what is turnbased game? - Alpha Centauri Forums

  Alpha Centauri Forums
  The Game
  what is turnbased game?

profile | register | prefs | faq | search

Author Topic:   what is turnbased game?

mikez posted 03-21-99 01:44 AM ET
guys,
pardon me if I'm a little confuse....what is a turnbased game? I'm new to this type of game never played one before....I find it kinda hard co'z I'm used to realtime strategy game like warcraft and starcraft.
I tried searching faqs about turnbased game but came out short....
thanks..in advance..
mike
Giant Squid posted 03-21-99 01:48 AM ET
A turn-based game is one in which you make all decisions in a state of suspended time, say you're done, and watch as their effects become clear. Repeat about 500 times, and you get SMAC. While it might not sound good, it gives you time to think about everything and gives you a far greater deal of control.
Giant Squid
<-:-)-K
"Eternity lies ahead of us, and behind. Have you drunk your fill?"
KJohnstone posted 03-21-99 02:47 AM ET
No... I just can't believe these kids today, I tell ya, no... it can't be! Anybody's played Monopoly at least or Clue or even Candyland or something as a kid, understand turn based. That's basically what SMAC is through all the meat and gristle, down to the bone. Y'know, turned based game.
Oh, SMAC takes a lot of it's pedigree from the more complex boardgames to be sure, even the original Civilization was a board game, afterall, influence of the original Meier classic. SMAC carries some Wargame influences even, ie. the lack of one "killer stack" over the tactical placement of units on a big map. There's no "movement phase", "attack phase" or any of the other subrounds of complex wargames, however. SMAC shoots for simplicity, but remains pretty tactical (now just need to weaken the Helos, course, heheheh). But the combat system SMAC employs is much more relistic, ironically, than if it had somehow employed "real time" combat.
SMAC is not about squad battles like in RTS games, but rather entire wars. Several wars usually. And you're not a squad leader like in a real time game, more a four star general, and one with the longevity vaccine at that. It's more about planning and organizing for an entire army. All the generals of the big wars kept tiny wargame boards set up so they could plan and implement strategies. Eisenhower had a war room, and he had a huge table top with wargame models set up like in SMAC, that's how actual generals fight their battles, and in their heads.
KJ
Zontlu posted 03-21-99 08:53 AM ET
Turnbased...hmmm, let's see Based on Turns ... Ahhh! Eureka, I think I got it!!!
Sorry, hehehe, couldn't help myself, it means you play then the AI plays, then it's your turn again and you can play or get up and go to the bathroom, go get a beer, go do the groceries, or work on the car and when you come back to the computer, voila!, the game still there waiting for you... :-)
micje posted 03-21-99 09:45 AM ET
Maybe it's my incredibly fast AMD K6-2 300, but I never wait more than 15 seconds on the SMAC AI, (contrary to CivII, or HOMMII, that took forever). Some battles take longer than waiting on the AI.
To close this thread, click here (moderator or admin only).


Hop to:

Contact Us | Alpha Centauri Home

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Version 5.18
© Madrona Park, Inc., 1998.

Author	Topic: what is turnbased game?
mikez	posted 03-21-99 01:44 AM ET guys, pardon me if I'm a little confuse....what is a turnbased game? I'm new to this type of game never played one before....I find it kinda hard co'z I'm used to realtime strategy game like warcraft and starcraft. I tried searching faqs about turnbased game but came out short.... thanks..in advance.. mike
Giant Squid	posted 03-21-99 01:48 AM ET A turn-based game is one in which you make all decisions in a state of suspended time, say you're done, and watch as their effects become clear. Repeat about 500 times, and you get SMAC. While it might not sound good, it gives you time to think about everything and gives you a far greater deal of control. Giant Squid <-:-)-K "Eternity lies ahead of us, and behind. Have you drunk your fill?"
KJohnstone	posted 03-21-99 02:47 AM ET No... I just can't believe these kids today, I tell ya, no... it can't be! Anybody's played Monopoly at least or Clue or even Candyland or something as a kid, understand turn based. That's basically what SMAC is through all the meat and gristle, down to the bone. Y'know, turned based game. Oh, SMAC takes a lot of it's pedigree from the more complex boardgames to be sure, even the original Civilization was a board game, afterall, influence of the original Meier classic. SMAC carries some Wargame influences even, ie. the lack of one "killer stack" over the tactical placement of units on a big map. There's no "movement phase", "attack phase" or any of the other subrounds of complex wargames, however. SMAC shoots for simplicity, but remains pretty tactical (now just need to weaken the Helos, course, heheheh). But the combat system SMAC employs is much more relistic, ironically, than if it had somehow employed "real time" combat. SMAC is not about squad battles like in RTS games, but rather entire wars. Several wars usually. And you're not a squad leader like in a real time game, more a four star general, and one with the longevity vaccine at that. It's more about planning and organizing for an entire army. All the generals of the big wars kept tiny wargame boards set up so they could plan and implement strategies. Eisenhower had a war room, and he had a huge table top with wargame models set up like in SMAC, that's how actual generals fight their battles, and in their heads. KJ
Zontlu	posted 03-21-99 08:53 AM ET Turnbased...hmmm, let's see Based on Turns ... Ahhh! Eureka, I think I got it!!! Sorry, hehehe, couldn't help myself, it means you play then the AI plays, then it's your turn again and you can play or get up and go to the bathroom, go get a beer, go do the groceries, or work on the car and when you come back to the computer, voila!, the game still there waiting for you... :-)
micje	posted 03-21-99 09:45 AM ET Maybe it's my incredibly fast AMD K6-2 300, but I never wait more than 15 seconds on the SMAC AI, (contrary to CivII, or HOMMII, that took forever). Some battles take longer than waiting on the AI.