A new alpha centauri

[d=me]

Why don't firaxis or big huge games make a new alpha centauri that is a turn based stragety in the strategic level (country building) and real time on the battle field?
(like medieval tatoal war and or single player mode of battle for dune?)

[Enigma_Nova]

Most historic battles took days. Very few took less than an hour.
The combat system would probably be turn-based too.

While I have seen something like this (UFO:Enemy Unknown) I'm not sure whether BH Games have the resources or whether Firaxis have the desire.

[d=me]

That's unpleasant to hear, alpha centauri is such a good game.

[SynthetGod8]

it would be cool, but what would be the point? these futuristic weapons have ranges of miles with little or no hand-to-hand combat. It's not even tactical combat (like in UFO). Think about modern combat these days. An unmanned spy-jet flies over an enemy position and takes a few pictures which it sends back to the leader. The leader determines the exact position of the enemy position (which, I might add, has no idea of what's coming), and orders the tanks, artillery, or aircraft to open fire on that position (which was pinpointed by GPS). So then that position is blasted into smitherines from miles away. Infantry only seem useful in urban areas.
So sure, while having something close up and brutal like Total War would not be practical (you try rendering miles and miles of terrain and then managing units that can actually shoot that far). I think it would be better to have a larger overhead view, where you can see all those miles at once and not have to be burdened by being so close to the ground.

I dunno... I'm rambling. If you can think of a better idea, I'd be happy to hear it (and maybe think of something new too)

[Cookie Monster]

They should make a new AC with the Civ3 engine. But workshops must remain, I love designing my own units too much to give that feature up.

[Illuminatus]

Originally posted by Cookie Monster
They should make a new AC with the Civ3 engine

Nooooooooooo!
I want deformable game map - one of my favorite things in SMAC/X

[Illuminatus]

Sorry. Double post.

[Cookie Monster]

Originally posted by obstructor

Nooooooooooo!
I want deformable game map - one of my favorite things in SMAC/X

Oh yes I agree!

Some of the features of Civ3 would be nice though in SMAC/X. I still would like to be able to raise and lower the map though.

[Illuminatus]

As much as failure it is too me as a game Civ 3 has brought some good little tweaks. Support cost in gold - meaning that there is no home base - my favorite. Wonders that cannot be started in multiple instances or hurried in any way (other than great Leader) is my number two favorite. Culture as it is or strategic resources as they are however I wouldn`t like to see in SMAC/X since they are bad. Perhaps if they make it clearer in CIV3... And there is a SMAC 2...

[Jamski]

Support cost in gold - meaning that there is no home base - my favorite. Wonders that cannot be started in multiple instances or hurried in any way (other than great Leader) is my number two favorite.

The two worst things about Civ3 - are you mad?

-Jam

[The Mad Monk]

I like the support in gold, can't stand the crippling of wonder-building.

[Cookie Monster]

Support cost in gold

Can't rush wonders Just need to get used to it.

[Bella Hella]

just wanted to chime in on liking the gold support cost and no home base in civ 3, too.

i rush wonders by starting to build a palace and then switching to the wonder once i discover the correct tech... everybody probably already knows this, though. still, i think it makes sense to not be able to rush a wonder in civ (except by using a leader of course). i think it's more "realistic."

i really thought culture was an awesome idea, too (at least for border expansion - it sucks when you conquer a base only to have it immediately defect). but i'm not sure how it would work with SMAC. since the factions are ideology-based, they would each have their own unique culture. i can't see a university base defecting to the believers, for example - what university citizen would find a religious culture better than a scientific one? one possibility for culture in SMAC is to occasionally lose a citizen to a different faction. he would then appear in the other faction's base and become a citizen there. like, you're playing the spartans. one of your bases is lacking in "conquer" facilities (no command center, no perimeter defense, etc.). one of your citizens gets fed up and defects to the nearest faction that has a base containing these facilities. *shrug* just a thought.

my favorite things in SMAC not found in civ are the design workshop(!!!), raising/lowering terrain, and sea colonies.

[Sarxis]

I agree- culture doesn't seem appropriate to AC.

[Barinthus]

it sucks when you conquer a base only to have it immediately defect). but i'm not sure how it would work with SMAC. since the factions are ideology-based, they would each have their own unique culture. i can't see a university base defecting to the believers, for example - what university citizen would find a religious culture better than a scientific one?

Isn't Total Thought Control is all about this? What do I know anyway, I don't even have a manual and datalinks isn't that great of a resource.