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Author Topic:   possible tactics to use in SMAC

DHE_X2 posted 11-10-98 10:58 PM ET
Using your knowledge of other empire building games, what kind of tactics do you think would work in SMAC. Don't forget to take into account terraforming, planet ecology, and the fundamental differences in faction idealogies.
DHE_X2 posted 11-10-98 11:03 PM ET
Obviously, a possible Believer tactic would to completely ignore science in the beginning, and focus on rapid expansion. Once significant colonies are built up, work on science could begin. Also, rush tactics could be used(not unlike the marine rush, for those familiar with starcraft) sending masses of weak units to overwhelm an enemy. Eventually, science will become prime concern, but after several cities have been established.
DHE_X2 posted 11-10-98 11:07 PM ET
Spartans could focus on heavily fortifying a few key instilations, while keeping small outposts at their borders. Being survivalists, they would forge alliances with a few trustworthy factions. Beginning tech research would be mainly in the armament field.
Heckler posted 11-11-98 06:07 AM ET
The ever popular igratiating little weasel trick. Kiss @$$ till they like you then steal tech and sabatoge like mad. By the time they get around to hating you their infrastructure is in ruins and you go to their enemy and begin the process again.
Heckler
Note that you do not want to do this to more than one opponent at a time, switch to the enemy, let off of your original target and start placating them. If you work it right you can get them to annihilate (I cheated and checked the spelling) each other.
BoomBoom posted 11-11-98 09:04 AM ET
What I usually do in this kinda game is to build a few cities (or colonize a few planets in MOO2), and then concentrate on research. The computer AI will usually expand first and then research. So once they start researching you're lightyears ahead, and can crush them like a rotten tomato. Don't know if this going to work in SMAC though, as they say that the AI has been improved, compared to MOO2 or Civ2.
DJ RRebel posted 11-11-98 10:21 AM ET
In this order >>>
EXPAND
EXPAND
FORTIFY
EXPLORE
DISCOVER
EXPAND
FORTIFY
DISCOVER
EXPAND
EXPAND
FORTIFY
DISCOVER
CONQUER !!!
Yo_Yo_Yo_Hey posted 11-11-98 12:40 PM ET
I have 4 letters for my early strategy:
KKND
Your faithful & hell-bent NIMadier general,
YYYH
DHE_X2 posted 11-11-98 02:41 PM ET
You have to remember, it seems from the screen shots that we've gotten that a leader's honor affects its faction's diplomacy.
SnowFire posted 11-11-98 03:54 PM ET
No offense DHE, but I posted a rather long post on early strat in the strat & tac forum during the good old days. An extremely compressed version of it:
Early Early Game: EXPAND
Middle Early Game: expand, explore
Late early Game: expand, explore, choose stratgey for rest of game
DHE_X2 posted 11-11-98 03:58 PM ET
none taken. I like the strategy of having a few key cities, then a bunch of crappy outposts to secure your territory.
Heckler posted 11-12-98 10:14 PM ET
Ok now for military tactics, go with high defense, high offense, or a mix? In terms of strategy, hit everywhere fairly lightly or blow key positions off the map?
Anyone know how helpfull terraforming will be in military operations?
Heckler
Larry Boy posted 11-13-98 12:38 AM ET
Since there is borders in SMAC, I would first MASS produce little outposts especially in the isthmus's between continents. Then start doing the technology thing like crazy while using diplomacy and kissing people heinies to keep peace until they your hovertanks overrun their spear weilding armies. I have NO clue if this will work though. Isn't that the beauty of it? (-8
Yo_Yo_Yo_Hey posted 11-13-98 12:45 AM ET
For my strategy. I plan to build a few small cities, then make a massive blitz across my continent, so everything there on it is under my control. Then I'm gonna spend my time fortyfying in, defending against sentients(gotta hate them mindowrms), & locating other factions. Then, maybe if I get bored with my cities I'll start a few colonies, or take over the pesky HH.
I hope it works! That's how I plan to play!!
I might use cheats in my first few games, to get a hang of everything, but after maybe 2-3 games with cheats I'll attempt a real game, and fail miserably. Oh well.
I may never play "Iron man" either, because I'm proud of my civs, & if I created a great civ under "Ironman" I'd be really pissed to find that the only place it was, was in my head. There goes the bragging rights for that game
Your faithful & hell-bent NIMadier general,
YYYH
Jay posted 11-13-98 04:10 AM ET
All of you seem to say that EXPAND in the early game.
The question is:
How long you should be expanding?
I mean that if you expand too much the AI is going to overwhelm you with a Hi-Tech assault force.
Spig posted 11-13-98 08:08 AM ET
Expand until you meet opposition!
DJ RRebel posted 11-13-98 10:28 AM ET
hmmm .. I could really say any of us can truly say our ideal strategy until we play the game !!!
Sometimes in Civ if we expand too fast, then our defences are week, and the enemy can pick off our cities one by oneuntil it's too late !!!
BoomBoom posted 11-13-98 11:08 AM ET
Expand so that you get a lot of resources within you're borders. Stop when you run into someone else's land. make peace. Try to expand in other direction. Make peace again.
Build up cities and research. Crush opponents on your continent.
Finish off the rest. Easy. Probably not.
DJ RRebel posted 11-13-98 11:14 AM ET
lol .. I guess 90% of your success will depend on where you are placed at the beginning of the game!!!
I you get stuck sharing a mid-sized continent, you better be really agressive so as to get the upper hand and be strong enough not to be too worried about the other guy !!!
Obviously the key is expansion, but you have to know were to expand !!! I wonder if the map will be 100% viewable, or if it'll be like in Civ2, where you can't see any bit of the map until your units move around and explore !!! My guess is that this will be an option !!! I like doing it the hard way !!! But if the map was revealled at the beginning, it would make for much shorter games .. that's for sure !!! And it would take alot of the excitement out of it too !!!
Jazzman posted 11-13-98 12:24 PM ET
Lets see everyone is talking about the same strategy? In fact your talking a bout the exact same strategy used in Civ.
If I'm right this one will not work in this game. I think stright expansion will not be as easy as it was in Civ.
DJ RRebel posted 11-13-98 12:32 PM ET
As I said .. it all depends on the map and resources more than anything else !!!
I should be interesting all the same !!!
Mind you if you downloaded the promo for SMAC, you would have noticed that EXPLORE was one of the 4 commandments !!!
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Author	Topic: possible tactics to use in SMAC
DHE_X2	posted 11-10-98 10:58 PM ET Using your knowledge of other empire building games, what kind of tactics do you think would work in SMAC. Don't forget to take into account terraforming, planet ecology, and the fundamental differences in faction idealogies.
DHE_X2	posted 11-10-98 11:03 PM ET Obviously, a possible Believer tactic would to completely ignore science in the beginning, and focus on rapid expansion. Once significant colonies are built up, work on science could begin. Also, rush tactics could be used(not unlike the marine rush, for those familiar with starcraft) sending masses of weak units to overwhelm an enemy. Eventually, science will become prime concern, but after several cities have been established.
DHE_X2	posted 11-10-98 11:07 PM ET Spartans could focus on heavily fortifying a few key instilations, while keeping small outposts at their borders. Being survivalists, they would forge alliances with a few trustworthy factions. Beginning tech research would be mainly in the armament field.
Heckler	posted 11-11-98 06:07 AM ET The ever popular igratiating little weasel trick. Kiss @$$ till they like you then steal tech and sabatoge like mad. By the time they get around to hating you their infrastructure is in ruins and you go to their enemy and begin the process again. Heckler Note that you do not want to do this to more than one opponent at a time, switch to the enemy, let off of your original target and start placating them. If you work it right you can get them to annihilate (I cheated and checked the spelling) each other.
BoomBoom	posted 11-11-98 09:04 AM ET What I usually do in this kinda game is to build a few cities (or colonize a few planets in MOO2), and then concentrate on research. The computer AI will usually expand first and then research. So once they start researching you're lightyears ahead, and can crush them like a rotten tomato. Don't know if this going to work in SMAC though, as they say that the AI has been improved, compared to MOO2 or Civ2.
DJ RRebel	posted 11-11-98 10:21 AM ET In this order >>> EXPAND EXPAND FORTIFY EXPLORE DISCOVER EXPAND FORTIFY DISCOVER EXPAND EXPAND FORTIFY DISCOVER CONQUER !!!
Yo_Yo_Yo_Hey	posted 11-11-98 12:40 PM ET I have 4 letters for my early strategy: KKND Your faithful & hell-bent NIMadier general, YYYH
DHE_X2	posted 11-11-98 02:41 PM ET You have to remember, it seems from the screen shots that we've gotten that a leader's honor affects its faction's diplomacy.
SnowFire	posted 11-11-98 03:54 PM ET No offense DHE, but I posted a rather long post on early strat in the strat & tac forum during the good old days. An extremely compressed version of it: Early Early Game: EXPAND Middle Early Game: expand, explore Late early Game: expand, explore, choose stratgey for rest of game
DHE_X2	posted 11-11-98 03:58 PM ET none taken. I like the strategy of having a few key cities, then a bunch of crappy outposts to secure your territory.
Heckler	posted 11-12-98 10:14 PM ET Ok now for military tactics, go with high defense, high offense, or a mix? In terms of strategy, hit everywhere fairly lightly or blow key positions off the map? Anyone know how helpfull terraforming will be in military operations? Heckler
Larry Boy	posted 11-13-98 12:38 AM ET Since there is borders in SMAC, I would first MASS produce little outposts especially in the isthmus's between continents. Then start doing the technology thing like crazy while using diplomacy and kissing people heinies to keep peace until they your hovertanks overrun their spear weilding armies. I have NO clue if this will work though. Isn't that the beauty of it? (-8
Yo_Yo_Yo_Hey	posted 11-13-98 12:45 AM ET For my strategy. I plan to build a few small cities, then make a massive blitz across my continent, so everything there on it is under my control. Then I'm gonna spend my time fortyfying in, defending against sentients(gotta hate them mindowrms), & locating other factions. Then, maybe if I get bored with my cities I'll start a few colonies, or take over the pesky HH. I hope it works! That's how I plan to play!! I might use cheats in my first few games, to get a hang of everything, but after maybe 2-3 games with cheats I'll attempt a real game, and fail miserably. Oh well. I may never play "Iron man" either, because I'm proud of my civs, & if I created a great civ under "Ironman" I'd be really pissed to find that the only place it was, was in my head. There goes the bragging rights for that game Your faithful & hell-bent NIMadier general, YYYH
Jay	posted 11-13-98 04:10 AM ET All of you seem to say that EXPAND in the early game. The question is: How long you should be expanding? I mean that if you expand too much the AI is going to overwhelm you with a Hi-Tech assault force.
Spig	posted 11-13-98 08:08 AM ET Expand until you meet opposition!
DJ RRebel	posted 11-13-98 10:28 AM ET hmmm .. I could really say any of us can truly say our ideal strategy until we play the game !!! Sometimes in Civ if we expand too fast, then our defences are week, and the enemy can pick off our cities one by oneuntil it's too late !!!
BoomBoom	posted 11-13-98 11:08 AM ET Expand so that you get a lot of resources within you're borders. Stop when you run into someone else's land. make peace. Try to expand in other direction. Make peace again. Build up cities and research. Crush opponents on your continent. Finish off the rest. Easy. Probably not.
DJ RRebel	posted 11-13-98 11:14 AM ET lol .. I guess 90% of your success will depend on where you are placed at the beginning of the game!!! I you get stuck sharing a mid-sized continent, you better be really agressive so as to get the upper hand and be strong enough not to be too worried about the other guy !!! Obviously the key is expansion, but you have to know were to expand !!! I wonder if the map will be 100% viewable, or if it'll be like in Civ2, where you can't see any bit of the map until your units move around and explore !!! My guess is that this will be an option !!! I like doing it the hard way !!! But if the map was revealled at the beginning, it would make for much shorter games .. that's for sure !!! And it would take alot of the excitement out of it too !!!
Jazzman	posted 11-13-98 12:24 PM ET Lets see everyone is talking about the same strategy? In fact your talking a bout the exact same strategy used in Civ. If I'm right this one will not work in this game. I think stright expansion will not be as easy as it was in Civ.
DJ RRebel	posted 11-13-98 12:32 PM ET As I said .. it all depends on the map and resources more than anything else !!! I should be interesting all the same !!! Mind you if you downloaded the promo for SMAC, you would have noticed that EXPLORE was one of the 4 commandments !!!