For all you wisecracks, Alpha Centauri is not Science Fiction!

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Author Topic:   For all you wisecracks, Alpha Centauri is not Science Fiction!

itdoesntfit posted 07-15-99 11:06 AM ET

I read alot of war and space tech books. I know that the so called unity rover is made, the needlejet is already invented, silksteel plastic is real!
LoD posted 07-15-99 11:21 AM ET
...and so are other "breakthroughs" from SMAC. But, mind you, not *all* of them, not in the same form. Please also notice that, when Unity goes "POW!", a large amount of Earth knowledge is gone - the colonists have to rediscover it. So SMAC is (and will be) science fiction after all.
LoD
itdoesntfit posted 07-15-99 11:24 AM ET
But that would still make the game dull, at least invent new tech.
LoD posted 07-15-99 11:43 AM ET
At least Firaxis tried to make up techs in which to gross of players is willing to believe. Not some totally made up gizmos but inventions that are at least half-based on current knowledge.
If you get bored by the current Tech Tree, you can always modify it (unfortunately only to some point ).
LoD
itdoesntfit posted 07-15-99 11:50 AM ET
Then the units aren't so different either. they don't have much of a selection. The unit design workshop is also very pathetic. They should have more weapons and more armor, and more reactors.
LoD posted 07-15-99 12:06 PM ET
You kapitalistiks always wanting more...
I see you're in a bad mood today, aren't you?
LoD
PS. Talk about a real-time discussion ...
itdoesntfit posted 07-15-99 12:22 PM ET
Not really, but I am getting bored. The game is just not too much different from Civ2. I think you agree, SMAC is almost the same as Civ2.
Jythexinvok posted 07-16-99 12:44 AM ET
Well, SMAC and CivII DO have the same core engine, lots of legacy code,.. but then again Civ and CivII share the same basic engine. So what? no software made in the last 10-15 years has been from the ground up (last 25 years or more if you want to be technical). Well, that's not quite true, but any software that hits the common market usualy has other people's code burried in it. Everything is built off something else. The important part is if it's a good change.. personaly I think SMAC did quite well.... <shrug>
As for unity rovers, needlejets, silksteal, ect ect. That's a debatable point. People call products things all the time. For chassis types, you can only put so many variations on a common idea before you're just duplicating functionality. I don't think anyone can argue that more exotic chassis would have been nice, but firiaxis covered the basics that you need for all enviroments. The only thing you could realy change (given the way the code handles chassis types) is maybe change range/speed and a few other minor tweaks like that.
itdoesntfit posted 07-16-99 12:58 AM ET
It didn't do so well. I realize I over payed. I payed $29.99 although, now I can swap it for less than $20.00! I think that lazy Brian should have worked on this game a little bit longer. He probably just made this game by tweaking with Civ2.
Shadwhawk posted 07-16-99 02:57 AM ET
You know, you're starting to annoy me, itdoesntfit.
You whine that this game is too similar to Civ2...well, guess what? Civ2 is closer to Civ1 than SMAC is to Civ2.
Yes, that's right; your precious Civ2 is so like Civ1, it's the same game wrapped in a new graphics engine with a few techs, units, and diplomatic options thrown in. Yippie.
Perhaps you should look at SMAC more closely. This game is quite different from Civ2. Different victory types, depending on how you played the game. Factions (nations) with actual personalities; not different pictures with different colors (there's no real difference between the Russians and the French in the game). You can build your own units; despite what you say, this is very useful. You can specialize them; police units, defense units, attack units, jack-of-all-trades units, clean units, drop units, etc. The number of weapons and armor is quite sufficient; 8 different armors and...what, 18(?) different weapons is quite enough.
As for the science fiction thing...perhaps you need to refresh your definition of science fiction. This game is very science-oriented. The tech names and descriptions indicate that, and the whole setting is another clue.
'Science'--having to do with real scientific topics, and 'Fiction'--meaning the story is not true; never happened; written as entertainment, not historical or informative purposes.
There is no such thing as a 'Unity Rover.' There are 'Landrovers', and 'Lunar rovers,' but no 'Unity Rover. There are no such things as 'Needlejets.' In fact, I'm not sure we have a jet engine (since we have no need for one) that can operate at such high pressures, with so much nitrogen, and so little oxygen. There is no such thing as 'Silksteel Plastic.' We are currently unable to produce plastics in significant quantities that are as flexible as silk and as strong as steel (or, in the case of spider silk, as strong as silk). Nor are we able to produce it in an easy-to-manipulate form.
Try to base your rants and whines on fact, and people might listen to them.
Shadowhawk
Bossman posted 07-16-99 04:08 AM ET
Yeah Shadwhawk kick this guys ass hes pissing us all off at (the other forum) that I will not mention in case he manages to find it and piss us all of there as well.
Itdoesntfit: SHUT UP!
Aredhran posted 07-16-99 04:42 AM ET
And go away.
To close this thread, click here (moderator or admin only).


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Author	Topic: For all you wisecracks, Alpha Centauri is not Science Fiction!
itdoesntfit	posted 07-15-99 11:06 AM ET I read alot of war and space tech books. I know that the so called unity rover is made, the needlejet is already invented, silksteel plastic is real!
LoD	posted 07-15-99 11:21 AM ET ...and so are other "breakthroughs" from SMAC. But, mind you, not all of them, not in the same form. Please also notice that, when Unity goes "POW!", a large amount of Earth knowledge is gone - the colonists have to rediscover it. So SMAC is (and will be) science fiction after all. LoD
itdoesntfit	posted 07-15-99 11:24 AM ET But that would still make the game dull, at least invent new tech.
LoD	posted 07-15-99 11:43 AM ET At least Firaxis tried to make up techs in which to gross of players is willing to believe. Not some totally made up gizmos but inventions that are at least half-based on current knowledge. If you get bored by the current Tech Tree, you can always modify it (unfortunately only to some point ). LoD
itdoesntfit	posted 07-15-99 11:50 AM ET Then the units aren't so different either. they don't have much of a selection. The unit design workshop is also very pathetic. They should have more weapons and more armor, and more reactors.
LoD	posted 07-15-99 12:06 PM ET You kapitalistiks always wanting more... I see you're in a bad mood today, aren't you? LoD PS. Talk about a real-time discussion ...
itdoesntfit	posted 07-15-99 12:22 PM ET Not really, but I am getting bored. The game is just not too much different from Civ2. I think you agree, SMAC is almost the same as Civ2.
Jythexinvok	posted 07-16-99 12:44 AM ET Well, SMAC and CivII DO have the same core engine, lots of legacy code,.. but then again Civ and CivII share the same basic engine. So what? no software made in the last 10-15 years has been from the ground up (last 25 years or more if you want to be technical). Well, that's not quite true, but any software that hits the common market usualy has other people's code burried in it. Everything is built off something else. The important part is if it's a good change.. personaly I think SMAC did quite well.... <shrug> As for unity rovers, needlejets, silksteal, ect ect. That's a debatable point. People call products things all the time. For chassis types, you can only put so many variations on a common idea before you're just duplicating functionality. I don't think anyone can argue that more exotic chassis would have been nice, but firiaxis covered the basics that you need for all enviroments. The only thing you could realy change (given the way the code handles chassis types) is maybe change range/speed and a few other minor tweaks like that.
itdoesntfit	posted 07-16-99 12:58 AM ET It didn't do so well. I realize I over payed. I payed $29.99 although, now I can swap it for less than $20.00! I think that lazy Brian should have worked on this game a little bit longer. He probably just made this game by tweaking with Civ2.
Shadwhawk	posted 07-16-99 02:57 AM ET You know, you're starting to annoy me, itdoesntfit. You whine that this game is too similar to Civ2...well, guess what? Civ2 is closer to Civ1 than SMAC is to Civ2. Yes, that's right; your precious Civ2 is so like Civ1, it's the same game wrapped in a new graphics engine with a few techs, units, and diplomatic options thrown in. Yippie. Perhaps you should look at SMAC more closely. This game is quite different from Civ2. Different victory types, depending on how you played the game. Factions (nations) with actual personalities; not different pictures with different colors (there's no real difference between the Russians and the French in the game). You can build your own units; despite what you say, this is very useful. You can specialize them; police units, defense units, attack units, jack-of-all-trades units, clean units, drop units, etc. The number of weapons and armor is quite sufficient; 8 different armors and...what, 18(?) different weapons is quite enough. As for the science fiction thing...perhaps you need to refresh your definition of science fiction. This game is very science-oriented. The tech names and descriptions indicate that, and the whole setting is another clue. 'Science'--having to do with real scientific topics, and 'Fiction'--meaning the story is not true; never happened; written as entertainment, not historical or informative purposes. There is no such thing as a 'Unity Rover.' There are 'Landrovers', and 'Lunar rovers,' but no 'Unity Rover. There are no such things as 'Needlejets.' In fact, I'm not sure we have a jet engine (since we have no need for one) that can operate at such high pressures, with so much nitrogen, and so little oxygen. There is no such thing as 'Silksteel Plastic.' We are currently unable to produce plastics in significant quantities that are as flexible as silk and as strong as steel (or, in the case of spider silk, as strong as silk). Nor are we able to produce it in an easy-to-manipulate form. Try to base your rants and whines on fact, and people might listen to them. Shadowhawk
Bossman	posted 07-16-99 04:08 AM ET Yeah Shadwhawk kick this guys ass hes pissing us all off at (the other forum) that I will not mention in case he manages to find it and piss us all of there as well. Itdoesntfit: SHUT UP!
Aredhran	posted 07-16-99 04:42 AM ET And go away.