Chapter 4: Military
Fundamentals
Weapons
A military unit isn't much good without a weapon. Fortunately, there is
no shortage of firepower in Alpha Centauri. However, you must engage in
quite a bit of research to get to the big, bad weaponry available later
in the game. While the weapons don't sport any new capabilities as they
evolve, they do pack a bigger punch. The following is a breakdown of the
evolution weapons take, in order of their development.
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War does not determine
who is right - only who is left."
- Bertrand
Russell
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* Hand weapons
* Laser
* Particle impactor
* Gatling laser
* Missile launcher
* Chaos gun
* Fusion laser
* Tachyon bolt
* Plasma shard
* Quantum laser
* Gravitron gun
* Singularity laser
Any of these weapons can be
outfitted to any military unit, whether it be infantry, naval, or air.
Alternatively, some units have special payloads in place of weaponry.
These payloads are:
* Colony module: Used to create
new cities and can be outfitted to naval and land units.
* Terraforming unit: Used to terraform land and sea tiles. It can be outfitted
to both land and naval units.
* Troop transport: Used to carry units across sea, land, and air.
* Supply transport: Used to gather resources beyond a city's reach.
* Probe team: A special covert unit that can steal technology, sabotage
enemy facilities, or simply monitor enemy activity after a successful
incursion.
Shielding
Your unit may pack an advanced weapon, but if it has weak shields, the
enemy may make mincemeat out of your forces. Always strive to keep the
evolution of your shields in line with your weapon advancements to have
a well-rounded force. A unit's armor strength determines its combat strength
when under attack. The stronger the armor the better the defense.
The evolution of shields is
indicated by the following list:
* No armor
* Synthmetal armor
* Plasma Steel armor
* Silksteel armor
* Photon wall
* Probability sheath
* Neutronium armor
* Antimatter plate
* Stasis generator
* Psi defense (effective only against psi attacks)
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WARNING
Shields are more costly than any other element,
especially at the later stages of the game. Don't overspend just
because you have access to powerful equipment. A delicate balance
must be maintained between your economic growth and your military
spending.
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Next: Shielding 
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