A Let's Play of SMAX

[Green1]

Given BU's call for contributions and feeling manic from a bit too much coffee, I have decided to let the community in on some of my private, secret fun I have when I crank up SMAX.

Now, I have done a LP on another forum with another game under a different handle. Unfortunately, the save for that game got erased and I was a bit embarrased. Hopefully, that will not happen here.

Nor do I claim to be some kind of expert. I typically win about 50 percent of games played on Thinker. A lot of it is pure luck and who I end up next to. I am not some ego freak that feels the need to always own face. So, if I start losing, I have no fear of losing on a public forum. However, feel free to chime in if you think I am using a bad strategy.

The settings are a Thinker difficulty, Huge Planet, Abundant Life Forms, Weak Erosive Forces, Average Cloud Cover, and low water level.

In addition, the the AlphaX text is altered to where the mandatory retirement year is extremely extended.

Patch used is all official and Kyrub's SMAX patch plus which improves terraforming AI and includes bug fixes by the infamous Scient. If you want to try it, I believe it is on Aployton. It is not the 444 AI experiment thread, but in a thread labled "SMAX patch plus". The 444 experiment is SMAC only.

Rules settings are as follows:

AI selection is interesting and it is a totally different dynamic depending on who comes out. I have played Alien games, but I am just not in the mood for it today.

I decided to go with these:

Lal. I will be playing Lal. He is an interesting guy. He is not too overpowered one way or another but he is very flexible. Now I am experienced enough that I can play any faction passable, but i think for a public LP, Lal is a good choice.

Cult Of Planet. This should be really interesting. With abundant lifeforms, ole Fungboy could be really powerful.

The Human Hive. Perhaps the most overpowered AI in the game. Yang spreads like a bad cold and pumps out units. He also does not tend to get along well with our hero, Lal who prefers democracy.

The Lord's Believers. What SMAX game would be complete without some Miriam action?

The Free Drones. These guys are really bad if you leave them be. particularly with Kyrub's patch, the infrastructure they build is massive. I have had SP games where the drones have dozens of sattelites and take forever to uproot.

Spartans. Another militant faction. The real danger is they get Docrine: Mobility first which means they can bum rush you and if you do not have Synthmetal or Perimeters, it could be a problem.

University of Planet. Just because. Zak techs like no other. If left alone, he dominates. However, drone problems and if he attracts the early ire of an agressive faction can spell trouble for him. This game is crowded with psychopaths, so we will see.

Oh yes, the start:

An isthmus to the east. This might be an istmus connected island, but i am not sure. I see 3 pods around I will pop. Even with abundant lifeforms, I am going to go ahead and send the colony pod out as the natives for at least a few turns have a penalty to attack. No resouces, but in the past I have found the first few pods always reveal some.

For research, I am going to go with Centauri Ecology. This provides Former units and opens up the Weather Paradigm special project. If I can pull this off, it will allow boreholes and condensors that will give me an edge in a hostile place. Formers will also help with this fungus.

Great thing about Lal is he starts with the Tech Biogenics. This allows the base facility Recycling Tanks which REALLY helps with early game production. In addition, it opens up The Human Genome Project. Lal already has one additional talent because of attributes, but that project would be icing on a cake if I can slide that in too.

But, I am not going to get ahead of myself. I have NO idea what's out there waiting to clobber me yet.

[Green1]

Tuns out, this is an isthmus connected island.

One of the pods was a monolith. I really like having these things nearby a base as they repair and upgrade the morale of units. It can be a lifesaver if invaded. Monoliths also provide decent energy, nutrients, and minerals to the base that works them.

I plopped out two scout patrols with a third coming.

One of the pods gave a unity foil. This should be great to hopefully get an alien artifact from some of these sea pods. That is, until an Isle of the Deep wants to take a bite out of it.

The colony pod, I have sent across the isthmus to plop down at the best place I find quickest.

UN headquarters will start the Recycling Tank next.

[Green1]

The Pod Gods have smiled. The colony pod popped a pod and I discovered Applied Physics which allows laser weapons. Laser weapons are better than hand weapons, but in the long run, it is the difference between a wet noodle and a spit ball. Still, it is one of the requirements for Nonlinear mathmatics which provides the more effective Impact weapons. Who am I to complain about free tech?

I probably should not try my luck further with an unescorted pod and park a bace right there as a sort of "gaurd gate town" to UN island if the continent turns out big or if I am not alone.

[Buster's Uncle]

Congratulation on AC2's first AAR.

The latest version of the scient-ifficPatch is hosted in our downloads section.

Would  the Theory of Everything forum be a better place for this?  Shall I move it?  Do you mind comments interspersed with your reports, of shall I split this post to a separate comments  thread?

[Green1]

I do not mind commets. In fact, comments and observations may make me a bit better. Move wherever you feel it belongs.

[Buster's Uncle]

 

Done.  Enjoying this so far, and considering installing a popcorn smilie.

[Green1]

Yeah, I am a bit scared, too. I will probably NEED comments. Some of these AIs are no joke on Thinker.

Speaking of losing, my little unity foil just popped a pod with the dreaded Isle of the Deep!

IoDs as the SMAX community calls them are some of the most brutal native units in the game for newbie lurkers. They eat any ship most of the time unless it has the "trance" special ability (which you need Secrets of the Human Brain to get). Now sometimes after popping a bad pod, you can simply run screaming like a little girl. Unfortunately, our intrepid foil had no movement.

Worse with IoDs is they are like troop transports for mind worms and spore launchers. I can pretty much predict after eating the foil, they may land near our bases. Sometimes with a spore launcher, the IoD hangs back bombarding with the spore launcher repatedly until a combat ship can be built to exterminate the threat! Being we do not have Doctrine: Flexibility which allows combat sea foils, there would be nothing I can do if that happens fro quite some time.

[Green1]

But, fortune is with me. Somehow, the foil survives!

[Green1]

The next several turns is to really explore where I have landed. From there, I will feel a lot better and can actually see what direction I need to go to get things done.

I could go two projects, but i am going to wait for recycling tanks in both bases and and the tech for formers to be ready before anything else.

I also need to make sure no one like Miriam or Yang is nearby sharpening knives and salivating over roasted mindworm. Oh hell, even Zak could be bad.

[Green1]

A few more turns gives me a bit more view of where exactly I am and more lay of the land.

I got a bit brave with another sea pod... and yet another IoD!

[Green1]

Well, it appears the IoD disembarked mindworms onto the mainland. I will probably be seeing those guys later. The foil has made like Snaggletooth and has exited stage left!

Centauri Ecology is out! We had a choce between Doctrine: Mobility (rovers), Proginator Psych (aquafarms), and Information Networks (network nodes). If someone was bearing down on me, Doctrine mobility would be the answer. But, Information networks would increase research. It is also needed for Nonlinear Math (impact weapons) and Planetary Networks (probe teams and Virtual World project).

[Green1]

The pod gods smile yet again. We now have Industrial Base. Industrial Base provides the level 2 armor, Synthmetal. It is not much, but it is a ton better than scout patrols gaurding the cities. It will be a minute till I get to that, though. I rushed the Recycling Tanks in Equity Village to start my first Former with a bit of cash from an earlier pod.

UN Headquaters, I continue building it's tanks. However, I may rush it, too.

I really need to start thinking about expanding yet again and possibly getting Weather Paradigm before the othe AIs wake up and start churning out projects.

[Green1]

First former is out and i went ahead and rushed the tanks at UN HQ and will put out another former.

At equity village, I am going to go ahead and prototype both the Synth armor and a laser as a synth laser squad.

Once that other former is out and I feel a bit more secure versus mindworms, I will start a colony pod then Weather Paradigm.

I took care of the spore launcher on the North mainland. I see another mindworm to the east of Equity Village. I will be watching it closely.

For exploration, a good picture is coming in view. No other factions.....yet.

[Green1]

I have initiated the Weather Paradigm project after rushing the second former.

That mindworm still is hanging to the east. I think I will wait for it to come to me.

When the prototype gets through, I will throw out the colony pod from there. That will give the base some time to grow.

By the way, I have been brain farting. It's NOT UN Equity Village... It's UN Planetary Trust! /facepalm.

In other news, I may very well be on my own little area... Still, more exploration will tell for sure.

[Green1]

Nice! An Ogre. These things can roll over early game units but can not be repaired and are weeak versus native life. It will come in handy if trouble comes.

On another note, the power chart just popped up. I have never considered this before. Is 2120 the date when power graph shows up? Or is there another trigger?

Anyways, it appears I am doing okay with only University leading.