GameSpot's Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri Game Guide

PC GAMES
  News
  Reviews
  Previews
  Movies/Media
  Downloads
  Hints/Codes
  GameGuides.com
  Special Features
  Beta Center
  Release Calendar
  Forums
  Top Games

PC GENRES
  Action
  Adventure
  Driving
  Puzzle
  Role-Playing
  Simulation
  Sports
  Strategy

SWITCH TO:
  VIDEO GAMES
  GAMESPOT LIVE
  GAMEBUYER
  HARDWARE

SUBSCRIBE TO:
  PC Newsletter
  HW Newsletter

ELITE SERVICES
  Join GameSpot

SEE ALSO
  GameFAQs
  Gamespy Arcade
  Netflix

INFORMATION
  Help
  Contact Us
  International

part 3

Chapter 10: Faction Profiles
    Gaia's Stepdaughters
    The Human Hive
    Morgan Industries
    Peacekeeping Forces
    Spartan Federation
    The Lord's Believers
    University of Planet
Chapter 11: Base Facilities
Chapter 12: Unit Statistics
Chapter 13: Technology Advances
Chapter 14: Secret Project

Chapter 10: Faction Profiles

Gaia'a Stepdaughters (cont)

Social Engineering
By following the Gaian's leanings toward an environmentalist, democratic society, a player can really boost his efficiency level through the stratosphere. As a downside, however, your growth rate suffers with the change to green economics, moving it back down to nominal levels.

TIP
If you're attempting to build up a mind worm force, switch to green economics as soon as it becomes available. The Planet bonus increase will let you capture about 75 percent of the mind worms you encounter.

A weakness of the Gaians is military morale. However, in late-game battles, if you must boost your military without jeopardizing your superior efficiency and growth rate, choose the power value system. You'll get better support and a +2 increase to morale without any negative effects to the Gaian's basic society model (though your mineral costs will escalate).

Technology Advances
Since Gaian's begin play with Centauri ecology, they benefit from the terraforming unit, the former, immediately. In keeping with the Gaian ecological slant, your best move would be to harness the lifeforms of Planet to battle your rivals. If you follow up Centauri ecology with the discovery of Centauri empathy, you'll be able to breed mind worms. Switch to a Green Economy, and you'll also be able to capture mind worms to develop an even larger psi force.

TIP
As pacifists, the Gaians have a tough time acquiring intimidating military units. However, if you persist in wanting to wage war with military units, then you'll have to abandon the Centauri branch of the tech tree. Instead, move through environmental economics to planetary economics and up through quantum power. By far, the fastest way for Gaians to acquire the necessary technology for a strong military is through trade.

If you follow the Centauri branch, you'll quickly discover new facilities and projects, such as the biology lab and empath guild as well as the prime Gaian economic model, green economics. From Centauri empathy, the Gaians can move to Centauri meditation, giving the Gaians the ability to breed the powerful, indigenous sea lifeform (and transport), the Isle of the Deep.

Another path provided by the free Centauri ecology technology is ecological engineering and advanced ecological engineering. With these discoveries, the Gaians can begin creating super formers. Plus, advanced ecological engineering provides free recycling tanks at every base, boosting the Gaian efficiency level even further.

Secret Projects
If you follow Deirdre's ideology up through the technology tree, one of the first secret projects you'll come across is the Pholus Mutagen.Because this project reduces the ecological damage done by your industry at all your bases, it allows you to boost your industrial output and efficiency through other less-ecological means, without worrying about harming the environment.

TIP
If you follow the Gaian Centauri path through the technology tree, you'll gain access to the biology lab base facility. Construct this to improve the Gaian lab rate. Most facilities on the Centauri tech tree improve your industry's effect on ecology, so the biology lab will be one of only a few lab-improving facilities at your disposal, at least in the early game.

Other early projects that will be available to you include the Weather Paradigm and the Xenoemphathy Dome. Increasing terraforming speed by 50 percent, the Weather Paradigm is a solid acquisition, as it means you'll benefit from farms, mines, and solar collectors sooner. The Xenoemphathy Dome will improve movement through fungus and lengthen the life cycle of any alien life forms you have created.