Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (Mac)

by Aspyr

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00003OPDT
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.2 x 1.8 inches ; 1.3 pounds
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: February 15, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,650 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Ever wonder what happened to the explorers launched into space at the end of Civilization 2? This game has the answer: they landed on a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri, and quickly divided into feuding factions, each bent on molding the new world according to their particular philosophy or culture. But the human colonists are not alone.

Alpha Centauri employs the same basic game play, rules, and concept as Civilization 2, but features enhanced diplomacy and a new, slicker interface. Players begin by assuming leadership of one of seven colony factions, establishing a base on the unexplored world. Conquering territory, developing technology, expanding the faction's population, and dealing with native life forms are critical priorities that must be correctly balanced for survival. If a faction's military output is low, it may be vulnerable to attacks by others or by dangerous mind worms that roam the landscape. On the other hand, building war machines at the expense of scientific research may result in trying to manage a massive but obsolete war machine or a rebellious population.

Within the game, you can now automate tasks that--in the earlier game--were repetitive and dull. The factions also have a better mix of leaders; three of the seven factions are headed by women. The computer AI for the other groups does a good job of making decisions in accordance with each faction's particular philosophy and world view, and will often surprise a human player with an offer of strategic alliance or a sudden double-cross.

This easy-to-learn and thoroughly absorbing game takes the best features of the original classic and sets them in a brave new world. --Alyx Dellamonica

Amazon.com Product Description

Sid Meier presents the next evolution in strategy games. Explore the alien planet that is your new home and uncover its mysteries. Discover over 75 extraordinary technologies. Build over 60 base upgrades. Conquer your enemies with a war machine that you design from over 32,000 possible unit types.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Replayable, challenging & so addicting it should be illegal, October 18, 2000

By 

Mr. Pointy "ohobbes" (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (Mac) (CD-ROM)

I was in a store years ago examining a Civilization II game box when the guy next to me looks over and says: "I wouldn't get that if I were you. Too addicting."

So, of course I bought it...

In retrospect, perhaps that was a mistake because the guy in the game store was dead right. The compulsion to play 'just *one* more turn before bedtime turns otherwise normal gamers into insomniacs, staring in utter disbelief when the clock blinks 2:00 a.m.

This effect is even more pronounced in Alpha Centauri -- which picks up the story line where Civ II leaves off, as the human explorers leave earth to colonize a new world.

Starting on an empty plain, you've got to start cranking out settlers, military units and laying claim to precious resources before some of your rivals come calling. And when they do come, be prepared to use diplomacy, spies, threats, bribes, military power, or gifts to defend your interests -- or else.

The best part about this game is that it's never the same twice. You can play seven different factions, each with their own philosophies and sets of strengths and weaknesses that alter gameplay. You can micromanage everything, if that's your bent-- design military units, instruct cities what to produce, etc. -- or leave it up to programmable "governors."

It's true that the artificial intelligence that guides some of the automated processes (such as terraforming the landscape, building certain city improvemnts) don't always perform optimally, but as far as I'm concerned, this is a minor quibble.

Simply put, Alpha Centauri is a challenging blend of resource management, empire-building, strategy and tactics, and it is unmatched in its ability to provide engrossing entertainment.

Having said that, it's also clearly too addictive -- I wouldn't get it if I were you...

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars addictive personalities, beware..., May 2, 2000

By 

"jeremiasd" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (Mac) (CD-ROM)

My one real complaint about this title is that a full game can take more than 30 hours to complete. This means that a 'normal' person with a day-job will likely spend a week or more on a single outing -- and this game is devilishly difficult to put down; there's always one other objective that you meant to see to before you can pack it up for the night.

There are also some concerns within the gameplay that add to the lengthiness of a game. On my iMac 333, the game slows down noticably towards its later stages, as more and more units and bases need to be juggled by the processor. The '150 mHz or faster' listed in the specs isn't terribly realistic if you don't want to spend a whole month playing one round. Setting units to 'automatic' *ought* to be of some help, but in fact the way this is implemented, they have a bad habit of wandering around in circles or getting stuck in place for no apparent reason, and if you have many units set on auto, it could be 20 minutes before you regain control of the game to change the unit's orders (by which time you're likely to have lost track of what the problem was).

Overall, I found this game to be a hell of a lot of fun, but frustratingly slow. The vaunted AI is not all THAT smart, so you will spend even more extra time keeping an eye on it and countermanding its orders. But, if you have either a lot of time or a lot of self-control, it's a good romp.

The game as initially released (version 1.4) had some annoying bugs in it; a patch to 1.4.1 is available at the website (I think it's at the Aspyr site, but it might be at the game site). This fixed almost all the problems I was having except the automation quirks.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alpha Centauri is outstanding, March 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (Mac) (CD-ROM)

As a big fan of Civilization 2, I had high expectations of Alpha Centauri. It definitely doesn't disappoint. The overall structure and gameplay are similar to Civ 2, making it fairly easy to learn, but the details set it apart. Units and technology advancements are very unique. The 7 factions you can choose from have strong personalities of their own, and solid AI. If you enjoy Civ 2, this game is a great step forward. One negative is that it's too addicting!