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Alien Crossfire: FIRST DAY PRE-PLAYING REPORT

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  • Alien Crossfire: FIRST DAY PRE-PLAYING REPORT

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    As the first mortal (aka - not belonging to Firaxis) I know (or MarkG knows, for that matter) that has SMAX, I’ll try to preview it based on the new info in the manual. How I haven’t played it yet, I don’t know. I just wanted to tell everyone that SMAX is here and how it looks.


    So, let’s begin with the factions. The Demo showed the coolness of the Pirates and the power of the Caretakers. Thankfully (reading the manual helps at times), every time the Caretakers show up, so do the powerful Usurpers (even in games with mixed Alpha Centauri and Alien Crossfire factions in a game). Making every game with aliens in it like a Cold War situation (bi-polar) with actual warfare. If you ally with the Caretakers, the Usurpers WILL declare war on you, and vice-versa! The alien (Progenitor) factions despise each other and can’t communicate or move away from Vendetta. After all, they are still in a Civil War. They land when two ships in a space battle get destroyed. They land on Manifold Six (Planet) without contact from home. So, they must find lost technology. In a great move, Firaxis decided that humans can’t talk to aliens until Progenitor Psych is discovered by the humans, and aliens can’t talk to humans until Social Psych is developed by aliens. The addition aliens is a great move (even though I previously had doubts). It actually advances the story (something I thought would have been hard to do).

    The new factions that Firaxis hasn’t displayed yet, also look cool. The Cult of Planet is a Super-Gaians. They worship Planet and are fascinated and at awe with Mindworms. They wish for total harmony with Planet, with a lack of interest in worldly goods. The Usurpers have already been mentioned, but they differ from the Caretakers in that instead of caring for Planet (or Manifold Six) they are geared for war. They have rapid population growth and are bred for combat with bonuses in offensive combat. The coolest faction that Firaxis hasn’t shown (well, they are tied with the Pirates) are the Drones! They have wonderful industrial bonus but a lack of research (after all drones are trained for manual labor not thinking about the cosmos). They also have a HUGE chance of converting rebelling cities to the Drones’ side. However, the Drones’ industrial might might put them at odds with Planet factions (the Cult of Planet comes to mind).

    Going through the manual, one finds many things that are welcome additions. Not only are their more techs and SPs, etc. but interesting things have been added. The alien factions make the play different! This is not just a tacky add-on, where everything is the same only more. The aliens change the game significantly. You can’t win Diplomatic victory as long as aliens are around. If you take an alien base (or if you are the aliens and take a human base) the population is reduced to one, and the disgusted xenophobic populace flees by created colony pods (of course they can be destroyed by advancing armies). Things like this will make SMAX a joy to play, I’m sure.

    Now, why am I still talking to you? I must play SMAX! Go away! Maybe I’ll tell you more after I play (then again, you may never hear from me again, after I start)

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    • Alien Crossfire: FIRST DAY PRE-PLAYING REPORT
      by Imran Siddiqui

      As the first mortal (aka - not belonging to Firaxis) I know (or MarkG knows, for that matter) that has SMAX, I’ll try to preview it based on the new info in the manual. How I haven’t played it yet, I don’t know. I just wanted to tell everyone that SMAX is here and how it looks....
      December 2, 2011, 20:21
    • Alien Crossfire: readme.txt
      by Martin Gühmann
      SID MEIER'S ALIEN CROSSFIRE README.TXT 9/15/99 Undocumented Additions: *Sea Borders: coastal bases now extend borders into the sea for all squares adjacent to the base. Nearby water bases do not affect these borders. *Detonating a fungal missile may now trigger native life forms from dormant spores. The higher the reactor level, the greater the number of spores. *Fungal Towers receive a 50% bonus when attacked, due to their ability to co-ordinate and direct native life forms in the vicinity. *A Progenitor faction controlling the Manifold Nexus receives +1 Research in addition to +1 Planet. *The Manifold Usurpers have a -1 Planet due to their intent to subvert the Transcendence process. *The Cybernetic Consciousness may steal technology when capturing a base, regardless of the rules preference set at the beginning....
      December 2, 2011, 20:14
    • WHAT'S NEW IN Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire
      by korn469
      NEW FACTIONS:

      • Nautilus Pirates:

        Agenda: Pillage and Burn
        Tech: Doctrine (Mobility), Doctrine (Flexability)
        • -1 effencicy
        • -1 growth
        • Free naval yard with the discovery of Doctrine (Inititive)
        • Can build sea enhancements in ocean squares with advanced ecological engineering
        • Sea colony pods and sea former prototypes free
        • Bonus minerals from ocean self squares
        • Marine detachment abilty free with the discovery of adaptive doctrine
      ...
      December 2, 2011, 19:54
    • Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire Goes Gold
      by Martin Gühmann

      Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire Goes Gold

      Expansion Pack for Alpha Centauri to ship October 19, Demo to be available pre-release

      REDWOOD CITY, Calif., September 28, 1999 - Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), the world's largest interactive entertainment software company, and FIRAXIS Gamesâ„¢ today announced that Sid Meier's Alien Crossfireâ„¢, the official expansion pack to the critically acclaimed, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauriâ„¢, has gone gold. The massive expansion pack, which features seven new playable factions, several new technologies and secret projects, and a new plot that continues the story of humanity's struggle to colonize a hostile alien world, will begin shipping to stores on October 19. The companies also announced that a demo of the expansion pack would be available before the title's release....
      November 25, 2011, 19:52
    • SMAX Faction: Manifold Caretakers
      by Martin Gühmann

      Agenda: Prevent Transcendence

      Tech: Progenitor Pysch, Centauri Ecology, Field Modulation, Information Networks, Biogenetics

      • 25% bonus on defense
      • +1 planet
      • Free recycling tanks at every base
      • "Energy grid" at every base
      • Extra colony pod, battle orge MK1
      • All prototyped units have 2-square sight
      • Posses a physical scan of planet (same as having unity survey on)
      • Can direct research efforts (no blind research ever!)
      ...
      November 25, 2011, 19:08
    • SMAX Faction: The Cult of Planet
      by Martin Gühmann

      The Cult of Planet is a mysterious group arising shortly after Planetfall that have a strong rapport with Planet.

      +2 Planet (total harmony with Planet’s will)
      -1 Economy (lack of interest in worldly goods)
      -1 Industry (lack of interest in worldly goods)

      Brood Pit free at each base with discovery of Centauri Genetics (fascination with native life forms)

      Mind Worms do double police duty (awe of native life forms)

      Aggression: Aggressive
      Priorities: Explore, Conquer
      Starting Tech: Centauri Ecology, Social Psych
      Choices: Green
      Aversions: Wealth
      ...

      November 25, 2011, 19:02
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