GameSpot's Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri Game Guide

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appendices

Appendix A: Modifying Alpha Centauri Rules

Appendix B: Creating Custom Functions

Appendix C: Creating Maps and Scenarios

Appendix A: Modifying Alpha Centauri Rules

Not only can you create scenarios, maps, and factions for Alpha Centauri, you can alter nearly every rule in the game. While you can modify some rules from Alpha Centauri's in-game menu system, the significant changes can only be made by tinkering with the game's files.

This appendix focuses on alpha.txt - the text document that contains Alpha Centauri's rules. By tweaking alpha.txt, you can create your own Alpha Centauri world. If you want to gear the game more toward combat, you can make adjustments accordingly (lowering the prerequisites for military units, for instance). Conversely, you can make war more difficult by making units weaker or more expensive to build. The more subtle and careful your changes, the more balanced and fun your scenario or game will be.

To get the most out of alpha.txt, you should concentrate on creating your own scenarios, complete with custom factions and maps, as discussed in Appendices B and C.

Handle with Care
Each time Alpha Centauri loads, the program looks for a series of text files inside your root Alpha Centauri directory (the root directory will fall wherever you originally installed the game). These text files govern the rules, story text, and qualities of the factions in the game. If you take the time to learn about each file and the tips and tricks associated with customizing it, you can virtually create your own game based around Alpha Centauri! (However, you should read Appendices A to C thoroughly before diving into any of Alpha Centauri's text files.)

It's very important to take precautions if you're going to be dealing with critical files like these. Before altering any of Alpha Centauri's text files, you should definitely back them up, either inside another directory or on a floppy disk. If you change the files and subsequently find that you want them back in their original state, you can move your backups into the original installation directory.

WARNING
It can't be stressed enough - take extreme caution when tinkering with the files mentioned in the appendices. Any mistakes you make can have drastic repercussions.

If you ignore these warnings and mess up some of the files required for the game without backing them up, you'll find the original files on your Alpha Centauri CD; drag them to your root directory, and you're back in business. As a last resort, you can return everything to its original state by reinstalling the game.