Favourite SE choice?

[Clear Skies]

If you had to pick just one SE choice, what would it be?
Mine would probably be Eudaimonia. It's always so useful - despite the morale setbacks.
How's about the rest of you?

[bondetamp]

Free Market.

You can't beat the cash.

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-bondetamp
The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
-H. L. Mencken

[JAMiAM]

Green.

With the efficiency benefits, and mindworm trolling, you just can't beat the cash.

[Method]

cybernetic after network backbone, but other than that, police state (i just hate paying for support!)

[Sir Hawkeye]

So many choices...
make that another vote for Green. "I am demon boil! FEAR MY WRATH!!"

[tyler666]

I don't pick just 1 SE choice but i will tell i enjoy running Police state/Green/knowledge I like being able to stomp any nation i please into the mud without drone riots because they know that their mighty leader is a strict totallitarian ,Green is probably the most stable economy ,and what can I say i like leaving the world to munch on my technological dust

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Tyler Messer
"Theres no time to discriminate hate every mother****er thats in your way!"
[This message has been edited by tyler666 (edited May 19, 2001).]

[Solver]

Cybernetic if I had the backbone. Otherwise, Green.

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Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

[Ned]

1. Democratic, Green, Power, Eudaimonia.
2. Democratic, Green, Weath, + GA (Thought Control if available.)

Ned

[Cybergod]

The ones I usually follow in a game:

early/mid game:

Democratic/FM/Wealth or Knowledge, when I get behind in tech

late game (I rarely get there):

Democratic/Green/Knowledge/Cybernetic (gives a WHOOPING +7 EFFIC, and if you're Cyborgs or Gaians, +9!!! This really helps a huge planet-spanning empire)

[knowhow2]

knowledge, always has been always will be.

except when you are the Beliviers.

[Method]

quote: Originally posted by Ned on 05-20-2001 09:42 AM 1. Democratic, Green, Power, Eudaimonia. 2. Democratic, Green, Weath, + GA (Thought Control if available.) Ned

whats GA?

and whilst i'm here and since this is a topic about SE and i don't feel like posting my own topic, do the SMAX factions prefer any SE choices when played by AI as in will they go to war if you pick something they don't like?

and also whilst i'm still here my fav combo SE would be police planned if i'm the hive or if i'm not i'll go frontier planned wealth for early game and then later go police green wealth/knowlege/power (depending on situation wealth if not at war power if at war knowlege if i need techs)

and why is yang the only one who ever does police state? its my favourite politics because when you combine it with the living refinery and ascentic virtues you get almost unlimited support and +3 police and as long as you get childrens creche the efficiency gets eliminated... oh well


[This message has been edited by TKG (edited May 20, 2001).]

[WhiteElephants]

Yang, never suffers from inefficency, no matter what.

And I don't like Police State because it lowers my efficency because I usually don't play Yang. I also don't build a strategy around certain special projects, or combinations there of. That's a dangerous propostition. Drones and support are generally not a problem, so there's no real reason for me to pick it. I guess I just like Demo more.

I went on a short lived Police State/Green kick, but with proper counciling, I weened myself off it (once you start police state it's hard to stop -- no joke).

Sorry. I don't have a favorite, or favorite combo. I think there is a time and place for all SE combinations.

Edit: I almost forgot, GA = Golden Age. It occurs when more then half the bases population are happy citizens. I believe the effects are +1 econ and +2 growth for that base, as well as a higher resistance to probe activity, if I'm not mistaken. This is the only way some SMACX factions can pop boom. Unfortunately, the good folks at Firaxis never corrected the bug that doesn't factor this growth in for SMAC. So, Yang and Morgan can't boom.


[This message has been edited by WhiteElephants (edited May 20, 2001).]

[Ned]

TKG, The reason I like Wealth + Green + GA is that it gives +2 econ, equivalent to Free Market but no negatives other than Morale, +2 Green to permit pod popping, and +1 industry. Thought Control cancels the Morale negatives, making it the best overall choice before Eudaimonia. Ned

[Earwicker]

Demo always. I rarely play as Yang, therefore no Police State (1-1-1 cleancops or enough psych for scattered GA's elminates drone worries).

I love all three of FM, Planned, and Green at different times in the game: Demo/Planned/Wealth is a great growth SE choice. When it's time to expand, then go to Demo/FM or Demo/Green/Wealth/GA for unbeatable cash. During builder periods I settle into Demo/Green/Knowledge to keep the tech flowing.

All of the Future are wonderful for various purposes, although they have less effect on the SP game outcome. Cybernetic (w/ Backbone) helps speed things toward early Transcendence. Eudaimonea is great for continued building and expansion (and I looooooove having Santiago chastise me for my decadence). I occasionally use Thought Control if the Cloning Vats precede The Matrix by too many years.

[Teeks]

[SIZE=1]
I went on a short lived Police State/Green kick, but with proper counciling, I weened myself off it (once you start police state it's hard to stop -- no joke).

Sheesh, I know what you mean.

[Skanderbeg]

Demo, Green, Knowledge, Cybernetic (the last after building the Network Backbone).

And I avoid FM like the Devil avoids Holy Water.

[Daniel Senz]

one of a greatest choices for times of war and times of relatively peace in my opinion are fundy/green/knowledge

thats unbeatable efficience, almost unbeatable money (app. 500+ energy/turn made by mindworm-hunting mindworms at no support costs at turn 100+) and +1 morale for all troops (!), and due to growth i never felt a need after the first 100 turns (when population boom is done withing 5-8 turns @ high psycho rate).
when my industruy can suffer i sometimes tahe power

@ Skanderbeg
FM suxx and its eco-damage is not nice - and green provides more many i think, not to forget the drones...

[Fitz]

Police State/Green/Power is great but has limited use. You must have prepared by building lots of units and growing your bases large, unless you nab the cloning vats. It also requires a small compact empire. But if you meet these circumstances, it is perfect.

When I first started playing, I used it all the time, but now whenever I am on a smallish island, I frequently stop expanding when I fill the island, switched to Demo/Planned to pop boom to max size, all the while cranking out tons of Marine/Transports and Boats. Once I reach the max base size, switch to Police/Green/Power, get rid of the specialists preventing riots (instead using police) and send my boats to capture worms and transports to capture enemy bases.

The benefits are +4 Support (14 free units/max base, each with 2 special abilities), +2 Morale (Elite replacement troops w CC/NY/AC/BC), +2 Planet (Isle of Deeps replace transports quickly), and +2 Police (keep the drones down without maintainance costs).

The dowside without the Vats is -2 Industry and -2 Growth (and 0 efficiency regardless). Industry neccessitates building up the army ahead of time. Growth necessitates growing up the bases ahead of time. Effeciency necessitates keeping a small empire.

I too had to ween myself from ending up in this every game I played, but still use it when the situation seems appropriate.