Alpha Centauri 2 - New Faction Concepts Inspired by Beyond Earth

[BlaneckW]

A number of technologies in your list are covered by the game, or like Network Warfare should not be fully-fledged techs.  Network warfare and Virtual Computing are covered by an appropriately placed D2 tech, Planetary Networks.  I am going to accept Cell Therapy as a more advanced D2 tech developed out of biogenetics.

Centauri Geology should be merged with Biology/Chemistry as a more advanced studies into Centauri Ecology, or Advanced Ecology. 

"The Naïve Mind" is covered under "secrets of the brain", but maybe this should be a lower-level technology or simply covered by "social pysche."  I doubt that the general and specific functions of the brain will not have been uncovered by Alpha Centauri landing.

Information as some variety of doctrine or skill/discipline is interesting (informatics), and "Deep Training" isn't a bad idea either.  "Expand" is covered by mobility.  "Rule" is a general concept.  If you want to expand the beginning game, 3D printing could probably even be made a level one tech, and "Self-Healing" Solids a level two tech; In all likelihood a planetary colonization pod would land with assembly robots, though perhaps not have an immediate industry for it.

[BlaneckW]

A question with those new techs: are they just fancy names or do they permit new actions/advantages/units/projects ?

Alpha Centauri techs are well-considered concepts regarding the unfoldment of a planetary colony (considered from the perspective of the 1990's), though expandable.  AC did not go into social engineering as much as it could have.

[Trenacker]

I would think that many of the technologies that I have added work well as precursors to the "ultimate" achievement of the broader concept identified by the higher-level Alpha Centauri technology.

Network Warfare is sufficiently different from networks generally that I think the distinction justified. I could be persuaded to drop Virtual Computing.

Certauri Ecology is a "final" stage of mastery of biology, geology, chemistry, and hydrology.

I see Social Psych as the "soft" side of neuroscience.

"Rule" and "expand" are no more general than "explore" or "build."

 I think it's a fair question just how much technology the settlers would have at their disposal on arrival. The big question is whether they would to rediscover the secrets of fission. I'm not averse to creating more Level 1 technologies, however. In some ways, that would help diversify early faction choices.

I'm completely open to suggestion regarding social engineering.

Probably I also need to avoid adding technologies that serve purely as "gates" or barriers to advancement. I want every technology to offer a meaningful option.

[BlaneckW]

Network Warfare is sufficiently different from networks generally that I think the distinction justified. I could be persuaded to drop Virtual Computing.

Probes do not represent a change sufficient to constitute their own technology.  Virtual reality could be expanded to constitute it's own technology, though in AC this was done in the form of a wonder.

Certauri Ecology is a "final" stage of mastery of biology, geology, chemistry, and hydrology.

Centauri ecology is the first technology of Alpha Centauri, which allows you to produce terraformers.  The other items mentioned are disciplines tied in with terraforming.  Terraformers are a not a level two technology.

[Trenacker]

Probes are a thing, not a discipline or knowledge area. Probes are the outcome of a particular advance.

Terraformers are not a Level 2 technology in SMAC, nor should they be. They will probably be a Level 2 or 3 technology in my tabletop. The earliest settlements would probably be constructed before the colonists could shape the terrain and local biome to their requirements.

[BlaneckW]

The earliest settlements would probably be constructed before the colonists could shape the terrain and local biome to their requirements.

Why?  Agriculture is not a difficult thing to do.

[Buster's Uncle]

D00dz with shovels can do crude forming, like in 4,000 BC in Civ...

[BlaneckW]

D00dz with shovels can do crude forming, like in 4,000 BC in Civ...

Civ should force you to play as the Manchus for [poop]s and giggles, try and blitz China to form Qing.  It's 1387, and your people have engaged in subsistence agriculture and nomadism since the Jin Dynasty's destruction by the Mongols...

[Trenacker]

I'm drawing a sharp distinction between earth-moving and terraformation. I am talking about advanced terraformation here.

At Planetfall, the colonists would be equipped to raise mounds and drain wetlands. They would not be equipped to planet sustainable forests or fertilize the local soil. Remember that they had not, at this point, conducted a complete planetary survey.

[BlaneckW]

At Planetfall, the colonists would be equipped to raise mounds and drain wetlands. They would not be equipped to planet sustainable forests or fertilize the local soil.

Planet is a paradise for earth plants.

[Trenacker]

So, you're saying no need to research Centauri Ecology?

[BlaneckW]

So, you're saying no need to research Centauri Ecology?

Centauri ecology consists in it's most basic form in taking soil samples and preparing and deploying equipment; in-depth form, it consists in study of geology, as per the description.  Once samples are taken and any unusual conditions prepared for, planet is full of nitrogen and other minerals/nutrients good for plants.  Centauri Ecology represents the most basic of equipment and procedures, and is accounted for within 1-10 years (depending on available energy and faction).  You take a sample, you prepare the equipment; planet is not an essentially toxic environment (as far as plants go), more an unusual one.  Remember that, as far as soil goes, plants would probably grow better on Mars than Earth.

[Trenacker]

It doesn't make sense to me that one could conduct safely and effectively advanced terraforming without prior understanding of local chemistry, biology, geology, hydrology, and ecology.

I think the big question is the level of technological attainment of the factions at Planetfall. Do they need to "rediscover" fission? Supersonic flight? Spaceflight? Presumably they will have access to vehicles that use nuclear fuels.

My sense is that all of the factions would begin with earthmoving equipment and the capacity for "basic" terraformation: raising and lowering the land and simple hydraulic engineering. They would need to study Centauri sciences to develop more effective techniques, however.

[BlaneckW]

Alpha Centauri's Weather Paradigm project represents technology which is currently in use to some extent, that being weather modification.  Technology is rarely the limitation it is made out to be, implementation is.

[Trenacker]

I've since added Weather Modification to the tech tree.

So far, I've found the website http://www.futuretimeline.net/ to be most helpful.