I'm still a new player to SMAC I'm going to ask questions here

[Metaliturtle]

All new or noobish players feel free to ask questions too, I'm going to ask mine as they come up.

What is your preferred starting strategy and why?


(think build order, using the governor, etc.)

[Buster's Uncle]

Build/explore.

[Metaliturtle]

so what do you build first?

[Buster's Uncle]

Another scout, followed by a colony pod because the base never grows fast enough to build the pod first.  Followed by facilities as the techs turn up w/ more pods an option depending on the map.

[Metaliturtle]

ICS a thing in SMAC?

[Buster's Uncle]

Oh yes.

I don't do it because I'm a builder and stunting my bases someday with crowding is RIGHT OUT, but many swear by it.

[Metaliturtle]

I was curious, gonna do a test play quick and see how ridiculous I can make it. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Every third square is how ridiculous.

[Buster's Uncle]

...And by now you've found out that a half hour is not enough for a 'quick' test and that SMACX is still Technicolor crack...

[Metaliturtle]

It's very powerful, I'll need to increase difficulty

[Buster's Uncle]

Yes.

Kinda game-breaking early on.

[Metaliturtle]

Was fun to see though, 25 bases there is a mechanic to nerf your powerful spread but on the easiest difficulty by that point you've won.

[Mart]

It's very powerful, I'll need to increase difficulty

ICS is not completely 100% winning strategy, like I remember back on Apolyton, some players were using ICS and loosing at the same time to some other strategies performed by very good players.
AI is not very smart though, but it uses ICS-ish strategies on landmarks. E.g. on monsoon jungle.
Observing the game, one could say, that despite AI doing ICS on landmarks, it was not a strategy planned by game designers as a basic/standard one.

SMACX has a problem of excessive micromanagement, which may be not that bad on small maps, but often, you want to have standard size or larger map to play a bit more builder style.
There is room for improvement of SMACX mechanics, and having such improved basic Mod would be good. That has not happened yet.

[Metaliturtle]

I'm guessing that means the governor doesn't do a very good job?

[Buster's Uncle]

The gub'ner indeed does not.