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Author Topic:   Gamespot's Gameguide.. holy cow!

Zaphod Beeblebrox posted 02-19-99 06:29 PM ET

Gamespot just put up a 350 page or so Alpha Centauri Game Guide.. this thing is packed with charts and statistics and stuff.
It's only $4.95 (it's a downloaded PDF file, about 2 megs). What a steal.
Having purchased the horrible Prima Official Strategy Guide, I'm glad I found something at least a little worthwhile.
Don't hesitate.. go NOW and check it out
www.gameguides.com

Follol posted 02-19-99 06:41 PM ET
The Gamespot guide looked interesting. Anyone who has gotten it, please post a review!
I'm hesitant to get it because I noticed two errors in the free sample of the guide.
1) Throughout, the writer confuses talents with specialists. The guide refers (several times) to making talents from workers by taking them off of the city squares.
2) Habititation dome to grow above size 15, rather than 14 as stated in the manual.
Granted, these are small mistakes (especially if you read the word "specialist" where the word "talent" is written). But I don't plan on getting it unless other people get it and find it to be helpful.
TheHelperMonkey posted 02-19-99 07:30 PM ET
What does the Downloadable guide have that the sample one doesn't.
By the way where can I find the updated version of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
DON'T PANIC! AC will be out soon in europe!
Remog posted 02-19-99 09:57 PM ET
Anybody else having trouble downloading the guide? It gave me my login but my password was listed as not available,
Any ideas?
Maya posted 02-19-99 10:51 PM ET
Also interesting to note is that Zaphod Beeblebrox only posted two messages on these forums, one here and the other in the Strategy forum, both about how the official guide sucked and how great this other guide was...
Makes you wonder don't you think... =)
*Hugs*
-Maya
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
-- Albert Einstein
iratheous posted 02-19-99 11:02 PM ET
Are you trying to say gamespot, that brutally honest and completely unbiased computer gaming mag may have put him up to this? I just refuse to believe those decent fellows of anything so fowl.
Zirak posted 02-20-99 09:03 PM ET
I bought the guide-
�some editing mistakes
�talents are confused with specialists
�the downloadable guide is the same as the sybex one in stores but 1/3 of the price
Overall, good quality stuff
Follol posted 02-20-99 09:28 PM ET
Thank you, Zirak, for your review. Maybe I'll look at the Sybex guide to see if I want to buy the Gamespot guide.
-F
Seely posted 02-20-99 09:54 PM ET
I thought the Gamespot downloadable guide was a vast improvement over the crappy guide available in stores. The customization tips are much longer and more detailed, and really get into the meat of editing many of the text and other files in the game. Info on units was also in-depth and very well-done. The rest was pretty standard-- the info on each of the factions was a bit more detailed, with strategies of paths of research etc. All in all, it's a very handy reference, and IMHO worth the price of $4.95. Don't waste your time with Prima's guide!
Deadron posted 02-20-99 11:48 PM ET
I've found GameSpot to be an excellent gaming resource -- highest quality I've seen on the net. Do you have a specific complaint about them?
ViVicdi posted 02-21-99 12:44 AM ET
GameSpot's "Online Guide" is rife with errors. I would guess very little actual gameplay went into the "research" done to write the guide.
That doesn't mean it won't have good ideas, but I'd be leery of wagering any actual cash on that possibility.
PawtheUnstuk posted 02-21-99 05:00 AM ET
For me, strategy guides take all the fun out of the game. The strategy can wear thin in any event, if you buy the guide then it really gets thin.
Maybe I should post some of my thoughts, although I kind of think that I'd be doing ppl a diservice. Either my ideas are bad, and I'm really doing ppl a disservice, are ppl are losing alot of the strategy of the game by having it told to them by someone else.
PawtheUnstuk
tOFfGI posted 02-21-99 07:24 AM ET
Fatal Mistakes: It mixes up the personal and group adjectives in the custom faction section.
Elemental posted 02-21-99 08:45 AM ET
Didn't really tell me much I didn't know already. I'd call it the 'Common sense guide to SMAC.' I had a look at the first bit of the Multiplayer section - all it does is talk about the different victories.
Lightwing posted 02-21-99 02:33 PM ET
I read the online guide and i was extremely dissapointed. It was terrible. I especially hated the suggest custom units section. Why did they even have that section? It even had actual errors in it, like the stasis armor on the plane that supposedly protects it and the artillery that captures bases (artillery cant destroy units). The last artillery costs over 600 minerals! Thats becuase of armor on artillery that makes it cost much more. Most of the final units had air superiority but it didn't mention that this would make them half as effective against ground. The other sections were very bad tutorials,that were even somewhat misleading, and the whole online strategy guide had a noticable lack of strategy in it. Is is different for the downloadable? I hope so. Their review was also rather bad, lacking any mention of the new features that make it better than its predecessor. What happened to Gamespot? I like their reviews? Did they even research this game by actually playing it? I don't trust Gamespot as much now I'm afraid.
-Lightwing
Khan Singh posted 02-21-99 04:37 PM ET
Like most game guides the GameSpot AC guide seems to be aimed at people who have the "gold disk version" of SMAC rather than at owners of a legitimate manual.
As for the strategy tips, well I think the forums provide much better advice for free. Even the Mindworm, with only two issues out, provides more useful strategic thought than the entire Gamespot "strategy" guide, IMO.
Still, it seems very well written (by some of Gamespot's finest) and is fairly well laid out. Some of the information on how the AI works is very interesting, if you want to know that much detail. And it is a useful resource for tinkers.
So $4.95 is probably a fair price, as long as you don't expect a lot of real strategy. You CAN probably get all the information for free elsewhere, but you might have to work for it.
Vger posted 02-21-99 05:39 PM ET
Hi,
I'm a freelance game writer and I've looked into doing guides several times (most recently I almost did the Gamespot one for Sin) and I can tell you why they mostly suck--you don't have ANY time to do them. Not to mention that they pay the same amount to write a multi-thousand word guide as I get if I can get a 3-page hints and tips into CGW.
Back when Alan Emeric was doing guides for MOO and MoM they had several weeks--even months to complete the project and they got to spend a lot of time with the final code.
Now, if you're doing the official guide you get to see code early and have some help from the developer, but you don't get the final code until you're almost done writing. You have at most 4 weeks to become an expert and write everything up.
If you're NOT authorized, like Gamespot's writers, you have 2 WEEKS with the final code and almost no help (because of contractual obligations) from the developer. So, can you imagine trying to do a guide on SMAC in that period of time?
Working like a dog for hardly any money is not my idea of fun. Actually writing about games and hardware isn't the thing to do if you want to make money. It's more of a subsitance living with great fringe benefits.

Vini, vidi, carpe,
(I came, I saw, I seized up.)
V'ger gone
Scrubby posted 02-21-99 08:21 PM ET
Hi I just bought the Prima Guide and I thought I paid a fair price for it considering its advantages and disadvantages as listed below. (Keep in mind I paid Canadian dollars so it was around $25)
1. No problems with paying over the internet.
2. No technical hassles like printing.
3. I have it open and readable without need of a computer. Hey its professionally bound...
4. Though it rehashes the content of the datalinks it is pretty thorough.
5. Finally a bloody index.
6. Plotlines are listed (read SPOILERS). If you're into that...
7. Some interesting strategies. Good run down on facilities and Secret Projects.
8. Comes with a nice colour poster.
9. Very thorough on the Rule Customization.
Problems?
1. Nothing on Map Creation (or did I miss it?) and nothing on Faction Customization.
2. It's not cheap.
3. Still some minor points were obviously left over from the gold/pre-beta editions (ie. refering to Zakharov as Saratov etc.) Nothing too heinous...
4. Did I mention it's not cheap.

The long and the short of it is, I felt that with a game this complex I wanted something that would complement the manual in a nice bound form and the Prima Guide fulfills this nicely. It does a pretty good job detailing things it does cover in depth. Though it costs a lot considering, I'm always wary buying stuff like .pdf's over the 'net. Plus I still get to access free stuff like the Gamespot guide when I need stuff like Faction Customization. I'm fairly satisfied with my purchase... ok? (And no I am not a Prima employee or affliated person...)
CaptComal posted 02-21-99 10:22 PM ET
First a question ... is the $4.95 downloadable guide in full color? Most books are black and white with terrible resolution on the photos in the book.
Second ... I bought the Prima guide and thought the pull out poster of Planet to be EXCELLENT. However, the bulk of the book is pulled from the Datalinks. If you need them you can get them in INDEX CARD format (271 cards) on the web free from Alpha Centauri Heaven:
http://members.tripod.com/ACHeaven/cards/index.htm
Third ... I have not seen this Sybex book anywhere ... how can I get a copy? Is it black and white only with lousy photos/screenprints?
Thanks!
Best Regards,
CaptComal
SmartFart posted 02-21-99 10:33 PM ET
whats the point of buying guide about a game i've already played ALOT? only to find one or two minor thing i didn't know already?
CEO SmartFart
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Author	Topic: Gamespot's Gameguide.. holy cow!
Zaphod Beeblebrox	posted 02-19-99 06:29 PM ET Gamespot just put up a 350 page or so Alpha Centauri Game Guide.. this thing is packed with charts and statistics and stuff. It's only $4.95 (it's a downloaded PDF file, about 2 megs). What a steal. Having purchased the horrible Prima Official Strategy Guide, I'm glad I found something at least a little worthwhile. Don't hesitate.. go NOW and check it out www.gameguides.com
Follol	posted 02-19-99 06:41 PM ET The Gamespot guide looked interesting. Anyone who has gotten it, please post a review! I'm hesitant to get it because I noticed two errors in the free sample of the guide. 1) Throughout, the writer confuses talents with specialists. The guide refers (several times) to making talents from workers by taking them off of the city squares. 2) Habititation dome to grow above size 15, rather than 14 as stated in the manual. Granted, these are small mistakes (especially if you read the word "specialist" where the word "talent" is written). But I don't plan on getting it unless other people get it and find it to be helpful.
TheHelperMonkey	posted 02-19-99 07:30 PM ET What does the Downloadable guide have that the sample one doesn't. By the way where can I find the updated version of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" DON'T PANIC! AC will be out soon in europe!
Remog	posted 02-19-99 09:57 PM ET Anybody else having trouble downloading the guide? It gave me my login but my password was listed as not available, Any ideas?
Maya	posted 02-19-99 10:51 PM ET Also interesting to note is that Zaphod Beeblebrox only posted two messages on these forums, one here and the other in the Strategy forum, both about how the official guide sucked and how great this other guide was... Makes you wonder don't you think... =) Hugs -Maya "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." -- Albert Einstein
iratheous	posted 02-19-99 11:02 PM ET Are you trying to say gamespot, that brutally honest and completely unbiased computer gaming mag may have put him up to this? I just refuse to believe those decent fellows of anything so fowl.
Zirak	posted 02-20-99 09:03 PM ET I bought the guide- �some editing mistakes �talents are confused with specialists �the downloadable guide is the same as the sybex one in stores but 1/3 of the price Overall, good quality stuff
Follol	posted 02-20-99 09:28 PM ET Thank you, Zirak, for your review. Maybe I'll look at the Sybex guide to see if I want to buy the Gamespot guide. -F
Seely	posted 02-20-99 09:54 PM ET I thought the Gamespot downloadable guide was a vast improvement over the crappy guide available in stores. The customization tips are much longer and more detailed, and really get into the meat of editing many of the text and other files in the game. Info on units was also in-depth and very well-done. The rest was pretty standard-- the info on each of the factions was a bit more detailed, with strategies of paths of research etc. All in all, it's a very handy reference, and IMHO worth the price of $4.95. Don't waste your time with Prima's guide!
Deadron	posted 02-20-99 11:48 PM ET I've found GameSpot to be an excellent gaming resource -- highest quality I've seen on the net. Do you have a specific complaint about them?
ViVicdi	posted 02-21-99 12:44 AM ET GameSpot's "Online Guide" is rife with errors. I would guess very little actual gameplay went into the "research" done to write the guide. That doesn't mean it won't have good ideas, but I'd be leery of wagering any actual cash on that possibility.
PawtheUnstuk	posted 02-21-99 05:00 AM ET For me, strategy guides take all the fun out of the game. The strategy can wear thin in any event, if you buy the guide then it really gets thin. Maybe I should post some of my thoughts, although I kind of think that I'd be doing ppl a diservice. Either my ideas are bad, and I'm really doing ppl a disservice, are ppl are losing alot of the strategy of the game by having it told to them by someone else. PawtheUnstuk
tOFfGI	posted 02-21-99 07:24 AM ET Fatal Mistakes: It mixes up the personal and group adjectives in the custom faction section.
Elemental	posted 02-21-99 08:45 AM ET Didn't really tell me much I didn't know already. I'd call it the 'Common sense guide to SMAC.' I had a look at the first bit of the Multiplayer section - all it does is talk about the different victories.
Lightwing	posted 02-21-99 02:33 PM ET I read the online guide and i was extremely dissapointed. It was terrible. I especially hated the suggest custom units section. Why did they even have that section? It even had actual errors in it, like the stasis armor on the plane that supposedly protects it and the artillery that captures bases (artillery cant destroy units). The last artillery costs over 600 minerals! Thats becuase of armor on artillery that makes it cost much more. Most of the final units had air superiority but it didn't mention that this would make them half as effective against ground. The other sections were very bad tutorials,that were even somewhat misleading, and the whole online strategy guide had a noticable lack of strategy in it. Is is different for the downloadable? I hope so. Their review was also rather bad, lacking any mention of the new features that make it better than its predecessor. What happened to Gamespot? I like their reviews? Did they even research this game by actually playing it? I don't trust Gamespot as much now I'm afraid. -Lightwing
Khan Singh	posted 02-21-99 04:37 PM ET Like most game guides the GameSpot AC guide seems to be aimed at people who have the "gold disk version" of SMAC rather than at owners of a legitimate manual. As for the strategy tips, well I think the forums provide much better advice for free. Even the Mindworm, with only two issues out, provides more useful strategic thought than the entire Gamespot "strategy" guide, IMO. Still, it seems very well written (by some of Gamespot's finest) and is fairly well laid out. Some of the information on how the AI works is very interesting, if you want to know that much detail. And it is a useful resource for tinkers. So $4.95 is probably a fair price, as long as you don't expect a lot of real strategy. You CAN probably get all the information for free elsewhere, but you might have to work for it.
Vger	posted 02-21-99 05:39 PM ET Hi, I'm a freelance game writer and I've looked into doing guides several times (most recently I almost did the Gamespot one for Sin) and I can tell you why they mostly suck--you don't have ANY time to do them. Not to mention that they pay the same amount to write a multi-thousand word guide as I get if I can get a 3-page hints and tips into CGW. Back when Alan Emeric was doing guides for MOO and MoM they had several weeks--even months to complete the project and they got to spend a lot of time with the final code. Now, if you're doing the official guide you get to see code early and have some help from the developer, but you don't get the final code until you're almost done writing. You have at most 4 weeks to become an expert and write everything up. If you're NOT authorized, like Gamespot's writers, you have 2 WEEKS with the final code and almost no help (because of contractual obligations) from the developer. So, can you imagine trying to do a guide on SMAC in that period of time? Working like a dog for hardly any money is not my idea of fun. Actually writing about games and hardware isn't the thing to do if you want to make money. It's more of a subsitance living with great fringe benefits. Vini, vidi, carpe, (I came, I saw, I seized up.) V'ger gone
Scrubby	posted 02-21-99 08:21 PM ET Hi I just bought the Prima Guide and I thought I paid a fair price for it considering its advantages and disadvantages as listed below. (Keep in mind I paid Canadian dollars so it was around $25) 1. No problems with paying over the internet. 2. No technical hassles like printing. 3. I have it open and readable without need of a computer. Hey its professionally bound... 4. Though it rehashes the content of the datalinks it is pretty thorough. 5. Finally a bloody index. 6. Plotlines are listed (read SPOILERS). If you're into that... 7. Some interesting strategies. Good run down on facilities and Secret Projects. 8. Comes with a nice colour poster. 9. Very thorough on the Rule Customization. Problems? 1. Nothing on Map Creation (or did I miss it?) and nothing on Faction Customization. 2. It's not cheap. 3. Still some minor points were obviously left over from the gold/pre-beta editions (ie. refering to Zakharov as Saratov etc.) Nothing too heinous... 4. Did I mention it's not cheap. The long and the short of it is, I felt that with a game this complex I wanted something that would complement the manual in a nice bound form and the Prima Guide fulfills this nicely. It does a pretty good job detailing things it does cover in depth. Though it costs a lot considering, I'm always wary buying stuff like .pdf's over the 'net. Plus I still get to access free stuff like the Gamespot guide when I need stuff like Faction Customization. I'm fairly satisfied with my purchase... ok? (And no I am not a Prima employee or affliated person...)
CaptComal	posted 02-21-99 10:22 PM ET First a question ... is the $4.95 downloadable guide in full color? Most books are black and white with terrible resolution on the photos in the book. Second ... I bought the Prima guide and thought the pull out poster of Planet to be EXCELLENT. However, the bulk of the book is pulled from the Datalinks. If you need them you can get them in INDEX CARD format (271 cards) on the web free from Alpha Centauri Heaven: http://members.tripod.com/ACHeaven/cards/index.htm Third ... I have not seen this Sybex book anywhere ... how can I get a copy? Is it black and white only with lousy photos/screenprints? Thanks! Best Regards, CaptComal
SmartFart	posted 02-21-99 10:33 PM ET whats the point of buying guide about a game i've already played ALOT? only to find one or two minor thing i didn't know already? CEO SmartFart