GameSpot's Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri Game Guide

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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

University of Planet (cont)

Social Engineering
Nearly the exact opposite of the Believers, the University of Planet has virtually no way of improving its probe score until late in the game, when thought control can be researched and selected. Until then, the University player must protect his bases from probe teams. These infiltration units will be seeking the University's greatest, and only, advantage: wealth of new technologies.

Unlike the Believers, good research and lab work isn't an issue at the University. To kick your research into higher gear, explore the knowledge value system, which doubles the output of technological advances.

Technology Advances
With a significant research bonus, the University's climb up the technology tree could be a swift one. Beginning with its free technology, information networks (the University also receives another free technology at the start of each game), you can move in a variety of directions, including polymorphic software, which lets the University construct heavy artillery.

TIP
Being the most technologically rich society has both advantages and disadvantages. Use your technological advances to trade for money, favors, or other technologies. With so much technology inside your bases, be sure to heavily guard yourself from probe team assaults.

A better path, perhaps, would be through high energy chemistry, an advance that provides durable armor (plasma steel) and the future ability to construct nerve gas pods, a devastating (and very unethical) weapon. If you wish to emphasize economy early on, move to industrial economics from industrial base; a switch to free market economics could boost the economy without adversely affecting research. Either way, with the University's research prowess, moving skyward into the technology tree shouldn't be a problem.

Secret Projects
With stellar research abilities, the University should have no trouble getting a leg up on secret project production. Because the University comes equipped with free network nodes at each base, you should attempt to construct the Virtual World as soon as possible. The project rests only two steps up the technology tree and causes all network nodes to also act as hologram theaters, helping immensely with an inevitable University problem: drone riots.

TIP
Play the University from a defensive posture. Use any military creations to protect your bases and keep friendly with alliances. Then, as you gain technologies and secret projects, you'll begin to surpass many other factions. Once you've researched sufficient military technologies, shift government focus off research and onto offensive and defensive capabilities.