Every great once in a while, the AI impresses me.

[BFG]

I put my latest game on Transcend, Abundant native life, sparse cloud cover, random standard planet, custom rules (including tech stagnation), original factions, and decided to try a Spartan Builder approach.  So yeah, I probably had this coming to me.

Six of the factions ended up on the same supercontinent spanning most of the map, with me on one end and Yang on the other.  Heading from me to him were Miriam, Zakharov, Morgan, and Dierdre, in that order.

To make a Spartan Builder work I figured I needed to sink resources into colonization, Formers, Secret Projects, laboratories, resource facilities, and other facilities, in that order.  That left most bases minimally protected as I tried to keep every base under 4 units to maximize minerals.  I've managed to keep up on Secret Projects (Yang got the +1 energy/square project but I got the next 8...barely), but as I didn't know we were all on the same supercontinent, I was woefully unprepared for him destroying all the other factions then knocking at my doorstep.

Now, I have 20 1-3tr-1 units with the Civilian Defense secret project pinned down by eight 8-3r-1 artilleries and 10 other land units, and we've been at a stalemate for close to 20 turns.  I cannot reach his artillery stack with any land or sea units without getting destroyed, but he doesn't dare invade my base either.  I'm hoping I can hold out till Air Power, but we're neck and neck on tech which means he'll probably get it roughly the same time.  We're also virtually tied on population, energy, territory, and the other main measures, though he has a slight edge on most.

The only other option besides Air Power I can think of is a counterattack behind his front lines on one of his underdefended bases (I narrowly won the Governor vote so can see his full status), but that'll take a while to put together.

All this to say that, every once in a while, I'm impressed that the AI can actually give a pretty decent challenge.

[Misanthrope]

Hi there; long-time SMAC'er, new poster.

I love challenging games... not the kind where you GET LOSE'ED, meaning you're handed a loss and there's nothing possible to do about it... but the kind of games where it's a solid battle with no certain outcome in sight.

You can buy yourself a short reprieve by building a few artillery units for yourself and camping them at your border to trade fire instead of just taking it.  Sounds like, even getting pounded like that you're still setup pretty good, so a fast unit to take down the artillery units and turn the tide.

Much as I'd rather be building, sometimes, the best defense is to just wipe out the the competition.

Mind you, I hate artillery; it can be useful, but I hate it with a passion!
...especially when it's aimed at me! 

Not sure if this'll help.