Does Anyone Still Play This Game????

[ninebullets]

I go through phases where I play this game consistently for like 5 months... and this has been going on for maybe 6 years now.

I definitely do not consider myself a gamer in any way. Maybe every year or so I play a new game and I haven't bought a new game since 2004. And with that in mind, I have no hesitation saying this is my favourite pc game of all time. Of the other civ games, nothing comes close in terms of control and when I tried getting into Civ4 I just found myself wishing it was Alpha Centauri. Every aspect of SMAC is superior to any other similar game I've played. Then again, if anyone has any suggestions for a better similar game, I'm all ears.

 

[vyeh]

I like Spaceward Ho! It has a stripped down economic and military systems.

 

[GooglyBoogly]

I like it too, but its not in the same class of games as SMAC, Spaceword HO is more of a 3X in space (not much diplomacy), similar to Master of Orion 2

 

[vyeh]

It is turn base. It is a strategy game. I think it is 4x. You eXplore planets that are initially "?" You eXpand by colonizing planets. You eXploit metal rich planets. And you eXterminate opponents.

You're right. There is not much diplomacy.

It is a very clean design that has gone through 5 iterations over 10 years. It has scouts, fighters, dreadnoughts, transports and colony ships. There is a unit design (the cost varies depending on offense, defense, speed, fuel). You can allocate between treasury and research. You can allocate your research.

I haven't played Master of Orion 2, but I think there is enough to call Spaceward Ho! a similar game.

 

[Phatkarp]

Best Game EVER.

 

[cold fusion]

Yeah, Alpha Centauri: Alien Crossfire is, so far, the best video game made.

 

[The Loser]

I started playing again.

I do not own the expansion,
must be looking for it i guess.

But this game started it all for me, after that civ II and all the rest followed!

 

[Flegmatica]

Best Game EVER.

+1

Total masterpiece

 

[CivAgamemnon]

Best Game EVER.

Agreed! I still play at least one game a year, and wished there was some way to fix the bugs in the game.

 

[vyeh]

You might be interested in joining this discussion.

 

[CivAgamemnon]

Thanks vyeh. Interesting piece on one of the Angel's bugs.

 

[JonathanStrange]

For a year, when I first got SMAC, way back when it first came out, I played no other civ. Then I moved and SMAC disappeared. By then I was tired of it but I knew I would come back.

I really believed SMAC would generate not just an expansion but a SMAC 2 as well as copycats so I waited.

I'm still waiting. I'd play again if I had SMAC and its expansion readily available but I doubt the magic would be there. It's best confined to my memories.

But I love AARs and reading posts about a game that is mostly ignored today.

 

[vyeh]

If you ever have SMAC and its expansion available, try SMAniaC.

 

[Flygon]

I used to play it, up until my 2 in 1 disk (It had SMAC and SMAX) finally got scratched enough to stop working.

I should probably get *coughdownloadcough* it again, they were great games.

Edit: Well, found the original game off my old hard drive, now to get a CD crack.

 

[Shaihulud]

I have recently gotten a legal version of smacx so I will still play it.

 

[civplayah]

I have recently gotten a legal version of smacx so I will still play it.

Me too. SMAX is so awesome.

 

[Gelion]

I do play this game now .
I have a question. Is there any way to destroy your own cities both with and without atrocities? Busters are out of the question. I need to move a base a few squares east and nuking the area would make that impossible.

 

[Marcillac]

I can't believe how good this game is, a giant leap from CivII. Bought a cheap copy a while ago and I can say that is the best Civ for me until now (didn't play Civ4 though).

A lot of features wasted when it comes to Civ sequels (especially III) - interesting faction system, altitude, terrain enhancements, landmarks, unit customization, better diplomacy, civics....

 

[vyeh]

To reduce a base to zero without atrocity, see Question 44.

With atrocity, take any combat unit inside a base and obliterate base ("B").

 

[Gelion]

Thank you vyeh! My Progress (University) faction can continue within some decent framework