SMACX Gameplay issues

[Mart]

A summary of SMACX gameplay issues, maybe not very definitive, but I was thinking about some update especially after recent years patches. When making MGM it occur to me, that it would be useful after years of play revised also strategies.

However, we do not consider here fixes in the mods, that is something different. I was thinking about issues perteining to standard alphax.txt file, but it can be with exe modifications.

This list would be for modification, as we discuss it in this thread:

1) AI competency. A broad topic, but compared to human player, one can distinguish:
-a) terraforming problems, does not terraform sufficiently.
-b) almost no use of crawlers


2) Too short/fast late-game, and too slow early-game. But early game can be quick if settings are sufficient (smaller map, enough nutrients, etc.). It is connected with other problems, like 3 and 4.

3) Energy "snowball effect." When making proper terraforming, it is possible to collect large amounts of energy in late-game. It causes fast research, fast late-game.

4) Mineral production multipliers come late, too late. By this early production is low and then at some point it too quickly grows when building multiplication facilities.

5) "Chop'n'drop" strategy. Overpowered copters.

= = =


Anything else?
Any discussion of problems I listed so far?

[Kirov]

Just my 2 cents:

1) the entire air power needs radical overhaul. Since you can't copy the CIV4 solution (which is IMHO great, do you know how it works?), the next measure would be to cut movement by half (increasing the unit cost won't do any good and can even solely prolong the slugfest). I'm so tired of this "we have some good fun, we grow, explore, steal and attack, and then AP comes and there is no longer any strategy in the game".

2) Supply crawlers need to go altogether or be limited to secret projects.