Games PC SID MEIER S-ALPHA CENTAURI User Manual

T A B L E O F

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Using the Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Game Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Welcome to Alpha Centauri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Turn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Active Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Commlink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Turn Complete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 World View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Year/Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Status View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Data MFD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Mapping the Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Native Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 How Terrain Affects Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 How Terrain Affects Combat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Terraforming and Enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Resource Production Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Ecological Risks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Random Natural Phenomena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Colonizing the Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Bases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Base Control Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Base Control Screen/Section by Section. . . . . . . 69 Production Readout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Action Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Controlling Society. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

HQ Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Economics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Diplomacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Probe Teams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Social Engineering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Resigning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Winning the Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Scoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

C O N T E N T S

Appendix 1. Notes and Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

General Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Appendix 2. Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Terraforming Enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Resource Production Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Terrain Effects on Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Terrain Effects on Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Social Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Secret Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Technology Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Citizens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Planetary Council Proposals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Free Facilities from Secret Projects. . . . . . . . . . 193

Appendix 3. Option Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Game Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Game Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Appendix 4. Advanced Customization . . . . 205

Scenario and Edit Map Menu Options . . . . . . . 206 Editing Text Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Appendix 5. A New Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

The Centaur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 Bright Suns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 Proper Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 Double Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Parallax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Proxima Centauri. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Luminosity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Solar System Comparisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Habitable Planets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Planetography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Earth Comparisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Atmospheric Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Meteorology and Climatology . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Oceanography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 Soil Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 Ecology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 Native Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Moons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Other Planets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Suggested Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 Journey to Centauri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 Designer’s Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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GETTING STARTED

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to FIRAXIS Games’™ second offering, Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri™. As with all games from FIRAXIS, fun and imagination rule, and we have tried to make a very complex topic accessible and interesting.

It is an ambitious game, addressing some very fundamental issues facing mankind as we approach the new millennium. What sort of technologies can we expect to deal with within the next couple of centuries? How will we use these technologies — for good or for evil? In fact, what ideologies will be paramount in the next millennium, and do these ideologies imply new and differing definitions for “good” and “evil”? What is the ultimate goal for humanity?

THE STORY

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Soon after the new millenium begins, humankind’s oldest enemies — war, famine and disease — are winning the battle on planet Earth. The United Nations decides to attempt the mission that has been the dream of countless science fiction writers and fans for generations: the colonization of a New World, before it is too late. The establishment of a new outpost for mankind as an alternative to the decaying situation on our mother planet seems to be the last and best hope for the continued existence of mankind.

Code named “Unity,” the plan is simple. Send enough men, women and supplies to the earthlike planet, Chiron, orbiting the primary star in the Alpha Centauri system. Give them the seeds for planting a new society — technology, knowledge, and experts of every kind. Insure that the mission, U.N. sponsored, stays on track by carefully monitoring its progress from Earth. Then, when the time is right, and if the need still exists, begin shuttling others to the New World at Alpha Centauri.

But space travel is a difficult undertaking, even now. It is hard to reach our own moon. Even if we had the capacity to make it to a distant planet, will we

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be able to bring the travelers back? Once firmly established on a distant world, will we be able to cooperate with one another there long enough to establish a new society that can attain the same levels and quality of life that we have achieved here after almost 5000 years of civilization? But the deteriorating conditions on Earth leave us little choice.

From the beginning, there are problems aboard the U.N. Starship Unity. An unexpected reactor malfunction damages the ship, waking the travelers early from cryo-sleep. It soon is evident that the accident has damaged the communications equipment and contact with Earth is lost, and cannot be reestablished. The leadership of the mission is faced with the prospect of going it alone and soon begin to argue obstinately about the best way to proceed.

The game begins when the Unity Mission reaches Chiron. But, by this time, the
mission has fallen into chaos. The most powerful leaders on board have built
ideological factions and surrounded themselves with dedicated followers. It is
clear that each faction has established its own agenda for the future of
mankind and is desperately serious about carrying it through.	3

GOOD LUCK

We hope you will find a multitude of ways to solve the problems the Unity travelers face. There are nearly unlimited options and you can experiment relentlessly as you explore, discover, build and conquer. Please feel free to con-

tact us to pass on criticism or praise, or	just your point of view, at
WWW.FIRAXIS.COM. Have fun and Good Luck.	— FIRAXIS Games

USING THE MANUAL

If this is the very first time you’ve ever played Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri or any game like it, we recommend you do not sit down and read this book cover-to-cover before you start playing!

Instead, we strongly suggest you put down this book, start up the game, and play through the tutorial scenario provided. Also, check out the five “tours” provided in the game’s Help menu. These two resources are the easiest (and most fun) way to learn the basics of the game.

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Tours. To get to the tours, start the game and select any options which look interesting (you’ll find out exactly what they do a little later) or just hit QUICK START. When the game loads for the first time, you will be automatically walked through several tours that show you the fundamentals of the game. To get back to the tours after the first game, L (left-click) on the MENU tab on the left side of the screen, then L on HELP. The tours are at the bottom of the Help menu.

Tutorial Scenarios. To access the tutorial scenarios, start the game and select SCENARIO from the Main menu. When the Scenario menu appears, select PLAY SCENARIO. Open the folder 1EXPLORE and select the “Explore.sc” file. Upon successful completion of the “Explore” scenario, move on to the 2BUILD folder, and then to the 3CONQUER folder. When played in succession, these tutorials can help teach the Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri basics in a fun and intuitive way. To access a list of scenario objectives and how to achieve them, L on the MENU tab on the left side of the screen, then L on

4the HQ menu, and select REVIEW SCENARIO OBJECTIVES.

Once you know the basics, this manual is provided to help you discover the many subtleties and details of Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri. We hope you’ll be returning to these pages often while playing, to discover the exact purpose behind a game option, or the meaning of a term. Who knows? Maybe after you’ve been playing Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri for awhile, you’ll come back and read this book cover-to-cover, just to make sure you’re not missing anything.

In addition to this manual, you will find the following materials, also included with your game, extremely useful:

•Install Guide. Installation, trouble shooting and customer support.

•Tech Tree Chart. The technologies that you discover as you progress, and their interrelationships. This chart also contains information about the terrain, vehicles, and world of Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri.

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This manual is divided into seven major sections:

•Getting Started. Loading and customizing your game.

•Welcome to Alpha Centauri. Movement, and the basic game interface.

•Planet. The ecology of the new world, and terraforming.

•Colonizing Planet. Building bases and expanding and defending your faction’s territory.

•Controlling Society. The finer points of economics, diplomacy, research and Social Engineering.

•Appendices, listed below.

•A New Sun, Planetography and Journey to Centauri, giving background details on the world of Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri.

The appendices provide easy access to important information:
• Notes and Tips. Designer’s notes, and some strategy tips.	5

•Tables. Quick reference charts to the technologies, units, facilities and Secret Projects available in the game.

•Option Screens. Quick reference listing of configurable options to customize gameplay.

•Advanced Customization. Advanced methods for customizing the game.

•Index. A complete listing of where to find details on all key topics in the game.

INSTALLATION

Installation, troubleshooting and customer support are all covered in the

Install Guide.

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GAME SETUP

Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri allows a wide range of player customization options both before and during play.

MAIN (STARTING) MENU

This is the first thing you see upon starting Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri.

You can quit the game from the Main menu with q. If you’re not on the Main menu, qtakes you back to your previous screen. On all menu screens, qtakes you

6back one level.

START GAME

Starts a new game. This selection opens the Map Selection menu (see Map Selection menu, facing page).

QUICK START

This option drops you directly into a new game configured exactly like the last game you played (including faction choice). If you use Quick Start before playing any other games, it drops you into a world of average size, with all defaults on, playing the Gaian faction on the easiest difficulty level.

SCENARIO

Scenarios are specific challenges designed to test your playing skill to the maximum. The exceptions are the Tutorial Scenarios, specially designed to teach new players the basics.

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LOAD GAME
Allows you to load a previously saved game. You can load both automatic
saves (see Automatic Saves, p. 30) and named saves (see Save Game, p. 29).
This option opens your Saves directory.
MULTIPLAYER
Use this to set up a multiplayer game. See Multiplayer, in the Install Guide,
for detailed instructions.
VIEW CREDITS
Reveals the game’s creators.
EXIT GAME
This option quits the game and returns you to Windows®.
MAP SELECTION MENU	7
In this menu you decide what kind
of new game you wish to start.

MAKE RANDOM MAP

Allows you to start a new game, making only a few basic choices— Size of Planet, Difficulty Level, Game Rules and Faction. (See Customized Planets, next page, for details of these options.)

CUSTOMIZE RANDOM MAP

Allows you to customize a number of parameters of your new world before you start play. See Customized Planets, next page, for details.

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THE MAP OF PLANET

This map is the “official” map of Planet. It’s always the same.

HUGE MAP OF PLANET

This is a large version of the map of Planet.

LOAD MAP FILE

This allows you to load a custom map that you’ve saved out as a map file.

CUSTOMIZED PLANETS

When you elect to play on a random or customized random map game, you’re given a series of choices that allow you to shape the environment of your new world.

A fully customized planet allows you to control exactly what kind of game experience you want. If your primary interest is combat and tactics, choose a

8small planet with plentiful native life, giving you lots of opportunity to fight off native threats and other factions. If you’re more interested in peaceful,

long-term development, choose a huge planet and rare native life. If you want a difficult terraforming challenge, choose a mountainous, dry world, but if you want a more inviting environment for your people, choose rolling terrain and lots of rainfall. If you like building and managing a navy, go for extensive ocean coverage, or if you prefer to work on land, choose smaller oceans.

At any time in the customization process you can return to the Select Size of Planet menu by hitting q.

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SIZE
There are five options: Tiny, Small, Standard,
Large and Huge. The bigger the world, the
longer you’ll probably play before encounter-
ing any of the other factions.
From this screen, you can also load any custom
map files you may have saved. The Load Map
File option opens your map file directory.

OCEAN COVERAGE
Allows you to select how much of the world is under water. The three options
are 30-50%, 50-70%, and 70-90%. The more ocean, the greater the neces-
sity for a navy and the fewer opportunities to expand your faction on land.
EROSIVE FORCES	9

Allows you to choose between Strong (rolling and flat terrain), Average (hilly terrain), and Weak (rough, mountainous terrain). In general, flat terrain is easier to settle and terraform. Rougher surfaces are harder to terraform, but offer an abundance of mineral resources.

NATIVE LIFE FORMS

Allows you to select the frequency of Planet’s native life-forms, notably mind worms (see Fauna, p. 40) and xenofungus (see Flora, p. 39). Choices are Rare, Average and Abundant. The fewer native life forms, the easier the going, particularly early in the game.

CLOUD COVER

The choices are Sparse (light rainfall), Average, and Dense (heavy rainfall). The more rainfall, the more nutrients available to feed and expand your bases.

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		DIFFICULTY
		There are six levels of difficulty. The higher the
		difficulty, the smarter and more aggressive your
		opponents, and the tougher it is to establish
		and expand your faction. Difficulty levels, from
		easiest to hardest, are: Citizen (novice),
		Specialist, Talent, Librarian, Thinker, and
		Transcend (expert).
		GAME RULES
		These advanced gameplay options are
		described in detail under Game Rules, p. 197.
		FACTION
		There are seven factions of refugees from the disastrous destruction of the
		U.N. Starship Unity. This is where you select the one that you wish to lead.
	10
		•	CUSTOM NAME allows you to change the name of the faction (if, for example,
			your faction simply must be the Cheeseheads). This option also allows you
			to customize the terms used to address and describe your faction in diplo-
			matic interactions.
		• HELP button displays a summary of the faction’s character and its special
			abilities (and handicaps).
		•	LOAD lets you load a previously created faction configuration.
		•	OK accepts your choice and starts the game.
		• CANCEL returns to the Main menu.

After you select a faction, you get a window that allows you to change the name and gender of your faction leader (for example, Norma of the Cheeseheads), if you wish, after which the game begins.

See Factions, facing page, for information about the seven factions themselves.

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FACTIONS

The human factions of Planet are not divided by race, language or place of ancestral origin. Instead, each faction is guided by the vision of its leader. 11 These visions, in turn, give each faction a unique set of advantages and disadvantages. By comparing the strengths of your faction to the parameters of

a customized planet, you can either give yourself an edge against the other factions, or set yourself a unique challenge to overcome.

You’re likely to find the game more enjoyable if you pick a faction you can empathize with (even if you don’t necessarily agree with everything they profess).

GAIA’S STEPDAUGHTERS (LED BY LADY DEIRDRE SKYE)

The Gaians are determined not to repeat the environmental mistakes of old Earth. They seek to live at peace with Planet. They start out with the Centauri Ecology technology and advanced abilities to interact with the native life, including the ability to move freely through xenofungus squares and gather extra nutrients from fungus. Their empathy with Planet gives them the ability to place ravaging wild mind worms directly under their control. Their experience with recycling systems makes their bases more efficient, but their pacifist leanings undermine the

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abilities of their military units, and they resent police control in times of crisis. Because of negative environmental consequences, the Gaians can not make the “Free Market Economics” social choice (see Society Window, p. 136).

HUMAN HIVE (LED BY CHAIRMAN SHENG-JI YANG)

This faction is ruled under harsh collectivist/authoritarian principles. The good of the individual is totally subordinate to the state. They are isolationist, and militaristic. The Hive begins with the Doctrine: Loyalty technology. Their bases are built underground, giving them the equivalent of a pre-installed Perimeter Defense facility. Their population growth and industrial development are above average, but their economy tends to lag behind others. The Hive can not make the “Democratic” social choice (see Society Window, p. 136).

UNIVERSITY OF PLANET (LED BY ACADEMICIAN PROKHOR ZAKHAROV)

The University is completely dedicated to research and the free exchange of information. They are rumored to sometimes put the pursuit of knowledge 12 ahead of ethics. They start the game with the Information Networks technology and one additional bonus technology. Each University base receives a free Network Node when founded. The University’s research progresses quickly, but their open-access philosophy makes them susceptible to attacks by covert “Probe Teams,” while their callous elitism can easily lead to unrest among the workers. The University can not make the “Fundamentalist” social choice (see

Society Window, p. 136).

MORGAN INDUSTRIES (LED BY CEO NWABUDIKE MORGAN)

The Morganites are organized along corporate lines, and dedicated to laissezfaire capitalist economic principles. They start the game with 100 energy credits and the Industrial Base technology, and receive a bonus to all income from commerce between factions. Morganites have expensive tastes, making it difficult for them to support units in the field, and requiring them to build Hab Complex facilities before the population of any of their bases can exceed four citizens. The Morganites can not make the “Planned Economics” social choice (see Society Window, p. 136).

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	SPARTAN FEDERATION (LED BY COLONEL CORAZON SANTIAGO)
	The Spartans are paramilitary survivalists. They believe in both a right and a
	duty to keep and bear arms. The Spartans start the game with the Doctrine:
	Mobility technology and a fast scout rover vehicle, and they do not have to pay
	extra to develop prototypes of new units. Morale of their units is exceptional-
	ly high, and their citizens accept strict police control as a necessity, but their
	extravagant military needs weigh down industrial operations. The Spartans can
	not make the “Wealth” social choice (See Society Window, p. 136).
	THE LORD’S BELIEVERS (LED BY SISTER MIRIAM GODWINSON)
	The Believers seek a life of prayer and religious worship. Because of the
	strength of their convictions, they get a bonus when attacking their enemies.
	They start the game with the Social Psych technology. The Believers are resis-
	tant to probe brainwashing, but their suspicion of secular science retards their
	research efforts, and their belief that Planet is their promised land sometimes
	interferes with their ecological sensitivity. The Believers can not make the
		13
	“Knowledge” social choice (see Society Window, p. 136).
	THE PEACEKEEPING FORCES (LED BY COMMISSIONER PRAVIN LAL)
	The Peacekeepers exist to support the humanitarian principles of the United
	Nations of Earth, the organization that originally commissioned the Unity
	expedition to Alpha Centauri. They start the game with the Biogenetics tech-
	nology. The idealism of this faction attracts an intellectual elite, but their soci-
	ety possesses a tendency towards bureaucratic inefficiency. Their bases can
	exceed normal population limits by 2. Due to his experience with parliamentary
	maneuvering, Lal’s vote counts double when the Planetary Council is convened
	for election of a Planetary Governor or Supreme Leader. The Peacekeepers can
	not make the “Police State” social choice (see Society Window, p. 136).

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WELCOME TO ALPHA CENTAURI

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WELCOME TO ALPHA CENTAURI

Your new home in the Alpha Centauri system is officially called Chiron, but most of the new inhabitants refer to it as Planet. In cosmic terms, Earth and Planet are two worlds similar enough to be considered practically identical. But for human beings, the product of millions of years of earth-specific evolution, Planet is a strange, alien and frightening place. Your first task, upon arrival on this new world, is figuring out the ground rules how the whole system of Planet works together, and how your faction can make itself profitably a part of that system.

GETTING STARTED

A whole new world is a big place, and Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri is a big game. The first settlers on Planet are awed by the infinite possibilities that stretch before them, and the first time you open the game, you might find yourself a bit over-awed by all the choices you have (particularly if you’ve never

16 played any similar simulations before). This section is a quick guide to what you can expect when you first start to play, and some of the basic and necessary actions you need to take to get yourself established. All the concepts and actions mentioned below are covered in much greater detail later in this book.

FOLLOWING PLANETFALL

When your faction first makes planetfall, you always have at least one mobile unit ready for action. Send this unit out to explore the immediate vicinity of your base (you can move your unit with the eight arrow keys on the numeric keypad: just press the key corresponding to the direction you want to go). Try to explore at least five or six squares out from the base in all directions, then pick a direction and head out, or find a coastline and follow it. You’re looking for inviting places to establish new bases (remember, green is good — look for green squares near rivers or coastlines), and for the supply pods scattered by the Unity just before its destruction (but be careful—the Unity pods can contain valuable gifts, but they can also unleash danger). Watch out for mind worm boils—the dangerous native life-forms of Planet. Be prepared to fight or

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run when you see mind worms (you can attack by attempting to move into their square). Ultimately, you’ll want to make contact with the units or bases of the other human factions.

RESEARCHING TECHNOLOGY

New technologies drive your survival and expansion on Planet, giving you access to new weapons, base facilities, and Secret Projects. As soon as your first base is established, your faction immediately begins scientific research. You don’t have to do anything to start researching, it just happens. Every few turns your scientists announce a new breakthrough, and ask you to set priorities to guide your next research effort. For more information on how to maximize your technological advances, see Technology, p. 119.

EXPANDING YOUR EMPIRE

Each of your bases is constantly building a new unit or base facility. You can

decide where a base should direct its industrial efforts. To do so, L on a base 17 to open the Base Control Screen. In the lower left corner of that screen is a

window showing that base’s current build orders. L on the Change button to get the Production Readout, which shows everything your base can build (at the start of the game, this might be just two or three objects). At the start of the game you’ll want to concentrate on units. First, build a military unit to guard the base. When it’s completed, use H to order that unit to remain in the base, on guard. If you wish, you may order the base governor to take over production if you L one of the “Governor” buttons at the top of the Base Control screen (see Governor, p. 69).

As soon as the “former” (terraforming) unit becomes available (with the discovery of Centauri Ecology), build one and send it out to terraform the landscape. Move the former out of your base and have it build farms (F), roads (R), and solar collectors (S). If the terrain is harsh (a brown square with no green), plant forests (sF). If the terrain is rough (lots of grey blobs in the square) drill mines (M). You can also automate a former by pressing sA; it immediately begins building terrain enhancements as the former commander sees fit.

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	You’ll also want to build some extra colony pods to establish new bases. When
	a pod is ready, send it out to an inviting green square at least three or four
	squares away from any other base (and on a river or a coast if possible). B
	builds a new base on that square.
	As your faction discovers new technology, you gain an ever wider variety of
	build options to choose from. Once you have a defensive unit and a former,
	and have sent out a colony pod from a base, you’ll probably want to start
	improving the base itself by building facilities. Particularly useful facilities for
	new bases in the early part of the game include the Network Node, Perimeter
	Defense, Children’s Creche, Recycling Tanks and Recreation Commons.
	Eventually, when you feel one of your bases is well established, you may want
	to commit it to building a Secret Project. These massive works take a long time
	to build but yield lasting benefits to your entire faction.
	DIPLOMACY
18	Inevitably, you come into contact with one of the other factions from the
	Unity. When this happens, you’ll usually get a message that the leader of the
	faction wishes to speak to you, via your commlinks. It’s usually a good idea to
	talk to another leader when given the opportunity. Leaders may offer to trade

technologies (often a good idea), or offer you a treaty, or even an alliance (a very good idea, unless you’re itching for a fight). On the other hand, they might threaten you or even try to extort energy (the currency of Planet) or technology from you. Giving in to such demands can be humbling, but is sometimes better than the alternative (a fight you may not be ready for). Sometimes they want to borrow energy credits (a good deal in the long run, unless you’re going to need the energy you’re loaning away in the immediate future).

FACTIONAL STRIFE

Unfortunately, diplomacy can’t solve all problems. Sooner or later, you’ll have to prepare your faction for armed conflict. Even if your intentions are peaceful, you’ll need a standing army, to respond quickly in case of unprovoked

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aggression. (Keep such defensive forces small—no more than two units per
base in the years immediately after Planetfall. Otherwise they’ll become expen-
sive to maintain, and rapidly become obsolete.)
If you prefer the conqueror’s role, you can put your whole faction on a military
footing, building multiple units per base for a massive invasion force. Obviously,
you probably shouldn’t invest too much time and resources into an operation
until you’ve encountered the enemy and know where they’re located.
THE TURN
Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri is a turn-based game. Each turn corresponds to
one Chiron year. Mission Year 2100, Planetfall, is the first Chiron year.
Each turn follows the same pattern.
1. Planet & Enemy Faction move. All native and enemy units make their
moves (including attacks). You see any such movements that fall within the
limits of your sensors. The leaders of the other factions may contact you.		19

2.Faction Update. You are advised of any completed enhancements, research or units. (You can customize your preferences for updates; see Warning Preferences, p.199.) You may set a new goal for each base when a project is completed, or you may use the defaults. As time progresses, you are offered opportunities to upgrade units, and may receive updates of your progress at unraveling the secrets of this new world.

3.Player Move. You (and all other player-controlled factions, in multiplayer games) may move units at this time. You are taken, in turn, to each unit that is:

•not “holding” in a defensive position, or “asleep” within a transport unit.

•not already engaged in a multi-turn action.

During this time, you may also freely change your preferences, or change orders to bases or any units (whether or not they’re already engaged in orders), contact other faction leaders, inspect visible portions of the map, and review all available data.

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GETTING AROUND

The first things you have to learn, in order to establish your faction, are how to interpret the map and how to move around.

The main map, which occupies the top two-thirds of the screen, is your playing surface. At Planetfall (when your faction first arrives on Planet, and when the game begins), the vast bulk of the map is either indistinct or totally black (depending on how you set the Unity Survey option; see Game Rules, p. 197). You have to move units around and explore to find out exactly what your surroundings are.

The simplest way to move a unit is with the numeric keypad.

The direction in which the keypad arrow points corresponds directly to the direction the unit moves, so that 8 on the numeric keypad moves you one square to

20 the north, while 3 moves you one square to the southeast.

It is also possible to set units to undertake longer, multi-turn journeys without further orders, or even to have them decide for themselves what actions to take. These options are described under the Action Menu (p. 92).

Continual movement c+arrow key

If you want a unit to move continually in a single direction, use this command. The unit continues in the specified direction until it can no longer proceed, due to coastlines or enemy units. The unit’s commander may route around small obstacles like fungus and small bodies of water.

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MOUSE MOVEMENT

If you’re sending a unit on a long journey, and you don’t want to hit an arrow key for every square of the distance, you can set a destination using the mouse: Just L (left-click) on the unit, drag to its destination, then release.

The unit figures the most direct path to your destination, automatically routing around obstacles like small bodies of water and fungal areas.

Waypoints. There may be times when you don’t want a unit to take the most direct route to its final destination (for example, if a route would take you through hostile territory). In those cases you can use waypoints. To set a waypoint, L-and-drag to the first waypoint square, z while holding the click, then drag to the next waypoint or to your final destination. A waypoint is set on that square—the unit goes to the waypoint, then on to the next waypoint (if there is another one) or its final destination. A unit will normally follow the path shown on the screen when its orders are given, but it may deviate somewhat based upon the tactical situation at the time it makes the actu-

al move. It always traverses the waypoints in the order given. You can insert 21 up to three waypoints on a route, including the destination.

EXAMINING THE MAP

The main map is scrollable. L(left-click) on any square to center the map on that square. You can also scroll the map in the indicated direction by moving your mouse cursor to the edge of the screen (unless you choose to disable this option).

•If you have a unit in that square, L also moves your cursor to that square and activates the unit (see Active Units, p. 22). If you have multiple units in a square, you choose which unit to activate.

•If you have a base in the square, L opens the Base Control Screen (see pg. 66).

: (right-click) on a square to open a window containing many of the most commonly used commands. These commands are fully described under Action Menu, p. 92.

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FOG OF WAR

On any given turn playing with the default game options, there are three types of terrain visible on the map.

Black squares are squares you have not mapped yet. (If you have the Unity Survey option turned on, these are not black, but you won’t be able to see any details of the square’s terrain, other than whether it’s land or sea).

Dim squares are those you have already mapped, but which are not currently observed by any of your sensors (either from units or bases).

Bright squares are those you’ve mapped, and which are currently monitored by your sensors. Most units can observe only adjacent squares. All bases and your units with Deep Radar (a unit special ability) can observe out to two squares away.

ACTIVE UNITS

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During a turn, each of your units not currently under orders will become active and remain so until you either give it an order or activate a different unit. Active units are shown by a marker or by flashing, depending on the game options you have selected. A unit that has been skipped during your turn because you chose to activate a different unit will re-activate before the end of your turn as a reminder that it still needs instructions. If you are viewing the map, press V to auto-select the next active unit.

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COMMLINK

Although it may take awhile to find them, eventually you’ll need to communicate with other faction leaders. The commlink system is your means of communication and your tool for trade and diplomacy.

The Commlink button is located on the right edge of your screen.

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L on this tab or press F12 to open the Commlink menu which displays the names of each of the opposing faction leaders along with your current diplomatic status with that faction (Vendetta, Truce, Treaty, Pact; see Diplomatic Relations, p. 129). L on a name to contact that leader (see Diplomatic Contact, p. 127).

A final option, COUNCIL, cannot be used until you have the commlink frequencies for all other leaders. It allows you to convene the Planetary Council. (See

Planetary Council, p. 132.)

TURN COMPLETE

This button, just below the Commlink tab, allows you to disregard any remaining actions and end the turn (if you have actions left in the turn, you are prompted to confirm your choice). This button flashes when all your units have received orders for the current turn.

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WORLD VIEW

The World View map is in the lower right corner of your screen. It displays the world as it is currently known to your faction.

There are two options for viewing your World View map, selected via the buttons beneath the map:

• World Map (default view). Displays the outline of the land areas and all known cities by the color of their faction. Double-L an area in the World

			Map to zoom to the Detail Map (see below).
		•	Detail Map. Displays a close-up of the terrain, so you can keep your eye on
	24
			potential trouble spots. Double-L an area in the Detail Map to take you
			back to the World Map (see above).

You can scroll around either view—L on any terrain on the map. The map recenters where you clicked. : on the World View in either mode to bring up a menu of options for changing the view.

YEAR/ENERGY

At the bottom of the World View is a readout line showing the current year and your faction’s current energy reserves (see Base Management: The Essentials, p. 58).

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STATUS VIEW

This display comprises the three windows in the lower left corner of the screen. It displays all the essential information about both the active unit and the active square.

The top left window displays information about the active unit or base, if any,

including:

25

•Picture (with status bar)

•Type

•Stats (see Units, p. 64)

•Morale Level (see Morale/Lifecycle, p. 87)

•Supporting Base

•Move Remaining

•Current Orders (if any) and time to completion (if a terraforming project is underway)

•Base build orders

The top right window displays information about the current square, including:

• Elevation

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•Terrain Type (see Resources, p. 36)

•Any Enhancements (see Terraforming and Enhancements, p. 46)

•Coordinates (see Mapping Planet, below)

L on the window to show the number of resources produced by that square.

The long window at the bottom of the screen displays a picture of each unit or base stacked in the current square. Place the cursor over an item to view its data. L on a picture to make a unit the active unit. L on a base to zoom to the Base Control Screen.

DATA MFD

This is the window located in the lower center of your screen. It’s a repository for general information about your faction and current events.

If you L on the M button (for “messages”), the Data MFD displays the most 26 recent messages generated by the game, with the oldest at the top.

If you L on the I button (for “information”), the Data MFD displays a continuously cycling series of screens displaying important information about your faction and its status among the other factions.

MAPPING PLANET

When you first arrive on Planet, you’ll have no idea where you are, where the other factions are, or indeed what might lie over the horizon. You’ll have to begin the fascinating process of exploring Planet, and as you progress the world map is unveiled.

The map of Planet is a spherical surface projected onto a rectangular image. This means, in realistic terms, that the squares at the top and bottom of the map (near the poles) represent much smaller areas than the squares in the middle (near the equator). In game terms, however, there’s no difference—a square is a square. Understanding the projection, however, does make it easier to

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understand that the long stretches of rough land at the top and bottom of the screen represent the edge of Planet’s uninhabitable polar regions.

MAP COORDINATES

Map coordinates are numbered starting from (0, 0), with the vertical axis first. The vertical axis is numbered from the top of the map to the bottom, and the horizontal is numbered from left to right, starting at the point where the World View (see

World View, p. 24)	27
wraps. Thus (14, 22) would be nearer the upper left corner of the World View,

while (101, 77) would be much lower and farther to the right.

ARCHIPELAGOES

Some land squares are connected by a thin line between their diagonal corners, with water squares on either side of this line. These squares are connected by an archipelago of small islands, and these intersections can be crossed both by sea units (from one water square to the other), and by land units (along the archipelago).

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MENUS

	Along the left side of your screen is a tab labeled MENU. L on the tab, and a
	list of nine sub-menus appears.
28	• Game (see Game Menu, next page)

• HQ (see HQ Menu, p. 110)

• Network (see Install Guide)

• Map (see Map Menu, p. 32)

• Action (see Action Menu, p. 92)

• Terraform (see Terraform Menu, p. 46)

• Scenario (see Scenario and Edit Map Menus, p. 206)

• Edit Map (see Scenario and Edit Map Menus, p. 206)

• Help (see Help Menu, p. 31)

From these menus, you can access most of the commands, options and preferences available in the game. Some of the options listed may not appear, either because you have “Simple menus” toggled on (see Game Menu, below) or because you cannot carry out a particular order.

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