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 B: Creating Custom Functions
One of the most intriguing elements of modifying Alpha Centauri is the creating customized artificial intelligence opponents, or as they are referred to in the game, factions. Seven factions come predesigned, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages. In your Alpha Centauri root directory, you'll find a text file called faction.txt. This file is a template for all the factions. Investigating further, you'll notice a separate text file for each faction inside the directory. In this appendix, we'll take a look at the template, faction.txt, and learn the basics of customizing the factions.

Note that although we are looking at faction.txt as an example, you must modify each particular faction's text file individually.

Inside faction.txt
Begin by opening up faction.txt with any text editor or word processor. In the following sections, we'll look at the various parts of faction.txt and how you can use them to create custom factions. You can create any number of unique factions that can behave in any number of ways. You can make a powerful war machine by providing free military technologies or units, or you can make a wealthy empire by rewarding saved money with accruing interest.

A smart way to customize factions is to make sure that for every advantage you give a certain faction, you give it a disadvantage as well. Perhaps the faction is wealthy, but doesn't begin the game with many units. Or maybe the faction is interested in a powerful military, but has more trouble researching new discoveries. As with everything in Alpha Centauri, experiment until you have the perfect mix of advantages and disadvantages.

WARNING
As with alpha.txt or any modifications you make to Alpha Centauri, always back up your files before making changes. You always want an unchanged backup in case you must revert back to the installed state.