Poll: What do YOU play?

[The Commodore]

Allright, I know we all play each faction differently.

However, I was wondering: What do you tend/prefer to play like?(Vel's catagroies) I tend to play Hybrid, with a tendency to go all out research. What do you tend to play?

[Locus]

I usually play as Lal on Librarian level (is that the 4th level?) and generally go with a builder style. Depending upon what happens in the game though, I may have to go hybrid and fight wars early. I try to role-play (I can't identify personally with any faction agendas except the Peacekeepers.) and satisfy my boodlust by always playing SMAX with both Alien factions. That way, I get the satisfaction of buidling a nice big humanitarian empire through submission pacts with the other human factions and still get to kick some Alien butt. I recently read a post about playing the Aliens so I may try playing one of the Progenitor factions as a builder. In the end game, I usually am fighting the aliens with all other human factions submission pacted to me. It might be interesting to fight all the humans pacted together versus me while I still have to fight the other alien. I prefer to play with the small map of Chiron provided on one of the other SMAC sites that is run by a poster on this board. The random maps just don't have all the cool landmarks.

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Brother Locus of the Peacekeepers

I usually play the Pirates, trancend, momentum style for the first 100-150 turns, looking for people to enslave (thanks to LoD, Ogie, et. al for teaching me how to get the AI to submit and rescuing faction leaders).

Then I give my submissive, usually Zak or Aki all the tech I have and either enslave someone elso or concentrate on infrastructure, changing to builder style.

[mark13]

In SP, I am typically an out-and-out builder, as conquering the world is no longer a challenge....but in MP it is quite different. Sometimes.

But no, in MP I am somewhere between a builder and a hybrid player....I won't go to war unless I know I am prepared, and am confident I can win. I also tend to focus heavily on defense - if there is a warmonger nearby, you don't want to be KO'd by his first punch....if I can get through that, my production will usually see me through.
[This message has been edited by mark13 (edited March 15, 2001).]

[D]

I have so far ended up playing hybrid. I usually turtle for a while get some infracstructure up, and then I go looking for submission pacts .

[Sikander]

I'm a builder unless I have company on my continent, in which case I'm a hybrid. I love playing the University, as I can get crawlers really fast. Good tech and good industrial productivity allow me to excel in either building or warfare. If I have a large enough piece of land, I just try to build my way to victory. When the AI try to interfere I can usually just stave them off, but when they show up with aircraft I'm ruthlessly efficient at quickly conquering their empire. Like Civ before it (though admittedly better) SMAC is not a good wargame (not even close), and I get my enjoyment out of building.

[Skanderbeg]

I play random factions. In most cases, I start as a builder, except Marr or Miriam were starting on my feet.
In midgame, when I have got the tech lead, there is always someone who pisses me of, and I will go to war and play on hybrid. A good research and industry is the backbone of a strong army.

I avoid to have FM or Wealth SE choices (even with Morgan), because I have always difficulties with these choices. Demo/Green/Knwoledge/Kybernetic is my prefered choice.

When the Aliens are in the game, I like to unite mankind under my leadership and clean planet of the bugs.

And sometimes, I like to brush a faction against the line, and play Yang as a democratic builder or Morgan as a green warmonger.

[cbn]

I am generally a builder but game conditions mean that hybrid style is often the result. I am generally peaceful and just try to build a large productive empire but military might can be used to gain territory by occupying it and ZOC blocking other factions from the area.

Commodore and I are in two MP games with each other and I think it gives each of us some comfort to "know" that the other plays builder style LOL.

[Blake]

I'm almost pure builder, however recentely I've taken to building empath rovers early, because I love creating ecodamage in the early game. I harvest planetpearls to supplement my income.

Otherwise it's all infrastruture. I play hybrid when nessecary, not as an opportunist. If H'minee is my neighbour then I'll crush her with mindworms or impact weapons. However if Aki has the good fortune to start near me I won't change my strategy to turn her into a submissive. That's just isn't right. So I fight for survival not for profit.

Usually my military actions against the AI are for "discipline" purposes. When they have been extra naughty I nerve gas them. If Lal kills my formers I planetbust him as punishment. If you don't hit them HARD they'll never learn!

My preffered factions are anti-green factions (Morgan, Hive, Drones, Ursuper) and I like to play on very arid worlds with abundant life. I've decided I'm a freemarketeer by trade. I liked Green for a while but since switching to slow growth faction's it just doesn't cut it anymore. I actually like -ve planet. More planetpearls for me

[knowhow2]

Build and survive, build and survive, that's my philosophy. I just hate it when drone riot appears because you lack some base fascilities. So what if your neighbour starts being a jerk? Reduce them! Nervegas works sometimes and other times, a transport loaded with marines (seabases) or 2-3 choppers with a mobile rover or something (landbases) works just fine. But don't kill them, you are the good guy (well, I am). Unless I play Miriam, then, hey hey, "lets see, I just built my 36th impact infantry, what should I build now? More impact infantry of cause!"

[Cybergod]

I tend to play Hybrid style with tendency to mutate (or should that be 'hybridate' ) to both builder, during long periods of 'peace', and momentum, when I have a son/daughter of a b**** as moi's neighbour...

My favourite tool is the Probe Equipment and Choppers, so next time you see an enemy probe team coming near you please think of me .

I don't seem to go far with research cos I finish the game too early . I also won with AT ONCE, and that was when I first started SMAC (now playing SMAX - offers more challenge). Oh well, I started a new game with only Transcendence victory on so I'll see how far I go....

[Aginor]

Hardcore Builder, normally. I usually play as Zak or Yang, and have recently perfected a technique for getting the PTS as Yang by 2150 without using up my artifacts (faster if I get some and use them). It's a great trick, and requires only a Nutrient special (and a couple of rainy squares) at one of the first two bases to work. Needless to say, Yang is an insanely good builder if he can get to the PTS. I gun for about 30 bases as either faction, spaced 3 apart. At about that point I should have some decent (read: better than Impact) weapons tech. With over 100 pop fueled by the PTS, I then have the industrial might to smash the neighbors flat, as well as the governorship. This should be set between 2165 and 2185 depending on the start.

If playing on a smaller map I usually will take Zak or Santiago on a Roverrun. That's your classic Impact rush, and as Momentum as you can get. Again, bases three spaces apart whenever possible.