What is it?

Alpha Centauri is a new planetary exploration game by Sid Meier and Brain Reynolds (the makers of Civilization II) produced by Firaxis. It combines the same feel and gameplay as Civilization II but adds a completely revamped interface, as well as expanded diplomacy, government, discovery, and unit design options. It is published by Electronic Arts and came out on February 10, 1999. There is a demo available.

What is it not?

Alpha Centuari is not the sequel to Civilization II. As a matter of fact, the publishers, Firaxis, go to great lengths to dis-associate Alpha Centauri from Civilization II. Alpha Centauri is still turn-based, and it has a similar layout and gameplay. Players of Civilization II will feel right at home. However, Alpha Centauri has many fundamental differences which add much to the experience and the game itself.

Why is it so great?

First of all, the diplomacy options are completely revamped. The computer opponents now act much more realistically, saying specific quotes for each faction instead of having the same text for everybody. There are many more options in diplomacy, including asking other factions to cede control of one of their bases. Opponents can now surrender to you, in which they give you all their gold and technology, as well as signing a pact of brotherhood (alliance). Speaking of alliances, Alpha Centauri lets allies enter each others' bases, stack together and share all research if they have a Pact of Brotherhood.

The interface is also completely reamped. On the bottom of the screen, there is a status bar that shows information about the unit selected, the year, and other game info. On the map, what a city is producing is written below the city name, so you don't have to click into a dozen screens to find out which city is building a certain unit or building.

One very important new feature is the ability to design custom units. Instead of, for example, Bronze Working giving you a phalanx, Industrial Base gives you synthmetal shields, which have a defense value of 2. Then you can combine that with, say, an infantry chassis (movement 1) and a high attack weapon (such as praticle impactors or missle launchers). Or, you could give it no armor (defense 1), a speeder chassis (movement 2), and hand guns (attack 1) and you have an explorer. The possibilities are endless. The nice part is that a colony pod (build bases) or a former module (build roads, mines, etc.) are just regular parts of the vehicle, so you can build, for example, a colony pod with a speeder chassis or a former with high defense for dangerous areas. Also, you can mount a colony module on a foil (sea) chassis and build bases in the ocean.

The graphics in Alpha Centauri are very, very, impressive. The terrain now has more variation, and it also has altitude, which is a vast improvement over the "hills" and "mountains" terrain in Civilization II. The climatic model is much more realistic and adds challenges and interest to the game. For example, mountains alter rainfall, which in turn changes the amount of food produced in a square. You could use Formers to raise or lower the terrain near an opponent's city, adding a whole new level of strategy to the game.

A feature that is a major improvement over Civilization II is the idea of Social Engineering. Instead of just picking a government, you pick styles of Politics, Economics, Values and Future Society. Future Society is the possible societies that do not exist today but could in the near or far future. For a detailed explanation of all of the social engineering, see the Reference page.

Firaxis about Alpha centauri:

"Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (SMAC) is a turn-based game of exploration, discovery, empire-building and conquest, set on an alien planet in the early 22nd century.

Rich Sci-Fi Storyline
Experience the future of history in the 22nd century as you chart the fate of humanity on a mysterious alien world.

Seven Unique Factions

Play as one of seven factions, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, from the warlike Spartan Federation to the ecologically-conscious Gaia's Stepdaughters to the profit-hungry Morgan Conglomerate.

Multiple Paths to Victory
Conquer the Planet through military might or lead your people to the next level of human evolution.

Addictive Gameplay
Get hooked into Sid Meier's famous "just-one-more-turn" gameplay. Every turn brings a new decision--and new consequences.

Design custom units to meet your empire’s needs.
Produce a mixture of land, sea and air units with multiple layers of armor, power, weapons and dozens of special abilities, such as Blink Displacer or Comm Jammers.

Change the surface of Planet itself with Terraformer units. Alter the path of rivers to create fertile croplands and raise or lower the altitude of the land to change wind and weather patterns, making the climate more suitable for you or more harsh for your opponents.

Automate the management of your empire with extensive and customizable commands, including several levels of auto-build and terraform commands, intuitive ‘go-to’ commands with waypoints, unit patrol orders, and intelligent colony governors.

Discover
Follow multiple pathways to victory using a diverse and compelling future-tech tree. Every technology creates new decisions and opportunities…do I research Singularity Lasers to decimate my enemy on the battlefield, a computer virus to infiltrate enemy data networks, or a new medical technology for a thriving population?

Discover, adopt and customize new societies and economic models. Base your society’s progress on the knowledge of your scientists, the discipline and morale of your military, or the hoarding of energy and power.

Learn from and contend with Planet’s strange indigenous life forms, from the troublesome Xenofungus to the deadly Mind Worms. Research the mysteries of Planet and then battle your enemies using all new psi combat.

Explore
Lead one of seven factions to victory on a strange and hostile world. Learn the secrets of Planet to reach your ultimate goal -- a thriving society, environmental harmony, or the destruction of your enemies.

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri features a unique fractal based terrain generator and true 3D contoured terrain. Each game features a new, randomly generated environment for endless replayability.

Conquer
Follow multiple pathways to victory in the ever-changing conditions of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. Win through destroying enemy factions or harmonizing with Planet to reach the Ascent to Transcendence, the next step in the evolution of humanity.

Play against the computer or against your friends with full multiplayer support. Race to dominate the world over LAN, modem, internet or serial connection. Form alliances, make deals, and betray your friends in the battle over the fate of a distant world.

What it is

What it is not

Why it is so great

Firaxis about SMAC






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