SMAC vs CivBE vs Pandora

[Sawelios]

Well, could someone from veterans share some thoughts on subject? Personally I see onto Pandora with DLC with... hm... benevolent hopeful interest, that I can't say about CivBE. Has anybody experienced this game deeply enough to persuade or dissuade me?

[Yitzi]

No real thoughts about the gameplay, but SMAC has by far the best atmosphere, followed by SMAX (though the only thing you lose there is the intro video, and that will be moddable in my next patch), followed by Pandora with CivBE as really not getting it.

[Sawelios]

I played Pandora this morning for the first time, a couple of hours. And know what? This game is VERY good. Many elements are copy-pasted, of course, form SMAC, but there are some features in which Pandora beats SMAC: graphics, AI, alien life, GUI.
Very decent game.

[Yitzi]

I played Pandora this morning for the first time, a couple of hours. And know what? This game is VERY good. Many elements are copy-pasted, of course, form SMAC, but there are some features in which Pandora beats SMAC: graphics, AI, alien life, GUI.
Very decent game.

What's the alien life like, and how is it better than SMAC?

(Also, if we ever decide to make a proper sequel to SMAC/X, there's no reason we can't lift some ideas from BE and Pandora, so feel free at that point to make Pandora-inspired suggestions regarding graphics, GUI, or even AI if you have a sense of what about it makes it so much better.)

[Flux]

I don't want a sequel to SMAC, I feel like the game is enough.
I do want a remake of the game thats exactly the same except with a pre-installed Yitzi's patch and made in 3D. I can see myself spending 15 minutes just panning around the map looking at my 3D scout patrol army.

[Yitzi]

I don't want a sequel to SMAC, I feel like the game is enough.

I think that may be because you haven't encountered a worthy sequel...but the existing game is definitely a high standard to live up to.

[Flux]

I don't want a sequel to SMAC, I feel like the game is enough.

I think that may be because you haven't encountered a worthy sequel...but the existing game is definitely a high standard to live up to.

Yes, well, if I've never played a turn-based strategy game I like more, than I think it's the pinnacle of the genre.
At the moment, nothing surpasses SMAC in TBS.

[Sawelios]

What's the alien life like, and how is it better than SMAC?

Alien life on Pandora is very varied, species have good descriptions and look very verisimilar. In fact, alien life here stands as a true side of conflict, and "factions vs planet" gameplay is even more intense than "faction vs faction" gameplay. Planet looks alive, behave like being alive, seems having its own motives and goals.
In SMAC(X) it feels more like collateral gameplay factor.

[PlotinusRedux]

I just discovered Pandora myself.  I agree it's *much* better than BE and very similar to SMAC.  It does a lot of things well and has a lot more personality than BE.

I'm mainly missing the interactions of terrain height and climate, advanced terraforming, eco damage's relation to alien aggro, and aggressive AI diplomacy (no one has asked me to join a war against anyone else yet).  Also, it was too easy on the Medium difficulty setting for my first game--hopefully Hard will be better.

Definitely worth picking up, though.

[Vissavald]

By the way, the community keeps updating Pandora. There is 1.6 version already.

http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=173&t=65173

[Buster's Uncle]

Thanks!

I transparent-backgrounded your avatar...

[Eadee]

I Love SMAC, I enjoy SMACX, I like Pandora and I hate that I can't play CivBE without steam. I won't install steam no matter what so I'm stuck with LPs on that.

Like I said, Pandora is a nice game, and I really like to try it on multiplayer, but I find it quite expensive compared to other games that also are quite fun.... therefore I never recommendet it to my friends and never got the chance to test it in multiplayer.

CivBE looks nice from what I've seen, but even if someone gifted it to me I won't be able to play it because of my strong objections against steam.

[PvtHudson]

    Pandora is a decent game. Much simpler than SMAC, of course: no SE, simplified terraforming, nothing close to SMAC's atmosphere or story-telling. But it possess a neat graphics, sound & music, and convenient UI. Also it has several unique interesting features: shared food and mineral pools, growth mechanics, operations.
    What's great about Pandora is the AI, both strategic and tactical. Pandora developers made wise move: they have granted access to codebase to one of die-hard fans who also is a programmer interested in AI. The guy had already improved AI such that they have to revise difficulty levels, and doesn't seem to stop (see betas and "betas+").
    Native life of Pandora is pleasantly diverse, but lacks its own combat mechanic like PSI, and can be completely exterminated by mid-game. On the plus side is that their aggression is widely customizable: separate setting at game start, moddable as faction ability, adjusted in-game through research. At max settings natives are a real challenge to faction survival in early game.