alpha centauri

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2003-06-20 05:57am

I do so hope you are joking. Terraformers should never be automated if at all possible. The AI simply can't make good build decisions. Same goes for governors.

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-06-20 11:48am

Archaic` wrote:I do so hope you are joking. Terraformers should never be automated if at all possible. The AI simply can't make good build decisions. Same goes for governors.

Amen to that....surely you should get some hint NOT to automate when your busy kicking the computers ass because it's inferior in the way it plays...sure..just let it handle terraforming...

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-06-20 12:23pm

Well, I started up another game, this time as the Acamedicians. I managed to wipe out the Peacekeepers, but was crippled by the Believers.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. During both wars, I never had more than eight speeders or infantry.

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2003-06-20 12:50pm

HemlockGrey wrote:Well, I started up another game, this time as the Acamedicians. I managed to wipe out the Peacekeepers, but was crippled by the Believers.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. During both wars, I never had more than eight speeders or infantry.

Infantry is useless, only use speeders. If you really have a problem with them attacking speeders with no armor, then build a few armored ones and have them absorb the brunt of the attack. Otherwise I don't know...overextending yourself maybe?

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2003-06-20 01:28pm

Personally, I wouldn't be warring off the bat.. The University is best suited by lots of energy-rich bases and alliances to harvest even more energy.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2003-06-20 01:36pm

I prefer to hold off warring with the university until the midgame at least. By then my voracious appetite for exploration, expansion, and technology usually means I can conduct minor wars (i.e. eliminate other civilisations) without diverting too much of my economy away from the pursuit of science and utopian life in general.

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-06-20 01:42pm

SirNitram wrote:Personally, I wouldn't be warring off the bat.. The University is best suited by lots of energy-rich bases and alliances to harvest even more energy.

The gaians are so stupidly powerful...(Or can be because of their worms) that any bonuses you might get from being the university are eventually cancelled out...because you can go a-warring right off the bat with the superior mind worms you have...

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2003-06-20 01:42pm

Yup, never trust AI it "Cheats", the most I will trust automation to do is do level 1 base set up, by mid game formers HAVE to be manualy controlled.

Then again I am a big fan of "Terrorforming", it's kinda fun getting all of the water, and the land to play tricks that you want, and watch your enemy's faces in your imagination as your "Little" island becomes bigger and bigger, (Sometimes building a K2, just because) connecting to near by Islands. Then when they figure out that they can't stop my formers.....

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-06-20 01:47pm

Coaan wrote:
SirNitram wrote:Personally, I wouldn't be warring off the bat.. The University is best suited by lots of energy-rich bases and alliances to harvest even more energy.
The gaians are so stupidly powerful...(Or can be because of their worms) that any bonuses you might get from being the university are eventually cancelled out...because you can go a-warring right off the bat with the superior mind worms you have...

I usually play as the Gaians or the Morganites, as the Gaians I love trouoncing superior forces with a handful of worms. And when I get a few Demon Boil level womrs...watch out. As the Morganites I just like to make tons of money and in times of war rush build everything.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-06-20 01:49pm

I never really got into the terrafroming aspect of the game as much as some of you have, can you gove me a quick nutshell description of how you can achieve certain effects through terraforming, like what precisely does drilling to the Aquafier mean, I'm always too scared to give that whirl. Or what precisely the borehole mines do, condensers, etc. I;m atlking about ingame effects.

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-06-20 02:00pm

Stravo wrote:
Coaan wrote:
SirNitram wrote:Personally, I wouldn't be warring off the bat.. The University is best suited by lots of energy-rich bases and alliances to harvest even more energy.
The gaians are so stupidly powerful...(Or can be because of their worms) that any bonuses you might get from being the university are eventually cancelled out...because you can go a-warring right off the bat with the superior mind worms you have...
I usually play as the Gaians or the Morganites, as the Gaians I love trouoncing superior forces with a handful of worms. And when I get a few Demon Boil level womrs...watch out. As the Morganites I just like to make tons of money and in times of war rush build everything.

Morganites...bah...sure they have cash, but as the Gaians...planting trees everywhere only to add treefarms later..you have the perfect economy, eventually your army of worms will just overtake superior tech and there is nothing they can do about it so long as you keep their moral low...Psi's a bitch

On the subject of the Ai cheating...it does....if you let it have it's way when automating terraformers...you'll end up with an empire of mines...sure, you make shit fast but you don't grow and your people try and kill you. With the Gaians, you simply must control your own formers...it's the only way you can enjoy their bonuses.

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-06-20 02:02pm

Stravo wrote:I never really got into the terrafroming aspect of the game as much as some of you have, can you gove me a quick nutshell description of how you can achieve certain effects through terraforming, like what precisely does drilling to the Aquafier mean, I'm always too scared to give that whirl. Or what precisely the borehole mines do, condensers, etc. I;m atlking about ingame effects.

Drilling to the aquafier means you drill a hole to add a stream into the area...and boreholes are basically big fuck off mines....they give like +6 minerals and energy...just no nutrients...but add in self made rivers and you can easily suppliment your forested areas and the like...

it should all be listed in the help menu what they actually all do...

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-06-20 02:05pm

Coaan wrote:
Stravo wrote:I never really got into the terrafroming aspect of the game as much as some of you have, can you gove me a quick nutshell description of how you can achieve certain effects through terraforming, like what precisely does drilling to the Aquafier mean, I'm always too scared to give that whirl. Or what precisely the borehole mines do, condensers, etc. I;m atlking about ingame effects.
Drilling to the aquafier means you drill a hole to add a stream into the area...and boreholes are basically big fuck off mines....they give like +6 minerals and energy...just no nutrients...but add in self made rivers and you can easily suppliment your forested areas and the like...

it should all be listed in the help menu what they actually all do...

Its called gaming laziness. Something about AC makes me just click on without learning anything about what I do. The Borehole mines however increase temoperature in the surrouonding area from what I can remember from last nightt's game, so I assume with enough of those bad boys you can cause some global warming.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2003-06-20 02:08pm

Yep.

Drown those coastal bases!

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-06-20 02:08pm

Stravo wrote:
Coaan wrote:
Stravo wrote:I never really got into the terrafroming aspect of the game as much as some of you have, can you gove me a quick nutshell description of how you can achieve certain effects through terraforming, like what precisely does drilling to the Aquafier mean, I'm always too scared to give that whirl. Or what precisely the borehole mines do, condensers, etc. I;m atlking about ingame effects.
Drilling to the aquafier means you drill a hole to add a stream into the area...and boreholes are basically big fuck off mines....they give like +6 minerals and energy...just no nutrients...but add in self made rivers and you can easily suppliment your forested areas and the like...

it should all be listed in the help menu what they actually all do...
Its called gaming laziness. Something about AC makes me just click on without learning anything about what I do. The Borehole mines however increase temoperature in the surrouonding area from what I can remember from last nightt's game, so I assume with enough of those bad boys you can cause some global warming.

That would probably be the downside to having such rediculous plusses...basically to minimize mess, what you want to do is find the uranium plains and plank down thermal boreholes where you can...the bonuses will br rediculous..and you can minimize the crap your throwing out to one base, while the other use what they have available..

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-06-20 02:09pm

Vendetta wrote:Yep.

Drown those coastal bases!

Coastal warfare redefined.

Setzer · Post by **Setzer** » 2003-06-20 05:14pm

SHODAN wrote:SirNitram, that horrendous abusive strategy of yours should make your Netherese ancestors proud.

I am probably only AC player in the world who does not enjoy casting planet busters everywhere.

WHAT THE FLYING FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2003-06-20 06:38pm

If you've made a huge crater out of their continent you can't follow through on those "I could make so much of a better job of it" rants.

Planetbusters are OK for teaching people a sharp lesson, but for long term economical conquest, they just don't fit the bill.

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-06-20 06:52pm

I never use governners - they always start complaining when I put them on war footing.

and hemlock, Ive killed nations with 8 speeders in the early game. just make sure your a tech level higher military wise.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-06-20 07:50pm

This is more like it!

Playing as the Spartans. I encountered the Gaians when they were at 1-pop, 1-city. Noting their tendency for uberness late-game and the fact that they are treehuggers, I promptly annhilated them.

I've contacted everyone except the Morganites now. The University and I had a nice little buddy-buddy research thing going, but they turned on me and I was forced to occupy all of their cities and execute their leader. Life's a bitch sometimes.

Now, I'm in a Pact war with the UN vs the Human Hive. I'm going to let the UN do all the work, since all the Hive cities have Perimeter Defenses and are defended by 4 or 5 Impact Squads Mk2 each. The Believers are just east of me, and look ripe for conquest...

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-06-20 09:53pm

Watch out for the Believers. They are a pretty fanatical fanction and fight hard even when totally outclassed. Make sure you have a major advantage.

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2003-06-20 09:59pm

Borehole Garland Crater. Yummy minerals.

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2003-06-21 12:14am

Why just stick to that? Borehole everything, and just make sure you keep building Tree Farms, Hybrid Forests, Centauri Preserves and Temples of Planet, as well as trying to get to Advanced Spaceflight soon enough (You want Shard weapons anyway) to throw up a Solar Shade or too.

Oh yes, and Coaan...you wildly overestimate the powers of Psi attacks, at least against competent players (ie. Anyone besides the AI really). Seriously now, base, sensor, trance, and a childrens creche, and your demon boil mind worms are screwed on the attack. Even more so if I throw in the Neural amp, or if they've got Psi Armour. As for on the defense, a simple Empath Rover with the highest weapon allowed for no cost at the current tech level wastes you.

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-06-21 01:20am

Archaic` wrote:Why just stick to that? Borehole everything, and just make sure you keep building Tree Farms, Hybrid Forests, Centauri Preserves and Temples of Planet, as well as trying to get to Advanced Spaceflight soon enough (You want Shard weapons anyway) to throw up a Solar Shade or too.

Oh yes, and Coaan...you wildly overestimate the powers of Psi attacks, at least against competent players (ie. Anyone besides the AI really). Seriously now, base, sensor, trance, and a childrens creche, and your demon boil mind worms are screwed on the attack. Even more so if I throw in the Neural amp, or if they've got Psi Armour. As for on the defense, a simple Empath Rover with the highest weapon allowed for no cost at the current tech level wastes you.

I meant against the ai...I've never played against a human myself...not in Ac anyway, always allied against whatever strong level ai...when you've got something like that...then mind worms can win you the game...even against early on players, not even competant can escape the fact the gaians can build up a massive force in such a short space of time that it is rediclous...when the tech starts coming in...then you have to play smarter with them, start using hit and fades...until then...they are as strong as that...

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2003-06-21 08:17am

"..."? Why are you "talking" like Shatner?

Meh. The AI simply isn't a challenge, it's not worth thinking about. Thankfully, the PBEM community for SMAC and SMAX is still rather vibrant, even after all these years. As for a Gaian worm army being able to overtake even a good player in the early game, that's assuming you can even get that army to them. If you're right next to them fine, but if not.....*shrugs*.