Wow! An Alpha Centauri forum?!

[MJR]

As if this game didn't eat up enough of my time!

Hey guys, I just picked up this little gem of a game a couple months ago, and for a game that's 10 years old, I can't believe how addicting it is! Not even Civ 4 came close to the amount of time logged (I would even go so far as to call SMAC the superior game!)

Anyway, I just beat my first Transcend game (Transcend Victory with Santiago) and just when I thought I was getting good, I found a SMAC community who has all kinds of little tricks for me to pick up (I would have never thought to build a base on top of a sensor), so I'm hoping to get some advanced tactics to make me really crush the computer and not be reliant on getting my own private continent

Pleasure meeting you guys

 

[vyeh]

MJR, it is a pleasure meeting you.

KevinRuddPM is also a newcomer. Please look at my posts in the linked thread, so I don't repeat myself.

I really want to engage newcomers. I had this idea about creating a subforum for novices, but realized that I could use the main Alpha Centauri forum at CFC.

Can I ask how you picked up SMAC?

Do you have the expansion?

A lot of us think SMAC is superior to Civ IV. A lot of innovations of Civ IV over Civ III were inspired by SMAC.

Congratulations on beating transcend.

There are plenty of places to get advanced tactics. Besides Vel's Guide, there is also the SMAC Academy.

I would urge you to look at crawlers and 'copters in your quest to really crush the computer.

Post your questions in this thread. I'll answer them the best I can (if I get to it before someone else does).

You are most welcome here.

 

[Buster's Uncle]

Always a delight to meet newcomers, MJR.

 

[MJR]

KevinRuddPM is also a newcomer. Please look at my posts in the linked thread, so I don't repeat myself.

Yeah, I've been snooping around. For example, I used to just plow my continents over with forests and be done with it, but then I found out how much more effective boreholes and condensers are

I really want to engage newcomers. I had this idea about creating a subforum for novices, but realized that I could use the main Alpha Centauri forum at CFC.

Well I wouldn't exactly call myself a novice. Maybe not an expert, but certainly not a n00b lol. Journeyman, maybe?

Can I ask how you picked up SMAC?

At a flea market, no less. Some random stall that had several hundred vintage computer games and NES games. I picked it up and was like "huh, this looks cool". If only I had known then...

I also picked up Final Doom while I was there. I can't remember the last time a game humbled me as much as that one because I used to be able to beat Doom 1 in my sleep... but this monster! The secret level has something like 12 cyberdemons! I think they made this game specifically to be as ungodly hard as possible.

Do you have the expansion?

I wish

A lot of us think SMAC is superior to Civ IV. A lot of innovations of Civ IV over Civ III were inspired by SMAC.

I really don't understand why they didn't carry over the design workshop. It was such a great tool. And I thought the social engineering options were a heck of a lot more interesting than the Civ4 civics.

I would urge you to look at crawlers and 'copters in your quest to really crush the computer.

usually by the end of the game I have 30 to 50 clean copters and drop garrison units rampaging over what remains of my enemies. If anything, I have to stop myself from using them because the computer catches on and I start finding bases which are nigh impenetrable to air units. But then, that's why I build conventional missiles

And I am only just starting to grasp how useful crawlers are, although usually I pack my bases so close together that I am making use of all squares on the continent anyway. But they are still good for speeding up those essential secret projects.

Post your questions in this thread. I'll answer them the best I can (if I get to it before someone else does).

ok, here's one for you: I've seen it mentioned in strategy guides that you can convert a base's energy into research. How is that done? through converting workers to librarians/thinkers? Or is there some other means of conversion that I am not aware of?

You are most welcome here.

Thanks!

 

[Buster's Uncle]

ok, here's one for you: I've seen it mentioned in strategy guides that you can convert a base's energy into research. How is that done? through converting workers to librarians/thinkers? Or is there some other means of conversion that I am not aware of?

Perhaps he's just talking about the economy screen sliders? You can certainly buy techs from other factions sometimes, too...

 

[MJR]

Perhaps he's just talking about the economy screen sliders? You can certainly buy techs from other factions sometimes, too...

sigh... and I told myself I was going to get some work done today...

Now I'm going to have to go play SMAC and look for this economy screen

*grumbles*

 

[Buster's Uncle]

Really? Press E anytime you're in the main view (not the report or base screens.)

 

[MJR]

I thought E takes me to the Social Engineering table?

 

[Buster's Uncle]

Yessir. That's what I meant. My bad.

I fiddle with the sliders at the bottom all the time. When you're ahead on energy credits, you can afford to maximize your research- especially when you're making a lot of money killing worms- that doesn't show up in the SE screen, so sometimes you can afford to run at a slight energy credit loss and come out ahead because of the Planetpearls windfalls from taking out those mindworms.

 

[MJR]

wow, I never even comprehended them! I go to that screen just to look at my SE choices.

Now I see why everyone says Morgan can be a technological powerhouse! If only those pesky drones would quit revolting! Might be time to break out the good 'ole nerve stapler

 

[Buster's Uncle]

I generally end up with my middle slider set to 40% morale -by the time my bases have gotten very big- and locked. Then I maximize my research to whatever won't loose me more than a credit a turn (as long as I've got over 100 EC or so in reserve) and make up the differnce patroling through fungus picking fights with mindworms.

I usually play Gaian, so I'm doing almost all of that with captured worms who can move 3 squares a turn from the begining and have no support cost as long as they stay in fungus.

They also are very powerful against unfriendly neighbors in the early game, as psi attacks ignore some of the base defenses...

 

[vyeh]

Note that the higher your efficiency level, the better you are when you move from equal labs/equal credits.

If you have paradigm efficiency, you can trade one credit for one lab.

Other ways to trade energy for research is to build research enhancing facilities, network node, fusion lab, etc. These cost credits to maintain but increase your lab output. (You can also use energy credits to rush these facilities).

Crawlers are good even when you can work every square. At later stages of the game, specialists can produce a lot of credits, labs or psychs each turn.

 

[MJR]

nice, so you don't have to worry about morale or support costs at all.

I always knew Gaians were a handy faction

My favorites are Lal, Morgan, and Deirdie. Lal because that extra talent comes in handy, Deirdre for the reasons you mentioned, and Morgan because he's a Magnificent B*****d

 

[vyeh]

One thing I found out working on scient's project. The negative morale from social engineering does not affect a mindworm's "lifecycle." So you can run wealth and eudamonia without taking a morale hit.

Since morale doesn't affect mindworms, this is particularly good for the Gaians who have a factional morale penalty.

Note that the planet rating affects the attacker's attack value but does not affect the defender's attack value.

 

[Sexymindworm]

i never thought about planting a base on a sensor eather! how strange - im gonna have to look into this - im just wondering if you get not only the sensor coverage but the base square coverage with regard to the fog of war being lifted - ie the 2 squares eather side of the sensor and the 3 or so around the base ie making 5 in total? probably not - and the excitement is killing me so ill probably find out myself after this post...

 

[Buster's Uncle]

I don't think the line-of-site is additive, no. I believe the benefit is in the defense bonuses added together.

 

[vyeh]

It is not additive.

 

[cardgame]

Hey everybody. I just discovered this game myself two days ago... haven't even completed a whole game yet as I wanted to try out some of the different factions.

The University is my favorite so far, but I still haven't tried the Hive, Gaians or Believers, and I only discovered boorholes/echelon mirror/condensers a couple hours ago.

Also, does anyone want to tell me why the helicopter is better in any possible way than a jet? It has less fuel. (one turn's worth before returning to base?)

 

[vyeh]

Also, does anyone want to tell me why the helicopter is better in any possible way than a jet? It has less fuel. (one turn's worth before returning to base?)

Helicopters can attack multiple times (each attack cost one movement point); jets can only attack once every other turn. And copters do have a greater range than jets if you're willing to take a 30% hit for every turn they are away from a base.