posted 03-17-99 08:47 PM ET     

And, what do you think is the coolest weapon/unit in the game. A unit that everytime you look at it, makes you go �Wow! That is DAMN cool!�. My favorite is the Probe Hover Tank. You can�t go wrong with intelligence/stealth technology for maximum coolness, everytime.

posted 03-17-99 08:51 PM ET            

Hey, what are you talking about, if we filter the idiots out, you're history.

Chief Mechanic,

posted 03-17-99 08:56 PM ET         

we welcome you, earthtarquin, for you add great power to our ancient song. Are you a breath of life, to invigorate a complacent forum, or an insidious supporter of yin26 who must be excised?

posted 03-17-99 09:02 PM ET            

Window Washer,

posted 03-17-99 09:17 PM ET         

Unfortunately, these forums seem to be dominated by a few individuals bent on being heard. I see that you've already been flamed once. My advice: don't get into a tit-for-tat with them; you'll end up like them or driven off. These people have no credibility, and just seem to want to debate endlessly about things completely unrelated to this game. It is amusing to see posts that started out as SMAC posts degenerate into name calling, debates on American jingoism, the history of North Korea, and whether the US should have dropped the bomb. I try to stick to the SMAC discussions and filter out the nonsense.

posted 03-17-99 09:31 PM ET            

"And, is there a way on this forum to filter out posts by certain people (who are often of Korean descent)."

you're contributing to the problem.

Oh, and let's see:

Idiot: Dude! He replied in 4 mins. Whao, man, Ize gots to gives da' props 4 dat axtion! [you CAN sound intelligent, of course, you just think it's cool to sound like a "hip" little middle class girl who thinks watching MTV makes her an inner-city victim]

Yin to Idiot: Maybe we are posting messages at the same time!

Sit down. Take a breath. Try to stretch your brain around the complexity of it all.

And remember everybody else who plans to respond to this thread, who went looking for trouble?

Remember? I've achieved SMACceptance. True, I have yet to SMACend, but give me a little time (and patch 3.0--please God, be good to us).

posted 03-17-99 09:33 PM ET            

big word

posted 03-17-99 09:40 PM ET         

One of the things about the game that I enjoy is the depth. I've seen discussions of units, strategy, and phenomenon that I haven't even seen let. This single aspect sets the game apart from others, where finding the single dominant strategy is the single quest. I think there are probably a number of dominant strategies depending on your approach, which in itself makes the game more interesting than many others.

posted 03-17-99 09:54 PM ET            

BUT...I don't think the game has more prospective depth than Civ II. I think the game as it is beats Civ II as it came out, but if thats the only way you ever played Civ you missed a heck of a lot of fun.

What I mean is, I've played Civ II as recently as LAST WEEKEND, but I haven't played it in a very long time with the standard units/rules/whatever. I think the ability in Civ II to make/play sweeping, game-changing modpacks is what really pushed it over the top for me and made it the best of all time.

Pique

PS- Why was I playing CivII last weekend when I have SMAC?? All the talk on these boards got me homesick for MoM, and since thats an old DOS-based game (and I can't even remember where I put it!) I fired up the old momjr.scn in CivII and had at it. Got my fix, had fun, and back to SMAC. Thats why the games been on my system(s) for years, and has little chance of leaving any time soon!

posted 03-17-99 10:02 PM ET         

Maybe I need to go back and rediscover CivII. Actually, I think that everyone has their own personal favorites. Mine is Colonization; I still fire that one up everyone six months or so. Maybe it has to do with which game was your first experience with this genre; sort of like the first date being special.

posted 03-17-99 10:03 PM ET            

What's wrong with an old-fashioned flame war a la Sol?

posted 03-17-99 10:07 PM ET            

I didn't know that! I feel much better now.

I felt so guilty and dirty for so long. I kept thinking, "Gee, I should just get off my 8-year-old-butt (these thoughts started a few years back) and get a job so I can do my part and stop the unemployment statistics from rising. Maybe I'll work for Nike."

Well, now that I know, it's SMAC full-time.

posted 03-17-99 10:12 PM ET         

*exaggeration. Don't get all angry

posted 03-17-99 10:18 PM ET         

And indeed, LLGamer, the game does have an immense amount of depth. I've spent a few hours (which seemed like 10 minutes), experimenting with terraforming up and down for strategic reasons (creating Islands, sinking cities, adding forests and aquifers), and this alone is like a whole new game. The fact that it's just one part of a much larger whole is a testament to the creative genius of the developer. I legitimately pity anyone who can't enjoy this game, they're missing one of the true masterpieces in PC gaming.

I knew I was in for a treat in this game, when I was playing one of my first "real" campaigns, and The Hive was squeezing me, and took over a large, but unfortunately weakly defended city, which I knew I could easily retake next turn. Chairman Yang then promptly OBLITERATED the city. I was horrified!, he then took another and obliterated that one too! just to show me a lesson. I really felt actual anger at a few lines of computer code! I then went on a rampage to grab Hive's bases, he attempted a surrender, but of course I refused, thinking of the millions who had died at his hands. I then took the last of his bases, and I had actual emotions of revenge and vindication. Any game that can make me feel that way, is a very, very well done game. I haven't felt emotions like that from an entertainment medium since I last read a Patrick O'Brien Aubrey/Maturin novel.

posted 03-17-99 11:58 PM ET            

I'm not a big Yin fan myself, but he's grown up quite a bit in the last couple of days. But that's neither here nor there. Bigotry is inexcusable, and not to be taken lightly.

posted 03-18-99 12:20 AM ET         

It's the insidous cancer one, isn't it? (See above post)

posted 03-18-99 01:58 PM ET         

In reply to your post on your war with the Hive (I'm skipping the nonsense posts that are trying to divert this discussion down the toilet). I had a similar experience with MOO. I played a couple of games to get the game mechanics down, then embarked on an easy campaign. I obliterated the opponents, thinking "this game ain't too tough" (I always think in bad grammer).

I moved the difficulty up, and had one of "those" sort of games. Here I was, minding my own business, building up my technology in my 6 or 7 comfortable little planets, when some bozo starts bullying me. I give him what he wants (some technology), but he starts demanding star systems. Hey, keep your grubby hands off my systems! I say. Naturally, the ill mannered brute declares war, and proceeds to hammer me with the biggest armada I think has ever existed in the universe of MOO (remember, MOO allowed up to 32K ships of a type in a squadron).

Well, I'd been around the block enough to know that the only way I was going to clip his wings was with the dreaded Black Hole Generator (a dominant strategy technology that unfortunately was not available in MOO2). Problem was, my lazy scientests were still a couple of technologies away from getting there. So, I cranked up the research, and prayed I would last.

Next turn, he obliterated another system. Two down! I was down to 5 systems, and now the remaining scientests had to work even harder! Desperate, I called a conference with my foe. I gave him three great technologies as gifts, thinking that would appease the ignorant brute.

Little did I know! He (it?) definitely smelled blood in the ether. Couple of turns later, he wacks another system. I'm REALLY desperate now. I check with my scientests; sorry, they say, we're still about 10 years away from a solution. You morons, we won't BE around in 10 years!! They sulk away.

So, I do the only thing a self respecting soverign could do: I call in the spies. Go steal the Black Hole technology, or don't come back. They slink off without a sound.

I wait a couple of turns, anxiously awaiting word. Suddenly, another star system is swarmed by the invading locusts. You merciless scum; don't you see the millions you are slaughtering. My remaining subjects are in a panic; when will we be next!

Miraculously, word from our courageous spies. They have the Black Hole technology! But is it too late! Design a new ship to hold the dreaded weapon, and quickly manufacture it. We put the 'Savior' project into place, our last hope. Each of the remaining three planets works on ships, which I call Tom, Dick, and Harry.

The monsterous invaders are quiet for a few turns. Could they be readying their final assault? Has the taste of the blood of so many millions finally sated their demonic lusts? NO! Again, the attack, taking out Tom and one third of our hope for survival!

We wait tensely. Finally, the day arrives with Dick and Harry are ready. The sensors pick up a huge blip: invaders! Rushing Harry to meet the threat with Dick, we hope and pray. The hordes descend. Could it be that they are even larger than before?! The vast expanse of space is literally filled with thousands of the flea-like invaders. Each ship in itself is inconsequential; together they form a voracious host.

The game is afoot! Our two brave ships valiantly blast away at the enemy, reducing the hordes by sucking their crews into omnipotent black holes. We have surprised them! Can we decimate their numbers before their inevitable counterattack obliterates our last chance?

Our first attack wipes out thousands of the minion, but there are more thousands to replace them. They counterattack! Will we hold? Harry's shields are buckling...then, disaster! Harry and its brave crew are imploded into space dust. All is lost!

But wait! There is still Dick. Can he hold and save our race from extinction? Dick charges up the Black Hole generator and attacks! Citizens watching from monitors on the planet weep at the seemingly foolharded bravery of the crew, as they accept the inevitable fate awaiting them. But what of the children who never had a chance to live, to grow, to experience their own lives?

The final assault is on! The black holes suck away the soleless enemy to their rightful place in oblivion. One last charge remains in the tubes...

Do you believe in miracles!!! The enemy is thwarted! The evil that was upon us is no more! The children are saved! Long live the...

At this point I actually yelled out "Die, you scum sucking green headed space trash" or something to that effect. My wife thought I had finally lost it, and was reaching for 911 before I got it under control.

Now, THAT was a game.

This is the best requirements specification that I can give for building a classic strategy game. With the usual apologies for the length and corniness...

posted 03-21-99 07:08 PM ET            

As for SMAC i'm finishing up a game now.. and thankfully there are so many base facilities that I don't have to worry about having dozens of units to move each turn.

posted 03-22-99 10:26 AM ET            

I especially *loved* the "sneaky" ways you could blast your enemies, using the walls and winds to your advantage! All those nice tools of mass destruction, Rollers, Napalm, Sandhogs, MIRVs...

Gee... I think I'm going to make a couple phone calls and set something up for tonight!

HAHAHAHAHAHA (psychotic fit of laughter)

posted 03-22-99 05:25 PM ET            

To answer your original post I have NO idea why so many people feel compelled to complain about SMAC. To complain (as opposed to talking about things they'd like to change) incessantly about a very good if not excellent, mostly bug free game of this caliber from a company that actually CARES and replies to even the most inane posts shows both extreme inexperience and ill manners.

I say inexperience because they obviously haven't been in this hobby long enough to have played some of the truly egregious junk that has been shoved out the door by companies that care about 4rth quarter earnings and nothing else. If one is silly enough to say that SMAC is a bad game then what does one say about the first version of Battlecruiser 3000? Or the original Outpost? What about G-Nome, CGW's coaster of the year?

There seems to be no sense of perspective in this at all. To me, it is self defeating. If I got the response to my best efforts that Firaxis is getting I might well withdraw from this forum. I am amazed and perplexed about this fervent response and have come to believe that it only exists to get attention and has no other constructive purpose.

Is SMAC perfect? Of course not, that's silly on the face of it. Is SMAC a quality game put out by a company that cares? Definitely yes. We, by posting these silly, immature rants don't deserve a company like this.

Perhaps the next time a real dog shows up these people will wake up to reality.