Sorry for being ignorant, but what is a TI?

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Author Topic:   Sorry for being ignorant, but what is a TI?

Ascendent posted 03-23-99 05:42 AM ET
I keep seening posts on this forum about Transcendent Ironmen. What is a TI? Is it simply someone who attempts the game at the most difficult level and tries a Transcendence Victory (with Ironman option on)?
I have tried to get a Transcend Victory, but after building the project that preludes Trascendence (Song of Planet?), the Ascent project didn't appear in my build options.
Any ideas about what I'm doing wrong?
Cheers,
Rob - He who aspires to ascendancy.
yin26 posted 03-23-99 06:28 AM ET
Make sure the Ascend option is on as a victory condition in your game. It's probably off.
tOFfGI posted 03-23-99 06:28 AM ET
The Trancendance Victory option is probably turned off in your game config.
absimiliard posted 03-23-99 10:47 AM ET
Hey Ascendant:
To chime in with the others. Check your victory setting, you probably do not have Transcendance turned on as a victory condition.
Secondly, not quite right on the TI question. A TI game is a game of SMAC played at the Transcend level of difficulty, that's the highest level available, with the Ironman option turned on. Less technically translated it is an attempt by the player to beat the computer at the most difficult level possible. Other options to make the game more difficult are debated sporadically by the TI players in the various TI threads. For example, most of TICHQ (Transcend Ironman Command HeadQuarters) agree that the AI does poorly at amphibious invasions and thus recommend a low water to land ratio in a game. Conversely TICHQ cannot seem to agree on whether or not blind-research helps or hinders the AI, though I am of the majority faction that feels it is bad for the AI and makes it easier for the human.
Did that answer your question?
-absimiliard
Darkstar posted 07-20-99 02:43 PM ET
Because someone might wonder... here is the answer to what is a TI...
-Darkstar
SMACTrek posted 07-20-99 03:08 PM ET
Texas Instruments.
Dman37 posted 07-20-99 03:33 PM ET
I'm not a TI but I don't think having blind reasearch on helps the human. Hard really to control what you reasearch that way (at least I haven't figured it out yet)
uncleroggy posted 07-20-99 04:01 PM ET
Ascendent,
Only one thing to add on TI. Not everyone who posts in those threads plays on the Transcend level. Many play consistently on lower levels and a few might restart a game now and then. I'm just guessing of course.
However, the TI threads were a means whereby the game could be seriously discussed by anyone as long as they were willing to bring their facts with them and check their flamthrower at the door.
Feel free to join in. We don't even have a secret handshake.

uncleroggy out
SMAniaC posted 07-20-99 04:11 PM ET
Terrain Improvement
absimiliard posted 07-21-99 12:21 PM ET
Hail DMan37.
The logic chain stating Blind Research favors the human goes as follows.
1. The AI factions are oriented towards working with certain technologies. Ever notice how Zak always seems to focus on the same techs? How Santiago always goes for weapons and mobility? Etc.
2. Human players can be very versatile. A human can adapt strategy to match their technology. The A(non)I does not have this versatility.
3. Blind research means that the human and the A(non)I all get random techs. The result is that the human modifies their strategy to match their technology. The A(non)I does not.
Therefore blind research heavily favors the human.
You can buy the logic or not. It really is a debateable issue. Clearly I have an opinion, but I could be wrong.
-absimiliard
ARES 7 posted 07-23-99 09:13 AM ET
Hi DMan37, hi all blind-on lovers!
there are many ways to make a game like smac more difficult to play for the human player, if AI is not strong enough to be a challenge.
Imo, blind on is one of these possibilities, although a very unsatisfying (and unintelligent imo) one.
If an experienced chess-master is playing against a newbie, he may throw dices to decide which figure has to move next. He also can use an ant, crawling on the chess-board. Let�s see, where it is going next. Really, there must be another way to equal out this imbalance!
I tried to create a level above the TI-level (see my postings and my scenario).
To equal out imbalance, I better like to make AI-opponents stronger rather than lower the intelligence-level of my own play-style down to that of the AI.
Play with all governers on, and you get a feeling, how AI is playing. But you want to be better than AI, don�t you?
ARES 7
player2 posted 07-23-99 10:27 AM ET
A TI is a narcissic, egotistical SMAC player that thinks he's better than everyone else
Actually its a flag for threads where people debate on how to play at the hardest difficulty settings. We even debate about what the hardest settings really are (we're still not sure ) We also debate about how to play MultiPlayer, discuss play strategies and philosophies, etc. Anyone who has something constructive and intelligent to say is welcome.
Earthling7 posted 07-23-99 11:25 AM ET
A TI is either something you drink or wear... depending on your pronounciation... I think...
GaryD posted 07-23-99 11:53 AM ET
It is all totally idiotic.
MajiK6pt5 posted 07-28-99 01:02 AM ET
does the ironman option give extra points? i never go back several turns and restore a game to fix something i did wrong, but don't turn on ironman option because i'm not tempted to fix my mistakes (otherwise it is very unrealistic). if ironman gives u more pts then id love to use it, so does it?
StargazerBC posted 07-28-99 01:45 AM ET
Actually, Ironman gives an absurd amount of points--which basically means add another digit to your total score ;-) There's an old thread about that too
A lot of the TI threads deal with MP nowadays as the AI/single player topics have been talked to death (most of them anyway).
sir_penguin posted 07-28-99 05:33 PM ET
Ave
Doesn't Ironman double your score? If that's the case, you could go from 300 points to 600 points without adding another digit.
SP the nitpicker
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Author	Topic: Sorry for being ignorant, but what is a TI?
Ascendent	posted 03-23-99 05:42 AM ET I keep seening posts on this forum about Transcendent Ironmen. What is a TI? Is it simply someone who attempts the game at the most difficult level and tries a Transcendence Victory (with Ironman option on)? I have tried to get a Transcend Victory, but after building the project that preludes Trascendence (Song of Planet?), the Ascent project didn't appear in my build options. Any ideas about what I'm doing wrong? Cheers, Rob - He who aspires to ascendancy.
yin26	posted 03-23-99 06:28 AM ET Make sure the Ascend option is on as a victory condition in your game. It's probably off.
tOFfGI	posted 03-23-99 06:28 AM ET The Trancendance Victory option is probably turned off in your game config.
absimiliard	posted 03-23-99 10:47 AM ET Hey Ascendant: To chime in with the others. Check your victory setting, you probably do not have Transcendance turned on as a victory condition. Secondly, not quite right on the TI question. A TI game is a game of SMAC played at the Transcend level of difficulty, that's the highest level available, with the Ironman option turned on. Less technically translated it is an attempt by the player to beat the computer at the most difficult level possible. Other options to make the game more difficult are debated sporadically by the TI players in the various TI threads. For example, most of TICHQ (Transcend Ironman Command HeadQuarters) agree that the AI does poorly at amphibious invasions and thus recommend a low water to land ratio in a game. Conversely TICHQ cannot seem to agree on whether or not blind-research helps or hinders the AI, though I am of the majority faction that feels it is bad for the AI and makes it easier for the human. Did that answer your question? -absimiliard
Darkstar	posted 07-20-99 02:43 PM ET Because someone might wonder... here is the answer to what is a TI... -Darkstar
SMACTrek	posted 07-20-99 03:08 PM ET Texas Instruments.
Dman37	posted 07-20-99 03:33 PM ET I'm not a TI but I don't think having blind reasearch on helps the human. Hard really to control what you reasearch that way (at least I haven't figured it out yet)
uncleroggy	posted 07-20-99 04:01 PM ET Ascendent, Only one thing to add on TI. Not everyone who posts in those threads plays on the Transcend level. Many play consistently on lower levels and a few might restart a game now and then. I'm just guessing of course. However, the TI threads were a means whereby the game could be seriously discussed by anyone as long as they were willing to bring their facts with them and check their flamthrower at the door. Feel free to join in. We don't even have a secret handshake. uncleroggy out
SMAniaC	posted 07-20-99 04:11 PM ET Terrain Improvement
absimiliard	posted 07-21-99 12:21 PM ET Hail DMan37. The logic chain stating Blind Research favors the human goes as follows. 1. The AI factions are oriented towards working with certain technologies. Ever notice how Zak always seems to focus on the same techs? How Santiago always goes for weapons and mobility? Etc. 2. Human players can be very versatile. A human can adapt strategy to match their technology. The A(non)I does not have this versatility. 3. Blind research means that the human and the A(non)I all get random techs. The result is that the human modifies their strategy to match their technology. The A(non)I does not. Therefore blind research heavily favors the human. You can buy the logic or not. It really is a debateable issue. Clearly I have an opinion, but I could be wrong. -absimiliard
ARES 7	posted 07-23-99 09:13 AM ET Hi DMan37, hi all blind-on lovers! there are many ways to make a game like smac more difficult to play for the human player, if AI is not strong enough to be a challenge. Imo, blind on is one of these possibilities, although a very unsatisfying (and unintelligent imo) one. If an experienced chess-master is playing against a newbie, he may throw dices to decide which figure has to move next. He also can use an ant, crawling on the chess-board. Let�s see, where it is going next. Really, there must be another way to equal out this imbalance! I tried to create a level above the TI-level (see my postings and my scenario). To equal out imbalance, I better like to make AI-opponents stronger rather than lower the intelligence-level of my own play-style down to that of the AI. Play with all governers on, and you get a feeling, how AI is playing. But you want to be better than AI, don�t you? ARES 7
player2	posted 07-23-99 10:27 AM ET A TI is a narcissic, egotistical SMAC player that thinks he's better than everyone else Actually its a flag for threads where people debate on how to play at the hardest difficulty settings. We even debate about what the hardest settings really are (we're still not sure ) We also debate about how to play MultiPlayer, discuss play strategies and philosophies, etc. Anyone who has something constructive and intelligent to say is welcome.
Earthling7	posted 07-23-99 11:25 AM ET A TI is either something you drink or wear... depending on your pronounciation... I think...
GaryD	posted 07-23-99 11:53 AM ET It is all totally idiotic.
MajiK6pt5	posted 07-28-99 01:02 AM ET does the ironman option give extra points? i never go back several turns and restore a game to fix something i did wrong, but don't turn on ironman option because i'm not tempted to fix my mistakes (otherwise it is very unrealistic). if ironman gives u more pts then id love to use it, so does it?
StargazerBC	posted 07-28-99 01:45 AM ET Actually, Ironman gives an absurd amount of points--which basically means add another digit to your total score ;-) There's an old thread about that too A lot of the TI threads deal with MP nowadays as the AI/single player topics have been talked to death (most of them anyway).
sir_penguin	posted 07-28-99 05:33 PM ET Ave Doesn't Ironman double your score? If that's the case, you could go from 300 points to 600 points without adding another digit. SP the nitpicker