4X Gaming, Perfected

GOG has outdone themselves by bringing this gem to the catalog. I find SMAC to be one of the most addictive, compelling, and complete games I've ever played. Those familiar with 4X turn-based strategy games will feel at home. You build colonies, units, research an exhaustive tech-tree, and kill things. But SMAC stands out for a lot of reasons: -Interesting story that is woven into the free-form gameplay. It is also advanced by voiceovers during each tech breakthrough and Secret Project (wonders), with superb voice acting. You'll really get a feel for the faction leaders and their philosophical differences. -Great environment. Chiron (usually just called "Planet") has native flora and fauna that really make you feel like a crashed ship, desperately trying to survive. The idea of psy combat (rated by morale, not attack and defense) is a nice shake-up of typical turn-based combat. -Fully customizable units. You want an aircraft carrier? Do it. Want a flying APC? Done. You can really mix things up to your heart's content, making games much more than a "tech to the next-level soldier" type of race. The game just exudes quality and depth. Great universe, interesting story, memorable factions, and a good diplomacy system all make this a great, great old game. And I haven't even gone into the great social policy system, victory conditions, or terraforming. But I think you get the idea: this is 4X strategy at its finest.