Welcome to the BE board!

[Buster's Uncle]

It's clear that Beyond Earth is intended as a SMACX re-imagining in all but name.  That places it firmly within our focus, and the only dedicated home to SMACX on the net welcomes the news.

See the preliminary reports here.  Let's stake our claim before all the SMACX-is-afterthought forums can try to push us aside.

So start threads, discuss, and report the latest news!  We can do it.

[Buster's Uncle]

So comment on the news articles, start threads, ask questions - it's all cool.

[JarlWolf]

I have many questions on what sort of ideologies and policies this game is going to have- so far I've noticed planetary views and such, but I wonder on other modes of thought as well, what the organizations that funded your voyage are, etc.

[Buster's Uncle]

This is the article I've found most informative so far: http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=8209.0

[Geo]

I have many questions on what sort of ideologies and policies this game is going to have- so far I've noticed planetary views and such, but I wonder on other modes of thought as well, what the organizations that funded your voyage are, etc.

Besides the three emphasizes, I haven't spotted any particular ideology or policy. As for the funding organisations, I see shuttles departing from Cairo, Rio, Paris, and what looks like a North American city in the trailer.

[BlaneckW]

I have many questions on what sort of ideologies and policies this game is going to have.

University, Gaians, and Believers.

[DrazharLn]

It's a bit naughty to keep copying all the content from news sites, guys. We should be linking to them and providing a precis or a few quotes here. Or at least putting the links to the news story first and the actual story in spoilers or something.

The journalists deserve the ad money more than we do for collating the articles.

On topic: I'm quite excited about what I've heard of BE. Doesn't look so much like an AC re-imagining to me, though. More like its own game that's taking some inspiration from AC (factions, some philosophy).

I always like it when games try to provide a wide range of possible game play, mixing things up so that the game provides significantly different experiences and choices each time. The variety of planets, factions and starting equipment look like they will provide some of that.

To be a real classic, though, the personalities and philosophies of the factions and the world are going to have to infuse the game and affect the player like they have for so many in SMAC. Let's hope they have the writing and imaginative chops for that.

Hope everyone is well, sorry I can't stop by more often.

[BlaneckW]

The journalists deserve the ad money more than we do for collating the articles.

You're right, though I've visited every one of them one way or another.

[Buster's Uncle]

http://time.com/59516/sid-meiers-civilization-beyond-earth-might-be-the-alpha-centauri-sequel-youve-been-waiting-for/

[BlaneckW]

While I find the relation disturbing, I don't judge the game on how close it is to Civ 5.
Having a technology "web" that eventually branches into one of three directions as to make for "completely different armies" by the end of the game just means to me that you gradually have less and less strategic choices in regards the tech tree - assuming there is any to begin with, and it's not just some sort of affinities level-up mini-game.  What it reminds me most of is Spore.

[Buster's Uncle]

...Since this looks to be bringing in a lot of new people, I should mention that we have a very large selection of avatars available through your user control panel, that I'm an avatar artist of some note, and that running around the forum nekkid is nasty.  Ask me if you can't find anything you like, and I'll hook you up...

[Buster's Uncle]

It's a bit naughty to keep copying all the content from news sites, guys. We should be linking to them and providing a precis or a few quotes here. Or at least putting the links to the news story first and the actual story in spoilers or something.

The journalists deserve the ad money more than we do for collating the articles.

On topic: I'm quite excited about what I've heard of BE. Doesn't look so much like an AC re-imagining to me, though. More like its own game that's taking some inspiration from AC (factions, some philosophy).

I always like it when games try to provide a wide range of possible game play, mixing things up so that the game provides significantly different experiences and choices each time. The variety of planets, factions and starting equipment look like they will provide some of that.

To be a real classic, though, the personalities and philosophies of the factions and the world are going to have to infuse the game and affect the player like they have for so many in SMAC. Let's hope they have the writing and imaginative chops for that.

Hope everyone is well, sorry I can't stop by more often.

I'm sorry I don't see more of you, too, buddy, but I resent the opening remarks - once somebody called me on it, I couldn't pretend I didn't know better.

And see, here's the thing:  What you say is true, but oversimplifies the case considerably.  I'm scrupulous about keeping the credits, going so far as to insert the name of the venue over the byline when it isn't there.  I know from this not exactly being my first week on a forum that people tend not to click on links; they'd rather it was right here in front of them, with no extra tabs or anything getting involved.  I never leave out the back-link to the original, and that means the source is getting better SEO from links to the site appearing more places.  Better search engine results mean more hits for them, and they still get more ad money because I reposted, unless people are seeing it here first who would have gone there instead -an unlikely prospect, I think- and I'm MOST ASSUREDLY not getting MY out-of-pocket expenses in maintaining this forum defrayed by ad revenues, far from seeing any profit.

The reason I've tried to accommodate the point instead of responding with a gruff sorta [urinate] off?  Fan ethics. 

Fans steal from all over creation in their derivative creative works, and without bothering to credit mundane outsider sources, just as you and I did when we collaborated on that custom bdanv AC faction.  However, when you rip off from within the community, you better doggone well give credit where credit's due, or you will be sorry.  I figure this is a little similar.

I don't know anyone at IGN or Gamespot, or what-have-you, but we're all gaming sites, and I reckon that's close enough that I better not take liberties.  So I'm grateful for the correction, but still hope you'll still understand that I'm .  We were caught completely flat-footed by the BE announcement, and I still feel like I'm playing catch-up nearly a week later.

Folks, help a guy get out in front however you can, please.  It's good for AC2 and good for you. :tired:

[DrazharLn]

If there is litigation, it'd surely just be a cease and desist order or similar. They won't care if we knew better or not. I doubt there'd be any litigation, though.

I just think it would be more polite to at least put the links before the quoted articles. Not having a go at you. I also am not under the misconception that AC2 lines your pockets with gold.

Unrelated: It occurred to me yesterday that the Civ5 borders mechanic (where you can't enter someone else's borders without declaring war or having open borders) stops a variety of fun things you can do in SMAC, like sneaking your units through someone else's territory, occupying their base tiles and making colonies in their territories, Israeli style, hiding armies, etc.

I don't think the borders system would be a good mechanism for BE, either. It just serves to make it harder to explore and puts up this obviously artificial barrier to movement.

Another thing civ5 did terribly was multiplayer mod support (and just multiplayer in general). SMAC is quite fiddly to get working with mods multiplayer, but it's not that hard and it could be a lot easier with not that much work. It's also really important for a good long-term community.

[Yitzi]

Unrelated: It occurred to me yesterday that the Civ5 borders mechanic (where you can't enter someone else's borders without declaring war or having open borders) stops a variety of fun things you can do in SMAC, like sneaking your units through someone else's territory, occupying their base tiles and making colonies in their territories, Israeli style

Actually, I don't think Israel has ever done that with anything that's clearly someone else's territory...disputed territory they never annexed is as far as they go.

[BlaneckW]

Countries have different policies as to whether moving units through their territory would be considered an immediate act of war.  Somewhat laxer boundary considerations make sense in an Alpha Centauri setting, with the factions basically considering themselves outposts of earth that haven't established anything really formal.  Formal recognition or establishment of territories doesn't take place until the treaty is signed.