Fastest transcend victory?
- Thread starter rogrog
- Start date
Welcome to CFC and the Alpha Centauri forum. 
AFAIK, the quickest transcend victory on record is 54 turns. Here are some other threads from Apolyton that discuss fast transcend strategies:
http://apolyton.net/showthread.php/74735-Zsozso-s-attempt-at-fastest-transcend-on-huge-map?s=
http://apolyton.net/showthread.php/7334-Transcended-in-MY.2172-by-Gaians?s=&perpage=20
http://apolyton.net/showthread.php/73935-Fastest-transcend-on-a-huge-map?s=
http://apolyton.net/showthread.php/27223-Fast-Transcend-Questions?s=
As you can see, many of these games use custom maps and specialized strategies.
How many turns did you take?
AFAIK, the quickest transcend victory on record is 54 turns. Here are some other threads from Apolyton that discuss fast transcend strategies:
http://apolyton.net/showthread.php/74735-Zsozso-s-attempt-at-fastest-transcend-on-huge-map?s=
http://apolyton.net/showthread.php/7334-Transcended-in-MY.2172-by-Gaians?s=&perpage=20
http://apolyton.net/showthread.php/73935-Fastest-transcend-on-a-huge-map?s=
http://apolyton.net/showthread.php/27223-Fast-Transcend-Questions?s=
As you can see, many of these games use custom maps and specialized strategies.
How many turns did you take?
Very impressive! Can you post some details, such as a save game from the final or penultimate turn and a description of your approach?
I could post a save for each turn if you like.
As far as strategy goes, my approach was very similar to that 54 turn transcend you posted. I used every method at my disposal to transcend in the absolute fewest number of turns. This included "rigging" the game setup options in my favour, using known exploits, and reloading a previous save if I made an error or the game generated an unfavourable random result. I did not outright cheat by entering the scenario editor at any point. Even the map I played on was randomly generated, though I did "reroll" a bunch of times to get a good one.
Game setup is as follows:
SMAC only (no expansion).
Map: custom 16x16, mostly land, low erosion and native life, dense cloud cover.
Difficulty: Citizen.
Custom rules: Higher goal, look first, bell curve (everything else off).
Faction: University of Planet.
Not sure that I want spill the beans on strategy just yet (I may depending on interest). For now, gleen what you will from the saves:
As far as strategy goes, my approach was very similar to that 54 turn transcend you posted. I used every method at my disposal to transcend in the absolute fewest number of turns. This included "rigging" the game setup options in my favour, using known exploits, and reloading a previous save if I made an error or the game generated an unfavourable random result. I did not outright cheat by entering the scenario editor at any point. Even the map I played on was randomly generated, though I did "reroll" a bunch of times to get a good one.
Game setup is as follows:
SMAC only (no expansion).
Map: custom 16x16, mostly land, low erosion and native life, dense cloud cover.
Difficulty: Citizen.
Custom rules: Higher goal, look first, bell curve (everything else off).
Faction: University of Planet.
Not sure that I want spill the beans on strategy just yet (I may depending on interest). For now, gleen what you will from the saves:
Very nice. How did you convince the AI not to found any bases? When I played the MY 2101 save file for a few turns, at least one of the AI founded a base.
The trick is to find all 3 AIs quickly and pact with them immediately, then expand so fast that they can't get their starting CP out of your territory.
On citizen difficulty, there is no penalty for retooling. This means that you can buy minerals at 2ec apiece, even for units or SPs, simply by switching production to a facility, buying the appropriate number of mins, then switching back. Not only that, a size 1 base does not disband when a CP is built. At the start of that game, I was buying CPs at a newly founded base for 26ec! This allows you to expand insanely fast, blanketing the Planet before the AIs even found a base.
On citizen difficulty, there is no penalty for retooling. This means that you can buy minerals at 2ec apiece, even for units or SPs, simply by switching production to a facility, buying the appropriate number of mins, then switching back. Not only that, a size 1 base does not disband when a CP is built. At the start of that game, I was buying CPs at a newly founded base for 26ec! This allows you to expand insanely fast, blanketing the Planet before the AIs even found a base.
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