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Ender

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 12
Date: March 23, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game is the BEST! If you like stratagy games then youhave to get it. If you played and liked Civilizaton I or II then youwill love this. It comes with a fold out tech chart, a statagy guied and of course the cd. the diplomacy options are the best, much better then anything else that i have played. however it has not so good graphics. all in all it is a very good game, and i suggest that you buy it...

Alpha Centauri

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 18
Date: May 26, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Being a long-time fan of Civilization, and Sid Meier games in general, I admit I felt a certain trepidation when first playing the game. The interface and style of play were so reminiscent of Civilization I&II that I thought Alpha would be just another clone in a a long line of them.(Call to Power comes to mind...) But Alpa Centauri surprised me. It has a depth in story that was lacking in previous games, and the characters are all fully fleshed out in their beliefs and speech patterns. From Deirdre the Planer-friendly enviromentalist to Morgan Freeman the ruthless profit-driven marketeer, they all have their own definite agenda. And unlike previous games, your enemies can think. Diplomacy and war go hand in hand, with the computer working together behind your back or deciding to make war on your allies so another force can strike in your blind spot, the AI is sophisticated enough to provide a challenge to the most jaded player. Difficulty settings are easily adjusted, with easy being, well, easy, and the hard setting can make you weep to see it all crumble around you. Alpha Centauri continues to astound me, even after multiple games it still feels new and engaging. So go buy it already.

Thoroughly absorbing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: July 18, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game is stealing all my sleep! As a fan of Civ and Civ2, I should have expected this... Alpha Centauri's improvements have added many new dimensions to the game. One of my favorites is the modular style of unit design. In the past games, new technologiess simply allowed you to build a new type of unit. Now they give you the ability to create a new type of chassis, weaponry, abilities, etc. that you can use to design your own units. Your engineers give suggestions, but you can customize to your heart's content.

In addition, the interface with other factions feels much more real. Part of the screen scrolls through pictures from the other leader's life, making you feel like this is a real person with a history.

But probably the most outstanding feature is the overall thought that went into creating the technology tree. Most of these are futuristic (or state-of-the-art) technologies so there is impressive blend of logic and imagination here. (e.g: Non-linear Mathematics, Machine-Mind Interface, and Homo Superior just to name a few.) Anyone familiar with mathematics, physics, or philosophy will find their interests stimulated greatly by this game.

Addictive.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 14, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is for those who loved the original Civilization but who prefer science fiction over historic recreation. I know - I'm one of them. Alpha Centauri's diverse selection of factions is better than Civ's nations - each has its own goal, agenda and beliefs that you will discover as they fight, trade and politick with you. The Alien Crossfire expansion includes new factions - including two alien ones - and new advancements for the game. If there's one problem, it's that the different advances avaialble to you are hard to differerntiate once you've built them into your military units.

Alpha Centari Carries the Torch

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: August 15, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game is great!!! It is amazing!!! The AI is great and it is different every time you play! There is so much you can do. It is easy to start and easy to learn thanks to the tutorials and guides. It is a good follow up to the other games. the stratagy guide give tons of new ways to play like green conquest. BUY THIS GAME!!!

Probably the best game of its type yet-absorbing & addictive

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 14
Date: October 13, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I've been playing Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri since the week it was released. When the expansion pack, Alien Crossfire, was released, I bought that right away as well. That was some time ago. I'm still playing it. Regularly. About the only other game I have ever owned with this kind of addictive play is SimCity 2000 (SimCity 3000 is graphically lovely but not nearly as absorbing). With all of the factions, random maps, difficulty levels, customizable units, etc, gameplay is surprisingly different every time. Mixing and matching the factions is fascinating. Perhaps the best feature of the game is that it forces you to think strategically as well as tactically - you literally have to think 20 to 50 turns ahead of the game all the time. Really a wonderful piece of work; I cannot recommend it more highly. And now I think I'll sign off and boot it up...

Extremely complex ....

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: October 28, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I'm a Caesar III and Pharoah/Cleopatra addict. I found this game to be extremely complex by comparison. This is not a game for people who want to just load up and start playing. There is a lot of reading that should be done just to get started on the first game! There were so MANY options to choose from that I almost gave up the first night out. The books that came with this package didn't give me the straight forward "how to play", instead it gave me theory and formulas. I got so frustrated just trying to read them that I very nearly threw the darn thing out. The first 3 tutorials weren't very helpful either. I won each of the scenarios but still am not really sure how or why. All that said, I started automating certain functions and started to watch how the computer manipulated things and that gave me a lot more insight into how to run the factions myself. I'm still confused on a lot of the technology. There just seems to be SO MUCH involved that even now, I've still only got a very basic grasp of this game.

If you don't mind a complex game with lots of things to learn then this game is for you. The game IS addictive. I've found that several hours can pass and you don't even know it. Since I've only been playing a week, I'm sure that there is a lot more to this game than what I've uncovered. I do wish, though, it was possible to win a game within a couple of hours instead of having to play for days at a time.

Alpha Centauri, Greatest Game since Civilization?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 07, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This has to be the greatest game ever (besides Civilization 3, of course)! It's for all you Civilization 1 and 2 lovers and maybe SC3K Unlimited, Caesar I, II, and III, Pharaoh, Cleopatra, and so on... A bit complicated game but easy to learn if you read the tutorials.

The game features a large group of colonists that escape the ravages of Earth in 2060 A.D. to explore a distant planet orbiting Alpha Centauri's biggest star. This planet is called Chiron and has somewhat the same orbit as Earth. The ship suffers a malfunction along the way and the 6 strongest colonists escape the ship with their chosen crew to begin a new life in this unknown planet. You have to fight off aliens and try to mantain peace in the planet (unless of course you want the planet to your self!).

Very much like a continuation to Civilization 2 or 3.

This also includes both versions. Alpha Centauri and Alien Crossfire (the Expansion). Alien Crossphire takes place various decades after landing on planet, two alien factions appear out of nowhere claiming they had habited this planet a long time ago and land on the opposite sides of the planet in war against each other. You can team up with one of them and end with the other or declare war to both. Also 5 new factions are born out of the existing 6.

The other game I highly recommend, Civilization 3. Much better than Alpha Centauri in game play. Check it out if you like Alpha Centauri or any of the Civs.

Buy it

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 12, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This is the true sequel to Civilization II. Sure, there's Call to Power and Civilization Three, but this is the only one of the sequels that was made by Sid Meier. This game is extremely complex, and will probably take a few hours to learn. It is easier if you've played Civ II, but it still takes a while. However, once you've learned you'll never stop playing this game. There are so many ways to win, and there are so many options. Ways of taking out enemy cities include conquest, bribes, lowing them into the sea, releasing native lifeforms on them, and planet busters (nukes). The technology tree is also complex, but it's realistic, well thought out, and long. While the graphics aren't great, they are more than sufficent for the game. The only flaw: the AI is a little too easy on the top level. If you like strategy games, or just games, buy it!

Great game, Real good price

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 21, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This is a great game; it's impossible to say enough good things about it. This is far better than the old Civilization games (although sometimes I go back to Civ 2 for the more real-life setting). With this game, Sid Meier proved that he's the reason Civilization was a hit (if you haven't played the non-Meier Civilization games, don't). It's kept all the good things, and added far more. One of the unique things about this game, and that caught my eye right away, is the ability to custom-design your units. There's probably millions of different units once you figure all the possible combinations. There's also a really cool social engineering setup that basically equates to a design-a-government system. The benefits of this can be super-fast growth, production, lots of money, or a lot of other effects. All things considered, this game is spectacular if you're into turn-based strategies, and great even if you're not. It does take a little bit to get a feel for what you can do if you're not familiar with the Civilization line, but once you do, you'll love it. One warning though: If you only want a real-time strategy, or want to see lots of blood and guts flying, don't get this game. Otherwise, try it out.

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