Yet Another Favorite Faction Poll

Mr. President · April 27, 2002, 05:29

My tastes have changed somewhat since the last one. I am most affectionate towards the Morgans as a bastion of capitalism (and the most likely to make it as a real country). (Not to mention the architecture!)

But there are things I like about others, too. I admire the Believers for their faith. I admire the Hive for their martial values. I admire the Spartans for their bravery and stoicism. I admire the Usurpers for knowing exactly what they want and letting nothing stand in their way.

Jethro83 · April 27, 2002, 06:45

I admire the Peacekeepers their concern in humanitarian matters, and attempts at a compromise that fits all ideologies. I don't scorn anything about them

I admire the University for their pursuit and free flow of knowledge. I scorn their lack of ethics in such pursuits.

I admire the Hive for the joy they have in a collective goal to work for, their simple life, free from worldly desire. I scorn their methods of keeping the people in line, and their brutal dictatorship.

I admire the Spartans for their valour, and military acumen. I scorn their bloated defensive budget that would set industry backward.

I admire the Gaians for their environmental awareness, but scorn their attempts to stamp out legitimate industrial and economic progress.

I don't admire the Morganites (I'm a socialist) because this faction is pretty much a bunch of pigs seeking to exploit the working class, and the planet's resources for the betterment of a wealthy minority.

I scorn the Believers even more because their blind faith sets them back to the Dark Age, and threatens free will and rational thought.

Can't comment on the SMAX factions as I was too late looking for it. But I will say that I don't like the Progenitor factions' lack of concern for the human race (I played the demo at least) and I admire the Pirates for their iron will to survive in the harsh seas of Planet.

Cybergod · April 27, 2002, 07:52

Gaians (voted for them) and the Peacekeepers are my favourite SMAC factions.

Gaians - my philosophy nearly matches theirs plus a good hybrid faction

Peacekeepers - this is one excellent hybrid faction plus I like their democratic policies

The SMAX factions seem to lack that "classic" touch that SMAC factions have.

KrysiasKrusader · April 28, 2002, 00:29

OH BOY !!!

My first poll...

How do I vote ? By favorite to play, or favorite idealogically ?

Jethro83 · April 28, 2002, 01:09

Quote:

Originally posted by KrysiasKrusader
OH BOY !!!

My first poll...

How do I vote ? By favorite to play, or favorite idealogically ?

Whichever one suits you. It suited me to vote by ideology, but that's because I have trouble being the leader of a faction of religious freaks when I denounce Christianity as a load of backward bullcrap.

DEATH TO MIRIAM GODWINSON!!!

Mr. President · April 28, 2002, 03:40

Quote:

How do I vote ? By favorite to play, or favorite idealogically ?

Let's get this out of the way right now. It makes no difference what criteria you use to vote on this poll. If you vote for the Gaians because you like having +2 Efficiency and the ability to "worm rush", fine. If you vote for the Gaians because you are a hippie who smokes things he shouldn't smoke and kisses trees, fine. If you vote for the Gaians because Lady Deirdre invades your dreams and causes you to wake up in a sweat, fine.

Maniac · April 28, 2002, 07:44

The UoP will of course be winning again!

Method · April 28, 2002, 09:14

Pirates! i even made a map of all ocean, made all the factions aquatic and gave them all doc. flex to start with. it was quite the game plus it was my fastest transcendence ever, 2270's i think

Cybergod · April 28, 2002, 09:14

Quote:

Originally posted by M@ni@c
The UoP will of course be winning again!

GEEKS!!!

HAHAHA!!!

BTW, LordAzreal, I think that that would be her actual face since the picture we see is altered by her secret elite.

KrysiasKrusader · April 28, 2002, 11:46

Okay, thanks for clearing that up. I've now voted for the faction I most enjoy "playing".

History Guy · April 28, 2002, 11:56

Ah, I have made my decision. My choice? CEO NWABUDIKE MORGAN'S MORGANITES of course! They might be a lot of capitalist pigs, but they are my capitalist pigs.

Hmmm...let's see...other factions I like include the Believers and the Hive...don't ask me why I like the Hive...I hate 'em...I wipe 'em out whenever I'm not playing them...but they sure are neat!!

I like UoP too, of course. In fact the only ones I really hate are the Data Angels, the Usurpers, and the Caretakers!! And I must admit, I still think the latter two are rather neat...despite the fact I hate 'em!!

So...no one loves the Cultists, eh?

Atlas3060 · April 28, 2002, 15:11

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr. President

If you vote for the Gaians because Lady Deirdre invades your dreams and causes you to wake up in a sweat, fine.

Its not really sweat

but yea I see where your going with it.

Jethro83 · April 28, 2002, 18:16

Quote:

Originally posted by Cybergod

BTW, LordAzreal, I think that that would be her actual face since the picture we see is altered by her secret elite.

SISTER MIRIAM GODWINSON EXPOSED

Just doing my service to humanity.

gwillybj · April 28, 2002, 20:44

Quote:

by Mr. President
My tastes have changed somewhat since the last one... I admire the Spartans for their bravery and stoicism.

(Me, too.)
Wandering among the threads, I get a feeling - I can't really say why

- the Spartans are under-rated by many players, both as a playable faction and as an opponent. I thoroughly enjoy being a member of Santiago's crew, and, conversely, look forward to encountering them.

Mr. President · April 28, 2002, 21:40

I agree completely. Perhaps peaceniks (the kind of people who like the Peacekeepers and the Gaians) dislike their "armed and prepared" philosophy. And people who play by generating obscene amounts of energy and minerals don't like their -1 Industry rating.

Jethro83 · April 28, 2002, 21:44

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr. President
I agree completely. Perhaps peaceniks (the kind of people who like the Peacekeepers and the Gaians) dislike their "armed and prepared" philosophy. And people who play by generating obscene amounts of energy and minerals don't like their -1 Industry rating.

I'm one of those Peacekeeper types, but I still admire the Spartans' "armed and ready" philosophy. I'll switch my values in Social Engineering from Knowledge to Power just to get them on side when I need help smashing the Believers or the Hive (or even the Morganites). And being a socialist, their -1 Industry hardly hurts at all since I'll usually cancel it out with Planned Economics.

Mr. President · April 28, 2002, 21:48

No offense intended. Some people who like the Peacekeepers feel that the Spartans run contrary to PK philosophy, or what they believe PK philosophy is.

edit: I actually think the Spartans and Peacekeepers are compatible "likes".

Jethro83 · April 28, 2002, 22:01

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr. President
edit: I actually think the Spartans and Peacekeepers are compatible "likes".

I agree with that. I always thought it was more of a PK vs. Hive sort of thing dominating the game.

Maniac · April 29, 2002, 11:59

And a UoP versus Believers.
And a Gaians versus Morgan.
And a Morgan versus Hive.
The game's full of all sorts of contraries.

BigRich · April 29, 2002, 13:02

Hmmm,

who to vote for. Philosophically I fall somewhere between the Gaians and the University (although I'd like to think my research ethics are slightly tighter than Zakharov's

). But from a gameplaying point of view I'm voting Hive! Played as a peaceful isolationist, Eudimonia kind of Hive of course. The insane industry bonus and ability to stomp the other factions flat is purely a bonus

Rich.

Chowlett · April 29, 2002, 13:22

IIRC, SMAC is set up to have the "Natural Enemies":

Morgan vs Deirdre
Lal vs Santiago
Zakharov vs Miriam
Yang vs Everyone

Jac de Molay · April 29, 2002, 15:08

Philosophically Im more aligned with Gaians. But, as I've just started playing at the top two difficulty levels, I seem to have more staying power with the Hive. The combination of Command Nex and Perimeter Defense has become too good to pass up.

Dave

Ogie Oglethorpe · April 29, 2002, 15:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Chowlett
IIRC, SMAC is set up to have the "Natural Enemies":

Morgan vs Deirdre
Lal vs Santiago
Zakharov vs Miriam
Yang vs Everyone

I always thought it more like

Morgie (Rampant Capitalist Polluters) vs Dee (Eco Freaks)
Lal (Democratic Bueracrats) vs. Yanger (Despotic Communists)
Zak (Mad Scientists) vs. Bible Thumpers (Fundamentalist Evangilists)

Santi (Paranoid Survivalists) vs. Anyone threatening her survival.

But thats one of the things that makes the game great the natural societal differences and agendas.

Frankychan · April 30, 2002, 18:46

Ahhh, another poll to assert Chairman Yangs dominance over the other factions!

Mine is still, and always will be, the Human Hive.

Why? Apart from their in-game advantages, I also agree with their values and outtake on life.

My thinking has also changed since playing SMAC because of the Hive's view on many issues.

HUMAN HIVE FOREVER!!!!

After Hive, Probably Drones, then Gaians. I'm worker oriented but also like good clean ocean's to surf in.

Mr. President · April 30, 2002, 19:19

Quote:

Originally posted by frankychan
I'm worker oriented but also like good clean ocean's to surf in.

The University is the not-surprising leader with 6 votes, followed closely by the Consciousness, the Gaians, and the Hive, each with five votes! The Chairman's already got more votes than he got in the last Favorite Faction Poll!

No-one's voted for the Believers yet. Are they not popular, or is there some other reason?

Patashu · April 30, 2002, 20:13

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr. President
No-one's voted for the Believers yet. Are they not popular, or is there some other reason?

Probably because if you run democracy, police state or knowledge, she hates you, but if you run fundi, she likes you, but everyone else hates you

Plus, she gets -40% research when she discovers secrets of the human brain, so she being hard to probe doesn't matter, because there's no tech to steal from her anyway

That's what I'm guessing.

Jethro83 · April 30, 2002, 22:20

Quote:

Originally posted by Patashu
Probably because if you run democracy, police state or knowledge, she hates you, but if you run fundi, she likes you, but everyone else hates you

Plus, she gets -40% research when she discovers secrets of the human brain, so she being hard to probe doesn't matter, because there's no tech to steal from her anyway

That's what I'm guessing.

That's right. Though, when using them, the probe rating makes it easier for her to probe into enemy datalinks. If I ever play as the Believers (though those games don't go long) then I'll find my way over to University territory and probe them for everything they've got. They can also buy techs with extra cash. Drop research down to 0% in the Social Engineering screen, build Punishment spheres in each base, and switch to Free Market. You also have no compunctions against building Genejack factories then, because there'll be no drones. So it will be quicker for your base to reach a point where it can stockpile energy, and since a lot more minerals are being produced because of genejacks, more and more energy is gained. Because there is no need for you to do the research yourself, using Fundamentalist politics, and building up a large, highly disciplined military is well on the cards as well. And if someone presses vendetta, use this large army to beat them into submission.

That is perhaps my best understanding of possible strategies for using the Believers, but since a lot of that doesn't fit in with my playing style, I avoid using them most of the time in favour of the Hive, PK, Gaians or Uni, since my personal beliefs are tied with these four.

And damn I hate that freak Miriam!!! She is perhaps my first enemy on Planet, and at that point, since I'll have my Particle Impactors, Rover chassis and Plasma steel armour, her scout patrols and laser infantry get minced. She picks fights that she won't win.

xeno7667 · May 1, 2002, 05:55

Cult of Planet and Believers are my favorites. Both are underestimated factions.

Clear Skies · May 5, 2002, 06:45

*cries* I want a multi-option poll! WAH!

Sorry. Anyway, like I said in the other thread, Aki (techie freak, plus a very cool faction to write into my stories), and Dee are my personal faves, while Miriam and Santiago I detest. Miriam just smacks everyone around until she comes up against someone bigger, and then still keeps trying to smack them (stupid fundy idiot), and Santiago just clashes completely with my own personal ideology (see sig). In fact, the only factions whose ideologies I can actually see eye-to-eye with are Aki's (again, the knowledge-above-all-things thingie), Dee's (I'm an eco-freak too!), Lal (demos kratia) and possibly, on a very good day, Roze (free info and all that).

OK, that's four, so not exactly an only. Oh well.

Guynemer · May 5, 2002, 09:40

Despite having the game since it was released, there are a few factions I've never played as (Hive, Believers), simply because I find the very idea of them repugnant. I'm probably most skilled with the Unis, but my favorites are the Gaians.

I'm desperately trying to get a good game going with the Angels, but the other random factions always manage to contain the aliens, which just really ruins the fun of everything.