Playing Levels- How well cooked do you want your yang?

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Author Topic:   Playing Levels- How well cooked do you want your yang?

JayPegg posted 06-25-99 03:47 PM ET
I was wondering, what playing level do you usually play at? I like librarian level, because it balances the computer and human player advantages (so what if im smarter and can kick its shiny ***).
googlie posted 06-25-99 08:55 PM ET
I'm playing mainly Transcend (occasional Thinker) - the AI needs the lower production costs to be competitive. Also play now with abundant life and harsh erosion, to make mindworms more of a problem and make terraforming harder.
I've got the horsepower to play a 384 x 256 map, and at 90% water makes for an awesome game - totally different tactics in a largely naval warfare game.
Krushala posted 06-25-99 09:51 PM ET
Yeah but the computer ai doesn't use water maps very well. I usually play thinker level. I prefer to fight the computer not drones. But the harsh erosion does reduce energy production. I usually leave both on average.
JayPegg posted 06-25-99 11:03 PM ET
Hmm... Your right about that production Googlie (nice name). Of course, I usually stick to land where the AI shines (**** it!)
And what do you have for horsepower? I wanted to try a larger map but I'm a bit worried about my comp crashing.
googlie posted 06-25-99 11:31 PM ET
JayPegg:
PII 450 with 256 Mb Ram
Krushala:
You're right. The AI seems to do best on waterworld as Yang and Miriam. Doesn't play Morgan, Lal or UoP very well. Gaians and Sparta ok but not brilliant.
Most of my recent games have been as Believers, (I'm a builder by temperament, not a battler, and the B's are IMHO the most difficult to build with) so TI Believer, blind, aggressive, abundant, strong erosion is maybe the hardest test of SMAC, whether single city (almost impossible) or conventional.
Googlie
Putting a spin on it
Koshko posted 06-25-99 11:39 PM ET
Transcend mostly
Rackam posted 06-26-99 10:13 AM ET
Librarian or Thinker. The way I build bases (I put EVERYTHING in every base) makes Transend actually easier than Thinker at least from an income standpoint.
JayPegg posted 06-26-99 11:25 AM ET
Ok, thanx Googlie. I don't think those maps would work well on my Toshiba Satellite. And I tried a 90% water map, pretty cool. But I had to up it to thinker for any sort of fight. And I'll think about that challenge of yours even though I suck with the believers, maybe because my main strategy is out teching.
Hamburger Hacker posted 06-30-99 02:08 AM ET
I play strictly at Librarian. I can't stand the way the difficulty is increased, so I stick to the neutral choice.
googlie posted 06-30-99 02:25 AM ET
JayPegg:
Love your profile - you haven't left much out, eh?
googlie
Putting a spin on it
JayPegg posted 06-30-99 09:50 AM ET
No, I don't think I've left anything out....unless you count "making Bill Gates and George Lucas suffer" as one of my interests.
sandworm posted 06-30-99 10:08 AM ET
Thinker, drones are a big pain on transcend.
just chicken,
sandworm
Resource Consumer posted 06-30-99 10:27 AM ET
Librarian usually, occasional Thinker. Can't stand those drones on Transcend.
Earwicker posted 06-30-99 11:38 AM ET
About an equal mix of Librarian, Thinker, and Transcend. Lib when I want to beat up on the AI, Trans when I want a high score.
It's a pity the AI is designed not so it gets smarter at higher levels but so it gets production/lab/growth boosts. About the only difference I see in its behavior is a slightly more creative use of probe teams at Trans. Its production boost only allows it to have more impact squads roaming aimlessly around . . .
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Author	Topic: Playing Levels- How well cooked do you want your yang?
JayPegg	posted 06-25-99 03:47 PM ET I was wondering, what playing level do you usually play at? I like librarian level, because it balances the computer and human player advantages (so what if im smarter and can kick its shiny ***).
googlie	posted 06-25-99 08:55 PM ET I'm playing mainly Transcend (occasional Thinker) - the AI needs the lower production costs to be competitive. Also play now with abundant life and harsh erosion, to make mindworms more of a problem and make terraforming harder. I've got the horsepower to play a 384 x 256 map, and at 90% water makes for an awesome game - totally different tactics in a largely naval warfare game.
Krushala	posted 06-25-99 09:51 PM ET Yeah but the computer ai doesn't use water maps very well. I usually play thinker level. I prefer to fight the computer not drones. But the harsh erosion does reduce energy production. I usually leave both on average.
JayPegg	posted 06-25-99 11:03 PM ET Hmm... Your right about that production Googlie (nice name). Of course, I usually stick to land where the AI shines (**** it!) And what do you have for horsepower? I wanted to try a larger map but I'm a bit worried about my comp crashing.
googlie	posted 06-25-99 11:31 PM ET JayPegg: PII 450 with 256 Mb Ram Krushala: You're right. The AI seems to do best on waterworld as Yang and Miriam. Doesn't play Morgan, Lal or UoP very well. Gaians and Sparta ok but not brilliant. Most of my recent games have been as Believers, (I'm a builder by temperament, not a battler, and the B's are IMHO the most difficult to build with) so TI Believer, blind, aggressive, abundant, strong erosion is maybe the hardest test of SMAC, whether single city (almost impossible) or conventional. Googlie Putting a spin on it
Koshko	posted 06-25-99 11:39 PM ET Transcend mostly
Rackam	posted 06-26-99 10:13 AM ET Librarian or Thinker. The way I build bases (I put EVERYTHING in every base) makes Transend actually easier than Thinker at least from an income standpoint.
JayPegg	posted 06-26-99 11:25 AM ET Ok, thanx Googlie. I don't think those maps would work well on my Toshiba Satellite. And I tried a 90% water map, pretty cool. But I had to up it to thinker for any sort of fight. And I'll think about that challenge of yours even though I suck with the believers, maybe because my main strategy is out teching.
Hamburger Hacker	posted 06-30-99 02:08 AM ET I play strictly at Librarian. I can't stand the way the difficulty is increased, so I stick to the neutral choice.
googlie	posted 06-30-99 02:25 AM ET JayPegg: Love your profile - you haven't left much out, eh? googlie Putting a spin on it
JayPegg	posted 06-30-99 09:50 AM ET No, I don't think I've left anything out....unless you count "making Bill Gates and George Lucas suffer" as one of my interests.
sandworm	posted 06-30-99 10:08 AM ET Thinker, drones are a big pain on transcend. just chicken, sandworm
Resource Consumer	posted 06-30-99 10:27 AM ET Librarian usually, occasional Thinker. Can't stand those drones on Transcend.
Earwicker	posted 06-30-99 11:38 AM ET About an equal mix of Librarian, Thinker, and Transcend. Lib when I want to beat up on the AI, Trans when I want a high score. It's a pity the AI is designed not so it gets smarter at higher levels but so it gets production/lab/growth boosts. About the only difference I see in its behavior is a slightly more creative use of probe teams at Trans. Its production boost only allows it to have more impact squads roaming aimlessly around . . .