The future for SMAC/X?

Closey · March 20, 2001, 11:52

Anyone think there'll be more oficial patches/updates/addons for SMAC/X? Or do you think Firaxis has completely left that game behind now that they're working at Civ3? Anyone tried asking them about it? Sure, Civ3 will probably be great, but I don't think I'll stop playin SMAX tho, so I'm hoping that they'll make us something more in the future..

Just wait and see, I guess..

mark13 · March 20, 2001, 14:50

There hasn't been a new patch in well over a year now, and my optimism faded a long time ago. Having said that, I think there is certainly a future for the MP sphere, as this remains one of the most enthralling strategy games ever. Even though Civ3 will be a massive success, I can't see the SMAC MP circle dying just yet....

Maniac · March 20, 2001, 15:41

Indeed. Certainly when remembering a game can take over a year to complete...

Christantine The Great · March 20, 2001, 21:51

If CivIII is good then I'm going to retire from SMAC. Unless there is a SMAC II...

mark13 · March 21, 2001, 09:25

That's a very brave thing to say, CtG....

buster · March 21, 2001, 12:40

Firaxis official policy seems to be "it's good enough and were too busy with Civ3".

There has been a mail from Jeffrey Morris saying next patch was done - no specifics on what it handled and then shortly after another from the public relations dept saying no more patches coming. It is hard to beleive JeffreyM would just say something like that if it was not true.

My guess is that they did make a bunch of further corrections, but then ran into the staff problem (Brian and the others leaving)which meant they had to make some hard decisions as they are now fewer and the ones who knows the code best are no longer there.

With the people they have now cannot do both Dino and Civ3 and Dino is not really working out while Civ3 is a rather safe bet.

Getting back onto SMAC is now much more complicated as probly only a few people (if any) knows the code really well and they are now the same people who have to get the Civ3 project moving as the people planned to do civ3 originally were probably pretty much the SMAC team.

Solution: They drop Dino, put the Dino team onto Civ3 and everyone who was on SMAC is now busy helping the Dino guys get into that subject, while trying to get it to move on. SMAC they just don't want to hear more about -so we adopt the official line "no more corrections are coming - finito".
"After all it is a great game and for the 5-8$ people pay these days they get great value."

There are undoubtedly some contractual obligations to meet and not much more income till the next seller arrives. SMAC maintenance at this point is viewed aa a largely unproductive distraction.

What one can hope is the following:

a) As they get into Civ3 some of their new staff probably will have to take the time to go through the old code making up Civ and SMAC meaning it will be less of a task to complete / issue the patch. (Thinking that there is not going to be a whole lot of reused code is naive).

b) A bug serious enough to give them a bad name if not corrected emerges.

My hope is the P4 problem will trigger this and that once they realize they do need to divert some resources for a bug fix and when anyway having to do this decide to do a proper job of it. Why I hope this, is that this is a bug even marketing people can understand. It is there, it is obvious, it will give trouble and a bad name if not solved. It is not a complaint of a few nerdy enthusiasts who will probably buy Civ3 anyway.

c) In combination with above some marketing strategist deciding that an integral part of the promotion for civ3 will be some campaign based on SMAC to enlargen the fan base before release. Making continuation of SMAC a part of the campaign for creating interest in Civ3.

So though this all guesswork it leaves a situation where at worst nothing happens and at best we get a patch enabling SMAC to run on P4s and at the same time fixing the things already done but not issued plus a few more points that are easily correctible from the programmers point of view.

In my point of view it will be a serious mistake, also financially, on their part not to keep selling SMAC for just about nothing. It is the best way to create anticipation about civ3 and to get the customer base as large as possible. It is a way better promotion peace than any slogan, poster or T-shirt.

It will however be hard for them to keep selling it when it is not running on p4s. Either they will need to put on a label - requires p3 or older (not good PR), stop selling (stupid waste of potential civ3 customers and after all some income too) or to get a patch out.

Lets hope they have some sense, decide to fix it so it will run on new machines and when having to bite the sour apple anyway decide they may well put just a bit more into it and do a somewhat proper job of correcting remaining errors.

Of course what one can fear is that they release some patch, fix or workaround that handles the p4 bug and nothing else. If that happens you can be assured that is the last patch you will see for SMAC.
[This message has been edited by buster (edited March 21, 2001).]

Cybergod · March 21, 2001, 14:21

Hey! Even the EA Support web page has errors/bugs on it

. That is so... *sigh to try to relax* I'm working on a file of some interesting ideas about a so called SMAC 2 although it won't be bsed around AC system or Planet.

Christantine The Great · March 21, 2001, 19:50

quote:

Originally posted by mark13 on 03-21-2001 08:25 AM
That's a very brave thing to say, CtG....

I'm sure the games will be done by then...

RedFred · March 22, 2001, 17:29

MY 2010

RedFred wanders into EB. Stuck with an obsolete computer bought in the previous millenium which can't handle the new operating systems, he browses around the store looking for a game that is set up for Windows 13.13.

"Hard to find any Microsoft compatible games since the last class action lawsuit bankrupted them. Ahh...here is one. SMAC2. Didn't realise that Firaxis was still around. This brings back some real memories. The magnificent concept. The endless replayability. The wonderful online community.", he thinks fondly remembering SMAC and SMACX. "The bugs." he thinks, not so fondly remembering the evil Firaxian programmers.

"Lessee. $200 US. 400 Euros. 200,000 Mexican Mega Pesos. 200,000,000 Celene Dions. With so many countries returning to the gold standard it makes you wonder if the poutine standard was such a good idea. Ah, here it is, $2,000 Canadian. Not a bad price. And all kinds of good claims." he thinks, pulling it off the shelf and examining the box.

"SMAC2. The game that is limited only by your imagination. Not satisfied with the 14 original factions? 100% User definable factions. Tired of that fungus-ridden planet? 100% User definable worlds. Need more firepower? You will now be able to design new types of weaponry and special abilities to add to the design workshop. Is the tech tree too large or just not to your liking? 100% user definable tech tree. Not satisfied with your diplomatic options? We will actually allow you to add new ones. Due to overwhelming demand we will even open the game's code to fans. AND BEST OF ALL...WE GUARANTEE THAT OUR FIRAXIS PROGRAMMERS HAVE CREATED NO SERIOUS BUGS!!! SID MEIER'S ALPHA CENTAURI II - THE GAME YOU WON'T BELIEVE!!!", Red reads.

"Seems like I can't go wrong" he thinks, taking the box over to the retina cred scanner.

[Later that evening]

"Time to fire up the old PC and see what this game can do" Red thinks, opening the SMAC2 box. "Hey! there is nothing inside. Must be one of those factory mistakes. Wait a minute! Here is a piece of paper."

"Hello masochist!", he reads, "And thank you for purchasing another fine Firaxian product. In the old days, software companies tried to make their games run reasonably well before shipping. After the rise of the internet this was no longer necessary as companies could patch games after the fact. With the release of the groundbreaking SMAC/SMACX we discovered that it was no longer necessary to patch new games properly. This way the fans had more to talk about. SMAC II takes this whole concept a whole lot further. We no longer believe that any programming at all is needed. The fans of SMAC can design and program your own game! Any bugs will be your own fault! We have set up a special website so that members of the gaming community can decide amongst themselves how to divvy up the programming job. Our progammers and executives will stop by often. NO! Not for helpful programming advice. With SMAC and SMACX, we sort of enjoyed hurling abuse at our customers, so that will again be our task at the new forum/website. SMAC 2 - The game where the only mistakes are your own!!!
[This message has been edited by RedFred (edited March 22, 2001).]

Closey · March 22, 2001, 17:54

Hehehehe.. good one!

Hope the folks at Firaxis isn't reading ang getting inspired tho..

knowhow2 · March 22, 2001, 20:44

quote:

Originally posted by RedFred on 03-22-2001 04:29 PM
MY 2010

.......

SMAC 2 - The game where the only mistakes are your own!!!
[This message has been edited by RedFred (edited March 22, 2001).]

Killjoy · March 22, 2001, 22:28

quote:

Originally posted by RedFred on 03-22-2001 04:29 PM
SMAC 2 - The game where the only mistakes are your own!!![/b]
[This message has been edited by RedFred (edited March 22, 2001).]

Waaaay to close to being a possibility!

Cybergod · March 23, 2001, 14:39

OK guys, I'm creating a big file on a so-called SMAC2. I won't give much away so I'd like you to tell me what needs improvement in SMAC/X? Please include:

AI
Scen Editor
Gameplay
Graphics
MP
Anything else that springs to mind...

Christantine The Great · March 23, 2001, 16:28

:lol @ RedFred.

Purple · March 23, 2001, 17:51

SMAC was designed at a time when Sid temporarily lost the Civ franchise to CtP. Now that the franchise is back where it belongs, there's not a huge motivation to work on SMACX II, much less patches. Even without more patches the game holds up incredibly well two years after release, and I would imagine there's a large user base. There will probably be a massive shift to Civ III when it comes out, but I for one would buy another tbs sf game designed by Sid et al. in a NY minute if one ever materializes. It wouldn't have to be Alpha Centauri, though. I don't feel loyalty to that particular star system.

Cybergod · March 23, 2001, 18:39

The ideas I'm preparing are not based around the AC system.

Provost Harrison · March 23, 2001, 20:05

I, personally, am not confident in seeing another patch or anything else to do with SMAC out of Firaxis. It is us lot who would keep it alive. Seem quite a shame, just to be forgotten like this in some geeky corner of the internet