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Alpha Centauri is a turn-based strategy 4X computer game created by Brian Reynolds and Sid Meier under the auspices of Firaxis Games. It is based on a hypothetical attempt by human beings to colonize a planet in the Alpha Centauri star system. It picks up where the games Sid Meier's Civilization I & II left off.
According to the storyline of the game, the Earth has destroyed itself through war, disease, famine, and other catastropheCatastrophe is a disaster on a much bigger scale, destroying most or all means to fight it, including the extinction of whole societies. In the field of sociology it is defined as social change of an outstanding radical and rapid character, with highly mas. The United NationsFlag of the United Nations The United Nations or UN is an international organization made up of states. Almost all countries are members. It was established in San Francisco on October 24, 1945, following the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in Washington, DC, b manages to launch a colonization starshipThis article is about the vehicle for interstellar travel. Starship was also a mid- 1980s name for a follow-on to the band Jefferson Airplane. There is also an aircraft known as the Beechcraft Starship . A starship is a spaceship designed for interstellar, the Unity, to Alpha Centauri, where an Earth-like planet, Chiron (often just called "Planet"), has been discovered; it is hoped that these best and brightest of mankind can build a perfect civilization there.
As the Unity approaches Alpha Centauri, a malfunction occurs, awaking the top officers from suspended animation. During the crew's attempt to repair the damage, the commander, Captain Garland, is assassinated. Due to the critical damage of the Unity, the ship's seven top officerAny holder of an office or of a post may bear the title officer . Generally, the word officer implies a rank, and degree of decision-making responsibility, higher rather than lower in a chain of command and reporting. However, in some organizations that us each, together with likeminded crewmembers, lays claim to an escape pod and lands on Chiron. These seven, often-at-odds personalities, then begin to build a societyA society is a group of people that form a semi-closed (or semi-open) system, in which most interactions are with other individuals belonging to the group. More abstractly, a society is a network of relationships between entities. A society is an interdep in their own likeness, and thus, factionA faction is a group of people usually connected by a shared belief of opinion that is part of a larger group. In politics, this may refer to any of the several political parties within a country. With any individual party, there may be factions that holdalism and war return.
Within the game, the player assumes the role of one of the seven factionA political faction is a grouping of individuals within a political organisation, such as a political party, a trade union, or other group with some kind of political purpose (referred to in this article as the “broader organisation”). It may also be refe leaders and attempts to expand their colony and achieve victory. Players engage themselves in a race against the other factions, and are free to adopt any number of strategies in pursuit of their goal. Scientific discoveries within the game determine what technologies are available to particular factions, which in turn determines what facilities and units they can build at their colony bases. Unlike previous games in the same vein, the game allows the player to fully customize units.
A unit is made up from different parts such as chassis, weapon and special ability slots, and as new technologies become available, old designs may be brought up to date and existing units upgraded. Faction elements are represented on a two-dimensional map, upon which bases and units may be placed. Terrain can decide the amount of resources a base harvests from a square, or factors affecting combat; defending units for example receive a +50% bonus in rocky squares, which rocky squares themselves are prime for building mines to yield three minerals or more, depending on a variety of factors. Terrain can be enhanced by units with a tool called a terraformerMichael Carroll) Terraforming (literally, "Earth-shaping") is the process of modifying a planet, moon or other body to a more habitable atmosphere, temperature or ecology. It is a type of planetary engineering. The term is sometimes used very broadly as a, which itself, in order to be used, have prerequisite technology. Each action takes a required turn. It then has to be passed to be able to continue.
Confounding the competition among the human factions is an indigenous semi-sentient fungus (called xenofungus) that spans the planet, and is also competing for resources. In accordance with its semi-sentience, the fungus reacts to the moves of the player, making it an important consideration later in a game session.
Also, while not unique in this regard, Alpha Centauri is an unusual civilization-building game because it is open-ended and the parameters for victory can be set by the player; the player can choose to work toward a victory based on diplomacy, economics, conquest, or transcendence.
Generally, save for exceptions, only friendly units can be found within the same square. Enemy units must be eliminated in order to move into them. Bases can be built and captured, as well as destroyed (either intentionally or through war casualties, or methods like starvation). Bases can be said to be center of game: a base collects resources from the surrounding environment, usually enhanced by terraforming to a player's advantage, using the manpower of each worker, or mechanically (but more restricted) through crawlers. Mineral resources are used in building units and their upkeep, or they can be converted to energy credits. Energy collected, for example through rivers or boreholes or solar collectors, are piped into three priorities: PSYCH, ECONOMY and LABS. PSYCH represents how much energy is being used into improving the living standard of the inhabitants. ECONOMY represents how much energy is diverted into energy credits. LABS represents how much energy is being diverted into powering research. The output of all three can be enhanced by facilities or by special inhabitants called specialists. Energy credits are the currency of the game, which can be used into hurrying things in production, thus they are completed earlier. They are also can be used to replace even other forms of energy such as PSYCH or LABS: one can use it to cover for budget deficits, freeing the energy output to somewhere else. Energy can be lost through inefficiency. Nutrients are used in growth, to feed and reproduce new citizens.
Citizens are the inhabitants of a base. One citizen represents 10,000 inhabitants. It takes one citizen to work one square, and get the resources of it. New citizens are produced when a base has enough nutrients to procreate a new one: the cost of producing a new one increases when there are more citizens at a base, encouraging expansion. A base will take time to accumulate nutrients to fill the required amount. If a base has low amounts of nutrient output, it will thus grow slowly. Factors from social engineering or facilities can help reduce the required amount, thus bases grow more quickly. Bases can also build colony pods, which can be used to build new bases. Thus a faction expands. Depending on how costly or advanced a unit is, it will take a certain amount of minerals (the more complex, the higher cost) to produce that unit. A base will accumulate minerals it gets per turn, adding it to the required amount. When it fills the amount, the unit is created. This can be hurried, bypassing some of the minerals needed, saving time. Technology is also expressed in similar cost. LABS output is accumulated, until it fulfils a required energy cost to research the technology. All of this is flexibly enhanced by facilities and other factors.
Facilities, which are analogous to the buildings of the original Civilization games, can be built, which usually impacts the effects of the base itself alone: for example, it will enhance the resource output collected, or how well LABS energy is translated into research, or concerning growth or efficiency, or humanitarian facilities which can reduce dissent and thus drones. Secret Projects, analogous to the Great Wonders of the original Civilization games, can also be built. They are expensive to build, but have radical impact on the game, ranging from free facilities to social engineering effects, as well as concerning unit abilities or actions. They are basically a superior form of a facility: however, they can only be built once in the entire game, by one faction. If they are destroyed, they are gone forever. However, if the base they reside in gets captured, control of the Secret Project can be transferred to the attacker.
A major feature of probably why many people like it is that gameplay heavily emphasises human nature and the instrinsic reason why humanity's flaws still remained even after migrating to another Planet. For example, drones represent elements of human discontent and dissent, plagued by insensitivity by the faction leaders who might have ignored their populace's well being in their attempt to gain control of Planet. When the number of drones overwhelm the number of educated citizens called Talents, a drone riot occurs, upon which activities like building and energy-harvesting are suspended, save for the critical activity of eating. If not stopped, will eventually gain in stature to become more violent in the form of a revolution. At that stage, facilities may be destroyed, or may defect to another faction. It also emphasises the possible solutions which humanity may have overlooked.
Drone riots can be suppressed through police. The amount of suppression is controlled by how well your society allows liberty to be given up in the name of security, this is known as a police rating - a negative one means no police are allowed, and military used abroad ends up stirring dissent rather than repressing it. There is also a rather unscrupulous method known as nerve stapling , (a medical procedure where nerve endings are numbed to relieve pain). However, in the game, the nerves in wounds are not the ones numbed - rather the horrifying method of numbing (therefore sending the victim into a state of neural shock ) the neurons in the brain, rendering the victim the loss of inviduality and complete obedience. This method is very effective in controlling riots, as all drones are gone for ten years, if used carefully and not overused. However, its unethical method may send faction leaders into sanctioning you since the UN charter is still in effect, which guided the mission, unless explicitly repealed by a Council, which among other things, controls global actions ranging from electing a Governor of a Planet, to salvage missions for the benefit of everyone, to launching solar shades to combat any effect of Global Warming (or vice versa).
Social engineering is another decisive element expressing human nature. Here, political systems, economic systems, or social values, or even societies of the future, may be chosen which shapes weaknesses and strengths of a society in addition to the already instrinsic faction bonuses. Such bonuses and weaknesses affect gameplay from unit creation, contentment and growth of the populace, to morale and fighting strength, to the amount of energy credits received, among other things.Alpha Centauri spawned one expansion pack called Alien Crossfire that features seven new factions (two of which are alien) and multiple new technologies. As well, the editable nature of the game's configuration files allows for a large degree of customization and has led to the creation of a number of modpacks and custom factions which other users can download to expand their gameplay. Several sites have sprung up to support and distribute these files.
The main storyline element added to the game is the "alien crossfire" itself. The two alien Progenitor factions are locked in a civil war: one side, the Usurpers, wishes to exploit Manifold Six (the Progenitor name for Planet) for military purposes; the other side, the Caretakers, wishes to prevent this and leave the planet alone. Both factions sent ships to Manifold Six to settle the matter once and for all. Unfortunately for them (but probably fortunately for the human factions on Planet), the battle went badly for both sides and they ended up crash-landing on Planet. Lost in the crash are countless alien lives and virtually all of the alien research and technology. Their civil war continues, however, and both factions dream of the day that they can send for reinforcements and crush the other faction.
Progenitor factions have the ability to always target research (human factions, by default, can only choose general research paths.) In addition, the Progenitors have a unique victory condition - by researching up the tech tree, they can eventually build a Resonance Communicator, allowing them to summon the bulk of their forces to Chiron, overwhelming all other factions.
Initially, Progenitors and humans cannot confer with each other - they much research the appropriate technology (Progenitor Psych for human factions, Social Psych for Progenitor factions) to understand how to communicate between the species. Also, Progenitor and human living requrements are radically different - when one species takes over a city of the other species, all the residents are forced out in Colony Pods. Since the two sides belong to different species, they are also able to committ atrocities, such as destroying bases and using nerve gas, against each other without fear of political repercussions.
The original seven factions in the game are as follows:
True to their name, they place the highest priority on strength and combat readiness. They are commanded by Colonel Corazon Santiago. The Spartans make planetfall with the technology Doctrine: Mobility. Spartan units receive morale upgrades (making them better fighters) and their police force is more effective, allowing two military units to help suppress a colony's drones. The Spartans' skilled military expertise allows them to build prototype units without extra mineral cost, however much labour goes into producing their extravagant weapons raise the cost of all units they build by 10%. The Spartans may not use Wealth as a social engineering choice since wealth is perceived to be a superficial value which makes one fat and weak, and undermines the ability to survive - contrary to the values on which the faction was founded. It can be suggested that the developers' ideas for the faction were perhaps inspired by the Sparta of ancient Greece, which heavily relied on slave labor and keeping in one's place in society, which would give rise to the idea of having a more effective police.
Value living in ecological harmony with Planet, and abhor ecological destruction. Their leader is Lady Deirdre Skye. The Gaians make planetfall with the technology Centauri Ecology. The Gaians' ecological safeguards allow them to avoid ecological damage and to capture the native Mind Worms, and their experience with lifecycles and recycling gives them an efficiency bonus. The Gaians also receive one extra nutrient from fungal squares. The Gaians are pacifistic and freedom loving, which gives rise to their weaknesses: they have lower troop morale and may not nerve staple. The Gaians may not use a Free Market system in social engineering due to the massive ecological damage it causes.
Value knowledge and scientific advancement, although not necessarily ethically obtained. Led by Academician Prokhor Zakharov. The University makes planetfall with the technology Information Networks as well as another that is randomly selected. The brilliant researchers of the University allow them to discover new technologies 20% faster than normal research speed (not counting the bonus from the free Network Node), but their open academic networks leaves them prone to infiltration from other factions. Every University base comes equipped with a Network Node, which boosts research by another 50%. Due to the University's lack of ethics, one in every four citizens is a drone (malcontent). The University may not use a Fundamentalist government in social engineering due to the damage it causes to their research rates.
Work hard to keep the peace through diplomacy and to maintain the United Nations charter. Led by Commissioner Pravin Lal. The Peacekeepers make planetfall with the technology Biogenetics. The United Nations style bureaucracy of the Peacekeepers causes them to lose efficiency. The Peacekeepers do attract intellectual elites, causing every fourth citizen to be a talent. The Peacekeeper colonies may grow two sizes beyond the Hab Complex restrictions. In votes for Planetary Governor and Supreme Leader, the Peacekeepers' votes are double its population. The Peacekeepers may not use a police state government in social engineering due to its tight grasp that their citizens wish to avoid.
Totalitarian police state. They are controlled by Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang. The Hive makes planetfall with the technology Doctrine: Loyalty. The Hive has its growth rate boosted by 10% and its brutal serfdom decreases the mineral cost of units and facilities by 10%, however the lack of political freedom causes each colony to generate one less unit of energy per turn. In the original version of the game, the Hives' belief in the greater good greatly raised the morale of Yang's army, but that was removed in the Alien Crossfire version. Added to the Alien Crossfire version was an immunity towards inefficiency, which greatly bolsters the Police State government used by Yang, as it removes all negative side effects. The Hive may not use a Democratic government as it would free the people that the Hive worked so hard to enslave.
Ultra-religious technophobes. Led by Sister Miriam Godwinson. The Believers make planetfall with the technology Social Psych. The Believers' convictions give them a 25% attack bonus as well as increasing the morale of their Probe Teams and increasing the cost of their enemies' probe attacks. Their eagerness to defend their faith allows each colony to support up to four units without a cost of minerals. Because the Believers feel that Chiron is their promised land, ecological tensions are increased and production of resources in fungal squares is decreased. The Believers are also sceptical of secular technology, thus their research rate is decreased by 20% and they may not accumulate any research points in the first ten years on Chiron. The Believers may not use Knowledge as a social engineering choice because of their fears of secular technology.
Value material wealth. They are run by CEO Nwabudike Morgan. The Morgans make planetfall with the technology Industrial Base and an additional 100 energy credits. Because they are an industrial conglomerate, they receive an energy bonus in social engineering - an extra unit of energy in each colony, and one energy per square and other bonuses if this is combined with social engineering values such as Wealth or Golden Ages. However because of the expensive tastes of Morgan's followers, they have tendencies to have high mineral maintenences for units built, especially if the faction uses the social engineering choice Democracy where the liberty to object to military deployments in such a state has great impact. The Morgans receive extra energy from commerce due to their powers as a monopoly and marketing expertise. The Morgans' colonies may not exceed size four without a Hab Complex due to the demand for bourgeois-like creature comforts. The Morgans may not use a Planned economy in social engineering, as planned economies are perceived to stifle the flow of capital and investment and a communist-style distribution upsets the Morgans' ideas of capitalism.
The expansion pack includes seven new factions, plus a couple of hidden 'bonus' factions:
Fanatical worshipers of Planet. Led by Prophet Cha'Dawn. The Cult makes planetfall with the technologies Social Psych and Centauri Ecology as well as a Mind Worm. Because the Cult is devoted to promoting the growth of Chiron's Environment they cause less eco damage and have a greater ability to capture Mind Worms than any other faction, including Gaia's Stepdaughters, but it also causes the mineral cost of units and facilities to be increased by 10% as they are reluctant to pollute the environment. The Headquarters of the Cult no longer receives an extra unit of energy as their disinterest in material wealth makes them less focused on their economy. Once the Cult discovers the technology Centauri Genetics every base becomes equipped with a Brood Pit facility. Due to the fear and reverence for the native life possessed by Dawn and his followers, Mind Worms are twice as effective at police duty, quelling drones numbers by two. The Cult may not use Wealth as a choice in social engineering because of their disinterest in material goods.
A race of cyborgs (in fact, "Cyborgs" is a common nickname for this faction) led by Aki-Zeta 5 (Prime Function Shell). The Consciousness make planetfall with the technologies Information Networks and Applied Physics. The Consciousness' cybernetics allow them greater efficiency and increased research capacities, so they discover new technologies 20% faster. The downfall of the Consciousness is that because the citizens are humans possessed by algorithms they find reproduction awkward, thus lowering their growth rate by 10%. Due to their computer integration, when the Consciousness seizes control of a base they are able to download the files containing one tech known to the former owners of the base before the base system goes offline from the rest of the enemy grid. The Consciousness may not use a Fundamentalist government in social engineering because of its primitive ideologies. Also, if they use a Cybernetic future society they receive no negative side effects (Cybernetic society is the logical choice, thus it causes no discontentment).
Hackers and crackers, experts at espionage activity. Their leader is Datajack Sinder Roze. The Angels make planetfall with the technologies Information Networks and Planetary Networks as well as a Probe Team. Because the Angels are highly motivated computer specialists, their Probe Teams gain a morale upgrade and any enemy Probe Team action costs double, while the cost of their actions are reduced by 25%; however because they are decentralized and have anarchist tendencies, they have a social engineering penalty in police control, an immediate effect being the lack of the ability to nerve staple. If any three factions of which the Angels have an infiltrator discover a technology, then the Angels will automatically discover the technology as well, due to their wide-ranged covert activities. Once the Angels discover Pre- Sentient Algorithms, a technology based on adaptive neural net heuristics, each base comes with a free Covert Ops Center at every base. This raises the morale of Probe Teams and is supposed to make all colonies and units immune to mind control, however due to a glitch in the game it lowers the cost of mind control against the Angels. A possible fix for this is to change the Angels faction file so that they receive +1 Probe instead of +2 Probe as their faction ability, or perhaps halve the penalty of choosing the intellectual social engineering choice known as Knowledge. The Angels may not use Power in social engineering as they prefer covert warfare over direct conflict.
An industrial, socialist-like civilization that promises to be heaven to all workers. Led by Foreman Domai. The Drones make planetfall with the technology Industrial Base. Because the Drones are composed of the lower class of other factions, they are skilled workers and can complete units and facilities at 20% less mineral cost. Being of a lower class and more focused on productivity, though, their research suffers, making them discover new technologies 20% slower than the normal rate. Because of the opportunities for malcontents offered by the Free Drones, drones of other factions that overthrow their masters are more likely to join them than other factions. Also, colonies have one less drone than usual. The Drones may not use Green economics in social engineering because they don't see the value in ecology based economics.
A seafaring civilization. Led by Captain Ulrik Svensgaard. The Pirates make planetfall with the technologies Doctrine: Mobility and Doctrine: Flexibility as well as a unity gunship and a sea colony pod as opposed to the land based ebullients that other factions receive. Because of the Pirates' sea life, they are more inefficient and spend less time focused on families, causing their colonies to grow 10% slower than normal. Because they are skilled shipwrights, each base comes equipped with a Naval Yard upon discovery of the technology Doctrine: Initiative, and every ship is considered to have the marine Detachment special ability on discovery of the technology Adaptive Doctrine. Due to their advanced oceanic technology, prototypes for the Sea Colony Pod and Sea Formers are free. Due to their culture being adapted to sea life, they receive one extra mineral in ocean shelf squares and upon discovery of Advanced Ecological Engineering they may build terrain enhancements in ocean and ocean trench squares. The Pirates may use all forms of social engineering.
A Progenitor (alien) race that seeks to protect the Sixth Manifold (Chiron) and to prevent the process of transcendence. See notes under "Alien Crossfire". They are led by Guardian Lular H'minee. The Caretakers make planetfall five years after the human factions with the technologies Progenitor Psych, Centauri Ecology, Field Modulation, Information Networks and Biogenetics as well as an extra Colony Pod and a Battle Ogre Mk I. Because the Caretakers understand the inner workings of the Sixth Manifold, they are able to avoid causing as much ecological damage and they can capture Mind Worms. Due to their ability to sense and manipulate the resonance fields around them, they gain a 25% defensive bonus and all prototyped units have a two-square sighting range. The increased infrastructure of the Caretakers makes all bases considered to have a Recycling Tank as well as an Energy Grid which generates more energy based on the number of facilities at the base, but prevents the base from engaging in commerce to generate energy. They also possess a physical scan of Chiron from when their ships were in the skies above Chiron. Also, because they are rediscovering lost technology, they have the ability to direct their research. As an alien faction, the Caretakers cannot take part in Planetary Council meetings, thus making Diplomatic victory an impossibility. Also, the alien factions permanently have VENDETTA status (essentially "war" status) against each other, to limit the effectiveness of their tremendous advantages against human factions. However, alien factions can perform a Progenator Victory, in which the faction builds several transmitters in different bases to call the rest of its alien fleets to obliterate the opposing faction. Additionally, because the Manifold Caretakers are seeking to prevent the process of transcendence, they cannot perform a victory by transcendence (however, a bug in Alpha Centauri allows the Manifold Caretakers to achieve such a victory; more details below). The Caretakers may use any form of social engineering.
A Progenitor (alien) race that seeks to exploit the power of the Sixth Manifold by forcing the process of transcendence. See notes under "Alien Crossfire". Their leader is Usurper Judaa Maar. The Usurpers make planetfall five years after the human factions with the technologies Progenitor Psych, Centauri Ecology, Field Modulation, Applied Physics and Biogenetics as well as an extra Colony Pod and a Battle Ogre Mk I. Because of the Usurpers' warlike culture, their troops receive a morale upgrade. Also, because they exploit the Sixth Manifold for their purposes, their colonies grow 10% faster than normal, but they cause more eco-damage and produce fewer resources in fungus squares. Due to their ability to sense and manipulate the resonance fields around them, they gain a 25% offensive bonus and all prototyped units have a two-square sighting range. The increased infrastructure of the Usurpers makes all bases considered to have a Recycling Tank as well as an Energy Grid which generates more energy based on the number of facilities at the base, but prevents the base from engaging in commerce to generate energy. They also possess a physical scan of Chiron from when their ships were in the skies above Chiron. Also, because they are rediscovering lost technology, they have the ability to direct their research. As an alien faction, the Usurpers cannot take part in Planetary Council meetings, thus making Diplomatic victory an impossibility. Also, the alien factions permanently have VENDETTA status (essentially "war" status) against each other, to limit the effectiveness of their tremendous advantages against human factions. However, alien factions can perform a Progenator Victory, in which the faction builds several transmitters in different bases to call the rest of its alien fleets to obliterate the opposing faction. The Usurpers may use any form of social engineering.
The hidden eighth faction, the Firaxians can be accessed by opening the Faction Editor, going to "Load Faction", and either typing in "sid" (to set Sid Meier as faction leader) or "brian" (to set Brian Reynolds as faction leader) as the faction to load. Once loaded and saved, the Firaxians can be added to a game. The Firaxians do not start the game with any positive or negative societal traits, but receive one free technology - Singularity Mechanics, allowing them to build units with singularity engines from the start. Lacking societal traits, the Firaxians are best suited for use as an opponent that the player can take technology from, rather than as the player's faction.
There are several victory methods available in Alpha Centauri.
For further reading, game story developer Michael Ely has written a trilogy of novels based on the game.
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