Faction Profile: The University

[Aureustgo]

Faction Profile: The University

Starting Tech: Information Networks (D1) + one bonus tech

Advantages: +2 Research. Network Node at each base.

Disadvantages: -2 Probe. Extra drones.

Natural ally: Standard builder allies, though Deirdre is the best overall fit.

Target Techs: Applied Physics (C1). Otherwise, pretty standard techs: Flexibility (E2), Secrets of the Human Brain (D2), and Centauri Empathy (E3).
 
Target Special Projects: The obvious problems are drones and probes, but the Human Genome Project is the best target special project, for reasons discussed below.

Overview:
Zak is a super fun faction to play due to the inflow of techs, and can be very dangerous or weak early, depending on the circumstances. It follows that Zak has a lot of options and these will be in part motivated by his differing starting techs. But he must prioritize survival, as the University is the weakest and most vulnerable faction to start the game – Zak can be overrun if he’s not careful.

[bvanevery]

How can you possibly be prioritizing the HGP over the Virtual World?  Sure the HGP is great, but Zak gets free Network Nodes at every base.  You really want the Virtual World.

I'm not seeing any relevance to Centauri Empathy.  He doesn't need to go Green or swarm anyone with mindworms.  It's fairly easy for him to get more advanced conventional weapons than other factions, if he wants them.

[Misanthrope]

Semi-sorta agreed... Human Genome Project is USEFUL, but Virtual World plays directly into University's strong suit.  With Network Nodes as a free facility, VrWrld doubles-down bonuses on a freebie.

Personally, this is one of my ultimate fav's to play, so got a LOT of experience with them.
SotHB(D2) puts your Univ faction at a strong advantage tech-wise, which can directly boost you into a path combining water power (Doc:Flexibility) and Probes (PlanetaryNetworks) which will DOMINATE the game on a map with moderate to intensive water-separation of factions.  Maintaining the tech edge needs to be a priority, making Zakkie a sort of defensive Glass-Cannon IMO, and def a fav to play since the end of the game is easy to foresee very early-on.


In response to bvanevery...
Centauri Empathy enables the Empath Guild project, and that has a big effect on the game, esp. if progenitors are absent.
Maybe not the definitive advantage OP makes it out to be, but not to be overlooked either.  Personally, I'd take Weather Paradigm over Empath Guild, but that's just the way I play.
IMO, the CloudBase Academy in-and-about mid-game along with the Cyborg Factory secret projects turn this scrabbling underdog into a tech-heavy MIL powerhouse... if you can build both of those, then there's little to stand in the way of turning the University of Planet into THE outright dominant faction.

Also important:
Top Priority... base infrastructure and defense!
Second, psych support
Finally, hitting back with more powerful units, definitively stomping out competition with your tech-edge.

MY Opinion.


The very land be my defender and teraformers my weapons!

[Aureustgo]

Interesting comments... perhaps I can address at some point. In any case...


Keys to Success

1. Avoid being overrun.

More than any other faction, Zak can be derailed by an ill-timed, early meeting with Santiago. It pays to plan ahead.

Zak often starts the game with Applied Physics , but if not, that should be the first item on his list. And this is usually pretty easy, as a Conquer selection can’t produce anything else. With recon rovers he’s usually set, but he’ll want to pick up Non-Linear Mathematics (C2) in case Santiago or, to a lesser extent, Miriam show up. These factions love getting offensive techs. And even if you get a good draw, make sure to have a few rovers on hand – if Zak doesn’t have a military, even other “peaceable” factions appear all too happy to go to war with him.

Generally, I tend to rely on aggressive settlements and mind worms in the case of a neighboring Hive, as well as for late- early game conflicts, so keeping the ticker on Explore is usually good enough after physics. Besides, Zak will want to get the Secrets of the Human Brain before anybody else, and that conveniently sets up Centauri Empathy.

As an aside: I tend to go for Flexibility before Secrets, which sometimes costs me getting the tech first. I’m not convinced yet which is the better play, because early gun foils can be difference makers (especially to finance rover construction, when necessary, and special projects).

Sometimes the game is ridiculously easy, with Centauri Empathy being the bonus Secret tech – that’s a quick restart. Other times, you really have to work for the tech. I think one game blind was so awful I ended up paying 400 credits for it.

Zak has a few other tricks up his sleeve to help with survival. Given he’s loaded with tech, it’s sometimes worthwhile to wait until you get a bunch of tech and wait for a materials pod to prototype all of them for you simultaneously (e.g., a 4-3-2 dragon). He can also bribe his way to peace a lot of the time, because he’ll usually have a bunch of stuff another angry faction wants. And with so much junk to give away, usually it’s no big deal filling up a few tech holes of another faction. Avoid giving certain techs away, however, if you can arrange for it: Planetary Networks (D2), Secrets and Flexibility being the most obvious. Finally, since Zak rolls through the techs already (well, most of the time), one should strongly consider using artifacts to complete their impact rovers.

Once past the early or mid-early game, Zak is usually pretty tough. Just be aware of those probe teams…

[bvanevery]

As an aside: I tend to go for Flexibility before Secrets, which sometimes costs me getting the tech first. I’m not convinced yet which is the better play, because early gun foils can be difference makers (especially to finance rover construction, when necessary, and special projects).

In original unmodded SMAC, it depends on how bottled up you estimate yourself to be, when you start the game.  Are you on an island that's too small?  Are you on a peninsula and being crowded by other aggressive colonists?  These will put pressure on you to get into the water.

In my SMACX AI Growth mod, these are much less of an issue.  Everyone starts the game with ships.  Anyone can start fishing the ocean for supply pods, or get away from a crowded land situation.  Also my world generator settings do not allow 1x1 islands.  I generally don't see small islands either.  I generate big continents and big oceans, somewhat like Earth.  My recommended map size is Huge, that's what I've designed for, but even on Standard I wouldn't expect crowding to be as much of a determinant.

Starting right next to someone can still happen though, as I haven't changed the game's faction placement algorithm.  If you start right next to someone, you may not have time to go to the ocean.  You may have to start fighting immediately, with Scouts!

[Misanthrope]

1. Excellent advice, no matter WHAT faction you play.  Keep your borders strong and have a faster unit or two ready to reinforce against surprise attacks or better, to head-off aggressors before they get a chance to fight on their terms.

For tech, Applied physics is more or less a gimme... unless you're hemmed in early on, is ALWAYS best to go after Secrets of the Brain (D2) since it will give you the much-needed Rec Commons facility, AND having Biogenetics will give you the under-appreciated Recycling Tanks.  In a long game, they're gold.  With both of those, using Zakkie's tech speed to grab Secrets gives you that bonus tech, and it's usually a toss-up between Mobility (E1) and Applied Physics (C1).  Either way, you will have denied other factions that bonus, putting you firmly in the lead from the start.
Also for a long game, terraformers for farms, forests and esp. sensor arrays.

"Gentlemen, I cannot stress enough the importance of defense!  You will never have to repair an undamaged (unit).  Use terrain to your advantage, keep those shields charged, and (Dangit!) crouch your HERC's!"
-Missionforce: Cyberstorm


In general, regardless of what faction you're playing as, A/P trading techs for peace/allies/etc., NEVER Give away Planetary Networks to any faction nearby!  Weapons are gold early in the game if proximity is a problem, so yeah, don't trade those until they're outdated.  Hold back Social Psych(B1) until you have Secrets of the Human Brain FIRST... after that, it's OK to trade.  With Biogenetics(D1), also wait until you have Secrets of...(D2) but ALSO hold onto it until you get (or lose) the Human Genome Project and THEN you're clear to trade it away.

Also early on, ESP. if you're surrounded by grouchy factions, the Citizens' Defense Force is a huge help.  If you're on an island, not so important, although denying that project to other factions may be worth the effort.  Same with Command Nexus.
Inversely, if you're on an island, the Maritime Control Center is important, whereas land-linked maps, is much less significant.

Mid-game, by far and away, and doubly so for University, if you're anywhere NEAR another faction, even a friendly one, the Hunter-Seeker immunity to probe teams is practically a necessity.


My thoughts.  Hope this helps.

[Aureustgo]

For tech, Applied physics is more or less a gimme... unless you're hemmed in early on, is ALWAYS best to go after Secrets of the Brain (D2) since it will give you the much-needed Rec Commons facility, AND having Biogenetics will give you the under-appreciated Recycling Tanks.  In a long game, they're gold.  With both of those, using Zakkie's tech speed to grab Secrets gives you that bonus tech, and it's usually a toss-up between Mobility (E1) and Applied Physics (C1).

Good points. I've made some perhaps unusual mentions of Applied Physics because 1) I find the early game to be pivotal to an effective explore strategy, and perhaps the game generally; 2) it is rare, but not unheard of to be trapped in an early skirmish and one doesn't have Applied Physics. With blind research one can get screwed more often that you think. More, one needs this for Non-Linear Mathematics, which is often critical in a full scale war; 3) with points (1) and (2) in mind, it can be optimal to try and skirt by without it, and nab Secrets faster, or Flexibility faster, which opens one's options much quicker than an Applied Physics tech that might not even get used. Indeed, a "good" game is where I don't even make a single offensive unit until Fusion Power other than worms.

[Misanthrope]

Good points. ...Applied Physics because 1) ...explore strategy, ... 2) ...trapped in an early skirmish...
Indeed, a "good" game is where I don't even make a single offensive unit until Fusion Power other than worms.

Too right.  That sounds like an IDEAL Game to me, and while I do love me some building, it's rare that I can even get to Industrial Automation (B3) without running into hostiles situations.  I set opponents to 'Aggressive', so my fights tend to come hard and early.  Personally, I'd love to just out-build everyone, but yeah, almost never an option.

Fully upgraded bases, guarded by Photon-armor guards with Non-lethal policing and AA Tracking are my go-to base defenders. 
...of course, getting THAT far usually requires taking down at least one other faction for bad behavior.

[Hagen0]

Secrets of the Human Brain is a trap. It's straight up a mistake to research  It does nothing for you in either combat or development. Instead of unsing the free tech for something just research what you want directly. The advantage is that you don't increase tech costs by a borderline useless tech (Secrets). Moreover, Social Psych while useful is also something which can be delayed a bit.

Industrial Automation or impact rovers are the usual early beelines.

[bvanevery]

SotHB gives Hypnotic Trance.  Probably getting that ability very early, isn't important.  It also gives Fundamentalist, which is important to other factions, but the University can't use it.

You can't really research other techs "directly" unless you're an Alien faction, or you've turned off blind research.  I consider the latter to be cheating.  Is it good to get an early "random spin" tech?  Eh, hard to say.  Anyways, as the U. you're going to be after the Virtual World, which means you're going to research the Discover category.  There's not really a choice here about avoiding a "trap".

SotHB is a prereq for Centauri Empathy.  Probably not what the U. is going to focus on.

[Foehn]

Playing as the U, I find it's likely to end up at war with the more combative factions. Yang, Santiago and Miriam especially. They want your tech, and you're going to need to use it to fight them off.

[Misanthrope]

Y'know?  Somehow, I feel GOOD about tossing a hydrospanner into the works here.
Hagen, Bvanevery, Foehn, thanks for the feedback, G/B/I.

Hagen - It would be easy to agree with you, but being the OCD-type that I am, a clean sweep of EVERYTHING is the perfect game to me, and getting SotHB means denying your opponents that freebie, so while the tech itself is negligible, the bonus-tech is pops can be a game-changer.  WCS, you're denying your opponents a free technology.
...PLUS You're getting a really cool (albeit pointless) trophy, which my lame-aft tail is AAAALLLL About!


bvanevery - True.
That is all.


Foehn - Also true, and having a EXTRA tech makes it that much easier to SMAC-DOWN the competition!
heheheh... sorry, had to be said.   

[Aureustgo]

Secrets of the Human Brain is a trap. It's straight up a mistake to research  It does nothing for you in either combat or development.

I would recommend reading and defer to my article on Explore. Secrets of the Human Brain is the best technology in the game, even if you don't get it first, and it's not even close.

[Aureustgo]

Delayed post. Keys (cont'd)

2. Droning on.

Zak has a couple of challenges, namely drones and probe attacks. On the matter of drones, he’s gonna need rec commons to get his bases to 3 without rioting. And while that’s not too big of a hassle, it is a hassle and the question then becomes what to do about it. Sometimes this can be resolved by artificially keeping bases at size 2 for a time (typically working two forest squares). But a broader strategy is to tackle a special project. Which one?

Zak has an advantage in that he basically gets to choose between Human Genome Project and Virtual World (and, to a lesser extent, the Planetary Transit System). Virtual World is the obvious one to go after but the Human Genome Project is the (slightly) superior bet for at least three reasons: 
1) he will almost always be the first to start it;
2) it’s much cheaper;
3) there’s more competition for it, and so he can sometimes get both.

In short, the Human Genome Project has a better cost-benefit. Let’s break these down:

i) Zak will get [D1] Biogenetics before just about everyone other than Lal, and Lal usually doesn’t care about the project, which is nice. Depending on resources at one’s home base, a typical start of scout, scout, colony pod, recycling tank, rec commons sets up the project. Sometimes Zak can get by with less. This is not always the case with the other special projects, particularly if he’s looking to play Explore (c.f., Faction Profile: Lal).

ii) The cost – an extra 50% - is the larger issue. I’ll tend to nab the Human Genome Project at 200 minerals, and then reassess the situation. If no real threats, start up another project, possibly the Virtual World. If threats lurk, switch to a more offensive posture, meaning rovers and more colony pod production. That flexibility is worth it more times than not. Besides, in some games, the other factions completely ignore the Virtual World. Also speed matters. Getting drones addressed sooner (for all intents and purposes) allows one to leverage resources to more important things, namely exploration and settlement.

iii) I also tend to like Human Genome Project because it provides an effect one can’t duplicate easily without it (especially early on). Now it’s true the Virtual World provides a better overall effect, but as a human player, I’m not looking past Fusion Power or Air Power to win the game. An extra talent solves most of the drone issues, and by subtraction hurts the AI the most. (Moreover, by going green, Zak cuts down the more mid- to late- early game drone issues that hologram theatres might address). If Zak needs hologram theatres everywhere, Zak’s done something wrong.