Writing a review for a sequel is a tough job. Where does one base his opinions? On the game as a standalone product? On the original title? In the case of Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire, we're talking about a 5th generation descendant, which must be some sort of record for games which aren't simply re-hashes of previous titles. Fortunately, SMAX is not a re-hash; it's a decent advancement of the entire storyline.
SMAX returns you to Planet, and expands on the original story in a number of predictable ways as well as adding some surprises. First, there are an additional 5 factions, from the Cybernetic Consciousness (think HAL9000 working through people) and Data Angels (l33t h4x0rs) to the Free Drones (the proletariat of Planet), the Nautilus Pirates (a seafaring gang) and the Cult of Planet (a cross between mystical religious fundamentalists and fanatic ecologists). Each new faction has its advantages and disadvantages as did the originals, but with the new factions Firaxis seems intent on differentiating them more clearly. Each faction offers the player a new series of choices and an chance to 'choose a different path' than they have with games played in SMAC.
Unfortunately, while the original factions seemed extraordinarily well balanced, it does not appear that the new factions were quite so rigorously tested. Possibly they were against each other, as (for example) the Data Angels unique ability to gain anyone's tech (they automatically gain any tech advance held by 3 other players - the equivalent to Planetary Datalinks, a 300-credit Secret Project) appears to be mitigated by the Nautilus Pirates' immunity to attack for the critical early stages of the game (they start with the tech to build ocean cities, as well as formers to exploit the local terrain). But what about the poor original factions? As far as I can tell, none of them have nearly the special advantages the new factions posses, but bear similar handicaps.
The other two factions are the highlight (and the source for the name) of Alien Crossfire. One of the best parts of the original SMAC was the subtle and exciting exploration of Planet - not just the faction vs. faction game that had made Civ2 such a great game, but the under story of the understanding of this alien world. Littered throughout the land were monoliths whose Ancient technology pointed to an original inhabitation of Planet by beings unknown. Well, Goldilocks, they've come home and are wondering - "Who's sleeping in MY bed?"
The alien factions are the critical addition to SMAX. First, they are based extensively on resonance technology (kind of an understanding of the quantum ether) which adds a number of new units and technologies to the game's tree. Additionally, both alien factions are provided with their own comprehensive backstory, motivations, and victory conditions.
The Caretakers have arrived seeking the "Sixth Manifold" (Planet) and want to co-exist in harmony with it. The Usurpers, also seeking the Manifold, pretty much want to treat it as a strip mine - kind of Cthulu-headed 19th-Century Industrialists. The factions are born (we're told) of a generations-old philosophical and religious antipathy, and hate each other more than just about anything in existence.
Which is a good thing, because whereas the humans are pitiful remnants of a semi-failed colonization expedition, the alien factions (know collectively as the Progenitors) are a starfaring race who have only briefly fallen on hard times. Both aliens have the ability of Directed Advancement (meaning they select what they're going to discover next, as opposed to the human factions' stumbling into whatever comes along). This represents the relative ease of their "rediscovering" technologies. This is huge. While they suffer some disadvantages such as a permanent enemy faction (the Progenitors may only be played in twos - they must both be present or they'd be so overwhelming nothing could stand against them) even with their enmity as a counterbalance, they are only credible as an AI opponent. Playing the Usurpers, I had my jack-booted (jack-tentacled?) troops crushing every hint of human resistance and devastating their cities with ease.
Unfortunately, even with their staggering advantages, even the Progenitors are helpless before the player's greatest ally: the AI. As I've stated before, I loved SMAC, but the weakest part of the game was clearly the enemy AI - it would leave the Unity Pods (usually filled with goodies) untouched, freely ignore my incursions, and then overreact to the stupidest thing. Diplomatically, none of the AI factions had much character, nor logic.
Of course, I fully appreciate the conundrum with which Firaxis was faced: once they built a game of great depth with a great storyline and a nuance gameplay, the AI programming became that much more difficult a hurdle. In SMAC, it was ignorable and heck, multiplayer is where it's at anyway. In SMAX it's ALSO something you *can* overlook, but it was disappointing nonetheless. I had really hoped to see the end of 'diplomatic exchanges' like this:
Santiago: "Captain Soleborn, you have been keeping data from me, I demand that you transmit the secret to Flexibility Doctrine immediately!"
me: "Could you give me 75 credits to cover my expenses?"
Santiago: "Very well then Soleborn, our agreement is at an end! I remind you that friendship is a two way street! Santiago out."
WHAT? This was an ally of more than 20 turns, with whom I had cooperated in smashing her greatest enemy. So she turns on me for not coughing up the tech on demand?
Furthermore, the alien factions are tossed into the diplomatic engine, with little regard for their alleged hatred of each other. In the 3 games I played as humans, in each case I would be fighting the Caretakers or the Usurpers, and the other would refuse me any sort of alliance. Why? If their sole goal is the eradication of the other, what's up with that?
Sadly, in SMAC, cd-spawning was possible (multiplayer games may be played without the cd in the drive), apparently this is not the case currently with SMAX.
Gripes aside, the end result is that SMAX is a fundamentally good game. It's an evolutionary half-step from SMAC, and is priced to recognize this. It's fun to play, and offers a few new surprises for even the jaded SMAC fan. But I can't help but look at SMAX as a consumer must. Personally, I loved SMAC - I thought the depth and immersiveness of the game made it a worthy successor to Civ2, definitely NOT an easy task. Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire is itself a well-written addition to a great game, but in the end doesn't have much of a spark of its own.
