Best FAQ/Strategy Guide/Tips on net????

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Author Topic:   Best FAQ/Strategy Guide/Tips on net????

UF GATOR posted 05-15-99 01:56 AM ET
Where can I get a hold of a decent strategy guide on the net? I've already got one from www.gamefaqs.com but its not very inclusive. I've seen tips/strategy pages here and there but they're not very printer friendly...Is the official stategy book any good? I'm trying to avoid shelling out 15 bucks for it...
sandworm posted 05-15-99 12:29 PM ET
www.gameguides.com - free online guide, pretty good if you've just started playing.
The forums are free, too, and of more use to someone who already understands the basics.
evil_conquerer posted 05-16-99 05:07 PM ET
[shameless self-promotion]
At The Arrival (http://ac.strategy-gaming.com) there's a strategy section that's fairly short compared to a commercial strategy guide but it's free.
I've heard that the official strategy guide isn't very good... I don't have it though.
wrigley99 posted 05-20-99 03:49 PM ET
I have the Prima guide, and I'm glad I do. It has (besides the usual lists of techs, etc.) some good strategic advice, a very good Secret Projects section, spoilers for the endgame (tape the pages together if you wanna), and, most importantly and worth the price for me, an index which references topics for the game guide AND the manual, which criminally lacks an index. It also comes with a nice map of Planet, which helps you to get your bearings in the early game.
Gamespot's guide (found on the May CGW CD) is also very good. With both guides, you have a lot of very useful information. But keep reading the forums!
High Priest posted 05-24-99 08:56 PM ET
wrigley99:
Yah, I've got the guide too.
I like its SP section, and the map is helpful, but most of the strategies are worthless. They have a few pages on starting games, but they seem to know so little about the game. They consider Yang a bad player, when in fact he is one of the best. Their reason? Because he lags in techs more than Miriam!! Thats pure Bull ****! They hardley give him any credit.
Same thing with Zhakarov. They site his drone restrictions as to making him a less than a good choice. I used to think that till I learned to overcome the weaknesses, and beginning to win on Transcend.
They also say Morgan is only good for economic victory, and should stay on free market. BS! The great thing about Morgan that I've learned is that he is the only faction that doesn't need FM for the +1 energy a square. They also fail to add the merits of punishment spheres, especially for laundering troops in peaceful games, instead warning players to avoid it like the plague! Of course, I read the whole book before I played the game, so when I started, I took their advice. The only reason I came to Yang was because he often became the second most powerful faction, UoP in third.
They spend too much time waving the merits of the Spartans, Gaians, and PKs. The former of which I started with in my first war game.
Not only do they not work as well as the Hive in war games, they don't in building games either! To top it off, they barely mention the Believers. I would have liked a strategy section fully detailing this unique faction. In fact, I was dissappointed that there wasn't a seperate section for any faction(except for maybe the Gaians).
I did like the book in some of its strategies, namely the project clustering. But they don't even mention the master of this method, Yang. Some of the structure/SP descriptions were very helpful, others were practically worthless, seeming as if they hadn't even used them in many games, just read the description in the datalinks.
Its formulas, and methods for calculating aspects of the game was a great plus. This book will help you if you've just started out, but past that you should outgrow it with your own style. The strategies are good if you like Deirdre, Lal, or Santiago. I rarely use it, unless I need to quickly look something up.
The main reason I've been so negative, is that I'm a good fan of Prima's books. The Starcraft, Brood War, Warcraft II, Caesar II&III books were all very useful and complex. This was a step down in quality, but it can still be worth the money if you're a beginner. If not, don't bother.
High Priest
RRKJ posted 05-24-99 11:18 PM ET
They have a huge gam guide at:
http://www.gamespot.com/features/alphac_gg/index.html
I haven't read it so I don't know how good it really is but it looks to be an excellent guide.
Purple posted 05-27-99 04:59 PM ET
I downloaded the Gamespot guide (alphaccen_gg.pdf) when I first got the game and was ravenous for anything about SMAC. They charge $4-5 for it. It has a lot of fairly general, obvious advice and is full of white space and large type, but little insight.
The best information about SMAC is right here on this forum. You'll get an answer to most of your questions right away, or should I say you'll get several, often opposing answers.
To close this thread, click here (moderator or admin only).


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Author	Topic: Best FAQ/Strategy Guide/Tips on net????
UF GATOR	posted 05-15-99 01:56 AM ET Where can I get a hold of a decent strategy guide on the net? I've already got one from www.gamefaqs.com but its not very inclusive. I've seen tips/strategy pages here and there but they're not very printer friendly...Is the official stategy book any good? I'm trying to avoid shelling out 15 bucks for it...
sandworm	posted 05-15-99 12:29 PM ET www.gameguides.com - free online guide, pretty good if you've just started playing. The forums are free, too, and of more use to someone who already understands the basics.
evil_conquerer	posted 05-16-99 05:07 PM ET [shameless self-promotion] At The Arrival (http://ac.strategy-gaming.com) there's a strategy section that's fairly short compared to a commercial strategy guide but it's free. I've heard that the official strategy guide isn't very good... I don't have it though.
wrigley99	posted 05-20-99 03:49 PM ET I have the Prima guide, and I'm glad I do. It has (besides the usual lists of techs, etc.) some good strategic advice, a very good Secret Projects section, spoilers for the endgame (tape the pages together if you wanna), and, most importantly and worth the price for me, an index which references topics for the game guide AND the manual, which criminally lacks an index. It also comes with a nice map of Planet, which helps you to get your bearings in the early game. Gamespot's guide (found on the May CGW CD) is also very good. With both guides, you have a lot of very useful information. But keep reading the forums!
High Priest	posted 05-24-99 08:56 PM ET wrigley99: Yah, I've got the guide too. I like its SP section, and the map is helpful, but most of the strategies are worthless. They have a few pages on starting games, but they seem to know so little about the game. They consider Yang a bad player, when in fact he is one of the best. Their reason? Because he lags in techs more than Miriam!! Thats pure Bull ****! They hardley give him any credit. Same thing with Zhakarov. They site his drone restrictions as to making him a less than a good choice. I used to think that till I learned to overcome the weaknesses, and beginning to win on Transcend. They also say Morgan is only good for economic victory, and should stay on free market. BS! The great thing about Morgan that I've learned is that he is the only faction that doesn't need FM for the +1 energy a square. They also fail to add the merits of punishment spheres, especially for laundering troops in peaceful games, instead warning players to avoid it like the plague! Of course, I read the whole book before I played the game, so when I started, I took their advice. The only reason I came to Yang was because he often became the second most powerful faction, UoP in third. They spend too much time waving the merits of the Spartans, Gaians, and PKs. The former of which I started with in my first war game. Not only do they not work as well as the Hive in war games, they don't in building games either! To top it off, they barely mention the Believers. I would have liked a strategy section fully detailing this unique faction. In fact, I was dissappointed that there wasn't a seperate section for any faction(except for maybe the Gaians). I did like the book in some of its strategies, namely the project clustering. But they don't even mention the master of this method, Yang. Some of the structure/SP descriptions were very helpful, others were practically worthless, seeming as if they hadn't even used them in many games, just read the description in the datalinks. Its formulas, and methods for calculating aspects of the game was a great plus. This book will help you if you've just started out, but past that you should outgrow it with your own style. The strategies are good if you like Deirdre, Lal, or Santiago. I rarely use it, unless I need to quickly look something up. The main reason I've been so negative, is that I'm a good fan of Prima's books. The Starcraft, Brood War, Warcraft II, Caesar II&III books were all very useful and complex. This was a step down in quality, but it can still be worth the money if you're a beginner. If not, don't bother. High Priest
RRKJ	posted 05-24-99 11:18 PM ET They have a huge gam guide at: http://www.gamespot.com/features/alphac_gg/index.html I haven't read it so I don't know how good it really is but it looks to be an excellent guide.
Purple	posted 05-27-99 04:59 PM ET I downloaded the Gamespot guide (alphaccen_gg.pdf) when I first got the game and was ravenous for anything about SMAC. They charge $4-5 for it. It has a lot of fairly general, obvious advice and is full of white space and large type, but little insight. The best information about SMAC is right here on this forum. You'll get an answer to most of your questions right away, or should I say you'll get several, often opposing answers.