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 C: Creating Maps and Scenarios
After you've tinkered with the general rules and created custom factions, it's time to put your ideas to work by creating brand new maps or scenarios. Alpha Centauri, along with being one of the most customizable games of all time, ships with a full-featured map and scenario editor.

In this appendix, you'll find tips and tricks for building maps and scenarios that every Alpha Centauri player can enjoy. We'll start by discussing the basics of creating multiplayer maps using the map editor. Then, we'll look at creating custom scenarios-maps that are fleshed out with backstory and specific objectives. Before we're through, you'll learn how to modify in-game text and swap in your own sound effects. Some of this involves tweaking Alpha Centauri's files, much as you edited alpha.txt and faction.txt in Appendices A and B. If you haven't already read those appendices, do so before you tackle this material.

Building Multiplayer Worlds
You can use the tools provided with Alpha Centauri to create not only single-player missions but also maps for your multiplayer contests. Players from all over the world exchange their custom-made landscapes on the dozens of Alpha Centauri fan web sites. This section will provide some essential rules for effective multiplayer map design. Keep these tips in mind to get the most out of your designs and achieve the goal of any good multiplayer map: creating a fun and exciting game!

Size Does Matter
Don't dive into Alpha Centauri's map editor without first devising a blueprint. The first decision you make when you load the editor could be one of the most important: What size do you want to make the planet? Maps come in all sizes and gameplay can differ greatly depending on whether you create a huge map or a tiny one. Maybe you want to feature an end-of-game where superpowers will collide or compete for technological advances. Or perhaps you want a game that features early and frequent conflict, where each player must remain on his toes as he moves up the technology tree.

NOTE
Bigger isn't always better! Some of the best games will take place on the smallest map size.

Everything that you decide about your map, from starting points to resource location, will depend on the size of the planet. After you've decided on a size, keep that size in mind when terraforming land, inserting hills, and placing resources. If you have a large planet, you'll want to keep things spread out, making sure not to bunch resources in one particular spot. Then again, on a small planet, each batch of resources could be extremely vital to the growth of a particular player, and the map should be designed accordingly.