Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri ?

[Vel]

How similar is this game to Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri? Today, in the modern era of computer gaming, I'm not a huge fan of 4X games (i avoid and skip them), in fact I haven't even played one since then, yet with the vibes i'm kinda getting from this game... I've got to wonder... How close? How far?

[gimmethegepgun]

Not very similar at all. Except for the tech research quotes being used to develop the personality of the leaders.

[corisai]

Absolutely far away. This game is more like crazy mix of Crusaders Kings & Europa Universalis in space. Our somewhat casual version of Aurora 4X with more politics.

[Twelvefield]

Xenonauts would be a closer fit, I think.

Sid Meier would never come up with Terra Invicta unless he was steampunk wired into an HG Wells Martian Tripod first. Maybe wearing a hat made out of the Dune books for good measure.

Old Sid valued streamlined gameplay and simple decisions that created complex worlds. TI isn't in that vein at all. In TI, you make simple uninformed decisions that generally make things spiral into the abyss until the one moment you can hopefully drag the entire mess out of the clutches of the aliens, or at least tip the balance so that you personally don't quite die and the rest of the solar system be damned.

[Pawleus]

Atmosphere of the game is similar to me but otherwise it's very different.

Originally posted by corisai:

[...]Aurora 4X with more politics.

I am waiting for such a game for a long time - taking under consideration http://www.thehumanreach.net/index.shtm and Terra Invicta I have much confidence in Pavonis Interactive that they can pull it off with their next game :)

[LorDC]

Originally posted by Twelvefield:

Xenonauts would be a closer fit, I think.

TI is nowhere close to Xenonauts. It is more in the style of Paradox-style GSG.

[Twelvefield]

Xenonauts, you deal with the beginning of an alien invasion that quickly mounts into something practically unstoppable. In my book, that's close enough. Plus, there's a big spinning world map, a bit of politics, and you fight aliens. Cherry on top: it's the same publisher, too.

In Alpha Centauri, you are the alien invader, and the world doesn't spin.

[corisai]

Originally posted by Twelvefield:

Xenonauts, you deal with the beginning of an alien invasion that quickly mounts into something practically unstoppable. In my book, that's close enough. Plus, there's a big spinning world map, a bit of politics, and you fight aliens. Cherry on top: it's the same publisher, too.

You're trying to say that Tetris and Caesar III basically the same game - because they have a grid :)

Terra Invicta not even remotely close to tactical squad game (Xenonauts).

P.S. And there is zero politics in Xenonauts. Losing contol of countries because of bad score isn't politics.

[Twelvefield]

Whatever you say. I stand by what I've said. If you can't see that, well, shucks.

[nephilimnexus]

Originally posted by Twelvefield:

In Alpha Centauri, you are the alien invader, and the world doesn't spin.

Y'know I never thought of it that way, but you're right!

I remember an interview with the original XCOM team from waaaaaay long ago where they said their vision for the final game/chapter of the franchise would have the player as the aliens trying to hold off a vengeful humanity from invading their homeworld.

I hope to live long enough to see that actually happen, too.

[St. Michael]

I would pay good money to get a good working version of Alpha Centauri.

[Kedryn]

The only part that makes me think of SMAC is the factions. Especially with Morgan and Miriam... I mean Soren and Judith.

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by Kedryn:

The only part that makes me think of SMAC is the factions. Especially with Morgan and Miriam... I mean Soren and Judith.

Let's see...
Colonel
Commissioner
Chairman

Total coincidence, I'm sure xD

[Vel]

"St. Michael

I would pay good money to get a good working version of Alpha Centauri."

There isn't a GoG version floating around somewhere? Or a means to legitimately purchase it and run it in a personal VMWare Virtual Machine under Windows XP?

[LorDC]

Originally posted by Twelvefield:

Xenonauts, you deal with the beginning of an alien invasion that quickly mounts into something practically unstoppable. In my book, that's close enough. Plus, there's a big spinning world map, a bit of politics, and you fight aliens. Cherry on top: it's the same publisher, too.

In Alpha Centauri, you are the alien invader, and the world doesn't spin.

Speaking plot-wise, TI and Xenonauts have similarities, and have nothing common with SMAC.
But that much is obvious from a basic descriptions an a steam page. And OP was obviously asking about gameplay, not plot.