10-04-2005 07:10									#1
	I just got the game. Will I have time to miss my family? Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

All those wasted years!

Going to school, working my way up the company ladder, marrying, having kids!

What was I thinking?

I could have been playing Alpha Centauri all this time but instead I just wasted it on all that other stuff.

I should be ashamed of myself!

Is there a 12 step program I can join to help get over that 'real life' monkey that was on my back?

Or will healthy doses of Alpha Centauri be enough to cure me?

If you can't tell, hehe, I'm hooked!

I just started playing and for the first time in years I'm not looking forward to the release of any new games!

Their existance is irrelevant now!

If I can't have a sequel to this game then this is all I will play! (at least for a little while, hehe)

It's just that simple.

	10-04-2005 07:48									#2
	Re: I just got the game. Will I have time to miss my family? Inflate your Upload Space

quote: Originally posted by uberloz All those wasted years! Going to school, working my way up the company ladder, marrying, having kids! What was I thinking?

Yup, I've asked myself the same question on many occasions. How could I have been so blind......
Of course, then again, why all of my kids were born (or at least conceived) before SMAC, so I've got an excuse.

quote: Originally posted by uberloz Is there a 12 step program I can join to help get over that 'real life' monkey that was on my back? Or will healthy doses of Alpha Centauri be enough to cure me?

Depends on the reason why you play. For the first 3 years I played exclusively on the weekends - I was just to busy with RL otherwise. I was what they call in the gaming world a Decompressor - I played the game to unwind from the vigors of RL. Then I lost my job, and for the last 4 years why I was in Immersion mode where all my free time was spent playing SMAC(X).
So, I guess to answer your question, why you should be able to get enough AC to satisfy your needs, whatever they may be.

quote: Originally posted by uberloz If you can't tell, hehe, I'm hooked!

I was hooked the minute I picked up and read the back cover of the game back in '98: "This is it" I remember thinking at the time, and I was dead on!
So what Faction are you leaning towards being your favourite? Everyone gravitates towards one or another of the Factions.


D

	10-04-2005 09:56									#3
	Increase Your PM Length

Well, I'm still in my first game, and I chose to be a Morganite to start.

I really like how the ai is playing the other factions against me. It's like they really have personalities.

I plan on trying all of the factions several times and then buying smacx.

	10-04-2005 10:07									#4
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

quote: Originally posted by uberloz Well, I'm still in my first game, and I chose to be a Morganite to start.

Morganite, eh? Darsnan scribbles down a note to himself "Automatic vendetta when encountering the Morganite uberloz".

quote: Originally posted by uberloz I really like how the ai is playing the other factions against me. It's like they really have personalities.

And when you change environments, they'll change tactics as well! Real intensive stuff!

quote: Originally posted by uberloz I plan on trying all of the factions several times and then buying smacx.

I think I said it before, but if you like SMAC, you'll love SMAX. Its more of the same, but with more bells and whistles.



D

	10-04-2005 16:38									#5
	Tired of ads?

We should all form a suicide cult in our love for SMAC/X



ok just kiddin

	10-04-2005 18:14									#6
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

Divorce your family now.

It will save time, tears and heartbreak...

	10-04-2005 18:28									#7
	Re: I just got the game. Will I have time to miss my family? Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

quote: Originally posted by uberloz All those wasted years! [cut] Is there a 12 step program I can join to help get over that 'real life' monkey that was on my back?

Ha! Yet another one!

Welcome aboard, uberloz.

As soon as you manage well on the Transcend level, get yourself in an MP game - it's the best single thing you can do with your machine.

One tip - Morgan is one of the most difficult factions to play - tho potentially one of the best. IMHO it's best to start with Hive, Gaians and Zakharov.

Good I'm not married with children and can have constant affairs with Deirdre and Sinder Roze (from SMAX)..

	10-04-2005 18:42									#8
	Full PM-box? Change here!

Welcome, I didn't know that you even could buy the game even more.

About 12 step program, sorry I have tested it all, but after a hard day in school I just want to go home a nerve staple.

	11-04-2005 04:23									#9
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Hehe, another case of Real Life 0 x 1 SMAC.

	11-04-2005 07:45									#10
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Make sure to read all the quotes the first few times you play...trust me on that...

	11-04-2005 16:38									#11
	Got spare money?

Thanks for the welcome all.

Should I start out all my future threads by saying, "Hello my name is uberloz and I'm an 'Alpha-holic'! ?

Or are we more relaxed here at apolyton?

Hehehe.

Thanks again, and I will read all the quotes and pour over the manual, and drain every drop of advice available in the archives here and whatever you all wish to share.

Edit> Oh and thanks for the vendetta Darsnan, it's nice to know I'm wanted. :>

Last edited by uberloz on 11-04-2005 at 18:44

	11-04-2005 20:15									#12
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

The morgans are probably a tougher faction for the first go but definitely one of the best once youmaster them.

I recommend the gaians as a good first choice. Their Planet boost means that the worms are less of a factor, they can pop boom and their efficiency rating is good.

	11-04-2005 20:18									#13
	Support Apolyton

I recomend Hive, just go police planed knowledge and kill the oppenents. No one will be abell to lose that amount of troops that you can lose...

	11-04-2005 20:26									#14
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by waab I recomend Hive, just go police planed knowledge and kill the oppenents. No one will be abell to lose that amount of troops that you can lose...

Not a bad choice since PS/Planned are automatic choices that a beginner can stay in throughout the game. The higher support also makes a beginner's task easier as well. I just favor the gaians for that role since the Hive's Econ hit can bite and the Gaians have better research. (Also running positive efficiency ratings allows for some worthwhile use of the Labs/Energy allocation sliders)

	11-04-2005 21:37									#15
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

Thanks for the tips guys.

Is there a good strategy guide for the original SMAC that I can buy or download?

I looked in the FAQ here, and all the links to velocyrix's stuff is inactive.

Any help would certainly be appreciated.

	12-04-2005 02:22									#16
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Well, it depends on how you really want to play...

If you are ICSing (you'll have to look that up...), your strategy will be much different than if you aren't using crawlers...basically, playing more like the AI...

Ultimatelly, you learn the most from your own experience...there are so many strategies here it isn't even worth asking...

Althought I will agree Gaians are best starting faction, Spartans aren't bad either...

I would get SMAX also off of Ebay...it'll probably be 30 bucks, but its worth it...and make sure no stupid European tries to charge an extra 20 bucks for shipping and handling to the U.S...honestly, like it doesn't cost more to ship it to Japan...

	12-04-2005 03:38									#17
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

Link to BooksurgeDirect, where you can buy the printed version of Vel's SMAX guide:

http://www.booksurgedirect.com/auth...untID=GRTU00118

You can always google for it , but I won't post any links here because Vel deserves all the respect I have for him...

Last edited by Alex on 12-04-2005 at 03:47

	12-04-2005 17:22									#18
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

I ordered Vel's guidebook after reading his notes on the net (must have been either Apolyton or usenet).

When the book arrived and I'd opened the pages, I had the strange feeling that it was missing some of the material he'd previously written.

Recently I found a copy of Vel's net notes, and downloaded them so as to be satisfied that I had the complete collection. Skimming the notes didn't show me anything obvious that isn't in the book.

Vel has a writing career outside of SMAC/X but I am much more entertained by the high knowledge density of his AC strategy book.

Yes, my first faction was University. After all, I work there.

The Gaian "food from fungus" advantage is another help to new players.

Btw, I think that the Fungus Patch Doll (Cha Dawn) from SMAX should have had +2 food (or even +2 industry or +2 energy) from fungus instead of its wimpy stats. It doesn't even have free-support mindworm police! So what good is that special ability?

	12-04-2005 20:59									#19
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

quote: Originally posted by Zoetrope Btw, I think that the Fungus Patch Doll (Cha Dawn) from SMAX should have had +2 food (or even +2 industry or +2 energy) from fungus instead of its wimpy stats. It doesn't even have free-support mindworm police! So what good is that special ability?

I agree they could have done something more for the Cult. I would actually like it if they had gone whole hog and let the cult have forest (1-2-1) or even rainy rolling type attributes (say a 2-1-1) when harvesting fungus. That would have gone a long way toward balancing the faction and allowing them to build a little bit.

As it stands, the Cults advantage is the early worm rush. Harvest the fungus for a worm army ( and the worms are support free while in the fungus). In the early game, a worm in fungus is the most mobile unit out there so you need to be agressive in exploration and pod popping. If the cult can get an early victim or two, they can do all right even against good opposition. Playing the AI you can win no matter what you do so no worries. heck you can play the cult as a pure builder and win . . .