Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri

[Beorning]

All this talk about new computer games made me remember and dust off an *old* game: Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri.

Anyone here remembers it? I must admit I like it very much. It didn't have that great graphics, but the story and the concept were amazing. I wish it'd be possible to do something like that here on the forums - so that we could play leaders of sci-fi societies, developing new technologies and unusual social models...

[Ephiral]

Remember it? There is no time in the last 10 years when I didn't have SMACX installed on at least one machine. I'm with you - it's a fascinating plotline, and the mechanics are very interesting. (The social-engineering and unit-design systems in particular are really nice.) Also, I can't help but slip into character in multiplayer games, which I always regard as a sign of a great game. Gaians for life, yo.

[Beorning]

Personally, I'm big fan of Spartans :)

Although in the game I'm currently playing, being a Spartan doesn't save my butt from being kicked by... the University. *groan*

[Ephiral]

Bah. The Spartans are way too fixated on polishing their guns. I tend to make arms-length allies of them while I'm building up my zero-cost worm army. Once that's going, even the University can't hold tech advantage on me.

[Beorning]

And here I thought that the Gaians were supposed to be peaceful people... ;)

[Ephiral]

There's a world of difference between "peaceful" and "pacifist". And that world is filled with worms ready to wreck everything you've ever loved if you screw with our peaceful eco-harmony. Leave us be and we'll do fine, but certain factions are pretty hostile to a green democracy.

[kylie]

     Is there somewhere to download the PC game for free these days?  It's been around a good while, if any excuse were needed  XD 

Anyway, I like it too!

[Ephiral]

I am uncertain of its legal state these days; I snagged it as part of a $10 legacy-games collection. It's on a number of abandonware sites, though; a quick Google should find it.

[Beorning]

     Is there somewhere to download the PC game for free these days?

Well, GOG.com sells it for $6. It's not free, but it's pretty cheap, IMHO...

[Missy]

That was one Sid Meier's game i always wanted to play, but was never able to find.

As far as roleplaying the leaders of nations and strategy, there's an entire genre of forum based games dedicated to just that. They're called Nationsims and they can be good fun, if they require a dedicated staff of GM's to function.

[Beorning]

Are there any games of this kind here on E? I've always wondered how a game like that could work...

[Dovel]

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is a great game though I have not played it in awhile. Soon I plan to get Civialization V Gold Edition. Those types of games can become quite addicting.

[Ephiral]

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is a great game though I have not played it in awhile. Soon I plan to get Civialization V Gold Edition. Those types of games can become quite addicting.

Honestly, I'd say don't waste your money. Civ 5 is pretty, and there are some good concepts in it, but... every time I go to play it, I find myself back on Civ 4 with Legends of Revolution on. Or Alpha Centauri.

[Aleph]

Honestly, I'd say don't waste your money. Civ 5 is pretty, and there are some good concepts in it, but... every time I go to play it, I find myself back on Civ 4 with Legends of Revolution on. Or Alpha Centauri.

Agreed, I love me a game with serious art deco styling, but after a couple of attempts to enjoy getting whomped on the easiest level and finding everything is far more expensive than it used to be I stuck to Civ4 and its add ons.

[HairyHeretic]

Are there any games of this kind here on E? I've always wondered how a game like that could work...

I tried floating the idea of a VBAM game (Victory By Any Means), but it never really took off. VBAM is a pen and paper 4X game. Start off from your homeworld, reseach tech, colonise, run into new and interesting lifeforms and decide if you want to play nice or nuke them back to the stone age and absorb the survivors into your empire :)

[Ephiral]

I tried floating the idea of a VBAM game (Victory By Any Means), but it never really took off. VBAM is a pen and paper 4X game. Start off from your homeworld, reseach tech, colonise, run into new and interesting lifeforms and decide if you want to play nice or nuke them back to the stone age and absorb the survivors into your empire :)

I am intrigued. Tell me more of this.

[HairyHeretic]

I am intrigued. Tell me more of this.

http://www.vbamgames.com/

If you wander along to the forums you ought to be able to find the playtest 2nd ed rules. I have the first edition ones, and rather heavily modified them in places for a game of my own that never really got beyond the beta testing stage.

Since 2nd ed is, I think, fairly well advanced, I figured I might wait til it was out and then see if anyone was interested then.

[Ack Arg]

Most of the civ type games feel the same to me. Alpha Centauri wasn 't different but there was something about carrying out the eco-fascist agenda was amusing.

Gaians for life, yo.

Indeed. All hail the queen of the hippie swarm!

I know that it's really only a fluke that it feels as good as it does, sorta like how star wars is fun but the twenty films just like it have become unwatchable. Part of that is probably because it's so vague (mind worms? nerve stapling? genetic warfare?) and part of it is that it's a war of ideas, methods and personalities that fits the traditional idea of History.

Sigh. GOG is really a life saver. I would never have played it otherwise.

Thanks for point out the VBAM Hairy, that might just be worth a looksies.

[Elias]

Morganite to the core. This remains my favorite game of all time, I have been trying to get my hands on the expansion pack for years with no avail, makes me weep.

[Ephiral]

GOG is selling both as a single package.