SMAX - 14 players?

[Poggy]

Hi all,

First I want to say thanks as in the past I have had problems getting this game to work, having browsed these forums as a guest I have fixed them and can now play this game.

Now to business! I am currently playing a game with the 7 new factions. I have a huge map open but everyone is too close together, I only have 2 bases and already I am hemmed in by 3 other civs!

Is there anyway to get a bigger map than huge? Also is there a way I can play with all 14 civs at the same time? Should be kinda cool to pit them all against each other but I can't suss out how. If its really obvious then please let me know anyway, I only just got this game running so am still new to it.

Thanks,

 

[Cuivienen]

To get a bigger map, choose Custom Map and then Custom Size and then set the map size you want. IIRC Huge is 64x128.

Sadly, there is no way to have more than 7 factions.

 

[Silibili]

Hi Poggy! Like you I am fairly new to SMAX and enjoy playing on huge maps.
I decided to play as Deirdre and randomise the others until I learn the new factions.
I started close to the Alien Usurpers, so went to war early and drove them into the sea. Next time they will talk to me!
Thank you mind worms.
3 bad neighbours sounds to me like a restart.
If you can't beat them - join them and maybe slip off on the fourth side (assuming you are hemmed in on 3 sides).

Do you play on the planet map?
With the huge Chiron map I hardly ever get more than 2 neighbours.
I too would love to play a huge game with all the factions - give me the code for the game please Firaxis!!!!!

 

[mrooobaa]

heh that would be so chaotic if there were 14 factions.

 

[Poggy]

It actually seems to be going ok for me. The map is on HUGE but there is very little land (must have oceans on high). This has led to early confrontation BUT I am the pirates, therefore I am at a big advantage with safe bases at sea.

I am on 3rd highest skill setting (librarian?) on my first go and so far I have kicked Drones off the nearby landmass and taken their cities, myself and the datangels are killing the ursurpers and once they are gone I can easily take the few dataangels cities. THe only reason they arent being killed by the stronger ursurpers is because I built my few land bases in a circle around their puny 3 bases.

I now have about 15 bases on land (from conquest + building) and about 6 very prosperous sea bases so I reckon I am sorted.

Will go off and find the others soon I guess.

Might have to make my own map in the future.

Thanks for help, shame we can;t get 14 factions. It would be really cool since many of the new factions seem like a copy of the old ones with strengths and weaknesses more pronounced. Could make interesting teamwork.

 

[Silibili]

The new factions are subtly different, except the inept Aliens which are like inept natives.
Play on trnscend - the AI is still really dumb.
I'm still on huge Chiron - unfortunately no pirates - they are one faction I might like to play for variety.
I am Deidre
The Alien Usurpers paid me for a truce once they learnt English
The Uni paid and gave me tech when Cha Dawn was kicking their @ss
The hive were seething before I broke their treaty by siding with the Cybernauts.
I'm out in front and first to Noodles but the Cybers are now beating me on tech and Cha has more people and territory.
I've got most of the SPs- once you have Empath Guild it is so easy to use cash and AAs to beat the AI by one turn on SP builds.
The Drones have been a valuable ally; trading maps, techs and no sneaky tricks.
OK so I don't know all the factions yet but the ones I've met have no direct counterpart in original SMAC.
On my next game I will try for a wonderless victory.
The free base facility everywhere SP's are too powerful (and I run out of things to build).

 

[Cuivienen]

All of the new human factions actually have roots in the old factions.

Cha Dawn was an abandoned infant found by the Gaians in xenofungus.
Aki Zeta-5 was the result of a University "sentient computer" experiment combining with the body of a dead Peacekeeper Talent.
Domai was a former Hive drone who led a revolt in one of the bases.
Roze was a Morganite intelligence official who left the faction.
Svensgaard was a Spartan naval commander.

 

[5cats]

Nice Avatar, Cuivienen from New Jersey
I find that anything bigger than a small map is really easy. It would be better to have more AI on a large map, just to have a challenge. I don't play on Transcendent because the AI cheats so badly.