08-04-1999 08:00									#1
	Reply to Brian Reynold's post and its replies...AC vs SMAC Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

How do we actually know this is the *real* Brian Reynolds???? It could be an imposter that registered using onto this message board site under the name of brian reynolds..

But...may i'm tooooo paranoid. Assuming that you are the *real* Brian Reynolds, I really enjoyed your DESIGNER'S NOTE in the Alpha Centauri Appendix 5 =) it seems a lot of work have been put into this game and i must admit this is one of the best games i've ever played. I congratulate Firaxis for this major accomplishment. PC Gamer has given this game 98 %..the highest rated game of all-time (surpassing civ 2 and half life)..you must be very happy about this =)

About your post, I agree with the fact your experience (and Sid Meier) with both civ I and civ II make you extremely qualified to make the *true* sequel to civ II. I respect your achievements and remember that nobody nobody nobody can ever take away civilization ii from you guys. you guys will always be known as the founders of the turn-based *god* strategy genre and so far civilization is still the best and most revolutionary strategy game of all-time.
But i'm also open to the creations of new developers and designers to this strategy genre. Without competition, there would be no revolutionary break-through (well, at least in general). Now even Microsoft is SLOWLY getting competition from Linux (laugh..) and other software companies. The sid meier and reynolds products have always been the king of the strategy hill. But it's nice to see other companies giving the genre a kick at the throne.

I have played Civilization Call To Power for about three days. I have played Alpha Centauri for about a month. These are the early comparisons i will make about both games:

Graphics : CTP wins over SMAC. I love the graphics in CTP. When you create the wonder National Shield, you can actually see an Aura shield around each city graphically..cool..

Gameplay/AI : so far i have to say SMAC wins... Like what Brian Reynolds said, they have the experience to make a game with a balanced gameplay and intelligent AI. I love the different strategies of the factions. I hate how in CTP the years past by so fast that it seems like the early years (BC and also the Medieval and Dark Ages) lasted before i even buit 8-10 cities!

Interface: SMAC for sure..I love it!!! Nuff Said. CTP....It's okay but not as good. You can easily move a unit by accident with the interface.

Music: CTP wins hands down.....great great music.....so deep and mellow... =))))

OVERALL WINNER: SMAC over CTP by a thread.
you see, i love competition!! it produced two great games (CTP, SMAC) !!!

I hope Red Trotskyite doesn't criticize this post that much as he did with Brian Reynold's post.

This is my opinion...or some people might say.. my biased opinion..but *honest* nonetheless.