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Decision Maker's Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: September 19, 2001
Author: Amazon User

The game was extraordinaraly fun. Nothing really wrong with it. I had downloaded the Demo version at Download.net, and I knew it was a great game. The choices you have to make between other computer Planet occupants, as of, to be their Treaty friend, never meet, Pact sibling, Vendetta enemy. Or where you move things. what vehicles/boats you build. Where you build the original and/or new base(s). What technology to study next. What to be: a Builder, Discoverer, Explorer, Conquerer, or even Builder and Explorer, or Conquerer and Discoverer, or Conquerer and Builder and Explorer, or even all! Set bases to different settings. Research large-type activites. And believe me, there are TONS more things than that. I would type them all, alas, I am only limited to 1,000 words. But, if you don't believe me; buy it, and see for yourself!

The zenith of strategy gaming. kudos to Reynolds.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: June 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is the only turn-based strategy game one would ever need.
It has everything one would want out of a strategy game and SO much more.
The story is epic. The world is fully realised. The gameplay is deep. The literary references(not only Sci-Fi but philosophical and ethical and social) are many and profound. The factions are compelling. The possibilities are endless.

The including of multiplayer only sweetens the deal.

The only (minor) flaws here, which only present themselves to the diehard gamer, is the apparent lack of challenge from the AI, as well as the seemingly lacklustre graphics(but given the budget of Firaxis at the time, the art direction is still amazing).

Get This Game. It's one of those classics which you will keeping coming back for more. Even having owned this masterpiece for more than 5 years, I still play Alpha Centauri every 3 months or so, and it STILL retains its freshness and playability. This one is a definite keeper.

Also, as a parting word, I want to make it clear that, despite the "Sid Meier" name on the package, designer Brian Reynolds(who has since left Firaxis I believe) was the man behind Alpha Centauri and as such deserves the kudoes.
It is THIS game which deserves the title of "true sequel to Civilization II", and not Civ III which has none of the depth that this game has in spades.

Buy it.

Alpha Centauri Rocks

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 8
Date: January 16, 2002
Author: Amazon User

If anyone has played Civ I/II and liked it, you'll love this game. The game play is long and involved but it's a great excuse to build up your military and start fights with the other factions.

If you want to get started with this game, here are some helpful hints (playing University):

Get Packs/Treaties with everyone at first, keeps them off your back.
Build forest practically everywhere.
Build formers and at least 2 other colony pods.
Now go to the game's folder, and replace the paragraph in UNIV.txt with this one:

University of Planet, The Scientist, University, M, 1, Zakharov, M, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0,
TECH, InfNet, TECH, DocLoy, TECH, 36, MORALE, 100, PSI, 200, SOCIAL, +++RESEARCH, SOCIAL, ++++EFFIC, SOCIAL, ++++GROWTH, IMMUNITY, EFFIC, INTEREST, 50, DRONE, 16, FACILITY, 8, FACILITY, 4, UNIT, 0, UNIT, 1, TECHCOST, 1, VOTES, 50, HURRY, 1, FANATIC, FREEPROTO, COMMERCE, TALENT

You'll be able to build anything for about 3 credits or less. Get all your research by 100 years, win planetary governer (haven't found a way to lose it yet) and never run out of money. Your growth is off the scale as well as your defensive capabilities against everything (a Lv1 foot soldier can take out a moderately guarded base).

It's a great way to view the game in a hurry and not miss out on too much of the indepth world of Alpha Centauri. Just remember to edit the file before starting the game and download the demo at gamespot.com or gamesdomain.com to try it out before you buy. There's a 100yr/turn limit though so get the full version right here if you like it!

Hope you have lotsa time on your hands.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 8
Date: February 13, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game has a super thick book full of instuctions and with everything there is to control, build, and change, this game can be overwhelming. It takes forever to learn what each function is and to read the instruction book. This game is a case of a little too much. A friend I work with had played Civilization 2 which is another Sid Meier game that did exceptionaly well, but after he played this game for 2 weeks, he gave up. there was just too much stuff to learn and what certain things did was not clearly described which left alot of guessing. What he and I did learn while playing the game was that the story was good, the graphics are good, and the game was well thought out. But the overwhelming things you had to learn just took it's toll which probably explains the lackluster sales of this game.

Should have been rated "I" for intelligence required

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: April 01, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I was playing Sid Meiers' games before Windows. Covert Action, Railroad Tycoon, Civilization, Colonization, and Pirates, among others. I am ssearching for his new game. Alpha Centauri is a little like Civilation, where you start with one city and some modest technology. You explore, research, and build your empire. There are six other factions you must deal with. There are four ways to win. You can conquer all of your oponents, or have an economic victory, for instance. different goals require different strategys. The artifical intellenge is better than in most other strategy games I've played.

Very fun, if you like this type of game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 4
Date: June 22, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game was (correction, is) fun. It's more fun, of course, if you like this type of game. If you've ever played another one of Sid Meier's games, i.e. Civilazation I, II, and III, then you know what this game is like.

The difference between AC and the Civ games is that Civilizations take place in the past on Earth, and Alpha Centauri takes place in the (distant?) future, on a planet in the Alpha Centauri system that the colonists unimaginatively named Planet.

If it ever gets boring, as unlikely as this is, then the game is cheater-friendly, allowing, and, indeed, helping, the player to tinker with the different factions, giving the player advantage(s), or disvantage(s) if the game is too easy, or giving the enemy factions advantage(s)/disvantage(s).

I highly suggest that you buy this game. I like it much more than Sid Meier's other games, and it has replayability.

Okay Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 6
Date: April 20, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I got this game in the December of 2000. I think it's okay. One of the things i like are the communications. You can talk to other faction leaders on the phone and you choose waht you want to say. One more thing. If you get bored playing after a while you play it later and you like it. I think you should get this game.

I'd give it negative stars if I could.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 6
Date: March 21, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I've played every game by Sid Myers and I've loved them all. I've spent years of my life playing Civilization and its sequals, so I was very excited when SMAC was announced and I promptly bought it.

This game - despite all hype to the contrary - is one of the worst ever made. Technically, the diplomacy model is as bad a anything in Civ, the graphics are extremely poor, and the planet will rise up against you no matter how green and harmonious your faction is. The plot is something right out of a hippie's drug-enduced dreams of eutopia and does its best to be a far-left political statement no matter how you try to play it, even to the point of hamstringing factions that don't agree with extremeist athiest and environmental views.

I gave it a fair shake regardless, and beat it with most factions, but the plot structures that it forces on you limit replayability and the game is just an eyesore. Skip the game and hope that Civ 3 won't follow the same disastrous path.

Good for a few days, but predictible to the core.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 7
Date: November 08, 2000
Author: Amazon User

The factional ideologies are simply either irelivant at easier levels or all important at the most difficult level. Unlike Civilization there is no historical reality to measure the power of this simulation, however the social engineering martix is a good add. Once you go through the different posibilities of victory at transcendi level it is just tedious button pushing and you might as well be playing Civ2 with a mod pack.

I don't think this is as good as some others say

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 8
Date: November 24, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I played all the other Civ like games and this is the type of game I like, but I just didn't get Alpha Centauri. I played this one enought to get good, but the whole feel was just too much like Civ II and I seemed to get into Civ II like end games too easily.
Having now played CivIII for six months I given it a 5 start rating I don't understand my own review, but that was the feel I had.
I guess if you can get it for $10 now then it should be worth a try.
Maybe I'll try this again another day.

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