same map, same start, I'm better than you are

[bvanevery]

I think SMAC is completely unplayable as multiplayer.  I might be willing to try it again if I had a LAN set up, but basically the game takes too damn long.  Or maybe I take too damn long!   

I propose instead, some of us each receive the same map, the same faction, the same start position.  We play our games ourselves and compare our results in the AAR subforum, noting what year we've got what done.

I say I'm better than you are at this and frankly I don't care who you are, or think you are.  I have almost 20 years into this game, and have had / created more time on my hands to play it than anyone in the human race I can imagine.  I even tried to make my own kind of game like this and will probably yet try again.

I know I'm not better than other humans in multiplayer because that's not what I've been doing all these years.  But I know how to beat up hapless AIs on Transcend.  I'm mildly curious if anyone really has anything to show me about how this game works, what the optimal paths are and aren't.  I don't think they do.  But who knows, I've never really tested my prediction, so I could be wrong?

Consider yourselves challenged.  If accepted, we will negotiate what factions will be in the game.  I'm thinking we all play the same faction, from the same start location.  I don't care what the faction is, I've mastered them all.  Years and years of selecting all RANDOM factions will do that for you.  Not to mention long stretches using a specific faction, to figure it out.

I'm thinking latest Yitzi patched game would be a requirement, so that there are no differences.  And aside from exploits that are clearly cheats, I'm not inclined to make silly rules like "no Copters" or whatever.  They're in the game, you can use them.

[Buster's Uncle]

The management of AC2 herewith wishes to formally note that we like bvanevery just fine, but would hoot and cheer and point and laugh uproariously if someone would be good enough to step up, do their community duty, and kick his butt hard...

[Brecon]

I am interested, although I don't claim to be a better player or guarantee that you will learn something new so no advance cheering, pointing, and laughing uproariously please.

I would prefer to use Yitzi 3.3 since I have that running for a multiplayer game and am worried that trying to install the more recent one would cause problems, but as long as there is no large advantage to one or the other it might not be a problem to use different versions.

For faction I would prefer not to play Morgan, Pirates, or the alien factions.  If you choose any of the others that would be fine for me.  For the computer controlled factions I have no preference.  I would also prefer to avoid the largest map sizes so that the late game does not take a long time to play.  So, if you have a starting turn save I would be happy to start unless you are interested in waiting longer for others.

Is there any objective?  Fastest victory or specific victory type?  Or compare results and do interesting things as the game progresses?

[Green1]

I agree with bevanevery. Most 4x games do not lend themselves to MP.

I tried.

Tried PBEM for SMAX.... way too slow for my tastes. 5 turns a week... bleh. That would take up to a year!
Did Age of Wonders 3 MP... that was okay, but really... that took 7 hours! I will have  be single and unemployed to get away with that nowadays.
Even tried various Civ incarnations with the same result. Leavers, me leaving, etc.

Don't get me wrong. I like to own and get owned and there will always be some PvP in me to harass silly carebears.

But, I prefer such ownage to be an hour tops.

[Buster's Uncle]

The management of AC2 herewith wishes to formally note that we deplore doom-saying about MP in this folder.  The management of AC2 would also note that this morning we were thinking it past time for another kirk-speech to rally the Mtroops.  The management of AC2 wishes to remember tomorrow and herewith get right on that...

[Green1]

The management of AC2 herewith wishes to formally note that we deplore doom-saying about MP in this folder.  The management of AC2 would also note that this morning we were thinking it past time for another kirk-speech to rally the Mtroops.  The management of AC2 wishes to remember tomorrow and herewith get right on that...

No such doomspeak implied, oh great kittenz-mask, wielder of The Hat. Opinions of this humble super villain.

But, the reality remains it is not for everyone, plus the great Faction Graphics Bug which even the combined powers of Yitzi, Kyrub, and Scient have not squished with their arcane delving.

[Buster's Uncle]

Not a soul of three has tried, nor Plotinus: the sequel, nor Dio.  ISTR Yitzi's planning to, though.

[bvanevery]

I would prefer to use Yitzi 3.3 since I have that running for a multiplayer game and am worried that trying to install the more recent one would cause problems, but as long as there is no large advantage to one or the other it might not be a problem to use different versions.

I think you can just install a different copy of SMAC in a different directory somewhere.  I don't believe the game uses anything other than what's in its own game folder, at least on Windows.  For instance the Good Old Games version that I'm using is actually installed in "C:\GOG Games\Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri" and not the standard Program Files directories.

So, given that, what version do you want to use?  I think the logical choices are either plain vanilla SMAC or the latest Yitzi patch.

[Buster's Uncle]

Yes; multiple installs are feasible - I just make a minor modification to the root folder name, like "Sid Meiers Alpha Centaurii" and otherwise let the setup do as it wants, and then put a separate shortcut on my desktop.

The game's small enough to fit -and run- on the thumb drives of ten years ago, so not much problem with taking up hard drive space with the redundancy...

[bvanevery]

More descriptive directory names like "SMAC Yitzi 3_5d" or "SMAC vanilla" would probably help keep things sorted.

[Buster's Uncle]

Descriptive desktop shortcut names better, though, as then the directory doesn't matter as long as your machine can keep it straight...

[bvanevery]

As a veteran "build admin" I will say that distinct directory names are an advantage when you go mucking about in the installations themselves for various reasons.  I would take distinctive desktop names as a given, i.e. "Yitzi 3_5d".

[bvanevery]

I just created a 2nd SMAC installation as proof of concept.  Keeps things separate from my plain vanilla map generator fiddling anyways.  I used the Good Old Games installer to install to a different directory than my usual one, in my case "C:\GOG Games\SMAC Yitzi 3_5d".  I declined to make a desktop shortcut, so as not to mess up my existing ones.  I then applied all the stuff in the Yitzi 3.5 .zip over the directory.  I then dropped the Yitiz 3.5d .exe into the directory.  Then I created my own shortcut, "Yitzi 3_5d" and moved it to my desktop.  I went into my "Alpha Centauri.ini" file and in the [Alpha Centauri] section I added "DirectDraw=0" so that my widescreen gets utilized properly.  I did not bother with any PRACX graphics patch.  I have found that CTRL+ALT+TAB works fine on Windows 10 for all the recent After Action Reports I've written up, provided that I have needed applications open already such as a web browser and Paint 3D.  If anyone opts for PRACX, there's no reason to believe that it will affect gameplay as it's just for graphics display.

Since this works, I'll make the executive decison that we shall use Yitzi Patch 3.5d.

As for factions, not Morgan, not Pirates, not Aliens is fine by me.  I will add not Cybernetic Consciousness.  I just played them for 80 hours, doing the most massive AAR ever, and I'm bloody sick of them!  I would also prefer not to do the Hive, unless you really really want to, as I've got a lot of recent experience writing AARs with the Hive.

So with those 6 out, do you want any of the remaining 8 in particular?

[Buster's Uncle]

I've had Alpha Centauri, Alpha Centaurii, and Copy of Alpha Centauri  sitting side-by side for about nine years and never had trouble worth mentioning keeping them straight - though only the double ii copy isn't a mutable throwaway for playtesting GotMs and custom factions.  It's where I have my Graphics folder, and I still keep most of my computer art and art resources there, though it's on a copy of two machines ago's drive embedded in my previous machine's drive mounted externally.  -That actually works okay and not too slow, believe it or not.

[Brecon]

Thank you for the explanation, I have copied my folder and patched to Yitzi 3.5d.

From the remaining 8 factions any would work for me though to narrow it down further I would prefer to have Deirdre instead of Cha Dawn.  From the remaining 7 please feel free to choose or randomly select.

Is there any objective?  Fastest victory or specific victory type?  Or compare results and do interesting things as the game progresses?