do you play SMAC/SMAX more since 9/11/01?

Bella Hella · October 17, 2001, 11:10

i hope this question is appropriate, and if not, hopefully it gets pulled and i won't get in trouble.

since the events on and following 9/11, i've REALLY gotten a lot more into SMAX. i like to experiment with different ways of playing, such as "kill the taliban" (fight the believers), "can't we all just get along" (try to prevent ALL wars), etc....

do you play more or less now? why? or is there no difference?

i sincerely hope no one is offended by this topic; i'm just curious.

DrFaustus · October 17, 2001, 12:17

I'm playing a lot more.

Kassiopeia · October 17, 2001, 13:19

A very philosofistic question, methinks.
It is quite possible that people, including I, spend more times on games and other entertaiment like reading and TV to "forget" the thing, and put it aside. I haven't played more SMACX, but more other games.

Clear Skies · October 17, 2001, 14:32

Quote:

Originally posted by Bella Hella

since the events on and following 9/11, i've REALLY gotten a lot more into SMAX. i like to experiment with different ways of playing, such as "kill the taliban" (fight the believers), "can't we all just get along" (try to prevent ALL wars), etc....

Wow....ways to bring a message board to a crashing halt anyone?

If this doesn't cause controversy then bin Laden did it all for nothing...

Bella Hella · October 17, 2001, 15:41

Quote:

Wow....ways to bring a message board to a crashing halt anyone?
If this doesn't cause controversy then bin Laden did it all for nothing...

i'm not really sure what you mean by that...

i'm just asking this because of the very nature of the game: make your empire, interact with other empires, maybe war with other empires. just wondering if anyone, like me, is more interested in this type of game as the result of recent events.

sorry if you feel this isn't a valid point. i'm not trying to start a fight.

Scipio Centaurus · October 17, 2001, 18:51

Religious folk get a little touchy when you equate other Gods to their own.

- Scipio

Googlie · October 17, 2001, 20:35

Well I think it does provide a form of escapism from real life for many of us - and in a way that somehow the tawdry TV entertainment and sports events can't. It's hard to get tuned into the baseball playoffs watching mutlimillionaire athletes play a totally meaningless game while thousands are grieving in NYC and millions are starving in Afghanistan. Or get excited about a new hockey season when the airwaves are full of yet another anthrax scare.

And while I'm impressed my Michael Jordan's gesture in donating all of his this year's salary to help dispossessed New Yorkers, I'd be even more impressed if all the professional athletes in North America donated just ten percent of their $3 billion salaries to help feed Afghanistan's starving population.

Googlie (stepping down from his pulpit)

Googlie · October 17, 2001, 20:37

ps: and who'd want to be Tau Ceti these days - in the PBEMs he's in his faction is now routinely called the Tau-liban

G.

Sikander · October 18, 2001, 02:06

I'm playing more also, but it has to do with my available free time as much as anything. (At least I think that's why!)

Tizzy · October 18, 2001, 03:54

I'm playing less now, but it's nothing to do with 11/9/01 - I just don't have as much time now I'm at college as well as working.

Sarxis · October 18, 2001, 04:18

About the same, though I have been having a steady decline in my SMAC diet because of CivIII's upcoming release.

Mr. President · October 18, 2001, 06:34

I'm playing Alpha Centauri about the same amount (which is still a lot) as before the terrorist attacks. I've also returned to SimCity 3000 again, and I put the Twin Towers in my city as a tribute to all who lost their lives, and as a prayer that my beloved Manhattan will rise again stronger than before. It may not make the evening news, but it means something to me.

Googlie · October 18, 2001, 10:25

Mr P:

I think that's really neat.

G.

Kassiopeia · October 18, 2001, 17:05

Quote:

Originally posted by Googlie
ps: and who'd want to be Tau Ceti these days - in the PBEMs he's in his faction is now routinely called the Tau-liban

G.

That is very childish and idiotic. He is a nice guy - he helped me out to learn the rules of PBEM.

The Consul · October 18, 2001, 17:31

What struck me in the aftermath of Sept 11 was how the anti US nations sounded so very much like leaders of Civ 2 when faced with a strong opponent...using language like imperialist aggression!!

Tau Ceti · October 18, 2001, 17:39

Quote:

Originally posted by kassiopeia

That is very childish and idiotic. He is a nice guy - he helped me out to learn the rules of PBEM.

Thanks, kassiopeia, but I am not offended. It is only in one game, I know the people involved well, and it is all in good sport. As I am doing quite a lot of suicide air attacks in that particular game, it is even somewhat appropriate.

Kassiopeia · October 18, 2001, 17:50

Quote:

Originally posted by Tau Ceti
Thanks, kassiopeia, but I am not offended. It is only in one game, I know the people involved well, and it is all in good sport. As I am doing quite a lot of suicide air attacks in that particular game, it is even somewhat appropriate.

Okay. I thought it was some rat mouth fooling around.
Hmm, those needlejets have way too little fuel do they?

Sharpe · October 18, 2001, 23:17

I am playing SMAX more too these days, but not so much due to the Sept 11 catastrophe - more due to my reading of Michael Ely's Centauri Dawn book. It is an okay book but it did revive my interest in the game.

Avenoct · October 18, 2001, 23:20

Quote:

What struck me in the aftermath of Sept 11 was how the anti US nations sounded so very much like leaders of Civ 2 when faced with a strong opponent...using language like imperialist aggression!!

Yeah, so? We are an aggressive imperialist state. Our power doesn't emmanate from some magical 'team-spirit'; We're fat, diabetic, lazy bastages whose power rests squarely on the backs of those we exploit, which, incidentally, we learned from ye Brits Consul...

-The Patriot.

Googlie · October 19, 2001, 01:57

Kass:

I'm in that game and on the receiving end of the suicide missions - but they are choppers, not noodles. they reach the (almost) end of their range then take out six of my energy park crawlers each. Lost about 30 that way, so it's a great rtisk/reward equation for Tau.

(Course like an idiot, I've been playing smac/x for 2 years now and totally forgot the old Civ ability of ground troops to attack choppers - I'd equated them with needlejets for 2 years - and I could have had no-risk morale upgrades of I'd sent my 1-2-1 sentries out of the base to attack his 90% weakened choppers. But I didn't, they crashed and I saw my tech research rate drop from every turn to every six turns. So he's not so daft after all)

rat mouth Googlie

Kassiopeia · October 19, 2001, 16:53

This is new to me - you mean that choppers destroy the improvement in the tile they are in when they crash?