Planetfall: The Alpha Centauri Multiplayer Thread

[Elektro]

A number of people who have said they are interested in trying to get some multiplayer Alpha Centauri games going. I've made this thread for interested players to come together and set something up.

General Information
Alpha Centauri (SMAC) is a turn-based strategy game that is set in a future where humanity has been forced to leave Earth and start anew on Planet in the Alpha Centauri system. As a faction leader, you will guide your people to dominance, whether through military, political, economic, or technological means. The game is also renowned for its near-infinite customability through its unit workshop and social engineering aspects.

Multiplayer in SMAC
SMAC supports Internet (TCP/IP) connections for multiplayer. Turns can be played with a time limit or unlimited. Difficulty can be handicapped between players to allow for a fair and enjoyable game. Also, games can be saved and resumed, which allows increased flexibility in player schedules.

Please post below if you are interested. My example is below with a general template you all can use if you'd like.

Name: elektro
Games owned: SMAC and SMAX
Preferred Schedule: I am available during the weekends and the evenings
Timezone: GMT -7
Experience: I've played both SMAC and SMAX lots of times to completion. Best result was 471% (Morganites, Transcendence victory, Transcend difficulty, huge map of Planet).
Other Facts: My favorite factions are the Spartans, Morgans, and Peacekeepers.

[NEO|Phyte]

Name: NEO|Phyte
Games owned: SMAC and SMAX
Preferred Schedule: Varies, evenings are generally open
Timezone: GMT -6
Experience: I'll admit to having not tried out most of the factions, but is it my fault that some of them are simply that much more interesting to play as? (For the most part, if my faction doesn't come with a boost to my Planet rating, I'm the Pirates. Yarrr.) As for victories, I've done Transcendent, Conquest, and Diplomatic, thus far, I haven't tried/considered Economic.

[GolemsVoice]

Name: GolemsVoice
Games owned: Just the original ALpha Centauri (can I still join a game with someone running the Expansion?)
Preferred schedule: Evenings, weekends
Timezone: GMT +1
Experience: Played it again and again on the easiest setting, but I'm not actually a very tough player, I'll admit.

[Captain van der Decken]

Name: <--
Games owned: SMAC, but I hasten to point out you can get the expansion as abandonware
Preferred Schedule: Weekends
Timezone: GMT (I get the feeling this might be a problem)
Experience: I'm passable, but not that great. I've played all the factions and got all the victories, at any rate. Not with each faction, that is.
Other stuff: If I play University (which I'd prefer), don't hurt me, I'll give you tech. :smalltongue:

[Winterwind]

Name: Winterwind
Games owned: SMAC
Preferred Schedule: Mostly whenever, if it does not collide with the GitP StarCraft and WarCraft group. Which is quite likely to be a major problem, considering the weekend-preferences of most people here.
Timezone: GMT +1
Experience: Rather minor; unlike in most other games, in Civilisation-type games I tend to play somewhat perfectionistic, and abuse the save/load-function quite a bit. Have gotten each victory, albeit not with every faction. Have played Alpha Centauri multiplayer once and was even doing rather well, so frankly, I have no idea how good I am.
Other Facts: Favourite factions are Gaians and University.

[dean w stick]

Name Dean W stick
Games Owned SMAC and SMAX
Preferred Schedule Weekends or evenings
Timezone GMT -8
Experience I've played on the easiest and second to easiest setting and gotten most victories but economic which I've never bothered to try for. Also I almost never play a faction that isn't the University. I'm not that good.

[Driderman]

Name: Driderman

Games owned: SMAC and hopefully soon SMAX

Preferred Schedule: Weekends or wednesdays

Timezone: GMT+1

Experience: Been a long time since I played, but I've completed it on highest or next-highest difficulty with military and diplomatic victory. I probably suck now.

Other: I probably don't have the time to play. I wish I did, but probably not. Still, I'd be willing to try and have a go

[Captain van der Decken]

So if we want to do this, when? This weekend? Next?

[dean w stick]

I'd be up for a game this weekend if some more people want to play.

[Driderman]

Not me I'm afraid, busy busy

[Winterwind]

I have no time this weekend either; if you should play, have fun, all of you. :smallsmile:

[GolemsVoice]

Uh, have I missed the game already? If I did, it would be a pity. I just finished downloading Alien Crossfire. Jugdement: cool.

[NEO|Phyte]

there was a minor, 'hey does this work' type game yesterday, between me and Deleran. Mainly because at the time, Decken didn't have the expansion yet.

Due to plans to go gaming IRL today, I probably won't be SMACing today.

[Captain van der Decken]

I downloaded it pretty soon after, though. Someone plaaaaay!

Or we could always wait 'till next week.

[LordVader]

Name: LordVader
Games owned: SMAC and SMAX
Preferred Schedule: Weekends is nice, but I probably won't be able to play too often
Timezone: GMT-6 (or EST)
Experience: I believe myself to be pretty bad. I've played games as many different factions, on easy, but have never had time to make it to late-game tech, although I'm currently working on that with the Pirates.
Other Facts: Favorite SMAC faction: Tied between the University and the Spartans.
Favorite SMAX Faction: Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum, it's the Nautilus Pirates!

[Abardam]

Just putting this out there, because of the chance that someone is near my timezone (or, you know, awake when I am).

Name: Abardam
Games owned: SMAC and SMAX
Preferred Schedule: Weekends (About 12pm up to 4pm GMT)
Timezone: GMT+8 (I know right)
Experience: I've gotten Conquest with both Spartans and University, and Trancendent with University. That was quite some time ago, though. And I haven't done the harder difficulties. And I'm really, really new to the new factions.
Other Facts: Favorite quote: That Morgan one about gravity; Least liked faction: Tied between Hive and Believers

[Timberwolf]

I might be up for this because it looks like my kind of game.

However, how easy is it to learn ? I tried Civ 3 and, because the only way to get it these days is on budget, the manual wasn't on the disc and I gave up in disgust. Will I have the same problem ?

[Winterwind]

I can't say how it compares to Civ 3, never having played that; did you ever play Civ 2? If so, you should not have any problems.

I can't really say how easy or difficult it is to learn, having played Civilisation games for so long I forgot the beginnings of it; but I think in the worst case, we could just teach you. :smallwink:

[Timberwolf]

It may come to that, I never played Civ 2.

Ah well, if worst comes to the worst, I can always reinstall Teamsqueak and find my microphone and people can then tell me what to do.

[NEO|Phyte]

why would we need teamsqueak, SMAC has built-in voice chat. Just hold down "\" and start yakking.

[Timberwolf]

Heh, you see, if I'd ever played it before, I'd have known that. :smallbiggrin:

I may very well give this a go then.

[Winterwind]

What also just occured to me, Alpha Centauri has an in-built "tour" which explains all the game concepts, the interface and what not. It's pretty good and comprehensive actually.

[Timberwolf]

Aha ! Ye olde tutoriale mode. Fantastic. That'll do nicely. Guess I know what I'm playing over Christmas.

[Winterwind]

Aha ! Ye olde tutoriale mode. Fantastic. That'll do nicely. Guess I know what I'm playing over Christmas.Just checked it - it has in fact both tutorial missions and a tutorial tour which you can start in any game, and which explains, step by step, every single button and function of every screen/interface and the other game concepts.
It also has an in-built encyclopaedia, which contains all game concepts as well (this one is more for looking stuff up, not so much for an introduction, since the information on all subjects is just alphabetic, instead of in any pedagogically sensible order, but that's fine, you already have the tour and the tutorial missions for that after all).
So, I think getting a grasp of that game should not be a difficult endeavour. :smallwink:


why would we need teamsqueak, SMAC has built-in voice chat. Just hold down "\" and start yakking.I wonder what that is in the German version. "\" would be rather impractical, since that's not accessible with a single key strike on the German keyboard layout. Oh, well, worst come to worst, I can just switch to the English layout, I'm fluent with both. :smallbiggrin:

[Timberwolf]

Good good, if Civ 3 has a tutorial, it's really well hidden or so useless I never realised I was playing it. Just clicked on the order button, hopefully I'll get it before Christmas.

[legion_prime]

Name: Legion Prime
Games owned: SMAC and SMAC-X (Prefer to play SMAC-X)
Preferred Schedule: Weekends and evenings
Timezone: GMT
Experience: Lower intermediate, I have difficulty winning on transcend difficulty but can usually pull off a cheeky win.
Other Facts: I'm happy to play via e-mail as well as directplay. Favourite factions are Spartans or Gaians, but I'm also happy to play as Usurpers or University.

[Mando Knight]

Dead thread is dead. Please make a new one instead.