Forumulating Guidelines for Forum Debate

[Rusty Edge]

In my games I'm usually evolving with the civics.  so that I can have a happy populace and a well trained defense. Then once all of the  the civics become available, I go   

[Yitzi]

Deirdre of the Gaians, a Green lefty-type.
  Yang of the hive, I meant Police State, but it got complicated.
  Zakarov of the University, Science.
  Morgan (think Donald [Sleezebag]) of the Morganites, Big Business.
  Santiago of the Spartans, War (although she thinks she's a Libertarian).

I don't really see  as libertarian, more as military/gun-nut.

Miriam of the Believers, Religion (as involved in US politics in this case - she's somewhat a symbol of the Tea Party types, too, though the correspondence is inexact).

Nah, she's purely about religion.

Lal of the Peacekeepers, Democracy and Freedom, perhaps Internationalism and World Peace, too.

Also a liberal-type, though about social/governmental issues rather than environmental ones.

H'minee of the Caretakers, Radical Environmentalism, alien.
  Cha Dawn of the Cult of Planet, also Radical Environmentalism, obnoxious.

There's fairly large differences between the three environmentalists, though:
  is fairly moderate environmentalism.  She is (at least later in the game's story) willing to interfere with the environment if that will improve things.
  is of the "don't interfere with the environment" variety.
 For , environmentalism is literally a religion.

Aki Zeta 5 of the Cybernetic Conciousness, Science with a transhuman angle.

Also really big on efficiency.

Marr of the Manifold Usurpers, just plain mean.

And ambitious.  I think  is defined more than anything by ambition and a willingness to risk everything and everyone in hopes of achieving that ambition.

[Buster's Uncle]

He's Putin, then.

[Valka]

That was fun. I sort of followed it, but putting in a key for the    watchers & decoders kinda spoils the entertainment value.

The thing is, though, not everyone here is familiar with the game. I played for about 10 minutes before having to give up because my computer couldn't handle it. My familiarity with SMAC comes from reading the novel trilogy.

[Geo]

...I played for about 10 minutes before having to give up because my computer couldn't handle it...

Buy a cheap laptop?

[Buster's Uncle]

How long ago was that?  I've never heard of anyone being unable to run because their machine was under specs, so I bet it was a compatibility problem with a later OS than W98.  Those can be troubleshot and fixed, easily enough.

[Valka]

I had XP at the time. It was a slower computer with less RAM. My current computer could probably handle it.

[Yitzi]

I had XP at the time. It was a slower computer with less RAM. My current computer could probably handle it.

Seeing as your current computer is almost certainly superior to the best computers on the market back when SMAX was published, I'd think so.

[Buster's Uncle]

This is probably all you'd need for running on W7: http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=8731.0  Setting the compatibility to W98 on the desktop shortcut usually works.  I hear the game can be run off a thumb drive, so specs REALLY shouldn't be a problem unless you were using a 15 year-old antique with specs below standard then...

Really short version: any of the latest patches ought to fix everything.  I keep hearing good things about the work of that Yitzi fella...

[Green1]

I ran SMAX on a netbook a few years back. I think my ex-gf paid 150 USD for the netbook. The 90s to ealy 00s games, even those that required monster set ups back in the day run fluently even on the weakest systems nowadays. (Crap... what WAS SMAX's min specs? A 486 DX or something with 4 MB graphics and 32MB ram? )

The laptop I currently have is a lower end AMD A4-5000 quad core. It can even run things like Civ 5 at low settings.

Amazing though how far we have come. Back in the day, a Commodore 64 not including a TV cost around 500 USD. In today's money, that is around 1000 USD. Today, even the cheaper android cell phones for 70 USD blow that away.

So yeah, even if you dabble in games that are not browser games, just buy a cheap comp. Do not listen to the power snobs. You do not need a 2000 USD rig to game. A low end laptop for about 400 USD will do and if you spend 600 you will be set. Just get at east quad core processor minimum. Integrated graphics will not impress the elitist, but are far superior to 00s integrated graphicsofferings nowadays  and almost all game publishers support them.

[Buster's Uncle]

Yitzi - apologies.  I meant to resume the political discussion yesterday, but well, you probably noticed Bases9, and today I'm distracted with some forum politics stuff.  Always juggling a million eggs, and not so great at multitasking, much as I spend a lot of time running from one thing to another.  I haven't forgotten you.

[Valka]

Both my current laptops run Windows 8.

[Buster's Uncle]

I know it's doable on W8, but that's all I know - Petek will help you if you decide to try.

[Green1]

I know it's doable on W8, but that's all I know - Petek will help you if you decide to try.

If she is just talking SMAX, yeah. Even these Walmart Windows 8 'netbooks with hard drives" for 250 they have been coming out with lately will run it.

I suggest plopping down a few hundred more. Netbooks seem to be only useful for VERY old games, browser games, basic web surfing, and word processing. A step up to mid range or upper low range allows you to dabble in more things.

However, serious gaming may not be her thing. I have known girls who gamed merely for the chat/ social aspect. Nothing wrong with that. I do not blame them. With the exception of the LoL/DotA crowd, the chat and forums for games beat other chat rooms hands down. Most pure chat rooms, you do not get much actual chat nowadays that is not laced with penile pics and obscenities.

I think Everquest Next is going to be the next big "chat room in a video game" game.

[Buster's Uncle]

I love you all for being smart and cool, not for being gamers...