SMAC better than Civ3?
- Thread starter pim9555
- Start date
Sarevok
Civ3 Scenario Creator
SMAC is good, and civ3 could be alot better than it was.
SideshowBob
Ah, winter finally.
We just have to wait and see whether the Conquests X-pack makes any difference to Civ 3. It's odd how I liked Civ 3 and yet somehow was extemely disappointed with some things. I'm still waiting for a re-release of SMAC-X or a SMAC-2 and meanwhile I'm counting the days till Conquests should arrive at the stores
Lord Draegon
Awoken
Yes SMAC is alot better. I discovered it later somehow. It is so awesome but I can't play it cause I have XP and the compatibility patch does not work properly because it crashes all the time
Lachlan
Great Builder of Civs !
What are the goals availlable ?
What are theirs conditions ?
What are theirs conditions ?
Its a toss up for me which is better. SMAC has some things that Civ3 just doesnt have. Take the social engineering for example. Instead of merely switching govts, you can switch between govts AND other things your society can focus on, like knowledge.... Its really cool.
Also, I wish some of the UN type options available in SMAC were in Civ3. Like being able to have atrocities other than nuking someone. (Using nerve gas, nerve stapling, etc.) Also, I wish you could have straight alliances in Civ3 like you can in SMAC, instead of just an MPP.
It would also be good if you could tell another civ to stop warring with one of your friends, like you can in SMAC.
Also, one thing I REALLY love about SMAC is the way satellites work. As soon as I can, I launch a TON of all the different kinds of oribital stations so I can really get my food/energy/shields going good in all my cities. I LOVE the Space Elevator secret project too.
I know Civ3 sort of ends at where the world really is now tech-wise, but it would be cool if one of the future techs would let you launch orbital hydroponics labs and stuff like that in Civ3.
There are some things that are in Civ3 that arent in SMAC tho. The most significant of which are culture and resources. SMAC suffers the same way Civ2 did when it comes to reasons to go to war. Some people like to declare war for the express reason of destroying an opponent, but that was never enough for me. I would always think "Man I wish there was a real reason for me to go to war with civ x." Well, with resources, I have that reason. "They have oil that I neeeeeed!" Heh, makes games a lot more interesting I think. I wish SMAC had resources.
All in all tho, its a real toss-up for me. I enjoy both games a lot. My dream game would be like a combo of Civ4 and SMAC2..... After you get through playing an epic game of Civ4, you then launch with your civ to Alpha Centauri and have to start a new game in SMAC2. That would be so cool. It will never happen, but I can always dream.....
Also, I wish some of the UN type options available in SMAC were in Civ3. Like being able to have atrocities other than nuking someone. (Using nerve gas, nerve stapling, etc.) Also, I wish you could have straight alliances in Civ3 like you can in SMAC, instead of just an MPP.
It would also be good if you could tell another civ to stop warring with one of your friends, like you can in SMAC.
Also, one thing I REALLY love about SMAC is the way satellites work. As soon as I can, I launch a TON of all the different kinds of oribital stations so I can really get my food/energy/shields going good in all my cities. I LOVE the Space Elevator secret project too.
I know Civ3 sort of ends at where the world really is now tech-wise, but it would be cool if one of the future techs would let you launch orbital hydroponics labs and stuff like that in Civ3.
There are some things that are in Civ3 that arent in SMAC tho. The most significant of which are culture and resources. SMAC suffers the same way Civ2 did when it comes to reasons to go to war. Some people like to declare war for the express reason of destroying an opponent, but that was never enough for me. I would always think "Man I wish there was a real reason for me to go to war with civ x." Well, with resources, I have that reason. "They have oil that I neeeeeed!" Heh, makes games a lot more interesting I think. I wish SMAC had resources.
All in all tho, its a real toss-up for me. I enjoy both games a lot. My dream game would be like a combo of Civ4 and SMAC2..... After you get through playing an epic game of Civ4, you then launch with your civ to Alpha Centauri and have to start a new game in SMAC2. That would be so cool. It will never happen, but I can always dream.....
I also like how you dont have to completely destroy an enemy in SMAC the way you have to in Civ3. In SMAC, once you get them down to a few cities, they will COMPLETELY surrender and agree to serve you the rest of the game if you let them live. I wish that was in Civ3. 
LesCanadiens
Deity
I just built the Self Aware Colony secret project, and the movie that accompanied it was really freaky...getting to see someone nerve stapled was cool....definitely something missing from civ3.
The Person
Deity +2
In my opinion SMAC is the sequel to Civ2 that Civ3 never was.
The reasons are already listed.
The reasons are already listed.
OzJeremy
Warlord
SMAC is beautiful and deeper than Civ3. I do love the historical setting of Civ, but I like the way SMAC and Civ2 treat naval and air units much better than Civ3. (And I miss the wonder movies.) I think the personalities of SMAC were genius, too.
OzJeremy
Warlord
Oh, with the crashing, I found turning EAX off in the ini file helped in XP, along with the compatibility patch of course.
LesCanadiens
Deity
SMAC is technically a 3d map, because it has elevations and depths of water, which can alter your farming and other terraforming patterns, whereas Civ3 has all it's terrain on one level, merely being "mountains" or "hills" and is therefore a 2d map.
And the concept of rainfall patterns beats out anything in Civ.
And the concept of rainfall patterns beats out anything in Civ.
CurtSibling
ENEMY ACE™
CIV2 is better than them all.
Hmmm. I've just started playing Civ III, so I really like it so far, but there are some things from SMAC I miss, and some things from Civ III that would have worked well in SMAC
I like the way CivIII handles air combat and aereal units better than the way SMAC and Civ II did it. Using bombers to block enemy routes of advance, and defend stacks of attackers was too much of an exploit.
I also like culture and culture flipping from Civ III, a larger number of civs in one game, strategic resources, and diplomacy/trade in CivIII (all the different types of commodities to trade).
In SMAC games, I can't stand it when you try to move into a fungus square, and your unit gets kicked back to where it started! It's really annoying, especially in the early game.
May have to go play SMAC after I finish the CivIII GOTM.
DD
I like the way CivIII handles air combat and aereal units better than the way SMAC and Civ II did it. Using bombers to block enemy routes of advance, and defend stacks of attackers was too much of an exploit.
I also like culture and culture flipping from Civ III, a larger number of civs in one game, strategic resources, and diplomacy/trade in CivIII (all the different types of commodities to trade).
In SMAC games, I can't stand it when you try to move into a fungus square, and your unit gets kicked back to where it started! It's really annoying, especially in the early game.
May have to go play SMAC after I finish the CivIII GOTM.
DD
I really miss a lot of the features SMAC has.
Like improved pacts, unit designing, terraforming and the "goverment management".
Pacts are thing I miss the most. It's so irritating when the AI allie blocks your way in Civ3, but of course you can use it to your anvantage sometimes.
In SMAC when the AI allie conquered a city you'd really wanted, you could still try to negioate with them for it.
And the fact that you can donate units is just fantastic. It really feels like you are working together.
The AI in Civ3 treats you like nuisance even if you are in a locked alliance.
I remember being surprised that they had "left out" so many of those features from Civ3. I know the designers aren't the same people, but they really could have "stolen" a lot more from SMAC.
The most important thing why I still prefer Civ3 is the community.
There is just so many fantastic scenarios created for Civ3.
And I really loved the ones in conquests.
It's just something about historical events, changing history.
So basically it's down to playability and theme.
The theme in Civ3 wins the ticket for me.
Wish they restore some of the aspects of SMAC in Civ4!
Like improved pacts, unit designing, terraforming and the "goverment management".
Pacts are thing I miss the most. It's so irritating when the AI allie blocks your way in Civ3, but of course you can use it to your anvantage sometimes.
In SMAC when the AI allie conquered a city you'd really wanted, you could still try to negioate with them for it.
And the fact that you can donate units is just fantastic. It really feels like you are working together.
The AI in Civ3 treats you like nuisance even if you are in a locked alliance.
I remember being surprised that they had "left out" so many of those features from Civ3. I know the designers aren't the same people, but they really could have "stolen" a lot more from SMAC.
The most important thing why I still prefer Civ3 is the community.
There is just so many fantastic scenarios created for Civ3.
And I really loved the ones in conquests.
It's just something about historical events, changing history.
So basically it's down to playability and theme.
The theme in Civ3 wins the ticket for me.
Wish they restore some of the aspects of SMAC in Civ4!
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