New Player's Questions

[Bill_in_PDX]

Veteran Civ 1, 2 and 3 player here.

Just acquired SMAC off of eBay (will overpay for AC if I like the original game).

Three questions for you experts.

1) The graphics colors are giving me headaches. Any custom graphics? Or a way to change resolution?

2) Who has the best strategy guide? I've heard good things about Vel's, where can I get that?

3) Is AC worth the addition price (currently running about 50-65 on eBay)?

Thanks for the help

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

1. the terrain graphics/color are definately a weak point of the game, so far as I know the only color mod available is the one for color blindness. Check the files sections at Apolyton.net and networknode.org to see is they hav soething new on it.
2. Vel is the only strategy guide worth aquiring. IIRC there are only 1 or 2 minor technical errors therein, and the strategy/tactic opinions in it are supported by a very large majority of players. I found part of the fun for single player was discover techniques and strategies. You can use froums like these for particular intractible questions. The strategy guide is much more important is you are going to play multiplayer.
3. I much prefer smac-x (Alien Crossfire, there are about 5 commonly used abbreviation for it) I play it about 7 to 1 vs smac. It add several new technoligies and secret projects, as weel as the aliens.
In smac-xI use the original factions more than the 7 new ones (in smac-x you can plug in any combo of the 14 factions except that if you have one alien faction, you must have both, {except on random factions when it is possible for only one to show up} you can even have duplicate faction: Hive & Hive2) there is also a faction editor included. The 5 new human faction are more extreme in strengths and weaknesses, and the AI does not play them as well as it does the original seven (of which Morgan is the one the AI plays least well, again because of its unbalence streghts and weaknessess) The AI does not seem to do as weel with the unbalanced faction, while human players are very clever is emphasising the streangths and avoiding the weaknesses)
The networknode.org specicalize is custom faction with several dozen of them, with varying levels of origianal graphics. They also have a tool and a template to help make custom factions.

 

[Sixchan]

What are the factions in AX and what are their bonuses and penalties?

 

[Sixchan]

Never mind. I got AX yesterday!

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

Tips:
Some of the new secrete project are very powerful. In the early mid game The Cloudbase Academy is a killer (it also has the besat movie). Res3 (bonus psi defense) armor is very usefl for your early & mid game garrisons. Some of the alien tech are now prerequisite for for some of the old techs. GET the 2.0 patch. Other humans do not mind much if you nerve gas aliens. Go to the networknode.org for some custon factions with graphics; you can ten use the faction ediiter to alter their bonuses and rules.

 

[Sixchan]

Well, I've won 2 games now, both on citizen, though.

Other humans do not mind much if you nerve gas aliens.

I noticed that. I loved nerve gassing the bases and then torching them! Once I got atrocities removed, I planet busted the Progenitors to ultimately gain a diplomatic victory as the Cybernetic Conciousness.

Some of the new secrete project are very powerful. In the early mid game The Cloudbase Academy is a killer (it also has the besat movie).

Yeah, I looked at Vel's guide and when I built it, Wow. The Usurpers couldn't even tickle me.


Also, I heard most people think the factions in AX are better than the old ones, but for me YANG ROCKS. Maybe It's because I've not tried the higher difficulties yet, but immunity to negative efficiency wins it for me.

 

[kundor]

Another one inducted into the ways of the Hive Institute for the Vituperation of Enemies!!!
As stated in the first H.I.V.E. manifesto (though by the second we had moved beyond solely SMAC-related activities,) the Hive is by far the best faction is Alpha Centauri. If you read it, you will see as I explain the faults of all the other factions and why the Hive is the sole hope for humanity's thriving on Planet. Plus, it's so COOL. And evil.

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

The Angles, Drones, Pireates, & Cult are very undblanaced with strengths and weaknesses, the AI does not play them well, but humans palyers do well with them.