I just got Alpha Centauri

[Caligastia]

I have played Civ 2 for years, and I just got Alpha Centauri. It looks similar to civ in many ways. Can someone tell me the differences and what in AC is equivilent to things in Civ 2?

[Clear Skies]

Wonderful invention called a manual...

[Earwicker]

Congratulations. I think you'll enjoy it. Not necessarily the biggest or most important but here are a few that spring to mind while I have lunch:

Differences
Settler (engineer) functions are separated to colony pods and terraformers.
Social engineering choices more complex than changing governments.
Surrender is an option for factions who are badly losing a war.
Mindworms (analagous to barbarians) can be captured but not bribed. Killing any native life brings in energy credits.
Unit workshop enables customized military.
Stacked units don't all die as one. If one is killed, others take collateral damage.
ICS tactic is less effective because of bureaucracy drones.
Resources from outside your base radius can be harvested using supply crawlers.
Commerce is a function of base energy income (yours as well as comparable base of other faction) and depends upon good relations. Disappears during a war with that faction. No caravans.
WLTPD can be achieved through means other than happy people. Social engineering choices + facilities can boost growth factor to the magic number. There's also a Secret PRoject that has the same effect faction-wide.
You have more control over hurrying production than in Civ2 (spend enough so that the next turn's production just finishes the work and isn't wasted).
All 7 factions elect a Planetary Governor, with associated benefits.
Jets attack once and freeze like Civ2 bombers. Choppers have mulitple attacks like Civ2 fighters.
Ecodamage is like pollution in Civ2 but is more complicated. Social Engineering "planet" factor has an effect on it.
Planetbuster weapons are like Nukes only they do way more damage. The technology for defense against Planetbusters comes a long time after the tech to build them.
Base facilities which get more production out of certain terrain types. Tree Farms, Hybrid Forests. Forests and kelp farms (two types of terraforming) spread by themselves.


Similarities
Gameplay is very similar to Civ2 so you should catch on very quickly, as most of us did. Allocation of energy works the same as allocation of taxes.
Many base facilities replicate Civ buildings
* Network Node = library
* Energy bank = Bank
* Rec commons = temple
* factory structures
Unhappy citizens are called Drones. Drone riots (revolt) that are left unchecked too long can destroy buildings or make a base switch to another faction.
Technology tree works similarly to Civ2

Secret Projects are analogous to Wonders, and some even have the same effect. Command Nexus is like Sun Tzu, Plantary Datalinks is like Great Library, Empath Guild is like Marco Polo (only better), Merchant Exchange is like Colossus. However, Secret Projects never expire.

That's a few for starts.

[Drago Sinio]

I would say that SMAC is very much a new and improved version of CIV2, and if you like CIV2, you will love SMAC.

Details are in the manual, but the two most important differences in my view are that in CIV2 you need to master the Caravan and the Settler, while in SMAC you need to study the best use for your terraformers and supply crawlers.

Enjoy!

[cbn]

Most of the differences are in the list but the biggest difference to me is that each and every faction has completely different attributes and deficiencies. While basic themes are common to all factions, best styles of gameplay vary from faction to faction.

The start up screen will provide details of the faction characteristics as you are about to choose your faction.

The BIGGEST other differences

-- Social engineering-- Choices of government style with 3 options in each of 4 categories--There is no "best" choice and switches have far reaching impacts on growth, industry, research, peoples happiness and much more

-- Trade is automatic and depends on friendly relationships and city size. No more trying to get the caravan around the world.

--Supply crawlers-- a way to harvest one type of resouce from a square-- sit it on the square and see the resource come into the city each and every turn

--Design workshop-- Design your own units from available attributes (depends on tech)-- You CAN put a colony pod on a jet but that type of stuff is espensive

-- Sea bases and terraforming-- bases can be established at sea and it is possible to improve sea squares. Also you can change lands elevation-- creating more or less ocean


AND MUCH MUCH MORE

Most of the ideas are basically the same but SMAC is much more complex.

[Tenchusatsu]

Speaking of which, I wonder what the differences are between MP SMAC and MP Civ2 (Test of Time, I believe). I'm interested in the gameplay differences, such as no faction differences in Civ2 and no design workshops leading to more one-size-fits-all strategies, etc. Also, I'm wondering how long MP games last in Civ2, like what techs and WoWs are the gamebreakers, when players realize who is the clear winner, whatever.

Personally, I've never played a Civ2 MP game, but I still play SP Civ2 on rare occasions, and I figure just one Civ2 MP game can improve my SP gameplay as well. I'm currently in a SMAX MP game, and I must say that everything I'm learning in that game is definitely applicable to my SP style of gaming. Not that either game in SP mode is unbeatable at their hardest levels, but still.

[Caligastia]

Thanks for the info everyone!