Customer Reviews

Alpha Centauri

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I write this review well over a year after the game came out simply because I have to reiterate to those that may not have the game how great it actually is. I say this, because even after a year, I am still playing Alpha Centauri. There are not very many games that interest me 3 months after I beat them, much less a year. It is so satisfying on so many different levels that whenever I need a break from another game, I'll spend a couple days exploring Alpha Centauri again. There are several different ways to win. You can conquer the planet through military might, be elected Supreme Leader by the Planetary Council, Corner the Energy (the games currency) market, or the Ascent to Transendence, which is basically the most technologically advanced faction. Such parameters allow for varied styles. Want to beat your neighbor senseless? OK. Are you sneaky and want to forment revolts? You can do that to. Or you can buy off votes in the planetary council with cash or technologies. But it is many of the small things that make this game shine. Alliances actually work - your friends will help you when you need it, cut you off if you stab them in the back, and grow suspicious if you become to powerful. You can give away cities to reward a faithful vassal or pacify an enemy. If you commit atrocities against an enemy they will fight you to the last man. However, if you are a noble enemy, they will submit to your will and become your vassals. Such small details are glorious in the otherwise "kill 'em all" world of computer gaming. My few complaint with the games are niggling. On the higher difficulty levels it seems you are battling with a hostile planet rather than smarter enemies - which seems a copout for what is otherwise a robust AI. Also, the end game can really drag. If you have conquered two or three other factions and have a ton of cities to manage, a turn can take up to half an hour to manage everything. These small things aside, Alpha Centauri is brilliant game design at work. After a year I only wish other game designers had taken a look at some of the options the Firaxis team offered.

It took me a long, long time to really get into this game, but once I did, I really came to appreciate its complexity and playability. Like Civilization and other turn-based games, you develop a civilization from a single initial city with little military power, wealth, or technology into a large, planet-spanning, technologically advanced society. You compete with other growing civilizations (called "factions" in this game) for resources, land, and influence, and you can further your goals by military power, stealth, diplomacy, or a combination of these. Terraforming a hostile planet is also a very important part of the game.

Each game can play out very differently depending on the military and diplomatic choices that you make. You can also adjust many aspects of your society, such as your political and economic structures, values, and ideals, all of which have concrete effects on the game (making it easier or harder to learn new technologies, for example, or to produce highly trained military units). Also, one thing that is nice is that you have a lot of control over many automated features. If you want to manage every aspect of your city production or terraformer behavior, you can; or you can turn it all over to automated governors and forget about it.

Anyone who is familiar with turn-based strategy games will probably want to pick this up at this price. It does lack the historical connection that can make Civ 2 so addictive but is still a complex and interesting game (and it takes some time to figure out how everything works). Also, there are several different ways to win, so it's not necessary to go through the tedious process of capturing every single enemy city to win the game. If you have not played turn based games before, though, I'd recommend starting with CIV 2 and picking up the "scenarios" expansion pack.

Alpha Centauri is a turn based strategy game. You are the leader of one of seven rival factions who setteled on Chiron, a planet in the Alpha Centauri system. In the game, You build cities and manage them, build armies and attack, and conduct research.

Every fan of Civilization will find himself right at home in Alpha Centauri, even though the two games happen on different planets in different times. Major improvements from civilization are superior graphics, the ability to costumize your own army units, and 4 different ways to win: The traditional military conquest, Cornering the Economy, Becoming a superior leader of all the factions, or the new and most challenging way: Making contact with the planet itself, which is a living and highly advanced organism. The game also contains a great plotline, revolving around the player's relationship with "Planet".

A five star game.

If you've ever read the Red/Green/Blue Mars trilogy, much of this game will seem vaguely familiar--it borrows heavily from the concepts of terraforming Kim Stanley Robinson used.

The first expedition to another starsystem has malfunctioned. Seven different factions touch down on the surface of the Alpha Centauri system's primary planet. You lead one of them. Equipped with only a colony pod and a few basic technologies, you build bases and terraform the planet.

Although the strategic concepts are similar to Civilization II, several enhancements make this a much more interesting game. The planet itself can be your ally or your enemy. Each faction has a distinct personality & set of advantages. By playing a different faction, you can shift the strategic demands of game play. You can also queue production at each base. This means you don't have to perpetually return to bases to set production. You can automate formers to improve a base or build roads/mag tubes.

This is a turn-based game. If you have to walk away to take a phone call, play will stop until you return. The Alien Crossfire upgrade to the game adds a number of new technologies, new factions, and yet more strategies for play.

If you like the strategic illusion of building and running an empire, you'll have fun with this game. Whether you'd like to develop peaceably or conquer your opponents, this is the game for you. With so many possible combinations of play, the number of approaches to the game are virtually limitless.

(If you enjoyed this review, please leave positive feedback. You can read my other Amazon reviews by clicking on the "about me" link. Thanks!)

I've had the pleasure of owning this game for over a year now and I still love to play it. After all this time I've never repeated a victory, meaning I've never had the same end result. The graphics are great and the speed is wonderful. There are so many diffrent options for you to choose from that it would be counter-productive to list them all here. I've recommended this game to everyone that has asked me about strategy games. So now I'm recommending this game to you. If you like turn based games and like playability then this is the game for you. You can't beat this price either, I paid alot more for it!!

This game takes the Civilisation genre that its author created years before and puts the final polish on it.

The mechanics of the game are rich. Times past i have wished that someone would take one of the fantastically detailed strategy board games like "World In Flames" or "Fire In The East" and automated their mechanics via computer. Then I have remembered that Alpha Centauri is that game.

I cannot say how many days of my life have been poured into this game. They were entertaining, that I can say without doubt.

... but it's really not! The only thing really complicated about this game is the fact that it very accurately depicts the city/civiliation management aspects. However, the game DOES feature extensive automation commands that will run things according to the directives you set. I would highly recommend playing Civiliation II a few times before getting into this though because it will help get you used to the systems in the game. The only thing that really proves confusing is a lack of real world base for the technologies in the game. Since it's set in the future, all the technology is pretty much "alien" and thus it can be hard to get your bearings.

Like I said, play Civilization II first to get a feel for the system ( and just because it's an outstanding game in it's own right) then play through the game on the easiest level a few times. The opposition will be nihil and it will give you a chance to familiarize yourself with the futuristic technologies. The game is complex, but for fans of the genre that IS NOT a bad thing, just may take some getting used to. All in all, it plays alot like Civ 2, don't give up so easilly!

I must admit, that when I first played Alpha Centauri I did'nt think too much of it. I got it of a friend, so I had to learn all of the controls without an instruction book. Now THAT is challenging. When I learned to play, however, I realised that this game could not have been made less complex than it is without slicing away some important pieces of the gameplay. The complexity is fascinating in itself, and the fact that the game is turn-based provides a relaxed feeling which is well needed in the current computer game climate. Alpha Centauri is an amazingly good game, on the border to perfection. It's time consuming, no doubt, but anyone with a bit of patience has countless hours of interesting gaming ahead of them.

If you like strategy games you've probably played Civilization II. Not doing so would be the same as saying you like desserts but have never tasted apple pie. Alpha Centauri is a rare treat for your strategy gaming taste buds. This game takes up where Civilization II left off - humanity departing Earth, heading for the star Alpha Centauri and it's planetary system to start afresh. We begin in typical human fashion - divided - the colonists have split into 7 factions, each seeking to develop their new home in their own fashion.

Gameplay is similar to Civilization II. As head of one of the factions you start with a single city, the first objective being exploration of the surrounding darkness and establishing your civilization. Quickly you encounter others and are faced with decisions. The game demands that you strike the right strategic balance between the imperatives of exploration, research, building and conquest. How will you seek to win? Through economic victory, military conquest or achieving transcendence? The ability to achieve different victories underlies one of the strengths of the game. Each faction has well developed philosophies and ideologies and their approach to life on Planet is influenced by these biases and it affects gameplay. For instance the Morganites emphasize economic development, the University faction pursues research, Gaians have an environmentally friendly approach to living on the planet and the UN group seeks peace and harmony. Beliefs affect behaviour and interaction between factions is excellently managed through a sophisticated diplomacy framework. Dealing with the Lord's believers and the militaristic Spartans is an exercise in patience and a lesson in managing aggression.

Another very sophisticated element is the ability to engage in social engineering which allows you to subtley shift your civilizations philosophy. Other strengths are the design workshop which allows for customization of units and the 'Governor' which can be fully automated to carry out city life according to the assigned imperatives (build, explore, research or military).

If the coming 'Empire Earth' lives up to it's promise, this game may be topped, but until then Alpha Centauri continues to shine as the brightest star in the strategy game genre.

I enjoy strategy games and this game fits the bill well. The computer-managed factions behave realistically and the game is quite playable. The philosophical blurbs and/or small videos whenever you discover something new are a nice touch too.