you have to own the sky. Since they don't have SAM capable ground units, I'd use a needlejet to park on a magtube square to block reinforcements. I also use needlejet strikes to kill any sensor arrays before sending in air units. If the defender has ECM, I use air units, if AAA, then use infantry on the mag tubes, so they don't waste their move. I sacrificed units to soften up the best defenders, then hammered them with my trusty helos.

The second game, I didn't bother putting armor on any of my units, so they were cheaper to build. I didn't garrison any captured cities until I had nothing better to do, and I used drop scout infantry on the roads on the other side of a target city - so any reinforcements have to expend a turn killing my cheap drop scout. I also fly out air units and park them on exposed, damage ground units to keep them intact. Once you clear out the defenders, let the most damaged unit that can reach it actually take the city, since it is instantly repaired.

posted 06-26-99 04:13 PM ET            

Michael has simply applied the economic lessons he learned from my 1300.sav to the conquerors rush tactics he used in his first attempt.

While he has proven an apt student, all this scraping and bowing before him is a bit hasty. Remember this is combat versus the AI.
After he has had a chance to absorb some punishment...er, lessons, from me in our upcoming PBEM game, he may indeed rise to exaulted status.

For now, Michael, I knight thee, Sir Michael the Great Pupil (of)

posted 06-26-99 04:59 PM ET            

I look forward to exchaning "lessons" with you, as well as Nell and Hello Kitty.

It is always hard for the reigning self-proclaimed champions to step down off the brightly lit stage and shuffle into the dark, dank cobwebby obscurity of history when they are so suddenly and decisively replaced by their upstart betters. So I understand your reluctance to let go, Lt. Col. JT, sir, but that home they have for SMACers like you is a real nice, quiet place. They even have shuffleboard and everything.

MtG,
As full of it as Jimmytrick his own self.

PS - for those uncertain, JT and I are engaging in friendly testosterone muddled trash-talkin' joking around, as opposed to being true egomaniacs. For those who don't play against human players, try it - it is the best thing going.

posted 06-26-99 06:04 PM ET            

If you can't do this something is fubar.

posted 06-26-99 06:24 PM ET            

You can send me a sav file before - or after the vote. Just make sure the sav file has 2300 as the year.

Yes - its just a save file with a goal - not a true scenario. In practice I think the only difference between a scenario and a sav is that you cant pick a faction.

Advantages of my scenarios:
1) I am giving you the chance to compete with others by getting a higher score.
2) You can achieve fame and get listed on the website.
3) Playing my scenarios lets you skip the first 200 or so years to a critical moment. 4) Some goals are as simple as taking over a few bases - so you dont always have to play to victory - avoiding games that drag on.

posted 06-26-99 06:28 PM ET            

Krushala - I only built two extra ships, a pair of miserable little 1-1-foils to do the last minute dash into the sea bases. One was built (rushed) at Sparta Command to nail those two little Spartan sea bases, and one built from one of the first captured Spartan sea bases in the map center to help bag Yang's sea bases. I used needlejets and helos to clear out the defenders, when the ship was in range to make the final dash into the base.

posted 06-26-99 07:15 PM ET            

Obviously, Lt. Col. Jimmytrick, if he had been there, would have been the lone voice of dissent, crying in the fungus wilderness.

posted 06-26-99 08:47 PM ET            

I will change that to Diplomatic victory.

posted 06-27-99 01:41 AM ET            

Lovely fluffy bunny rabbits - ehhhhhh, What's up doc? I hear Elmer "Jimmytrick" Fudd, in his North Carolina accent, saying "Ohhhhhh! I'm gonna get that wascally wabbit if it's the last ting I evuh do!"

JT and I are just playing around - half the fun of PBEM's is roleplaying and acting like raving lunatic egomaniacs. In our case, it just comes natural. hehe

Krushala - since it's a short scenario, research is useless (one or two extra score points) once you get past hovertanks, so I just put everything into psych and economy - 30-70 mostly. Also the Sky Hydroponics Labs help with drones, since the off map food production keeps your colonies growing even though you have more citizens as empaths.

Allocating to psych (something I never normally do except when transcending in the end game) is an idea I picked up from the retired SMACGOD, Lt. Col. Jimmytrick. I say that to salve his wounded ego, since he's at the old folks home for retired former SMAC masters, and hasn't been able to figure out shuffleboard.

By not spending money on armored units, I was able to spend it on Children's Creches, which with Planned and Democratic gave me population booms, and after the Creches, I put in Rec Commons, so I cut put some Empaths back to work and keep up positive food production.

posted 06-27-99 03:02 AM ET            

Well, it is often so, as barely competent technicians have always stolen the insights of true genius.

Once we explain to them the concept of a brick, they can manage to build a wall, but, alas, then we have to explain to them the purpose of a door.

posted 06-27-99 11:59 AM ET            

"And here is this idiot, Michael, again up at all hours of the night," I live in Pacific time, you in Eastern, so who was up when? (I know you're losing sleep over it, but once you can figure out shuffleboard over at the retired SMACers old folks home, you'll be happy and content.) If you get a computer, instead of WebTV, they have this thing called Windoze, and it has a real good game of solitaire - maybe you could try that too!

"Well, it is often so, as barely competent technicians have always stolen the insights of true genius."

My mama always used to say "High score by 200 points is as high score by 200 points does."

"Once we explain to them the concept of a brick, they can manage to build a wall, but, alas, then we have to explain to them the purpose of a door." hehehehe

posted 06-27-99 06:54 PM ET            

I gotta change the explanation of victory again - I just dont think you can get co-operative victory that fast - but do to blow MichaeltheGreat away !!!

posted 06-27-99 08:03 PM ET            

The goal is to defeat Dierdre and she escaped in a pod ?? !! Thats a riot !!

btw - your scores are posted on the website and congrats to you for achieving 2 top scores...

posted 06-27-99 08:44 PM ET         

now, this time I got you with a more distinct difference: + 24 to your 1540.

- That�s 1564 -

I didn�t see the save-files of anybody else. Just added some little conquerer-stile to my ordinary builder-stile. Had very few armies produced. Conquered mostly with the airforce I had already.
The key to builder is for me: treefarm (immediately produced in hurry) and pop-explosion right away. Hybrid asap.

You like to try again ??

ARES 7

posted 06-27-99 09:48 PM ET            

Maybe wait awhile and see if anyone else can score as well as we can, and then give it one last shot. Then again, I might have to see what I can do to top 1564, but people on this forum might get the idea that I'm a bit egotistical.

posted 06-27-99 10:51 PM ET            

I have the old tournament chessplayer fetish for replaying and analyzing old positions over - if there's any way to improve my play, I want to find it. Not to ratchet up my score in that particular scenario, but to improve my overall play at any time.

Ares 7 - if you are interested in a PBEM, we could do a SMAC Grandmasters Challenge - the qualification would be over 1500 on the first scenario, or top score on any other aceplayer scenario with at least 5 entries for that scenario.

posted 06-28-99 02:37 PM ET            

Poor Deirdre, she got betrayed

posted 06-28-99 04:13 PM ET            

Aceplayer: Will you clarify if that's the right click bypass around the sunspots activity is in your view a legitimate tactic for your scenarios? Since they are your creation, I'd like to get your interpretation of the rules. Not to take anything away from laurens, even if he did use that to get conquest in 2296, that's pretty impressive.

I'd just like clarification since it is two totally different approaches. Maybe a change in the rules, with one set of high scores for conquest, and another for the diplomatic victory. It really makes it like two different scenarios, since I doubt Laurens wasted much time on tree farms and Children's Creches.

posted 06-28-99 04:21 PM ET            

I guess I would just change the rules in the goals saying you cant vote before 2300.

laurens - I didnt get your sav file yet...

posted 06-28-99 04:33 PM ET            

I think the best solution would be to have separate high score lists for conquest, and for diplomatic victory, then that way every style of player would feel encouraged.

posted 06-28-99 05:07 PM ET            

only thing I still need to do is post Ares 7 - new scenario.... gotta get to that

wow - this takes a lot of time

posted 06-28-99 05:08 PM ET            

One you reduce from pact to treaty, you can betray and attack the faction, and you also only have three submissive pact brothers, so cooperative conquest victory is possible.

posted 06-28-99 05:36 PM ET            

I havent got laurens save file yet - but that was clearly not the intent of the scenario - call it an oversight in the challenge statement.

I will change the rules - to prohibit the renouncing of pacts under the sunspot activity. Its clearly a bug - since I cant right click and contact the faction.

maybe it isnt a bug - cause in real life - you could attack a pact brother's unit...

anyways - it was not intended to be an option - sorry if I caused laurens to waste time...

btw - if you d/l the scenario a while before playing - please check the website before starting to make sure I didnt update the "challenge". I will change the zip files too - if I have to clarify the challenge.

thanks.

posted 06-28-99 05:49 PM ET            

I think that would be fair to all involved....

posted 06-28-99 08:25 PM ET            

and I dont cheat at PBEM - however I may not know the rules

posted 06-28-99 09:49 PM ET            

two problems - 1) exactly what is the goal ?
is it the best AC score by year 2350?
2) I need a sav file with your score too...

posted 06-28-99 10:20 PM ET            

Regarding the termination of pact (right-click feature), I only went about winning the game when I confirmed - this:. I renounced the pact, and I also tried to break the treaty which is impossible due to the comm. disrupt. However, when I wanted to further agitate things by demanding withdrawal, the message comes up to say, "The Gaians appear to have complied." Normally what you see will be the faction leader saying that she has no units in your border, but this time round during sunspot the message has indicated otherwise - a rough estimate of the military situation. Does this mean that this bug-supposed-to-be carries an entirely new message?

The units are automatically withdrawn when you renounce the pact, and it's almost like you are breaking a treaty by launching a surprise attack prior to that spreading the news among your camp that your forces are no longer with the Gaians in this case (right clicking to denounce the pact). I debated within myself many times last night before choosing this fast conquest option (yah boy, put my score at an all-time low of 765), that this might not necessarily be a bug. Any suggestions?

posted 06-28-99 10:33 PM ET            

send me the save file - if thats waht happened I will make you a winner in a separate category

posted 06-28-99 10:35 PM ET            

its ares 7 - i need the T1 stuff from
I need a goal, and I need you save file - see my msgs to laurens

posted 06-28-99 10:38 PM ET            

Yup... I renounced the pact, but not the treaty - I broke it abruptly. My view of the bug design is at above.

Okie... I shall send the .sav file to you again for lal_2286. Hope that this time will get through.

I'm using winzip7.0

posted 06-28-99 10:42 PM ET            

your email add [email protected] right?

posted 06-29-99 12:44 AM ET            

A7: 1564
MtG: 1540
tfs99: 1354

Quote ----------

"Just sent my score for Lal_2286 in to aceplayer: 1354. This beats ARES 7 by 11 points, the same amount by which he beat MtG.

It seems like I can only build around three SPs. But there is still another one that I could conquer to bring my score up another 25. Maybe a few more population could be grown as well.

Other than that, I am not sure how one could do better.

Quote ----------

Sheesh, what jackass said this? Man! Do I have egg all over my face.

Well, that is, until I scored 1730!!!!

That's right MtG, A7, jt, ap, et al. Read it and weep. 1-7-3-0

Things just fell into place.

The 342 citizens of the Great Fiefdom of Lal 2300 can't be wrong!

posted 06-29-99 12:59 AM ET            

Now, I must say that this is a true accomplishment. I am impressed with that score. Please send me a .sav (along with e-mail replies if you could)

tfs99 lives!

posted 06-29-99 01:00 AM ET            

Honor, of course, demands that I take another crack at it. If that isn't the top score, it's damned close - there just isn't much more anyone can do with that position.

That's an impressive score.

posted 06-29-99 01:12 AM ET            

I just finished Miriam_2350 - finally

I got 2 files from laurens, one fom kitty, and one from tfs99 - wont get to them till tomorrow - (tfs99 - do you have a Y2K problem?? - just kidding)

please remember to supply your nick so i know who sent it - I need nick and scenario name - now I gotta change all my files to say that

posted 06-29-99 03:45 AM ET            

I've got your Easy: Zakhorov_2171 scenario done with at 2176, score 60.

Just move the missile unit into Gaian's Landing to win...

posted 06-29-99 05:33 AM ET         

quote: "Everyone tries to knock off the champion".

Michael, thats absolutely true! So please, be so kind and post your results of the other scenarios, you finished.

If more people do like you, competition gets somehow lame on other scenarios than Lal_2286.

posted 06-29-99 08:50 AM ET         

Ok, I admit, you are the king of this scenario (Lal_2286). 2x MtG, then 2x ARES 7, in the end 2x you. MtG jumped ~200 each with his scores, I jumped just a little farther than he. After that it was your turn also with a little jump (like this from 1343 to 1354). But you nasty guy did a incredible big one. 1600 I would retry, 1730 oh gosh! I will better wait a little bit.
I Greet you, King tfs99.

posted 06-29-99 02:00 PM ET            

"I looked, and there was a cloaked hovertank. Its rider was named MtG, and Conquest accompanied him."

Apologies to those who insist on a strict translation of the Book of Revelation, but when I post my scores:

"There will be much wailin and gnashing of teeth."

Until then, keep trying.

posted 06-29-99 04:02 PM ET            

Here was my Lal_2286 strategy in a nutshell:

- do not build any drone handling facilities
- nerve staple the heck out of those drones
- work all the good squares and put extras on Thinker for +3 labs
- be sure to conquer Santiago as she will revolt because of atrocities
- build some power orbitals
- switch to Planned, Growth, Knowledge and build Creches everywhere to start booming
- fiddle with research percentage from time to time to optimize rate
- build Tree Farms (and later Hybrids) at any base that has two or more forest
- after infrastructure is mostly built, switch to mainly supply crawler production for SPs
- Switch HQ to UN Aid Station
- Build x4 SPs in UN Aid Station
- Build one hurried Drop Rover to begin offensive, use Spartan bases to produce the rest
- Start with Sunny Mesa and keep rolling
- Build two Battleships when you get Flex, great for taking sea bases
- Set two bases to produce hurried Colony Pods
- Start "daisy chaining" bases into Believer territory
- Infill main continent with bases as well
- Always switch initial base production to hurried Childrens Creche
- Hopefully you'll research the tech for the last SP a turn or so before end
- Switch to Free Market, Wealth after last te ch
- set Economy to 100%
- Give all your tech to Miriam in exchange for Gaia's Landing
- Luck out and get Yang to surrender on MY2300

There you have it.

posted 06-29-99 07:02 PM ET            

Now, there are again three, all after the most overplayed tiny map scenario in all of SMACdom. Who will fade? Who will remain on top, to hold the coveted record? Will there be a fourth horseman (or hovertankman) of the SMACocalypse?

This is part of an insidious "teaser" campaign. All will be revealed in due time...

posted 06-30-99 03:34 PM ET            

laurens, ares 7, aceplayer, et al:
re Morgan_2281

a little inspirational music for ya:

"Well you're pretty good ol' son,
but sit down there in that chair,
and let me show ya how it's done."
Charlie Daniels - The Devil Went Down to Georgia

It took two years?

The scenario goals if I recall, were to take Gaia's Landing, Last Rose of Summer, and Forest Primeval, if I recall.

I hope you don't mind that I wasted Forest Primeval (it's gone), and also took Vale of Winds, Greenhouse Gate and Song of Planet.

Oh...

I almost forgot...

1 turn (yep)
457 points (yep again).

(It really should be a full conquest scenario)

posted 09-08-99 01:46 AM ET         

I was wondering why no one besides laurens
and me has played the Exodus Yang 2215
szenario. It's really challenging and
a lot of fun, too. Come on - beat my score
and give me somthing to do for the next
weekend .

posted 09-08-99 04:49 PM ET            

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dome/3802/

if you didnt know already