Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri

[Wargriffin]

http://sfdebris.com/videos/games/alphacentauri.php


Shut the **** up Lal...


The factions in crossfire... are implied to be splinter groups from the original seven 'save the aliens


The game's opening mystery, Who killed Captain Garland... is never solved and apparently doesn't have an answer

[FaxModem1]

I always preferred Lal and the Peacekeepers. I seem to be in the minority on that one though.

Morgan, like Yang, always seemed like one of the more villainous characters in the game.

As an example:

Resources exist to be consumed. And consumed they will be, if not by this generation then by some future. By what right does this forgotten future seek to deny us our birthright? None I say! Let us take what is ours, chew and eat our fill.
CEO Nwabudike Morgan "The Ethics of Greed"

But that's what is great about Alpha Centauri, there are multiple viewpoints, and you can align with whomever you like best.

[Wargriffin]

Yang is probably the most outright villianous 'I mean he is an Authoritarian wetdream'

Morgan is a more, Now is the moment, If you don't deal with Now, Tomorrow isn't coming

Hence he's disregard for the environment... then again you have Terra Formers so you can just revamp it later

Morgan is very clearly in it for himself and what he can gain. This does mean that when he partners he tends to write his ally a blank check as long as it means he can sit and make money... but ironically Morgan has the best advantages cause he can easily field an army on par with Santiago or Yang or better since he can just drown his tech tree in money

Skye isn't much better with her Worm Love hippiedom

Lal dips between being proactive, Effective, to nigh ineffectual to just plain pathetic


Miriam is alot more aggressive then intended... Either she goes full Inquistion that spans the planet or is relegated to a isolated power or outright crushed in the first 20 turns

Zakharov... really depends on who he is backing... cause Zakharov tends to be that guy that goes for an ally early unless he thinks he has plenty of isolation. Morgan is an obvious alliance

Yang will use the science for weapons, Santiago will fortify the hell out her territory... Skye doesn't care unless it hurts the environment

[FaxModem1]

Funnily enough, I have had discussions with people who consider Yang's viewpoint and think it's agreeable, to a degree. I don't associate with those people, but it shows that each character has their supporters.

And yeah, almost each game I've been in or seen, Miriam launches a crusade against the rest of the planet.

Lal is usually the first guy taken out of the game if I'm not playing him. Though, that's usually because he spawns right next to Yang or Miriam, and is thus on a very short clock.

[The Romulan Republic]

I've never played this game, but it seems interesting.

It occurred to me, watching this, that the Alliance from "Firefly" (which has a similar backstory in some respects) comes across a lot like an alliance between the Chinese legalist faction under Yang, and the capitalists under Morgan.

Edit: Lal (the UN guy) sounds closest to me ideologically, maybe, although I could see going with the science/technocratic guy, maybe.

Definitely not the capitalist, the Legalist, the Spartans, or the fundamentalist.

The eco. one sounds like too narrow a focus.

[ScreamingDoom]

Miriam is a hateful tool. I despise her with the fire of a thousand suns. I do not consider a game a win unless Miriam and all who support her are dead.

[MithrandirOlorin]

As a Christian I'm bugged by the sterotypes that lie behind how they align Miriam. But what may surprise is it's equally the Conquer and the Explore aspect. Valuing Nature too much is actually Un-Christian.

I would have liked the Christian character to be the Discover/Build hybrid. The reasoning behind that is interestingly enough alluded to my old Final Fantasy X Yevon blog post. But also the one about the The Bile Foretelling colonization of Outer Space. (If anyone asks for Links I'll provide them).

But I guess the game simply needed more then one War Monger.

[Wargriffin]

Miriam is kinda in a weird place... Strictly cause She's effectively the Early Game Rusher, The restrictions on Research and Reinforced Moral just kinda encourages you to go burn the unclean.

The thing is once you cleared that hurdle of the first 30 turns... Miriam has very little restrictions on what she can do since the Research restriction is lifted... yeah its 20% less then the others but if your 30 turns in as Miriam, you tend to have the territory to over come that.

Basically AI Miriam is an intolerant and Oppressive Stereotype 'All the factions are but Miriam's its the most obvious'... Player Miriam can have alot of Nuance for a Religious Based Faction. IE She doesn't HATE Science, She just doesn't think Humans are as ready for the powers science gives when hastily gained... and with Yang backed by Zakharov... She's not as Wrong as you might want to think she is.

Ironically

Miriam is one of the only leaders in Crossfire who is implied to be Dead by the Expansion 'Her faction is still around if you want but they left it at only 7 factions per board instead of increasing to include all 14

She's also one of the two Human Factions that DON'T spawn a Splinter Faction. 'Lal's the other'

[Crowley]

It's funny how some of the game mechanics that originated from Civilization make much more sense in Alpha Centauri. For example the same leader running things for several centuries, or adapting the barbarian attacks out of nowhere into mindworms.

There's a GURPS sourcebook for Alpha Centauri, which provides a lot of additional interesting background material. No idea how canonical it is considered in relation to the game, but interesting nonetheless.

[Wargriffin]

But I guess the game simply needed more then one War Monger.

Well from a game standpoint.. You kinda need an early game aggressor or... the first chunk of every 4x game is just city sim. Miriam works cause she has population and morale protection 'so losses don't spark riots'

Yeah that does sound like you just made the raider faction but used Christian paint job on it... Which is Funny cause you do get Two legit Raider/ Conquest factions in Crossfire


Skye, Yang and Santiago are mid to late game aggressors

Skye once she basically starts using nature to do the fighting for her... so you have to survive being drowned in her worm orgy

Yang once he can equip his masses with decent weapons and deal with any dissent as he pumps them into a meat grinder but it take a bit to get his war machine rolling

Santiago all about Elite, Expensive Units... she oddly alot more defensive of the Agressive factions