I'm wondering what exactly do landmarks do? I know a lot of them have tile production bonuses, but do they have faction-wide effects? How many landmarks are there in all? Which are the best to have in your territory?

I think that there are about 13 or 14 landmarks including the ones in Alien Crossfire. There is one landmark that I know of that has factionwide effects, and that is the Manifold Nexus (SMAC/x). If you have this landmark within your borders, your faction gains a +1 Planet, if I'm not mistaken. As for which ones are best to have in your territory, I think it depends on your playing style. Since I am an energy fiend, I make sure that I have Mount Planet, Pholus Ridge, Uranium Flats, Sunny Mesa, The Borehole Cluster, and the Geothermal Shallows within my territory. I also like having the Monsoon Jungle in my territory, as it boosts food production. If you like good mineral production, go for Garland Crater or Mount Planet. For nutrients, get the Monsoon Jungle, or the Freshwater Sea.

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"Shake the world beneath your feet up"
--Johnny Clegg

they are there to make the terrain difficult in SMAC

where on the map is manifold nexus do i have to download it

It looks like old ruins and is shipped with SMAC/x.

Datalinks will have a summary of them. Which is best depends on your faction and you strategy. The moosoon jungle on map of planet (where it is mostly rainy/folling + 1 food bonus) is a stong one unless you have drone problems (Zhakarov or higher difficulty levels). On random maps it gets the usual distribution of base rain and rockiness. Zhak does well with the uranium flats.

There are also the Great Dunes and that big field of ocean fungus, New Sargasso and The Ruins.

Some where added with the patches to SMAC. Are there any more in SMAX, that where not in patch #4?

They are nice additions to game play.

Short of Borehole Cluster and Manifold Nexus, I like Uranium Flats best. But I never start out there, with the factions I play. So I wonder, are some factions predisposed to start at a certain landmark?

Obviously. IIRC the pirates almost always start somewhere near the monsoon jungle and Morgan often seems to be near the the Uranium.

Monsoon jungle is almost overpowering imho. In almost all of my games the faction which has the chance to start game on/near jungle, becomes really powerful.
Solution: I make a random map with scenario editor and remove monsoon jungle.

The Features:

SMAC

Garland Crater:
+1 Mineral/square and all Rolling terrain

Monsoon Jungle:
+1 Nutrient/square and mostly Rainy terrain

Uranium Flats:
+1 Energy/square and a tendency to be Dry

Pholus Ridge:
+1 Energy/square, increased height

Mount Planet:
+1 Mineral/square, +1 Energy/square, no Farms, increased height, mostly Rocky terrain and no improvements or bases on top (BUG: Automated Formers and AI can improve).

Great Dunes:
Mostly Dry terrain

The Ruins:
Ring of nine Monoliths surrounded by Xenofungus.

Nessus Canyon:
Lower terrain. Nessus Canyon NEVER appears on a random map, but can be inserted while editting a map.

Freshwater Sea:
+1 Nutrient/square

New Sargasso:
Lots of Sea Fungus with many Unity Pods at the center.


SMAC Patch

Manifold Nexus:
+1 Planet rating to your faction. If playing an alien faction (in SMAX), +1 Research also.

Borehole Cluster:
Three ready-made Boreholes that do not pollute.

SMAX

UNS Unity Wreckage:
Four special pods containing:

~1 "Mining Laser" (Laser Infantry with no defense)
~1 Unity Chopper
~The location of the capital of each human faction (except the Planet Cult)
~100 Energy credits (200 if opened later in the game) [I'm not 100% sure on these values]

As well as mostly Dry terrain.

Deep Sea Ridge:
+1 Mineral/square

Forgot Sunny Mesa (SMAC):
Higher terrain

Wow. Thanks for such a thorough answer...three years later :lol:

Well, someone had bumped this, so I responded. Better late than never ;)