"You don't understand because you play with humans and not computers."
What is it exactly that i don't understand? Seriously Prof. Garfield, which part of "you can set your science rate to 0%" speaks of a human enemy and not of an ai enemy? And if i don't state the obvious "oh by the way, be sure to use a scientist", should it be assumed by "the clique" that i was completely oblivious to this exceedingly obvious fact? After i have played hundreds of games versus the highest level of enemies in multiple circles, had thousands of turns completing one-turn-techs through a long since mastered super trade game, and made dozens of posts in here which should at some point begin to make a certain impact, at what point do people start to think "hey, maybe this guy knows a thing or two about civ"?
I don't see this at all as a matter of human enemy vs. ai enemy. Not whatsoever. But even if it were do you honestly believe i have so little experience playing vs. the ai that i "just couldn't possibly understand what it must be like"? Of course i have played the ai, a bunch of times even... i just prefer the excitement of facing an enemy that comes into the game with an actual strategy, fights tactically and effectively, sets up prolific super trade in their empire as i do in mine, and has the distinct possibility of actually beating me, something that brings both exhilaration and the added benefit of constantly pushing me to new levels in this game.
"When playing civ, you take on some of the traits of your opponents. You have taken on human traits and expect human responses. We, however, have taken on computer traits, one of which is that we love and need precision..."
You feel somehow that facing the ai requires and cultivates a more precisioned game than facing a human enemy that is 50x stronger? If anybody has become ultra precisioned, it should be the guy with the marvelous enemies.
Nevertheless, are you honestly standing there telling me that you guys are beginning to lose touch with your humanity because you are facing a weak ai enemy and they are melding your minds? Might not that be a bit of a stretch?
"What really gives is that there is not enough activity in the civ 2 forums. There are a few old masters eager to participate in "conversations," yet typically only one is needed to answer the odd question."
I agree with you 100% on this point. Insightful and consise.
"Thus, in order to make a contribution, the others are forced either to offer an alternative point of view, or to nit pick."
Alternative points of view are great. Being sure the asker doesn't miss any important details is terrific. Had Ace said "and just be sure u have at least one scientist or the tech won't finish", that would have been just wonderful... because in that context it wouldn't have been presented as a supposed contradiction to my comments... but rather as a reminder to the asker of something i already obviously knew but didn't state. My issue is that he seemed to assume that "i really screwed up by not mentioning that" and even perhaps that i had no idea about "the whole scientist thingy"... which from my perspective is simply preposterous.
And the thing is, it's not the first time. In previous instances i just rolled my eyes, shook my head, and went back to doing what i was doing. We might think of this instance as having brought the issue into "critical mass" or in lay persons terms, being "the straw that broke the camel's back".
This whole thing reminds me of typing fast chatting with somebody, mis-keying a letter and having that person point out to you "HEY, YOU SPELLED 'SCIENTIST' WRONG. IT'S NOT SCTZIENTIST!"...
Oh man! Thank God you were here to set me strait! I was sliding down a slippery slope and it's as if you appeared as an Angel and saved my life!
As to nit picking, within the confines of this forum, i see it consistently taking form against me, "the outsider" but not against "insiders". Is your perspective on this to the contrary?
I feel throughout many threads i am constantly making points that apply equally to the ai or to human enemy (unless i specifically point out otherwise) and then i am looked upon as if through an impervious impenetrable closed mindedness like "well your point only applies to the human enemy", when in fact this is simply not the case and anybody paying attention would clearly see this. The 0% science rate is one perfect example in a sea of others. I say again, in what way does that apply only to the human enemy? If we are not coexisting in alternate universes, how can it be that anybody would not see this?