Remembrances of Games Past, Part #28 - Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (1999) (PC) (Firaxis Games)

I've played Civilization games now and then ever since the very first entry in the series, but never quite managed to get into the complex mechanics properly or become fully immersed in the famously addictive gameplay. There is one notably exception, though, and that is Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri from 1999. Whereas the regular Civ games are centered around bland and generic nation states, Alpha Centauri took an entirely different approach by infusing some much-needed personality as well as ideology into Sid Meier's classic framework.

The game centers around seven factions with contrasting ideologies clearly inspired by real-world politics. Major 19th and 20th century movements and schools of thought such as environmentalism, free-market capitalism, fascism, communism, technocracy and liberal internationalism are all vividly personified by the seven faction leaders, and these intentionally colorful personalities really breathe life into the fairly abstract gameplay. With SMAC I feel like I'm not conquering just any old civilization - I'm trying to subdue Deidre Skye and her pesky treehuggers, halt Zakharov's dangerously ambitious research agenda, stop Pravin Lal's back-stabbing diplomacy, stamp out the militaristic fervor of Colonel Santiago and/or crush the fundamentalist threat posed by Miriam Godwinson.

Adding greatly to the game's atmosphere are the many fully voiced quotes (taken from major figures of intellectual history such as Aristotle, Plato, Machiavelli, Augustine and Immanuel Kant) which accompany the game's various research accomplishments alongside made-up quotes ascribed to the various fictional leaders. I remember how me and my friends at school used to learn these text chunks by heart and recite them seemingly at random, just for fun. At the time we weren't quite sure exactly what, for example, St. Augustine meant by saying "The wicked have told me of things that delight them, but not such things as your law has to tell" - but it sure sounded awfully intelligent and important somehow...

(Note: For various technical reasons the game's intro had to be replaced with a simple slideshow and a small part of the audio from the game's opening cinematic).

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• Sid
• Meier's
• Alpha
• Centauri
• Brian
• Reynolds
• Turn-Based
• Strategy
• Civilization
• Factions
• Isometric
• Quotes
• Aristotle
• Plato
• Machiavelli
• Immanuel
• Kant
• Provost
• Zakharov
• Deidre
• Skye
• Sheng-Ji
• Yang
• Miriam
• Godwinson
• Pravin
• Lal
• Corazon
• Santiago
• Nwabudike
• Morgan

[TheEmperor1999]

I have played civ 4 planetfall mod which is a remake of this game... this game is cool, but too bad it is this old... old games are creepy... don't know why... probly becouse of their dark atmosphere... too bad, Iove teraforming and turning Ciron(i think... not sure) into an terran-like garden world was a ton of fun... death to the mindworms!

[Demiath]

@TheEmperor1999 Old games are "creepy"? Oh, well, I guess Civ 4 is creepy too, then, since it's been out for quite a few years now. ;) Joking aside, it's simply a matter of what you're accustomed to and that can all change with new experiences, so don't dismiss classic games categorically. It might turn out that some of your favorite games were in fact created a long time ago...

[Karakta]

Now that is a game I'd like to see on GOG

[Demiath]

@Karakta I couldn't agree more. The game has some minor but nonetheless annoying compatibility problems with some newer Windows versions, so SMAC could definitely use the GOG treatment so that everyone can play it without going through the trouble of installing patches and tweaking settings.

Also, my old game CD is probably not going to keep working for that much longer...

[nutherefurlong]

Interesting take on philosophical differences. Much more engaging than most of the science fiction games I've seen. What are you fighting with? There are often explosions but I can't really tell what's going on.

[Demiath]

@nutherefurlong Combat units are for the most part fairly conventional infantry, artillery, bombers, spies, tactical nukes etc. but there are some more unusual options; such as "recruiting" indigenous life forms (i.e. giant space worms) to fight on your side. Also worth mentioning is the option to custom build units and equip them with whatever combination of parts (weapons, engines, etc.) you've researched so far.

[Spitfirebird]

@Karakta Good news! SMAC is now on GOG.com for about six dollars. It doesn't come with SMAX, so there isn't widescreen support, but it is still an absolute bargain.

[floatshake]

It's worth mentioning again that this game is on GOG now. It's that good :)

[dageezerboi]

@leon102 It might not look it, but it is much more fun and has alot of stuff Civ doesn't..

[Ooel3ctrooO]

oh dude. i spent too much time on this game as a kid..... i probably never even fully figured the game out either lol .... straight up strategy game ;D

good old Alpha Centauri :D

[Awgez24]

@TheEmperor1999 I know what you mean by the dark atmosphere, they just seemed empty and lonely o.o

[Karakta]

@Spitfirebird Yeaaaah I saw that ! It's too bad it doesn't come with the expansion but I'm positive GoG will put it too one day or the other. I guess I'll pass on my weekly burger and fries meal and spend a few hours in space ^^

[JonnyDude2009]

i dont know why but i cant stand this game as a child i found it so boring

[DeftCrowMk3]

@leon102

"Turn Complete" only gets prompted when all your units are automated and have finished their turn. If you move them by yourself(drag, numpad), you don't get that prompt.

The interface can be a bit chunky, but it's not that bad considering the fact that it came out in 1997.

(This video shows SMAX, the expansion pack in 1999.)

Hope you enjoy the game. It circles around reading materials and a (very decent) central storyline, which I still enjoy after playing it for five years.

[leon102]

"Turn complete. Turn complete. Turn complete." Wow, that's annoying. Seeing as I have recently gotten into Civilization. I wanted to give this game a try, but I don't know. Doesn't look as fun to me.

[Demiath]

@OBSysteme The expansion "Alien Crossfire" introduced 7 new factions, including two alien races. The new factions are certainly colorful - space pirates, cyborgs, a hacker collective, a religious cult of Planet etc. - but if you ask me the original Alpha Centauri is all you really need. Both games were released together as the so-called "Planetary Pack", which is probably the easiest version to find if you want to check out Alien Crossfire.