Learning curve?

[Bruce205]

Just wanted to get an idea of average length of time it takes players to feel somewhat comfortable with game?
I have SMAX and manual is on pdf file on cd and I hate reading from computer screen and as manual is 260 some pages long I kinda hate to waste ink for printer. I realize game has tutorial so is that the best way to learn?
Do you find SMAX gets more addicting the longer you play it?
I know everyone is different but wanted more experienced views from you folks.
Thanks

[CEO Aaron]

Your learning curve may depend on many factors. Prior Civ gaming experience will, of course, shorten the time it takes you to become competent at the game. I played many hours of both Civ I and II before playing SMAC, so I felt I had grasped most of the fundamentals by my third or fourth game.

The parts of the game that I think are hardest to use effectively are as follows:

Terraforming - Probably your most important SMAC skill, learning how to milk the most resources out of your land is critical to your strength and survival. Plant trees early and often.

Unit design - The default unit types the computer automatically devises for you are frequently expensive and inefficient. As you play, try to spend time learning the rules of good unit design, and you will be able to field a much more effective army than if you just accept what is given to you.

Society Effects - Learning the strengths and weaknesses of various society choices, as well as coming up with new combinations of effective choices is something I still find myself re-evaluating as I continue to play.

In response to your second question, I think SMAC is by far one of the most robust and re-playable games I have owned. Even with the basic factions, there are countless strategies you can experiement with in your quest to conquer Planet. With expansion factions, as well as the ability to customize your own, the replayability of this game becomes truly infinite.

[Method]

Originally posted by Bruce205
Do you find SMAX gets more addicting the longer you play it?

well, it doesn't get more boring...

if you're coming from civ2, then it's a shock that every faction has different atributes. coming from civ3, the specific faction attributes will be a bit harder to grasp at first, but the datalinks (especially "society models" and "society effects" categories) makes it easy, also more organised IMO than the civilopedia.

about unit design, the AI will design some pretty stupid units for you (especially for fusion reactors up), so watch out if it puts unnecessary special abilities like clean reactor, and high morale (not meaning these are useless, but it you don't want them, you dont want to have to pay for them) on your infantry. Try building:

• a probe skimship
• ships without armour (much cheaper)
• trance garrisons (its free for 1-greater_than_2-1 units)
• empath copters to combat native life

deep radar is also free on air and sea units.

[Adalbertus]

TKG, let's say the factions are relly different. I play builder always, and even then they play very different. I do things with Yang (Police state - planned) with which I ruin all other factions. With Zak, I try to stay out of Free Marked to get police (Ascetic Virtues and Brood Pits in every base give +3!) while I use it with with Morgan, or, recently, with Domai.
I like that you have many different ways to achieve the same goal.
OTOH, I know I sometimes tried to play the demo and (despite the built-in tutorial) found it hard to get hands on the game. Mainly because right from the beginning, a newbie is confronted with many choices and it takes some time to figure out the best (you can run Planned with Lal but are close to cripple yourself unless you run also democracy and/or have Children's Creches all over the place).

[Method]

bah! when i played the demo, i didn't even know SE was there!

i think i discovered it when tried to build a road, and stumbled across E.

about zak in free market, 20% psych is all it takes, even if you're in 4 wars at once

[Blake]

The tech tree can be rather intimidating at first, I actually reccomend leaving blind research on for the first few games, you wont know what to choose to research anyway
Altough after a few games you start getting a good idea of the early tech tree.

[tonic]

Yes, if one has played Civ2 then the learning curve becomes less steep. I'm a relative newcomer to SMAC but that has only meant familiarising myself with the tech tree, the factions and the social engineering implications. With this background I find it more helpful to leave blind research off so that I can come to grips with the tree asap. Also having played MoO, unit design is not forbiding although somewhat more involved.

One can pick up much of the strategy eg the use of crawlers and other unique features, in an actual game. General tips and info from forums such as this do help - I've downloaded some useful techtree charts, an elementary guide (particularly useful for those who do not have, or want to refer to, the manual) and an informative list of known bugs.

SMAC looks like it's going to distract me for some time yet.

[Googlie]

For some good "how to's", visit:

http://www.civgaming.net/smac/academy.shtml

This will explain population booms, crawler usage, etc etc

G.

[Urban Ranger]

I always use blind research because it's more fun that way.

[Urban Ranger]

You can also check out the archives for SMAC strategy threads. Lots of good stuff there.