29-12-2004 00:10									#1
	SMAC praised in Half Life 2 Review Full PM-box? Change here!

http://www.netjak.com/review.php/780

quote: When the original Half-Life first came out, I really didn't care. I was still playing Shogo: Mobile Armor Division, and that was all the FPS I needed. Plus, Half-Life had been getting all this publicity and wasn't being modest about it at all. I remember playing a demo of something or other and having to sit through all 59 Game of the Year awards it got. Honestly, when it all went down, I was fairly unimpressed by Half-Life, (I thought Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri was the true Game of the Year that year.) but had an incredible time with the popular third-party mod, Counter-Strike.

Yeah, not that big of a deal, but pretty cool. And I thoroughly agree.

	29-12-2004 06:02									#2
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and for the longest time was the highest rated game at PC gamer.

	29-12-2004 06:22									#3
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Someone who has taste out there eh?

	29-12-2004 19:15									#4
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident and for the longest time was the highest rated game at PC gamer.

I am scared to ask.....what is the highest now? I canceled my subscription years ago.

	29-12-2004 23:38									#5
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Not CTP and that's all that matters.

I think it was Half Life 2, but it got a 98 and I thought SMAC got that.

	30-12-2004 05:50									#6
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yes I believe it was halflife 2. It was only this year that score was surpassed.

that's good in a way. Because it shows they just don't hand out fantastic score to any old game.

	30-12-2004 19:38									#7
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident Because it shows they just don't hand out fantastic score to any old game.

Yea, that was one of the main reasons why I was getting that magazine. It seemed like many reviewers (especially the online ones) wouldn't dare say a bad word about their sponsoring industry's work. PC Gamer OTOH would let 'em have it, even if it was some major game company's pet project.

Then it seemed about 2000(?) the layout of the magazine was changed. Less reviews, more ads. The reviews became less scathing, etc. So I canceled. But yea, I remember that original SMAC review, it was around the magazine's high point. A lot of great games came out of '98-'99. Wish I would have kept some of those old mags, just to read a review where they trash a really bad game

	31-12-2004 02:27									#8
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All magazines changed a few years ago....they were usually made about half as short. Basically internet sites had made them less viable and subscriptions went down. Things like exclusive screenshots didn't matter as much especially since ones made available on the internet would look more like the actual game. Since more people had internet access, offering patches in the CD inserts became less important too.

	31-12-2004 03:08									#9
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quote: Originally posted by Apocalypse All magazines changed a few years ago....

That is really a shame.....cause now I have nothing game related to do while I'm on the can.

	31-12-2004 03:37									#10
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You can always just print things out.

	31-12-2004 05:22									#11
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Get a laptop and wireless network - then you only need paper at/in the end

	31-12-2004 20:54									#12
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Interesting, having played half life 1 and two I have to say to my mind they leave shogo in the dust the mix of shooting and punching and kicking never worked for me.

Really though it is like comparing apples to oranges the games are so different. In defense of pc gamer they still do give scathing reviews even to pet projects, they had major problems with roller coaster tycoon three (basicly very very buggy) and they basicly slammed doom three.

I have all their old reviews on disk so I'll check and see what alpha centauri got though I think it was a 98 as well, and in the review they actually called it the best game of all time if I rember correctly.

Another thing to think about the popularity of consoles is hurting pcgamer now I think, I can no longer find the magazine in most stores even some borders seem to have stopped carrying it but they usualy have 3 to five console mags (sigh)

	01-01-2005 11:55									#13
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

If SMAC wasn't so dang buggy, and wasn't meant for any old computer, I would definitely be the best game. Unfortunately, Firaxis was interested in making a nice civ variation that worked on even the crappiest computers, hindering graphics, sound, and gameplay. The idea is there, and it's wonderful. Even with crappy graphics and gameplay, SMAC, next to civ, is my favorite game, but I just wish they made it better. I'm still waiting for civ 4 and smac 2...

SMAX got expansion pack of the year, by the way...

	03-01-2005 03:49									#14
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Anyone care to play a game of Alien crossfie?

	03-01-2005 03:53									#15
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middleman: you could ask this in the AC-Multiplayer forum.

	03-01-2005 08:30									#16
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quote: Originally posted by Commy If SMAC wasn't so dang buggy, and wasn't meant for any old computer, I would definitely be the best game. Unfortunately, Firaxis was interested in making a nice civ variation that worked on even the crappiest computers, hindering graphics, sound, and gameplay. The idea is there, and it's wonderful. Even with crappy graphics and gameplay, SMAC, next to civ, is my favorite game, but I just wish they made it better. I'm still waiting for civ 4 and smac 2... SMAX got expansion pack of the year, by the way...

I personally favor the low system reqs. It makes the speed of the super large (192x256 or more i think) just as smooth as smaller maps on my current hardware... I can remember that the game would lag on computer turns with this size with 128 MB ram...

I wouldn't be too surprised if it was a partial goal of Firaxis to make the larger map sizes manageable...

	03-01-2005 08:35									#17
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Firaxis should make its next goal to respond to mail...

	03-01-2005 11:23									#18
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They were pretty good back in the day...especially around when SMAC was in production and just released. Brian Reynolds himself would browse forums and newsgroups quite a bit and answer everything. Part of the problem now is that a lot of the SMAC team is with BHG so there would be less people to help you with e-mails now.

	03-01-2005 19:59									#19
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Checked on my pcgamer disk and alpha centauri got a 98 in its review half life only got a 97 and civ III recieved a terrible (in comparision) 92.

In further defense of pcgamer they still do rip things that are terrible apart MOO3 which had major problems as most of you I am sure are familar recieved a 55.

	04-01-2005 04:28									#20
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quote: Originally posted by middleman Anyone care to play a game of Alien crossfie?

yes, I would like to play (by email) a game of SMAC

	04-01-2005 22:28									#21
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quote: Originally posted by dacole Checked on my pcgamer disk and alpha centauri got a 98 in its review half life only got a 97 and civ III recieved a terrible (in comparision) 92. In further defense of pcgamer they still do rip things that are terrible apart MOO3 which had major problems as most of you I am sure are familar recieved a 55.

92 for Civ3 is like a sympathy &#@%! That game didn't deserve a dime over an 85.

This is kind of what I am talking about. We have hit a slow point in the game industry but mags like PC gamer can't/wont admit to it because they would lose readership. The same thing has been going on in the music industry for 10+ years now. Nothing worth a damn has been produced, but you have to sell something to keep your doors open, so you just hype up inferior products while you wait for the drought to end. The last big pinnacle of video gaming was the EQ/HL/SMAC/Sims. The only game I can think of that is really good since then is BF1942.

	04-01-2005 22:44									#22
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85 for CIV3?

Hmm... when I played it last time I became so bored that I thought of it as of one of the most stupid games ever made..

	05-01-2005 02:07									#23
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Wow I didn't think people thought it was that bad...I mean it was an improvement over civ2 which is still a good game right? If you wouldn't even give civ 3 an 85 what would you give MOO3? Not sure when it came out but planescape torment was a great RPG, perhaps the best ever made, that unfortunantly didn't sell. Half life 2 is better than half life 1 so I would say the drought is ending. Everquest is important because it was one of the first online role playing games but it had no real point and no real story just leveling for the sake of leveling so any of the later ones I consider better.

	05-01-2005 07:52									#24
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quote: Originally posted by dacole Checked on my pcgamer disk and alpha centauri got a 98 in its review half life only got a 97 and civ III recieved a terrible (in comparision) 92. In further defense of pcgamer they still do rip things that are terrible apart MOO3 which had major problems as most of you I am sure are familar recieved a 55.

This is corrrect, and the Civ II got a 97

*SMAC IS STILL the highest rated game in PC gamer*

	05-01-2005 19:43									#25
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As is should be thanks for the info Xian

	05-01-2005 21:51									#26
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quote: Wow I didn't think people thought it was that bad...I mean it was an improvement over civ2 which is still a good game right? If you wouldn't even give civ 3 an 85 what would you give MOO3? Not sure when it came out but planescape torment was a great RPG, perhaps the best ever made, that unfortunantly didn't sell. Half life 2 is better than half life 1 so I would say the drought is ending. Everquest is important because it was one of the first online role playing games but it had no real point and no real story just leveling for the sake of leveling so any of the later ones I consider better.

Well, I don't rate games comparing them to others like, "Civ2 was better than Civ3", I rate games in categories and the sum of all of them makes the score.

IMO Civ 3 is very bad for it's lack of flexibility and much other things I can't name, but I feel them. I start playing the game and quickly become bored, that means game is no good.

There have been cases when I start a "bad" game (which has bad score at PC Gamer and other online rating systems) but find it VERY interesting and replayable. That happened to me when I got Star Wars: Rebellion (RTS) game.
We played that in MP with one friend and it was sooo much fun!

It was even more fun than watching old episodes of Star Wars (IV, V, VI)!

And I had cases where game had good graphics, music and other features which can be bought at very low price, but didn't have the idea and adrenaline for a good game.

What gives you fun if you just hear music and watch nice colors when there's nothing else to do in the game?

	06-01-2005 05:35									#27
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quote: Originally posted by binTravkin 85 for CIV3? Hmm... when I played it last time I became so bored that I thought of it as of one of the most stupid games ever made..

I like it. I've played over 200 hours of the game probably.

	06-01-2005 05:37									#28
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quote: Originally posted by livid imp 92 for Civ3 is like a sympathy &#@%! That game didn't deserve a dime over an 85. This is kind of what I am talking about. We have hit a slow point in the game industry but mags like PC gamer can't/wont admit to it because they would lose readership. The same thing has been going on in the music industry for 10+ years now. Nothing worth a damn has been produced, but you have to sell something to keep your doors open, so you just hype up inferior products while you wait for the drought to end. The last big pinnacle of video gaming was the EQ/HL/SMAC/Sims. The only game I can think of that is really good since then is BF1942.

I think it deserves a 92. Well maybe a 90. I wouldn't give it the same rank as civ2.

just because you don't like it doesn't mean other people don't like it.

I'm coming out of the closet and admitting I like civ3.

	11-01-2005 20:50									#29
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I didn't say I'd give it an 85.....I said it doesn't deserve anything over an 85. I would likely rate it lower. I would rather play Civ2.

For 2 weeks solid I played the game trying desperately to find something worthwhile in the game. All I found was culture, and resources. Hardly enough to prop up that lame attempt at a game. I wouldn't be so angry about it had they simply not have regressed the game. Civ3 is a more primitive game on some levels than Civ2! That is inexcusable.

If Civ3 was released in 1990, I would have lost bowel control with excitement. But released in 2000ish, it is an insult to exsisting greatness.

	11-01-2005 20:58									#30
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quote: Originally posted by dacole I mean it was an improvement over civ2

Nope, it was not. Gimme Civ2 any day.

quote: Originally posted by dacole Not sure when it came out but planescape torment was a great RPG, perhaps the best ever made

Late 90's, same as the other games I had mentioned
From everything i had heard this is SMAC's RPG sister in the quality dept.

quote: Originally posted by dacole Everquest is important because it was one of the first online role playing games but it had no real point and no real story just leveling for the sake of leveling so any of the later ones I consider better.

EQ was the first 3D MUD. It had a scale that was completely unmatched. And if you played EQ simply to repeatedly level your toon, then you missed the point. There was a lot more to do in the game, I pity power levelers.