sid meiers' alpha centauri

[Species8472]

I shall not confront Planet as an enemy, but shall accept its mysteries as gifts to be cherished. Nor shall I crudely seek to peel the layers away like the skin from an onion. Instead I shall gather them together as the tree gathers the breeze. The wind shall blow and I shall bend. The sky shall open and I shall drink my fill.

Gaian Acolyte's Prayer
​

 

[Eudaimonist]

I love that game. More wisdom from the game:

Human behavior is economic behavior. The particulars may vary,
but competition for limited resources remains a constant. Need
as well as greed have followed us to the stars, and the rewards
of wealth still await those wise enough to recognize this deep
thrumming of our common pulse.

-- CEO Nwabudike Morgan

 

[Eudaimonist]

Has anyone noticed how biased that game is in favor of the Gaians? Lady Deirdre and the Gaians are clearly the "good guys" of the game, and easily the strongest player faction, with the Peacekeepers as the only group that are portrayed as at least semi-good. Everyone else is a villian. Morgan, the strawman evil capitalist, is a complete pushover. If you don't conquer him yourself (easily done), the alien worms will eat his entire nation eventually.

I had fun reversing this. The Free Market economic option was absurdly loaded with gameplay penalities, so that one would have to be a fool, or desperate, to ever select this economic option. I changed the game modifiers around to make it playable. I also made the Green economic option come with a population Growth penalty, figuring that environmentalists would want to grow slowly so as not to encroach on the ecosystem too quickly.

Suddenly, one could play Morgan with Democratic, Free Market, Knowledge-or-Wealth, and Eudaimonic social options, and have a capitalistic nation that could become a wealthy, productive world power that could defend itself against even the Gaians.

Oh, that was satisfying!

And so much more realistic.

 

[Lord Emsworth]

Has anyone noticed how biased that game is in favor of the Gaians? Lady Deirdre and the Gaians are clearly the "good guys" of the game, and easily the strongest player faction, with the Peacekeepers as the only group that are portrayed as at least semi-good. Everyone else is a villian. Morgan, the strawman evil capitalist, is a complete pushover. If you don't conquer him yourself (easily done), the alien worms will eat his entire nation eventually.

I had fun reversing this. The Free Market economic option was absurdly loaded with gameplay penalities, so that one would have to be a fool, or desperate, to ever select this economic option. I changed the game modifiers around to make it playable. I also made the Green economic option come with a population Growth penalty, figuring that environmentalists would want to grow slowly so as not to encroach on the ecosystem too quickly.

Suddenly, one could play Morgan with Democratic, Free Market, Knowledge-or-Wealth, and Eudaimonic social options, and have a capitalistic nation that could become a wealthy, productive world power that could defend itself against even the Gaians.

Oh, that was satisfying!

And so much more realistic.

Why would you even want to use "Free Market" when playing Morgan? He comes with a built-in +1 on economics. Add to that "Wealth" and you are on +2. Which will already give you one extra energy per worked tile. A huge increase and everything that exceeds that is peanuts in comparision.

"Free Market" on the other hand is the only way to gain +2 on economics for all the other factions - if at all - for a very, very long time.

 

[Species8472]

The True transcendence of the game is not about wealth but pure philosophy. ever try to play the gaians and just start off with a city or two and plant trees all over. The magic of the music goes with the gathering of the breeze--in the trees. or filling the ocean with kelp. Save planet from the mind worms.
It's too bad I can't play anymore since it isn't compatible with my cpu. Damn shame.
The clue to the gaian faction is in the acolytic prayer.
Its not how fast you play the game; rather, it is what philosophy compells you. Afterall, points are meaningless. It's more of a meditation than a game or a discipline.
The music is the key to the game. A harmonious relationship with planet compells the music in subtle cues.

 

[Species8472]

Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden. He drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.



The Conclave Bible

Death Angel lyrics--
Prophecy

enter the tomb of the old
mystery in ancient gold
all that ever was foretold
cycle in constant change
temple of doom rearranged
many tales remain the same

carved in stone enter the tomb
ritual under the moon

intrigue wrapped all it's own
building now what is renown
the sky is the cornerstone
man fears time fears pyramids
journey in sand to resurrect
feather of truth is weighed against

carved in stone enter the tomb
ritual under the moon

one last trip river of life
prophecy into the sky

cursed with clairvoyance
the rise and the fall
the unknown is shadowed in stone walls

"goddess of the sky
spread yourself over me
among the undying stars
that i may not die again"

unknown truth ending untold
monuments rooms of gold
royal history in stone

prelude to eternal life
souls of our kings are deified
opening of the mouth

carved in stone enter the tomb
ritual under the moon

one last trip river of life
prophecy into the sky
into the sky

Plant your own garden of eden on planet.​

 

[Eudaimonist]

Why would you even want to use "Free Market" when playing Morgan?

Yes, but it fits his faction storywise. I guess I'm more of a roleplayer than a wargamer at heart.

But I fiddled with his faction modifiers as well, giving him a free Energy Bank for each base, and taking away his Economy plus.

 

[Eudaimonist]

The True transcendence of the game is not about wealth but pure philosophy.

I'm well aware of the ideas in the game. I think the idea of transcendence found there is collectivism run amok. I would hate to give up my individuality and humanity to join some planet-wide communal mind.

Its not how fast you play the game; rather, it is what philosophy compells you.

Sure, I find the game very interesting for that reason. However, most of the factions in the game represent some silly strawman version of a philosophy, and not the fairest defense possible. That's why I renamed Morgan to Prime Mover (John) Galt, and made him the leader of the Objectivists, to give a more positive defender of free markets and industry than Morgan.

I also modified some other factions, turning the University into the (transhumanist) Extropians, the Peacekeepers into the (secular) Humanists, and the Spartans into the Nietszcheans.

I left the Believer faction just the way they were, however.

 

[Oidhche]

I sit in my cubicle, here on the motherworld.
When I die, they will put my body in a box and
dispose of it in the cold ground.
And in all the million ages to come, I will never
breathe or laugh or twitch again.
So won't you run and play with me here among the
teeming mass of humanity?
The universe has spared us this moment.

This is the one I like the most.

 

[Species8472]

As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth's final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny. The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism. Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.

Commissioner Pravin Lal
"U.N. Declaration of Rights"
​

 

[FadingWhispers3]

The Free Market economic option was absurdly loaded with gameplay penalities, so that one would have to be a fool, or desperate, to ever select this economic option.

I've used it with Spartans in the past with varying degrees of success. Spartans are ideally suited to dealing with mind worms. The extra cash from the energy bonus and from carving up mind worms (poor planet rating makes them appear more often) makes for a good time.

 

[Eudaimonist]

How could I forget my favorite quote of all? This is from the Eudaimonia tech advance:

The happy life is thought to be one of excellence; now
an excellent life requires exertion, and does not consist
in amusement. If Eudaimonia, or happiness, is activity in
accordance with excellence, it is reasonable that it should
be in accordance with the highest excellence; and this will
be that of the best thing in us.
-- Aristotle,
"Nichomachean(sic) Ethics", Datalinks

That "best thing within us" is, of course, reason.

 

[sjstudy]

curious can someone explain this game to me? i dont understand. is that the name?

 

[Eudaimonist]

curious can someone explain this game to me? i dont understand. is that the name?

Yes, Sid Meyer's Alpha Centauri is the name of a PC computer game. Are you familiar with the Civilization line of games? You found cities, manage resources, gain technology, establish a nation, trade with and fight wars with other nations, and try to be the "winning" nation by meeting some winning conditions.

Alpha Centauri is a game of that style. It is perhaps the most interesting of its type for the "flavor" added to it of future techs, politics, and philosophies. Another fun feature is that it is user-modifiable to a large extent by changing game parameters in plain text files. I modified the nations and politics extensively in my copy.

 

[HeWhoSearches]

I wish I could buy this game, alas it is nowhere to be found at my local retailers.

 

[outlaw]

curious can someone explain this game to me? i dont understand. is that the name?

The game is six or seven years old and I can’t run it on my current computer. (I picked up a laptop that was being thrown away and it runs just fine on that) anyes i am playing a game right now.



I enjoyed it so much I also have the expansion pack: Alien Crossfire which adds seven new factions, a few new technologies and a couple of nice planet features.









And my favorite game quote:

“The wicked have told me of things that delight them, but not such things as your law has to tell.” -St. Augustine, “Confessions

 

[Species8472]

I wish I could buy this game, alas it is nowhere to be found at my local retailers.

buy it off amazon but make sure it is compatible with your comp as it is a windows 98 game.

 

[Spherical Time]

It is totally worth buying. Great game.

 

[CSmrw]

I prefer wargames.

 

[Chrono1231]

That was a great game. Excuse me, IS a good game .