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Civilization & Alpha Centauri -- do you play to the end?

WhipperSnapper

WhipperSnapper

Lifer

I'm a fan of Alpha Centauri (don't have Civ 4) but the games never hold my interest to the end. I get to the point where I'm certain that I could win and then it's no longer interesting, so I end up playing only 2/3 of the way through a game.

Does anyone else have that problem? Do people have that problem with Civ 4 too?
 
Originally posted by: PsharkJF
university ftw
Click to expand...

QFT++

Yes, I always play to the end. In fact, I always play with one victory condition, building the that transcendence wonder. I turtle on my continent, eliminating any other races, then tech up until I get all the techs, then unleach hell with my drop pod infantry and choppers. I then conquer all but 1-2 cities, leaving them so I can build up all my captured cities to be perfect.

Then I build the last wonder to win. 😀
 
In SMAC, I've won through every victory condition, except conquest. Gets to be too much of a hassle to invade neighbors after a while. I just buy them off. The ones hostile to me usually die though. Since I alway splay as University, the Human Hive, Lords Believers, and Gaians usually are destroyed. Morgan and Brother Lal are usually with me to the end. The Spartans were usually neutral to me, as I recall though. It was hit or miss whether I'd invade them.

I usually play Civ4 to the end too, though I prefer the space shift victory. I always run out of time for conquest victory.
 
I have more of a problem where I quit in the first 1/3rd of the game because I have a bad feeling I'm going to lose. Few things are as fun as stockpiling a hundred nukes and destroying every last enemy colony in one turn. 😀
 
Originally posted by: HamburgerBoy
I have more of a problem where I quit in the first 1/3rd of the game because I have a bad feeling I'm going to lose. Few things are as fun as stockpiling a hundred nukes and destroying every last enemy colony in one turn. 😀
Click to expand...

SMAC was better. Those planet busters changed the landscape.
 
Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper

I'm a fan of Alpha Centauri (don't have Civ 4) but the games never hold my interest to the end. I get to the point where I'm certain that I could win and then it's no longer interesting, so I end up playing only 2/3 of the way through a game.

Does anyone else have that problem? Do people have that problem with Civ 4 too?
Click to expand...

Haha, I do that too. I love it when I am challenged, but once it's certain I will win, I just lose interest and end up starting a new game.
 
AC was amazing. I always played to the end, because the little interludes always captured my attention. All of a sudden, you were no longer just fighting your enemies- you were fighting an entire planet. The way the story develops is also pretty nice, especially the first time through.

I always used to play University. I always conquered my neighbors fairly quickly and got them to sign pacts of brotherhood, and then used that advantage to expand my empire.

If there was someone I wanted to get rid of without declaring vendetta, there's always the tried and true tactic of moving forces right next to their base during a comm blackout.
 
Originally posted by: Whitecloak
SMAC was better. Those planet busters changed the landscape.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, I forgot that what they were called. Civilization 2 is the only Civ game I play, and Alpha Centauri still beats it by a long shot. CEO Nwabudike Morgan has always been my favorite. After making Lady Deidre and Colonel Santiago my bitches and killing off the Hive (hippies, commies, and fascists don't care much for unregulated capitalism) it's planet busting time.
 
Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper

I'm a fan of Alpha Centauri (don't have Civ 4) but the games never hold my interest to the end. I get to the point where I'm certain that I could win and then it's no longer interesting, so I end up playing only 2/3 of the way through a game.

Does anyone else have that problem? Do people have that problem with Civ 4 too?
Click to expand...

A lot of games will give you the victory at the point you're certain to win.

I dunno about AC and Civ 4, but many will elect you leader or have civs start surrending to you when you get to powerful.
They also usually offer some kind of tech victory or other shortcut as a quick way to win once you're powerful enough if the wars you'd fight to win would be too long and protracted.
 
Although I usually favor the University, I've recently begun experimentation with the Gaians. Native lifeforms are extremely powerful, and the bonuses offered to Deidre make early capture likely.

I usually turn off Diplomatic, Space, and Economic victories. Those tend to be achieved as a side effect of pursuing the 'real' victories, such as conquest.
 
In just about all strategy games for me it's the same thing: I play until either the computer defeats me or I get too powerful. When I get too powerful the game becomes boring and easy plus by becoming most powerful there's all this overhead with managing so many units and a large empire that it becomes a chore instead of a game. For me it's all about building up and becoming powerful where I derive my enjoyment in strategy games
 
I normally play as either the Drones (Alien Crossfire expansion) or the Spartans. I want the University (+2 Research) and the Cybernetic Consciousness (+2 Research, +1 Efficiency, -1 Growth) around so that some of my enemies have good technology. I also think the AI is better for the Hive, the Gaians, the Peacekeepers, and the Data Angels (do well tech-wise), so I want them around. The Nautillus Pirates spread out about the planet but I can't stand ocean bases so I normally don't play with them.

My games look like this:

Hive
University
Peacekeepers
Gaians
Data Angels
Consciousness
(My pick--Drones, Spartans. If I'm playing at Transcend might go with the Consciousness.)

The Drones have +2 Indus and -2 Research, so they're impotent computer opponents (no tech) and by playing them you won't run off with the Techs and often find yourself frustrated because you have to wait until new weapons, unit types, and city improvements come available to you (-2 Research). The Spartans aren't all that special and won't run off with the techs either (+2 Morale, +1 Police, -1 Indus) and they make for impotent computer opponents (no tech). The Spartans might be more challenging to play than the Drones (that +2 Indus can be used to build lots of research enhancements).

For those of you who don't have the Alien Crossfire expansion, you can find it (free download) here:

http://www.the-underdogs.info/game.php?id=4135

(I think it's considered to be "abandonware".)

I wish these guys would make an Alpha Centauri 2, but I don't see it happening unless they can figure out a way to make it for consoles...but console players don't play strategy games.


 
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