13-06-2001 01:47									#31
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Previous to the release of SMACX, I liked most of the factions. I tended to play the University and Hive the most. (Then Gaians and PK... then Morgan, Spartans, and Believers at last... Spartan and Believers were just TOO easy to win with. Morgan was down the list being so dependant on a GOOD start position to be able to have a real shot at the game, with MY play style.)

After SMACX, Pirates, hands down is my favorite. They are less dependant on start position then any other factions. All they need is a bit of water, and getting the Weather project, and then all the world's an ocean. I find the Pirates make the best "Morgan" faction, actually, although they lend themselves to most play styles nicely.

Most worthless faction? Pink panzies. They are worse then Morgan about needing a good start location. They are just sad.

	13-06-2001 01:55									#32
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quote: Originally posted by cbn Interesting that the original Smac group got 78% of the vote. I wonder if all the voters have Smax as well. I would still expect the originals to do well but are there really only 20% of the players out there that prefer the new guys.

Well, the 6 of the originals (all save Yang) are archetypes of people you could meet on the street; most Westerners would be sympathetic to at least some. The SMAX 7 include two aliens, and all the humans would seem a little, well, (odd) if you ran into them. The SMAX 7 are just harder to identify with.

	13-06-2001 03:49									#33
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I believe Booger used to work as a nurse at the army camp where I served.

	13-06-2001 04:50									#34
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in the demo it seems to me that the pirates would have some trouble with minerals seeing as how they can't build boreholes in the ocean.

	13-06-2001 20:37									#35
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My favorite faction is the Data Angels, because they are so flexible.

They have no major disadvantages, and have a few fun advantages (inexpensive mind control can be very useful). They can build well, they can go to war, they can steal tech/units/bases. Plus, nobody is "cooler" than Roze !

	13-06-2001 21:01									#36
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On transcend alone, or any level with a partner, it's gotta be the drones. 2x the size without drone problems make them as good as the PKs early, with a great industry kick. More formers and CPs quicker. They can do all the important SE choices. They rock.

Alone on thinker and below, the UoP does rock, though.

	13-06-2001 21:23									#37
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My favorite is the Drones for their industrial power. My second choice would be Peacekeepers and my third choice would be the University.

Jonny

	14-06-2001 01:08									#38
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Consciousness. Nuff zed.

	14-06-2001 12:32									#39
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quote: Provost Harrison wrote: ..., although you really need to snatch that VW to keep the drones at bay!

Ah, yes, I remember those days well ! Nothing beat snatching the old VW and droning on down to the bay !

	15-06-2001 19:54									#40
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I like the Data Angels all the way.
Here's my reasoning:

Minuses: -1 POLICE, big deal, that just means they can't nerve staple, they can still use a unit for police
Aversion POWER, again, who cares? Power really sucks (unless you get Cloning Vats) because of the -2 INDSTRY.

Pluses: +2 Probe and Free Covert Ops Center at the discovery of P-SA, this is awesome, because #1, your probe teams start out as elite, giving them an extra movement, and if you armor them, a big possibility of surviving a battle, and also, they have a huge chance of success, #2, if you aren't running knowledge, then your bases are immune to subversion, #3, Covert Ops Centers normally cost 2 maintenance. They also start with a probe team in the beginning! Having two starting techs is always nice. Having the built in Planetary Datalinks is great too.

	15-06-2001 22:03									#41
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Bump for the morgans. The extra money beats out extra nodes any day.

	16-06-2001 15:51									#42
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I can't take this poll actually, because I played all the smac factions several times in a lot of pbems in the last two years (aside: we're talking about multiplyayer here, isn't it? because of course single_player is not worth spending a single_word on), and I almost always got the feeling that I was enjoying that faction I was playing with, even to the point that I slightly preferred it over the others, just to change opinion when I took on the next pbem from ny mailbox 10 minutes later.
That's why I usually prefer to be the last player to pick a faction in a pbem setup phase, I wouldn't know what I like...

Anyway, I can give you ratings instead of picking a favorite.

Gaia: 9
Hive: 9
Univ: 8.5
Morgan: 9
Sparta: 7
Believers: 8.5
PK: 9

I just played the SMAX factions once or twice in single players when I bought it, so I can't express an opinion there. NONE of them above 6 anyway at first impression.

	08-07-2001 19:45									#43
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67 votes, either that is the total number of SMAC/X players here at Apolyton or the number of people willing to vote.

	08-07-2001 21:10									#44
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Pirates forever. There mineral problem isn't that bad because of the bonuses they get from shelf squares. Plus, the ability to build in ocean squares is awesome later on.

	08-07-2001 21:22									#45
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I like playing the Believers for one reason- They rock as attackers! Not many factions can stand up to them in the early game. Around mid to late game, they are a real challenge to play. Their lack of tech makes you work harder, as opposed to an easy tech game with the University (not bashing them.. just stating a fact about tech!). I enjoy a challenge...and the believers make for a challenge.

	09-07-2001 04:58									#46
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I find the Hive to be my favorite... Yang is damn cool, and once you get started, the -2 Economy isn't all that crippling. Plus, having the equivalent of the CDF is always nice

	15-07-2001 19:16									#47
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I personally am very fond of the Hive, and it's the only faction with which I can consistently beat the game on Iron Woman Transcend. I also have a deep respect for the University (originally my faction of choice) but my tactics favor the high-Police, high-Industry techniques of the Hive.

I have recently begun to play more as a Builder leader than a Hybrid/Momentum leader, and I have found that the Hive has limitations on this sphere. I did try to play a game as the Morganites, but that ended rather predictably in tears.

So, Hive all the way for me.

	16-07-2001 19:16									#48
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Gotta love Domai...his lack of research early game is more than made up for by the sheer power of his industrial force in mid-late game. I've been able to out-tech the good Provost simply by constructing a large number of enhancements to get me more energy...what a guy. And I can emphasize with him (poor Drones... )

	17-07-2001 23:23									#49
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Spartan as a builder, changing the -1 industry to -2 growth. Democracy, Green, Knowledge and Cybernetic. I have ~8 top notch cities and the few I take and don't donate to an ally. Plus by mid-game I have an all-elite military. Pretty darn cool.

	17-07-2001 23:29									#50
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Wouldn't you prefer a builder faction for building?

	18-07-2001 14:54									#51
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Morgans,followed by University


Morgans are not dependant on a good starting postion.

but if they get a Good starting position such as Mount Planet,Uranium flats or pholus ridge slap on wealth and freemarket and watch the cash pour in at a disgusting rate. Escpially if you nab merchant exchange,your Hq can then power your whole damn empire =o

	18-07-2001 17:55									#52
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quote: Originally posted by death_head Wouldn't you prefer a builder faction for building?

I probably should, but this way it's kind of an additional challenge.

	18-07-2001 19:37									#53
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I keep forgetting that unlike me, you're a good player.

	05-09-2001 01:39									#54
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Should I declare The UoP the most popular faction among apolyton players?

Out of 86 votes the good Provost got an outstanding 19 votes leaving Yang second with 9 votes behind.

tAtT voctoy is popular ,,,,,,

	05-09-2001 04:57									#55
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I like the Pirates, first of all, because they're Pirates. I mean, how cool are pirates? Plus Svensgaard is a political atheist like me and has no aversions, which means I can use Police State and Free Market.

After them are the Gaians, followed by the Morgans and the Spartans. The Cult is cool, too (a cult - come on!). I like the Free Drones for myself as well as for opponents because they're very challenging. You'd think that -2 Research would be an insurmountable handicap, but they can be surprisingly strong. And it's fun to play as Conqueror Marr and be totally ruthless, marching your armies across the globe on roads built from your enemies' skulls.

The first faction I was attracted to was the University because of their "The Scientist" label on the Choose Your Faction screen. But every time I've played as them, I've gotten murdered, and not by probe teams either. I played about 500 consecutive Alpha Centauri Original games as the Gaians; the reason I started was because in my previous games as the Morgans and the University they were always the strongest AI faction. They were also the first faction I managed to win with!

	05-09-2001 05:55									#56
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The obvious winner should be the benevolent Chairman Yang and the glorious Human Hive. The Human Hive is the only faction with enough common sense to keep their population safe and untainted by other factions and the fact that they BUILD what they need instead of BUYING it.

	05-09-2001 13:06									#57
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Morgan. Tidal Harnesses. Wealth. 'Nuf said.

	05-09-2001 14:33									#58
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The Gaians

They're ideologies are the only true way of living in a modern world. Humans have to learn about the mistakes (concerning the nature and overall environment) made in the past . We just have to , other options aren't even options. They are plain stupidity

So, long live the Gaians, and let the rest be repressed by them mind worms (well, maybe not the Planet Cult ).

And I HATE the Morganites

	05-09-2001 14:42									#59
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Yes of course. Do you think I run around in real life pursuing wealth like the Morganites? If that would be true, what the hell am I doing on Apolyton?
But: do you not like to play your dark side? As in: recycle your waste/garbage, but scorch Planet with PB's?

	05-09-2001 15:33									#60
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quote: Originally posted by Bornon ....But: do you not like to play your dark side? As in: recycle your waste/garbage, but scorch Planet with PB's?

Oh no, I don't like to play on the "dark side"...
That's just the way I am . I live in Finland, where winters are very, very, very dark
It's still quite light, but it's getting darker all the time as winter is getting closer. And I prefer the dark winter, it is like a lesson in humility Everybody could make use of it