All those who wish to dissent, rase their hands

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Author Topic:   All those who wish to dissent, rase their hands

SenseiPhoenix posted 02-26-99 09:07 PM ET
Hehe, I just thought of a few things about everyone's favorite religious zealot Miriam. First of all, how in the world can the Believers even DISCOVER let alone Implement Intellectual Integrity. It basically says ignore the idea of God! And if she complains so heavily about some technologies (such as Superstring theory) how come the Believers can still use them? Hmmm, perhaps Sister Miriam is a bit of a hypocrite, ne? And it's hillarious that Santiago does the voice over for the CHILDREN'S CRECHE! She doesn't seem a very matronly type, let alone one who would push a day care service on people. And isn't it strange that Lal can repeal the UN Charter? And build and use Planet Busters? And of course, Yang can build the Planetary Datalinks, in which it is said: "As the Americans learned so painfully in the end of the 20th century, the free flow (note FREE flow) of information..." Just some of the things that strike me funny. Any others?

Civ1fan posted 02-27-99 12:55 AM ET
Having only played the demo, I don't have anything to add but obviously you have picked up on some of the things that make SMAC seem like a computer program and not a game. After playing it for awhile it didn't seem like Alpha Centauri was a real world with real opponents, cities or units. It seemed like the entire focus of the game was merely to make it difficult to win. Wouldn't it have been good if opponents had real agendas; if they remembered who their friends and enemies were and past transgressions; if one city didn't look exactly like every other city; in short, if Alpha Centauri was a struggle for survival in a harsh world and not just another turn based war game.
GreatNate posted 02-27-99 01:46 AM ET
I do have to disagree. I would be unhappy if the faction leaders were handcuffed into certain behavior. Sure, Miriam does not like, say, Intellectual Integrity; but she isn't doing the research, some minor scientist she never met is. And she may not like the results, but she will use the technology as part of her quest for power, which is the trait that all the factional leaders share.
The Roman Catholic Church outlawed the crossbow in the 13th (12th?) century. But it didn't object to it being used against the Sacerens in the holy land... religious hypocracy is nothing new to Planet.
I want to re-emphasize my earlier point. All the leaders want their idiology to win out over Planet. And they would rather make small (or large) compromises and maintain their core beliefs, than be utterly destroyed by the other factions.
Lastly, you seem to be objecting to the way in which some things make winning more difficult. Well, I didn't pay Firaxis for a novella posing as a manual. I bought a game. And I expect that the design of the game is such to give me a challenge. That's what a game is all about.
Civ1fan posted 02-28-99 12:25 AM ET
A challenge? What is challenging about it? The AI is going to keep you at a certain level in the game, (after a given amount of expertise) regardless of what you do unless you save and reload.
Shining1 posted 02-28-99 01:42 AM ET
I've never had Brother Lal try to repeal the U.N charter - only Shenji-Yang has ever tried to do this (he lost by about 500 votes).
I'm just curious, has this ever happened, or did you just raise the possibility?
SenseiPhoenix posted 02-28-99 03:36 PM ET
Anyone can go and repeal the charter, even Lal. I've had DIEDRE do it too. But I've always been governor so I always vetoed it. And yes, Yang will most definitely want to repeal it most times... unless of course he has a planet buster bearing down on him heheheh
JaimeWolf posted 02-28-99 07:27 PM ET
I've only had one vote to repeal the charter. I was PKs and therefore governor (unless you're doing very badly you can always wangle the Governorship as Lal). Yang & Santiago both wanted the charter repealed and the others were evenly split (so without my veto it would have passed). Since I was at war with both Ynag and Santiago and didn't want PBs raining down on me, I politely told them where they could take their proposal.
Man I like being governor!
James
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Author	Topic: All those who wish to dissent, rase their hands
SenseiPhoenix	posted 02-26-99 09:07 PM ET Hehe, I just thought of a few things about everyone's favorite religious zealot Miriam. First of all, how in the world can the Believers even DISCOVER let alone Implement Intellectual Integrity. It basically says ignore the idea of God! And if she complains so heavily about some technologies (such as Superstring theory) how come the Believers can still use them? Hmmm, perhaps Sister Miriam is a bit of a hypocrite, ne? And it's hillarious that Santiago does the voice over for the CHILDREN'S CRECHE! She doesn't seem a very matronly type, let alone one who would push a day care service on people. And isn't it strange that Lal can repeal the UN Charter? And build and use Planet Busters? And of course, Yang can build the Planetary Datalinks, in which it is said: "As the Americans learned so painfully in the end of the 20th century, the free flow (note FREE flow) of information..." Just some of the things that strike me funny. Any others?
Civ1fan	posted 02-27-99 12:55 AM ET Having only played the demo, I don't have anything to add but obviously you have picked up on some of the things that make SMAC seem like a computer program and not a game. After playing it for awhile it didn't seem like Alpha Centauri was a real world with real opponents, cities or units. It seemed like the entire focus of the game was merely to make it difficult to win. Wouldn't it have been good if opponents had real agendas; if they remembered who their friends and enemies were and past transgressions; if one city didn't look exactly like every other city; in short, if Alpha Centauri was a struggle for survival in a harsh world and not just another turn based war game.
GreatNate	posted 02-27-99 01:46 AM ET I do have to disagree. I would be unhappy if the faction leaders were handcuffed into certain behavior. Sure, Miriam does not like, say, Intellectual Integrity; but she isn't doing the research, some minor scientist she never met is. And she may not like the results, but she will use the technology as part of her quest for power, which is the trait that all the factional leaders share. The Roman Catholic Church outlawed the crossbow in the 13th (12th?) century. But it didn't object to it being used against the Sacerens in the holy land... religious hypocracy is nothing new to Planet. I want to re-emphasize my earlier point. All the leaders want their idiology to win out over Planet. And they would rather make small (or large) compromises and maintain their core beliefs, than be utterly destroyed by the other factions. Lastly, you seem to be objecting to the way in which some things make winning more difficult. Well, I didn't pay Firaxis for a novella posing as a manual. I bought a game. And I expect that the design of the game is such to give me a challenge. That's what a game is all about.
Civ1fan	posted 02-28-99 12:25 AM ET A challenge? What is challenging about it? The AI is going to keep you at a certain level in the game, (after a given amount of expertise) regardless of what you do unless you save and reload.
Shining1	posted 02-28-99 01:42 AM ET I've never had Brother Lal try to repeal the U.N charter - only Shenji-Yang has ever tried to do this (he lost by about 500 votes). I'm just curious, has this ever happened, or did you just raise the possibility?
SenseiPhoenix	posted 02-28-99 03:36 PM ET Anyone can go and repeal the charter, even Lal. I've had DIEDRE do it too. But I've always been governor so I always vetoed it. And yes, Yang will most definitely want to repeal it most times... unless of course he has a planet buster bearing down on him heheheh
JaimeWolf	posted 02-28-99 07:27 PM ET I've only had one vote to repeal the charter. I was PKs and therefore governor (unless you're doing very badly you can always wangle the Governorship as Lal). Yang & Santiago both wanted the charter repealed and the others were evenly split (so without my veto it would have passed). Since I was at war with both Ynag and Santiago and didn't want PBs raining down on me, I politely told them where they could take their proposal. Man I like being governor! James