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{{Header Nav|game=Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri}}


Alpha Centauri features a Unit Design Workshop which is very flexible in comparison to other Civ games.  For each unit, the workshop presents you with choices for each of a unit's weapon (attack strength), armor (defense strength), chassis (speed and terrain movement), reactor (hit points and build cost), and up to two special abilities (but only one until the discovery of Neural Grafting).
Alpha Centauri features a Unit Design Workshop which is very flexible in comparison to other Civ games.  For each unit, the workshop presents you with choices for each of a unit's weapon (attack strength), armor (defense strength), chassis (speed and terrain movement), reactor (hit points and build cost), and up to two special abilities (but only one until the discovery of Neural Grafting).


<!-- Custom TOC (no subheadings) -->
==Unit cost==
{| style="background-color: #f3f3ff; border: solid 1px #d6d6ff; padding: 1em;"
Unit cost is calculated using the following formula:
! '''Table of contents'''
|-
| [[#Chassis|1 Chassis]]
|-
| [[#Weapon|2 Weapon]]
|-
| [[#Armor|3 Armor]]
|-
| [[#Reactor|4 Reactor]]
|-
| [[#Special Ability|5 Special Ability]]
|}


==Chassis==
'''C = W × (A + S) × 10 ÷ (2<sup>(R + 1)</sup>)'''
The chassis is the most important part of the unit. It will determine where it can go (land/sea/air), how fast it goes, and what weapons or equipment it may use.


==='Copter===
Where:
* <tt>C</tt> is the total unit cost in Minerals;
* <tt>W</tt> is the unit's Weapon value (Equipment for non-combat units);
* <tt>A</tt> is the unit's Armor value;
* <tt>S</tt> is the unit's Speed expressed in move points;
* <tt>R</tt> is the unit's Reactor value.


===Cruiser===
It can be determined that units with a high value in all three areas (Weapon, Armor and Speed) will be much more expensive than units with a high value in just two. Therefore, it is advantageous to design your units for specific tasks rather than attempting to create all-round utility units. For example: a unit built for defending a base will need a high Armor value, but has little use for heavy Weapons or a high Speed, while for an attacker, a powerful Weapon is tantamount to effectiveness, while Armor may not be as important (the idea being that your opponent will be destroyed before they have a chance to fire back).


===Foil===
The basic unit cost formula is subject to several modifiers:
* Weapon value may never be less than half the unit's Armor value
* Final cost is halved for units with a Speed of 1
* Armor value is halved when calculating the cost of sea units, and the final cost is halved again
* Armor value is doubled when calculating the cost of any air unit; the final cost is quartered for combat air units
* Add 25% to final cost for each unit of Special Ability cost
* Add 10 Minerals if both Weapon and Armor values are greater than 1
* Add another 10 Minerals if Weapon, Armor and Speed values are all greater than 1
* <tt>'''C<sub>min</sub> = (R × 2 − R ÷ 2) × 10'''</tt> where Cmin is the unit's minimum final cost.


===Gravship===
{{Footer Nav|game=Sid Meier&#39;s Alpha Centauri|prevpage=Secret Projects|nextpage=Chassis}}
 
===Hovertank===
 
===Infantry===
* Prerequisite: N/A
* Speed: 1
* Terrain: land
 
The default chassis for units. Some units (Crawlers, Formers, Colony Pods) do not display an actual infantryman in the unit graphic, instead using a custom chassis graphic sitting on enlarged treads.
 
===Missile===
 
===Needlejet===
 
===Speeder===
 
 
==Weapon==
Weapons determine a unit's attack strength.  Higher attack strengths give a unit better chances in battle.  Missile payloads may only be equipped on the Missile chassis.
 
===Chaos Gun===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Superstring Theory|Superstring Theory]]
* Strength: 8
===Fusion Laser===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Organic Superlubricant|Organic Superlubricant]]
* Strength: 10
===Gatling Laser===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Superconductor|Superconductor]]
* Strength: 5
===Graviton Gun===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Applied Gravitonics|Applied Gravitonics]]
* Strength: 20
===Hand Weapons===
* Prerequisite: N/A
* Attack Strength: 1
 
This weapon is really no weapon at all: when a unit has no other weapon, it will use this.
===Laser===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Applied Physics|Applied Physics]]
* Strength: 2
===Missile Launcher===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Synthetic Fossil Fuels|Synthetic Fossil Fuels]]
* Strength: 6
===Particle Impactor===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Nonlinear Mathematics|Nonlinear Mathematics]]
* Strength: 4
===Plasma Shard===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Advanced Spaceflight|Advanced Spaceflight]]
* Strength: 13
===Psi Attack===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Centauri Psi|Centauri Psi]]
* Strength: -1
* Cost: 10
===Quantum Laser===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Quantum Machinery|Quantum Machinery]]
* Strength: 16
===Resonance Bolt===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Sentient Resonance|Sentient Resonance]]
* Strength: 12
* Cost: 16
===Resonance Laser===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Bioadaptive Resonance|Bioadaptive Resonance]]
* Strength: 6
* Cost: 8
===Singularity Laser===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Controlled Singularity|Controlled Singularity]]
* Strength: 24
===String Disruptor===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#String Resonance|String Resonance]]
* Strength: 30
* Cost: 40
===Tachyon Bolt===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Unified Field Theory|Unified Field Theory]]
* Strength: 12
===Missile Payloads===
====Conventional Payload====
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Orbital Spaceflight|Orbital Spaceflight]]
* Strength: 12
 
====Fungal Payload====
 
====Planet Buster====
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Orbital Spaceflight|Orbital Spaceflight]]
* Strength: 99
* Cost: 32
====Tectonic Payload====
 
==Equipment==
Units with equipment cannot attack - instead they are granted a number of special actions.
 
===Colony Module===
* Prerequisite: none
* Equipment cost: 10
 
A unit with a Colony Module can build a new base.  Producing a unit with a colony module consumes one population.
 
===Probe Team===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Planetary Networks|Planetary Networks]]
* Equipment cost: 4
 
Units with probe equipment can perform a number of covert actions.
 
===Terraforming Unit===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Centauri Ecology|Centauri Ecology]]
* Equipment cost: 6
 
Terraforming units can create all manner of terrain improvements.  The Terraforming Unit can be later enhanced with the special abilities
 
Terraformers are the single most important unit in the game. The AI's poor use of them contributes greatly to its poor performance. Formers are the primary way to make your cities more productive, and are the only way to make tiles more productive (except fungus, which improves with the Centauri techs). Centauri Ecology should always be one of your first techs, or a competent opponent will defeat you.
 
For comparison, a good unterraformed tile yields 2-1-1 (rolling and rainy, on a river), before nutrient/mineral/energy bonuses are considered. A good terraformed tile yields 0-6-6 (borehole) or 4-1-1 (condensor-farm). A fair unterraformed tile yields 1-1-0 (moist and rolling). A fair terraformed tile yields 1-2-1 (forest).
 
===Supply Transport===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Industrial Automation|Industrial Automation]]
* Equipment cost: 8
 
Supply units can extract one resource from a square and convey it to its home base, and can also be brought to a base to apply its production cost toward the production of a unit prototype or Secret Project.
 
Supply crawlers are the second most important unit in the game (second to Terraformers). Since they allow you to harvest more tiles, they act like extra population units, but without the drone problems or the nutrient requirements. In effect, supply crawlers are constructed population points, and at 30 minerals are a bargain.
 
===Troop Transport===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Doctrine: Flexibility|Doctrine: Flexibility]]
* Equipment cost: 4
 
A Troop Transport, as the name implies, can transport land troops from one place to the other.  In combination with the Carrier Deck ability, can also transport air units.  The number of transported units depends on the chassis and reactor:  Foils can transport twice the reactor strength, Cruisers can transport four times the reactor strength, all other units can only transport one unit at a time.
 
Having a transport in a sea base along the coast allows units to freely enter and leave the base from the coast.
 
==Armor==
===Antimatter Plate===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Matter Editation|Matter Editation]]
* Strength: 10
===Neutronium Armor===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Matter Compression|Matter Compression]]
* Strength: 8
===No Armor===
* Strength: 1
===Photon Wall===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Photon/Wave Mechanics|Photon/Wave Mechanics]]
* Strength: 5
===Plasma Steel Armor===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#High Energy Chemistry|High Energy Chemistry]]
* Strength: 3
===Probability Sheath===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Probability Mechanics|Probability Mechanics]]
* Strength: 6
===Psi Defense===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Eudaimonia|Eudaimonia]]
* Strength: Psi
* Cost: 6
 
Units equipped with a Psi Defense always engage in Psi combat when attacked, ignoring weapon and armor strengths.  This is useful for defending against opponents whose weapon technology exceeds your defensive technology.
===Pulse 3 Armor===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Adaptive Doctrine|Adaptive Doctrine]]
* Strength: 3
* Cost: 5
''Same as Plasma Steel Armor, but more expensive and with +25% bonus vs. mobile attackers. Alien Crossfire only.''
 
Generally a bad choice of armor, since it costs just as much as Photon Wall, yet is less effective than Silksteel Armor even against mobile attackers. Still, it comes earlier in the tech tree than Silksteel, and might make the difference against an Impact Rover.
Provides no benefit to ships except perhaps when defending in a base against a mobile land attacker, since ships are never mobile attackers.
The AI prefers Pulse-3 Armor, which needlessly pushes up its unit costs. Disable it or decrease its cost to help out the AI.
===Pulse 8 Armor===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Super Tensile Solids|Super Tensile Solids]]
* Strength: 8
* Cost: 11
''Same as Neutronium Armor, but more expensive and with +25% bonus vs. mobile attackers. Alien Crossfire only.''
===Resonance 3 Armor===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Field Modulation|Field Modulation]]
* Strength: 3
* Cost: 5
''Same as Plasma Steel Armor, but more expensive and with +25% bonus vs. Psi attacks. Alien Crossfire only.''
===Resonance 8 Armor===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Sentient Resonance|Sentient Resonance]]
* Strength: 8
* Cost: 11
''Same as Neutronium Armor, but more expensive and with +25% bonus vs. Psi attacks. Alien Crossfire only.''
===Silksteel Armor===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Silksteel Alloys|Silksteel Alloys]]
* Strength: 4
===Stasis Generator===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Temporal Mechanics|Temporal Mechanics]]
* Strength: 12
===Synthmetal Armor===
* Prerequisite: [[Civ:SMAC_Tech_Tree#Industrial Base|Industrial Base]]
* Strength: 2
 
==Reactor==
 
===Fission Plant===
* Prerequisite Tech: N/A
* Hit Points: 10
 
The default reactor for units.  Later in the game, it is ideal for worm-killing units since psi combat ignores reactor strengths, and without a strong weapon, more advanced reactors will usually make the unit more expensive.
 
===Fusion Reactor===
 
===Quantum Chamber===
 
===Singularity Engine===
 
==Special Abilities==
 
===AAA Tracking===
 
===Air Superiority===
 
===Algorithmic Enhancement===
 
===Amphibious Pod===
 
===Antigrav Struts===
 
===Blink Displacer===
 
===Carrier Deck===
 
===Clean Reactor===
* Prerequisite Tech: [[Civ:SMAC Tech Tree#Bio-Engineering|Bio-Engineering]]
 
Not to be confused with the unit's Reactor, the Clean Reactor trait comes with Bio-Engineering and while it increases the costs of the unit's construction, it reduces the cost of support.
 
===Cloaking Device===
 
===Comm Jammer===
 
===Deep Pressure Hull===
Allows teh unit to function as a submarine.
 
===Deep Radar===
 
===Dissociative Wave===
 
===Drop Pod===
 
===Empath Song===
 
===Fuel Nanocells===
 
===Fungicide Tank===
 
===Heavy Artillery===
 
===High Morale===
 
===Hypnotic Trance===
* Prerequisite Tech: [[Civ:SMAC Tech Tree#Secrets of the Human Brain|Secrets of the Human Brain]]
 
This is probably the most popular special ability in the game, perhaps rivaling Clean Reactor. Adds 50% to psi defense, putting defending land units on equal footing with attackers, and turning sea or air units into veritable psi fortresses.
 
===Marine Detachment===
 
===Nerve Gas Pods===
* Prerequisite Tech: [[Civ:SMAC Tech Tree#High Energy Chemistry|High Energy Chemistry]]
 
'''WARNING:''' using a unit equipped with this in combat is an atrocity. That means if the UN charter is in effect, sanctions will be imposed upon you (nullifying commerce for at least 10 years), and regardless of the UN charter, the opponent on whom you used nerve gas will hate you forever.
 
+50% attack bonus.
Additionally, when attacking a city, kills half of the city's population (round up) if the attacking unit wins.
 
===Non-Lethal Methods===
 
===Polymorphic Encryption===
 
===Repair Bay===
 
===Soporific Gas Pods===
 
===Super Former===

Latest revision as of 17:52, 23 April 2024

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri | Table of Contents | Gameplay | Walkthrough

Table of Contents

Gameplay
Walkthrough
Units
Appendices
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Factions
Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire
New features
Factions

Alpha Centauri features a Unit Design Workshop which is very flexible in comparison to other Civ games. For each unit, the workshop presents you with choices for each of a unit's weapon (attack strength), armor (defense strength), chassis (speed and terrain movement), reactor (hit points and build cost), and up to two special abilities (but only one until the discovery of Neural Grafting).

Unit cost[edit]

Unit cost is calculated using the following formula: 

C = W × (A + S) × 10 ÷ (2(R + 1))

Where:

  • C is the total unit cost in Minerals;
  • W is the unit's Weapon value (Equipment for non-combat units);
  • A is the unit's Armor value;
  • S is the unit's Speed expressed in move points;
  • R is the unit's Reactor value.

It can be determined that units with a high value in all three areas (Weapon, Armor and Speed) will be much more expensive than units with a high value in just two. Therefore, it is advantageous to design your units for specific tasks rather than attempting to create all-round utility units. For example: a unit built for defending a base will need a high Armor value, but has little use for heavy Weapons or a high Speed, while for an attacker, a powerful Weapon is tantamount to effectiveness, while Armor may not be as important (the idea being that your opponent will be destroyed before they have a chance to fire back).

The basic unit cost formula is subject to several modifiers:

  • Weapon value may never be less than half the unit's Armor value
  • Final cost is halved for units with a Speed of 1
  • Armor value is halved when calculating the cost of sea units, and the final cost is halved again
  • Armor value is doubled when calculating the cost of any air unit; the final cost is quartered for combat air units
  • Add 25% to final cost for each unit of Special Ability cost
  • Add 10 Minerals if both Weapon and Armor values are greater than 1
  • Add another 10 Minerals if Weapon, Armor and Speed values are all greater than 1
  • Cmin = (R × 2 − R ÷ 2) × 10 where Cmin is the unit's minimum final cost.
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