Do you hate the secret project rule???

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Author Topic:   Do you hate the secret project rule???

funnyperson posted 04-06-99 06:49 PM ET
If another player get the project you need before you you can't get it doesn't it stink?

Nell_Smith posted 04-06-99 06:59 PM ET
Yep... I just hate it when someone builds an SP I want... I always try to buy it when I get the warning that the other player's SP is "nearing a major breakthrough" (sometimes even selling base improvements to do so, but more often hitting Morgan for a loan!!).
Of course, you can always build up an army and go and take over the enemy base that contains the SP, although that is kinda hassley if it's in the enemy capital and you have to wade through dozens of his troops to get there!
Question: when playing on Transcend level, is the "nearing breakthrough" warning disabled on purpose to stop you buying SPs, or is this a bug in my game? Thanx for any advice
JAMiAM posted 04-06-99 07:46 PM ET
Nell,

I was wondering if it was a bug, also. I then started paying attention to what was common each of the times one of the rat-fink factions beat me to my pet project. Come to think of it, nearly all of them are my pet projects! Anyway, I digress. These are my hypotheses (in no particular order) for them sneaking it past you.
1) They are your pact brother/sister. I've never gotten a warning before a "friendly" has outbuilt me. I'm assuming that this is because you know (or can know) what they are building at any given time by HQ\base ops or clicking on their base tiles. And we KNOW it's our social obligation to keep in touch will our friends.
2) They have infiltrated your datalinks or are the Planetary Governor. They know how far along you are and they've accelerated their project with crawlers/money. This is not to say that you won't get a message if an infiltrating faction or the PG are getting close, just that sometimes the AI outsmarts you!!!
3) Now, this is a trick that I've used against the AI (and I know they've used it against me.) Start more bases working on SPs than you have SPs to build. Then, when you've built one of the SPs, switch production on any base that is building an SP already completed to a different one, you won't lose production. Now, sometimes your tech discoveries don't keep up with your building program. Don't worry, even if you can no longer build a particular SP, continue producing it anyway. Then, when you discover a tech that allows you to build a new SP, change production immediately to the new SP. Sometimes you waste production, , but it is definitely worth it for some projects, the HSA for example.
JAMiAM
p.s. Wobbly bits??? Sorry, couldn't resist!

funnyperson posted 04-06-99 08:19 PM ET
Some ideas are to kill any faction too close to your faction. So they don't have a chance to even try. And set goals such as "Empath Guild" if you are planning to win by being Supreme Leader. Don't ever make more than one base on a project, if you do the first base will get it. And others wasted time and money. Don't expect to all of them JAMiAM.
Nell_Smith posted 04-06-99 10:14 PM ET
funnyperson:
Sure, wiping out or weakening the other factions can help slow their progress on SPs. However, I play a "Builder" strategy and don't like to wage war until late in the game... too many minerals wasted on cannon-fodder!! Maybe I should learn to love the "Kill 'em quick" strategy... hmmm
JAMiAM:
Thanks for the advice. And you're right - thinking about it, when the "nearing breakthrough" warning is missing, it's because the SP has been built by a Pact Brother. As I play a peaceful strategy, I tend to have several of these... hence no warnings, I guess! Must check those allies' bases more often...
I do use the multi-city/overproduction trick to get SPs... this was one I learned from CIV2 and I agree that it's worth wasting a few minerals while waiting to research the necessary tech for something as vital as the HSA! I also make BIG use of crawlers... it may be hard (perhaps impossible on Transcend) to get ALL the SPs, but I give myself full marks for trying!!
Nell
PS: Actually, after all that energetic "dancing naked through the trees", maybe Deirdre's wobbly bits have become nicely firm and toned...hehehe
JAMiAM posted 04-07-99 01:25 AM ET
funnyperson,
I never said that I EXPECT them all or get them all. I just WANT them all!!! What can I say, I'm greedy, greedy, greedy. BTW, on the subject of wasted production, I think you missed my point or are unfamiliar with the game mechanic I utilized. Say, for example, you have 2 bases working on the Weather Paradigm, call them A and B. Now, A will complete it in 5 turns and B will complete it in 10 turns. Currently, you have no other techs which allow you to build an SP, but anticipate discovering Planetary Networks in 12 more years. Note, when you get PN you can build the Virtual World SP. Now in 5 years the WP comes on line and you start getting these pop-ups telling you that you can't build the WP at base B because it has already been built at Base A. At this point DO NOT STOP BUILDING THE WP. If you switch over to units or facilities you will lose 50%-10 of the accumulated minerals. Keep "producing" the WP and ignore the pop-ups each turn. After 5 more years you will have enough accumulated minerals to complete any of the SPs which cost the same as the WP. Now, the Virtual World costs more than the WP, and in another 2 years when you can "start" building it (because of discovering PN) you THEN switch over to the VW, transfering ALL of your accumulated minerals to its production leaving you only about 20% left to complete. No production wasted here! Now, sometimes you mess up and misjudge things and do waste, but as they say "Practice makes...well...better."

Nell,
You are really challenging my manliness, you TI stud-ette. I usually play Thinker-Ironman level, and feel positively wimpy that some GIRL could be playing Transcend and doing so well. I am impressed. I am too nice a guy, I guess. I just hate seeing all of them drones on TI!!! Tell me please, what faction(s) do you prefer or excel with.

JAMiAM
feeling inadaquate

Mortis posted 04-07-99 08:19 AM ET
Yeah, it must be a bug! We'd better tell Firaxis so then can fix it.
dbrodale posted 04-07-99 10:17 AM ET
Mortis -
I cannot tell whether you are being sarcastic or not ... anyway, this loophole is a carryover from CivII days. I, for one, would like to have the option to close it. Just doesn't make sense that one can continue working on a unique project that has already come to a close. In all honesty, though, I'll admit to sometimes having had four or so cities making the same outdated SP before a jump in tech level and a whole new batch of SPs to complete ... guess I don't have the patience to use supply crawlers.
JAMiAM, et al. -
Waste production on the "SP switcheroo"? You can keep adding production "boxes" to an outdated SP beyond its actual "cost" - more and more red [overproduction] boxes keep piling up. I've never seen this pile up end - are you guys suggesting that it, in fact, will?
d.brodale
CEO Bernard posted 04-07-99 10:42 AM ET
In alpha.txt there is a line detailing when production will be lost for switching production and how much will be lost (you can set it to all production if you want). I do not have the specifics, but there is a comment next to the lines so it is pretty easy to find.
CEO Bernard
JAMiAM posted 04-07-99 01:29 PM ET
dbrodale,
Actually my point was, in general, you DON'T waste production with that technique. Yes, the production does keep building up in the "red boxes." However, once in a while you get caught with your pants down, because another faction builds the SP you were "saving" for before you could discover the tech for it. I must admit that once with the Spartans I got preempted about 2 or 3 times. I don't recall what I finally built but it was overpaid by 50% or so. OUCH! I was actually shouting at my computer that game.
Sorry I wasn't clear enough in the previous posting.

JAMiAM
a fuzzy brain from lack of sleep, doth upon the SMACphile creep.
charybidis posted 04-07-99 01:40 PM ET
I think that there should be two types of Secret Project, the super-ones which it only makes sense in gameplay terms for one faction to have (such as Hunter-Killer) and others which are OK for each faction, such as Empath Guild which is less powerful. Admittedly it would involve a rethink for some of them since they've been designed for only one faction to have, but even so in plot terms there's no reason why everybody can't set up a Citizens Defense Force ("Mindworm all through the night.....")
Bossman posted 04-07-99 01:48 PM ET
Great Idea. The SP's are so unblanced it is stupid. I think a little work needs to be done on them for the next patch. At least they are not as bad as the wonders in CTP they are the stupidist things I have ever seen.
funnyperson posted 04-07-99 06:14 PM ET
All SPs are good, but it depends on what you need or want for you faction. Sometimes I see my brother waste all this time on the "Citizens' Defense Force" when he is the Hive. It is good to take it before another, but leave that option last. In the game try to get the SPs that are need in a 100 years or so. Plan ahead to avoid touble of getting it by hurrying it using up lots of money.
Ronbo posted 04-07-99 09:19 PM ET
funnyperson-
The Hive constructing the Citizen's Defense Force is a very sound strategy--while it does not confer any direct benefits to The Hive (other than the points for completing a secret project), it PREVENTS any other player from completing it. Considering Yang's aggressiveness level, this can work as a significant advantage, as it takes both time and money to construct a perimeter around each base. The CDF confers that bonus immediately upon newly constructed cities, which is a great timesaver, and can mean the difference between life and death of a newly constructed city that is attacked.
Mortis posted 04-07-99 09:50 PM ET
dbrodale - VERY sarcastic... The whole idea of an SP is that only one faction gets its benefites.
funnyperson posted 04-07-99 10:43 PM ET
Yang's Hive already has Perimeter Defense at every base so the "Citizens' Defense Force" is at no use to them. This SP only provide as a Perimeter Defense and nothing else at all. If you play defensive on this game, and not the Hive, this is a must get. Every one SP you get it's 25 points to your overall score, but set goals. Don't "Blind SP Building" that's no good.
charybidis posted 04-08-99 07:04 AM ET
My favourite was somebody who had been declared Planetary Governor, and therefore owned all the comm frequencies spending their whole cash on the Empath Guild.
Snicker.
They lasted about 20 turns because they couldn't buy enough tanks and needlejets and as such my folks trampled them to death.
Verminlord posted 04-08-99 02:16 PM ET
I'm pretty sure the Empath Guild gives you +50% on votes for governor and supreme leader. Therefore, it's not foolish to build it even if you have all the comm freqs.
Ron
Primogen posted 04-08-99 02:49 PM ET
If an enemy builds an SP that gives them a huge advantage then just launch a Planet buster attack. BOOM! No more SP. Works especially on the Citizens deffence force before a major attack.
Worm Man posted 04-08-99 05:48 PM ET
Primogen,
that's true but Plane Busters do not only cost to much they take too much time so units work better than Missles and Planet busters.
Worm Man posted 04-08-99 06:13 PM ET
The Problem is that if they have tons of Orbital Defense Pods The Planet Busters do notin'
Worm Man posted 04-08-99 06:14 PM ET
The Problem is that if they have tons of Orbital Defense Pods The Planet Busters do notin'
Worm Man posted 04-08-99 06:14 PM ET
The Problem is that if they have tons of Orbital Defense Pods The Planet Busters do notin'
Worm Man posted 04-08-99 06:14 PM ET
The Problem is that if they have tons of Orbital Defense Pods The Planet Busters do notin'
Worm Man posted 04-08-99 06:14 PM ET
The Problem is that if they have tons of Orbital Defense Pods The Planet Busters do notin'
tfs99 posted 04-08-99 08:24 PM ET
Wow ... a quintuple post. Never saw that before.
Do you need an SP to do that?
SMAC n ... Ted S.
Nell_Smith posted 04-09-99 01:16 AM ET
JAMiAM:
Firstly, and to use a piece of Netspeak that I usually avoid... LOL !! Watch it, or my head will expand so greatly that I won't be able to get out of the door when it's time for SMAC-induced snoozing... hehe
No but seriously, SMAC closely resembles CIV2 in its tactics and I hate to think how many, many hundreds of hours I've spent with CIV... hence playing at Transcend level in SMAC. What worked in CIV generally works in SMAC, for all SMAC's enhancements, and the Transcend level AI, especially since v.3, is more cunning and less likely to make silly decisions. That said, I often lose when playing Transcend Ironman - sometimes I cheat a bit by setting Native Lifeforms to Rare, simply because I hate seeing mindworms leaping out of the fungus and eating my colony pod that's spent the last 15 turns trekking all the way to a piece of prime real estate. Attacks on my soldiers I don't resent, but I reckon those unarmed settlers deserve a break!
I almost always play UoP - again, I cheat somewhat by often using Tech Stagnation, an advantage when you're UoP. I don't find the drones too bad so long as I get the HG Project and the Virtual World early on. The HSA is also vital, of course - I won't wage war without it because of the UoP's probe disadvantages. I use Green economics when possible to allow mindworm capture, and Police State to allow plenty of support. I pay to upgrade units whenever a new tech is discovered, so my defenders are always pretty tough. And I race for Air Power - surely one of the major deciding factors in the game.
If not UoP, I play Gaians and try for a mighty mindworm army, although UoP works better for me. I don't like the Gaian police penalty.
If looking for a REAL challenge (or just a laugh!) I play the Hive... everyone you meet is just dying to kill you at the earliest opportunity!!!
Nell
PS: I try for every SP, though I ignore the M.Exchange as I'm busy then with the W.Paradigm and the HG Project. I simply like to collect 'em, even the less useful ones... both to stop my enemies from getting them, and to add to my "smug" rating There's nothing more satisfying than capturing an enemy city that contains one, or preferably several, SPs!
Nell_Smith posted 04-09-99 01:21 AM ET
Oh yes and... Police Plasma Sentinels, surely the game's most amazingly useful unit for the cheap price!! Two in each base - no drone trouble!
Ken Yoon posted 04-09-99 07:50 PM ET
It is possible to get nearly every secret project. This is how I've gotten all but 2 on highest difficulty as UoP.
1) Get lucky and have lots of peace. This, for me, was established with Morgan as my only neighbor. The Spartans I had to eliminate off my continent.
2) If you're in war, it had better be a limited one. In my case, the Believers were at "war" with me, but never attacked. They were too busy fighting the Hive.
3) This is key. Get the borehole cluster and put supply crawlers on all the boreholes. This allows a small city early in the game to harvest 20+ minerals a turn, allowing SP production within 20 turns in early game.
4) Repeal the UN Charter. This allows you, in midgame, to fight limited wars with great effect. Put nerve gas on your copters, and voila, instead of having to land ground troops to take those border cities, and then having to defend them, you just destroy the cities and gradually weaken the enemy. Plus, the 50% bonus makes your copters invincible.
googlie posted 07-09-99 02:36 PM ET
up it goes...
Horgawitz posted 07-13-99 06:22 PM ET
I would be nice if after a SP was destroyed some one else could build it...
vee posted 07-13-99 08:46 PM ET
Why is everyone so upset about the fact that if a rival faction builds a project, then you can't? It's part of the game... to manage your faction so that you get what is most important to you.. to prioritize.
I think it's a pretty good rule. What fun would it be if everybody could get the same benefits simply by building a project? It adds a level of urgency and strategy to the game that would otherwise be absent.
my 2 cents to these complaints.
mindwormh8er posted 07-13-99 09:40 PM ET
Yeah, it sux big crap
itdoesntfit posted 07-17-99 01:03 AM ET
Is something wrong with you? It's great when they build a SP. When there doing this; let me give you a hint.
DON'T COMPETE! Build an army with your extra resources and park them right at the end of your territory next to thre SP project city (if your not close enough, this tip is useless). Then as soon as he finishes it, capture the city and finish him off!
ErisDiscordia5 posted 07-18-99 10:03 AM ET
I think it might have been better to keep the concept of some projects becoming obsolete, like in Civ2 -- this way, a faction with a strong early lead is not guaranteed to keep it throughout the game.
itdoesntfit posted 07-18-99 01:43 PM ET
No, I think it's better this way;
Last time I played Civ2, by the time I built any wonder, 5-10 turns later it becomes obsolete (my country was very advanced).
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Author	Topic: Do you hate the secret project rule???
funnyperson	posted 04-06-99 06:49 PM ET If another player get the project you need before you you can't get it doesn't it stink?
Nell_Smith	posted 04-06-99 06:59 PM ET Yep... I just hate it when someone builds an SP I want... I always try to buy it when I get the warning that the other player's SP is "nearing a major breakthrough" (sometimes even selling base improvements to do so, but more often hitting Morgan for a loan!!). Of course, you can always build up an army and go and take over the enemy base that contains the SP, although that is kinda hassley if it's in the enemy capital and you have to wade through dozens of his troops to get there! Question: when playing on Transcend level, is the "nearing breakthrough" warning disabled on purpose to stop you buying SPs, or is this a bug in my game? Thanx for any advice
JAMiAM	posted 04-06-99 07:46 PM ET Nell, I was wondering if it was a bug, also. I then started paying attention to what was common each of the times one of the rat-fink factions beat me to my pet project. Come to think of it, nearly all of them are my pet projects! Anyway, I digress. These are my hypotheses (in no particular order) for them sneaking it past you. 1) They are your pact brother/sister. I've never gotten a warning before a "friendly" has outbuilt me. I'm assuming that this is because you know (or can know) what they are building at any given time by HQ\base ops or clicking on their base tiles. And we KNOW it's our social obligation to keep in touch will our friends. 2) They have infiltrated your datalinks or are the Planetary Governor. They know how far along you are and they've accelerated their project with crawlers/money. This is not to say that you won't get a message if an infiltrating faction or the PG are getting close, just that sometimes the AI outsmarts you!!! 3) Now, this is a trick that I've used against the AI (and I know they've used it against me.) Start more bases working on SPs than you have SPs to build. Then, when you've built one of the SPs, switch production on any base that is building an SP already completed to a different one, you won't lose production. Now, sometimes your tech discoveries don't keep up with your building program. Don't worry, even if you can no longer build a particular SP, continue producing it anyway. Then, when you discover a tech that allows you to build a new SP, change production immediately to the new SP. Sometimes you waste production, , but it is definitely worth it for some projects, the HSA for example. JAMiAM p.s. Wobbly bits??? Sorry, couldn't resist!
funnyperson	posted 04-06-99 08:19 PM ET Some ideas are to kill any faction too close to your faction. So they don't have a chance to even try. And set goals such as "Empath Guild" if you are planning to win by being Supreme Leader. Don't ever make more than one base on a project, if you do the first base will get it. And others wasted time and money. Don't expect to all of them JAMiAM.
Nell_Smith	posted 04-06-99 10:14 PM ET funnyperson: Sure, wiping out or weakening the other factions can help slow their progress on SPs. However, I play a "Builder" strategy and don't like to wage war until late in the game... too many minerals wasted on cannon-fodder!! Maybe I should learn to love the "Kill 'em quick" strategy... hmmm JAMiAM: Thanks for the advice. And you're right - thinking about it, when the "nearing breakthrough" warning is missing, it's because the SP has been built by a Pact Brother. As I play a peaceful strategy, I tend to have several of these... hence no warnings, I guess! Must check those allies' bases more often... I do use the multi-city/overproduction trick to get SPs... this was one I learned from CIV2 and I agree that it's worth wasting a few minerals while waiting to research the necessary tech for something as vital as the HSA! I also make BIG use of crawlers... it may be hard (perhaps impossible on Transcend) to get ALL the SPs, but I give myself full marks for trying!! Nell PS: Actually, after all that energetic "dancing naked through the trees", maybe Deirdre's wobbly bits have become nicely firm and toned...hehehe
JAMiAM	posted 04-07-99 01:25 AM ET funnyperson, I never said that I EXPECT them all or get them all. I just WANT them all!!! What can I say, I'm greedy, greedy, greedy. BTW, on the subject of wasted production, I think you missed my point or are unfamiliar with the game mechanic I utilized. Say, for example, you have 2 bases working on the Weather Paradigm, call them A and B. Now, A will complete it in 5 turns and B will complete it in 10 turns. Currently, you have no other techs which allow you to build an SP, but anticipate discovering Planetary Networks in 12 more years. Note, when you get PN you can build the Virtual World SP. Now in 5 years the WP comes on line and you start getting these pop-ups telling you that you can't build the WP at base B because it has already been built at Base A. At this point DO NOT STOP BUILDING THE WP. If you switch over to units or facilities you will lose 50%-10 of the accumulated minerals. Keep "producing" the WP and ignore the pop-ups each turn. After 5 more years you will have enough accumulated minerals to complete any of the SPs which cost the same as the WP. Now, the Virtual World costs more than the WP, and in another 2 years when you can "start" building it (because of discovering PN) you THEN switch over to the VW, transfering ALL of your accumulated minerals to its production leaving you only about 20% left to complete. No production wasted here! Now, sometimes you mess up and misjudge things and do waste, but as they say "Practice makes...well...better." Nell, You are really challenging my manliness, you TI stud-ette. I usually play Thinker-Ironman level, and feel positively wimpy that some GIRL could be playing Transcend and doing so well. I am impressed. I am too nice a guy, I guess. I just hate seeing all of them drones on TI!!! Tell me please, what faction(s) do you prefer or excel with. JAMiAM feeling inadaquate
Mortis	posted 04-07-99 08:19 AM ET Yeah, it must be a bug! We'd better tell Firaxis so then can fix it.
dbrodale	posted 04-07-99 10:17 AM ET Mortis - I cannot tell whether you are being sarcastic or not ... anyway, this loophole is a carryover from CivII days. I, for one, would like to have the option to close it. Just doesn't make sense that one can continue working on a unique project that has already come to a close. In all honesty, though, I'll admit to sometimes having had four or so cities making the same outdated SP before a jump in tech level and a whole new batch of SPs to complete ... guess I don't have the patience to use supply crawlers. JAMiAM, et al. - Waste production on the "SP switcheroo"? You can keep adding production "boxes" to an outdated SP beyond its actual "cost" - more and more red [overproduction] boxes keep piling up. I've never seen this pile up end - are you guys suggesting that it, in fact, will? d.brodale
CEO Bernard	posted 04-07-99 10:42 AM ET In alpha.txt there is a line detailing when production will be lost for switching production and how much will be lost (you can set it to all production if you want). I do not have the specifics, but there is a comment next to the lines so it is pretty easy to find. CEO Bernard
JAMiAM	posted 04-07-99 01:29 PM ET dbrodale, Actually my point was, in general, you DON'T waste production with that technique. Yes, the production does keep building up in the "red boxes." However, once in a while you get caught with your pants down, because another faction builds the SP you were "saving" for before you could discover the tech for it. I must admit that once with the Spartans I got preempted about 2 or 3 times. I don't recall what I finally built but it was overpaid by 50% or so. OUCH! I was actually shouting at my computer that game. Sorry I wasn't clear enough in the previous posting. JAMiAM a fuzzy brain from lack of sleep, doth upon the SMACphile creep.
charybidis	posted 04-07-99 01:40 PM ET I think that there should be two types of Secret Project, the super-ones which it only makes sense in gameplay terms for one faction to have (such as Hunter-Killer) and others which are OK for each faction, such as Empath Guild which is less powerful. Admittedly it would involve a rethink for some of them since they've been designed for only one faction to have, but even so in plot terms there's no reason why everybody can't set up a Citizens Defense Force ("Mindworm all through the night.....")
Bossman	posted 04-07-99 01:48 PM ET Great Idea. The SP's are so unblanced it is stupid. I think a little work needs to be done on them for the next patch. At least they are not as bad as the wonders in CTP they are the stupidist things I have ever seen.
funnyperson	posted 04-07-99 06:14 PM ET All SPs are good, but it depends on what you need or want for you faction. Sometimes I see my brother waste all this time on the "Citizens' Defense Force" when he is the Hive. It is good to take it before another, but leave that option last. In the game try to get the SPs that are need in a 100 years or so. Plan ahead to avoid touble of getting it by hurrying it using up lots of money.
Ronbo	posted 04-07-99 09:19 PM ET funnyperson- The Hive constructing the Citizen's Defense Force is a very sound strategy--while it does not confer any direct benefits to The Hive (other than the points for completing a secret project), it PREVENTS any other player from completing it. Considering Yang's aggressiveness level, this can work as a significant advantage, as it takes both time and money to construct a perimeter around each base. The CDF confers that bonus immediately upon newly constructed cities, which is a great timesaver, and can mean the difference between life and death of a newly constructed city that is attacked.
Mortis	posted 04-07-99 09:50 PM ET dbrodale - VERY sarcastic... The whole idea of an SP is that only one faction gets its benefites.
funnyperson	posted 04-07-99 10:43 PM ET Yang's Hive already has Perimeter Defense at every base so the "Citizens' Defense Force" is at no use to them. This SP only provide as a Perimeter Defense and nothing else at all. If you play defensive on this game, and not the Hive, this is a must get. Every one SP you get it's 25 points to your overall score, but set goals. Don't "Blind SP Building" that's no good.
charybidis	posted 04-08-99 07:04 AM ET My favourite was somebody who had been declared Planetary Governor, and therefore owned all the comm frequencies spending their whole cash on the Empath Guild. Snicker. They lasted about 20 turns because they couldn't buy enough tanks and needlejets and as such my folks trampled them to death.
Verminlord	posted 04-08-99 02:16 PM ET I'm pretty sure the Empath Guild gives you +50% on votes for governor and supreme leader. Therefore, it's not foolish to build it even if you have all the comm freqs. Ron
Primogen	posted 04-08-99 02:49 PM ET If an enemy builds an SP that gives them a huge advantage then just launch a Planet buster attack. BOOM! No more SP. Works especially on the Citizens deffence force before a major attack.
Worm Man	posted 04-08-99 05:48 PM ET Primogen, that's true but Plane Busters do not only cost to much they take too much time so units work better than Missles and Planet busters.
Worm Man	posted 04-08-99 06:13 PM ET The Problem is that if they have tons of Orbital Defense Pods The Planet Busters do notin'
Worm Man	posted 04-08-99 06:14 PM ET The Problem is that if they have tons of Orbital Defense Pods The Planet Busters do notin'
Worm Man	posted 04-08-99 06:14 PM ET The Problem is that if they have tons of Orbital Defense Pods The Planet Busters do notin'
Worm Man	posted 04-08-99 06:14 PM ET The Problem is that if they have tons of Orbital Defense Pods The Planet Busters do notin'
Worm Man	posted 04-08-99 06:14 PM ET The Problem is that if they have tons of Orbital Defense Pods The Planet Busters do notin'
tfs99	posted 04-08-99 08:24 PM ET Wow ... a quintuple post. Never saw that before. Do you need an SP to do that? SMAC n ... Ted S.
Nell_Smith	posted 04-09-99 01:16 AM ET JAMiAM: Firstly, and to use a piece of Netspeak that I usually avoid... LOL !! Watch it, or my head will expand so greatly that I won't be able to get out of the door when it's time for SMAC-induced snoozing... hehe No but seriously, SMAC closely resembles CIV2 in its tactics and I hate to think how many, many hundreds of hours I've spent with CIV... hence playing at Transcend level in SMAC. What worked in CIV generally works in SMAC, for all SMAC's enhancements, and the Transcend level AI, especially since v.3, is more cunning and less likely to make silly decisions. That said, I often lose when playing Transcend Ironman - sometimes I cheat a bit by setting Native Lifeforms to Rare, simply because I hate seeing mindworms leaping out of the fungus and eating my colony pod that's spent the last 15 turns trekking all the way to a piece of prime real estate. Attacks on my soldiers I don't resent, but I reckon those unarmed settlers deserve a break! I almost always play UoP - again, I cheat somewhat by often using Tech Stagnation, an advantage when you're UoP. I don't find the drones too bad so long as I get the HG Project and the Virtual World early on. The HSA is also vital, of course - I won't wage war without it because of the UoP's probe disadvantages. I use Green economics when possible to allow mindworm capture, and Police State to allow plenty of support. I pay to upgrade units whenever a new tech is discovered, so my defenders are always pretty tough. And I race for Air Power - surely one of the major deciding factors in the game. If not UoP, I play Gaians and try for a mighty mindworm army, although UoP works better for me. I don't like the Gaian police penalty. If looking for a REAL challenge (or just a laugh!) I play the Hive... everyone you meet is just dying to kill you at the earliest opportunity!!! Nell PS: I try for every SP, though I ignore the M.Exchange as I'm busy then with the W.Paradigm and the HG Project. I simply like to collect 'em, even the less useful ones... both to stop my enemies from getting them, and to add to my "smug" rating There's nothing more satisfying than capturing an enemy city that contains one, or preferably several, SPs!
Nell_Smith	posted 04-09-99 01:21 AM ET Oh yes and... Police Plasma Sentinels, surely the game's most amazingly useful unit for the cheap price!! Two in each base - no drone trouble!
Ken Yoon	posted 04-09-99 07:50 PM ET It is possible to get nearly every secret project. This is how I've gotten all but 2 on highest difficulty as UoP. 1) Get lucky and have lots of peace. This, for me, was established with Morgan as my only neighbor. The Spartans I had to eliminate off my continent. 2) If you're in war, it had better be a limited one. In my case, the Believers were at "war" with me, but never attacked. They were too busy fighting the Hive. 3) This is key. Get the borehole cluster and put supply crawlers on all the boreholes. This allows a small city early in the game to harvest 20+ minerals a turn, allowing SP production within 20 turns in early game. 4) Repeal the UN Charter. This allows you, in midgame, to fight limited wars with great effect. Put nerve gas on your copters, and voila, instead of having to land ground troops to take those border cities, and then having to defend them, you just destroy the cities and gradually weaken the enemy. Plus, the 50% bonus makes your copters invincible.
googlie	posted 07-09-99 02:36 PM ET up it goes...
Horgawitz	posted 07-13-99 06:22 PM ET I would be nice if after a SP was destroyed some one else could build it...
vee	posted 07-13-99 08:46 PM ET Why is everyone so upset about the fact that if a rival faction builds a project, then you can't? It's part of the game... to manage your faction so that you get what is most important to you.. to prioritize. I think it's a pretty good rule. What fun would it be if everybody could get the same benefits simply by building a project? It adds a level of urgency and strategy to the game that would otherwise be absent. my 2 cents to these complaints.
mindwormh8er	posted 07-13-99 09:40 PM ET Yeah, it sux big crap
itdoesntfit	posted 07-17-99 01:03 AM ET Is something wrong with you? It's great when they build a SP. When there doing this; let me give you a hint. DON'T COMPETE! Build an army with your extra resources and park them right at the end of your territory next to thre SP project city (if your not close enough, this tip is useless). Then as soon as he finishes it, capture the city and finish him off!
ErisDiscordia5	posted 07-18-99 10:03 AM ET I think it might have been better to keep the concept of some projects becoming obsolete, like in Civ2 -- this way, a faction with a strong early lead is not guaranteed to keep it throughout the game.
itdoesntfit	posted 07-18-99 01:43 PM ET No, I think it's better this way; Last time I played Civ2, by the time I built any wonder, 5-10 turns later it becomes obsolete (my country was very advanced).