text:
Civ/Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri/The Alien Crossfire Factions

''For the original seven factions, see Civ/Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri/Factions. Also see Civ/Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri/Understanding the game.''

The Cybernetic Consciousness
Prime Function Aki-Zeta 5

At a Glance:
 * +2 Efficiency
 * +2 Research
 * -1 Growth
 * Spoils of War
 * No penalties for Cybernetic Social Engineering choice.

Aki-Zeta 5's game
-1 Growth is a pretty huge penalty for a landward faction, but it does not even compare with the benefits this faction has. The efficiency (and ability to run Market), combined with the Research bonus makes this group a powerhouse by any definition, but when you add in the tech-steal ability, what you get is a faction that can stand up to any of the original seven, and then some! Their aversion is one you'd not run anyway (Fundamentalist), so essentially what you get is Deirdre's efficiency, Zakharov's research, and none of their crippling disabilities (Deirdre's lack of cash via market, and Zakharov's drones). That puts the faction in a position to do amazing things. So what if you have to build your own network nodes...with techsteal, active probes, and your inherent research bonus, getting and keeping the tech lead will not be difficult for this faction, growth penalty or no. The "no penalties for Cybernetic" thing is of little consequence, as by the time you are able to make that switch, the game is pretty well won or lost. Still, it's an interesting footnote that you don't need the Network Backbone to get around Cybernetic's negatives when playing this faction.

Aki-Zeta, the Builder
Played this way, you take advantage of your Techsteal ability by not taking advantage of it. Nobody will want to attack you for fear of your being able to rip down a base and steal their proprietary research, so if you're content to play nice, they'll probably be content to let you, and you can make good on your threat anytime you like...just go for Nonlinear Mathematics pretty early on (that being about the only deviation from the more Builder-oriented techs), and you can make good on the implied threat...since you start with Applied Physics, you're only one step away, which is great for you. As the consciousness, of course, you want to get those lab-enhancing facilities built as quickly as possible to further enhance your native +2 Research bonus, but that will mean building at least some energy banks and the like to help pay maintenance, so if you pursue the Builder path, then do it with a vengeance.

One thing that will help your Builder game is the Growth penalty. Bases won't be springing up to size in an uncontrolled fashion, and in general, you will have plenty of time to get all your Rec. Commons in place before it becomes an issue.

Aki-Zeta, the Hybrid
Impact weapons, Mobility, and Flex, and you're armed and doubly dangerous, as each one of your troopers is as good as a probe team too, if he's the one who moves into an enemy base. That, combined with your ability to do something other than fight (+2 Research) and do it efficiently, makes you a terrific choice for Hybrid style. Since you'll probably keep a standing army at the ready as soon as you get the techs to put something decent together (and you'll get those techs at a pretty good clip, thanks to your inherent strengths), you'll be in a much better position than your Builder cousins to make good on the threat of ripping down their defenses and stealing their techs(an ability which, by the way, lets you selectively ignore certain tech paths, knowing full well that when you get in a war, you'll be netting those techs anyway). Simply put, you will be hard pressed to find a better Hybrid faction in the game.

Aki-Zeta, the Conqueror
Again, your techsteal ability is pivotal to your entire game. In this case, ignore the juicy Builder techs entirely...you'll get them anyway when you tear down their bases. Just get a core group of mobile, heavily gunned attackers and make everybody else pay. Even without focusing on Network Nodes right away, you will still out tech everybody but Zakharov in the game, which means you can have your prototype Impact Rover rolling off the assembly lines before most folks have their prototype Synth-garrisons in place, and the math is very much on your side.

The Nautilus Pirates
Captain Ulrik Svensgaard

At a Glance:
 * -1 Efficiency
 * -1 Growth
 * +1 mineral/square (shelf only)
 * Terraform deep sea squares (with Advanced Ecological Engineering)
 * Marine Detachment (with Adaptive Doctrine)
 * Sea Colony Pod and Sea Former already prototyped
 * Free Naval Yard (with Doctrine: Initiative).

Ulrik Svensgaard's game
Your advantages grow over time as more techs are discovered, but even with what you have at the outset, the faction is a powerhouse by any definition. First consider that you begin the game in total isolation. No one can attack you at all until they get Doctrine: Flexibility, and build a fleet. Even then, all of the important advantages are yours in terms of sea-battling, and that only becomes more true as the game wears on. Next, is your inefficiency. Just as with Lal, this is easily overcome via the simplest of base facilities, and is not much to lose sleep over, and the Growth penalty simply keeps the faction from running away with the game. Sea bases are notoriously good at cranking out food, and when you get a few kelp farms in place, you will be able to grow like a proverbial weed in spite of the –1 Growth. In fact, you'll have such surpluses that you will barely notice it. The only thing that hurts a bit is the inability to execute an "easy" pop-boom, but again, if the Pirates could do that too, they'd simply run away with the game every time.

+1 mineral per square means that your early game mining platforms can keep you on-par and then some with your landlocked cousins, and again, you've got an easy 75 years of pretty much competition-free expansion...probably a hundred or more before someone mounts a serious offensive.

Marine Detachment ability is huge too, enabling you to capture enemy ships and upgrade accordingly (you'll want to cover the newly captured and weakened ships with interceptors to protect them from sniping while vulnerable, but remember, once you get them back to base, they'll be recovered in a single turn, thanks to your naval yards everywhere). You can also capture transports loaded with troops (effectively making the Marine Detachment like a Probe Team that can avoid stacking limits).

It's true, before the advent of fusion power, you will pay a premium for your formers and colony pods, but on the plus side, each base you build comes with a built in pressure dome, so even with fission reactors, they're a bargain for what you're getting.

Svensgaard, the Builder
Make use of your early game privacy to establish a ring of bases around an uninhabited large island or small continent, then send colony pods and formers to the mainland with a vengeance. This mixed approach will give you such a strong core empire, protected by equally strong coastal bases, who gain the benefits of all the coastal boreholes you built. After that, strike off the beaten path and start building deep sea bases that are worthless if taken from you. Thanks to mid-game techs, deep sea bases are good for you, and if you focus on kelp and tidal harnesses (using your highly developed core bases as cash cows), you can easily rush whatever infrastructure you need at the relatively mineral poor deep sea bases—it's important to set realistic goals here: Ten minerals at a deep sea base isn't too bad, and certainly sets you up well for rushing...not to mention the fact that in the late-mid game and beyond, you start to get Orbital Mining Stations, Robotic Assembly Plants and the like, which can turn even your modest sea bases into industrial powerhouses, enabling you to strike from unexpected directions if pressed.

Svensgaard, the Hybrid
This faction is a Hybrid player's dream, and there's absolutely no reason why you should not be in the driver's seat, diplomacy wise. You can find and infiltrate all the other factions before they make contact with each other, and with a steadily growing global naval presence, you can oftentimes dictate when or IF your various rivals will meet each other at all, simply sinking their fledgling navies as they come out of port. This kind of control over the ebb and flow of the game is key to influencing the metagame (more on that concept later) for all the players, and for this reason alone, I'd say that if any faction came close to being unbalanced, this is it.

Svensgaard, the Conqueror
Conquesting is easy for Svensgaard, since you start with two of the key techs you need to go hunting. Get a good weapon (Impact), and you don't even need the rovers...in fact, if you wait till you get Doctrine: Initiative (an early-mid game tech, at best), your infantry units actually become more effective than rovers, given that a transport full of assault marines can sweep in on any coastal base from five squares out and taking the base with complete surprise, and remaining entirely out of sensor range till the moment of the attack...this, combined with your inherent ability to capture transports filled with enemy troopers (at times, effectively doubling the size of your attack force), makes you deadly indeed. Pay close attention to the section on Naval Power...you'll be making heavy use of it.

Yes, air power may well be at the top of the food chain battle-wise, but 99 times in a hundred, initial contact with a faction not on your starting continent will be made in the water. Never forget that, and never underestimate the power inherent in being the first faction in the water to pop sea pods!

The Free Drones
Foreman Domai

At a Glance:
 * +2 Industry
 * -2 Research
 * Fewer drones
 * % chance that rioting bases will join you
 * Aversion Green

Domai's game
"The Mouse that Roared," would be an excellent descriptor for this faction...their puny research capabilities and punishingly slow start might seem to make them not worth playing, but that sweet industry bonus will more than make up for it in the end.

Simply put, while you may have a lagging research capability, there's nothing whatsoever to prevent you from making hordes of cash (Market), and that influx of energy, coupled with an Industrial capacity that no one else in the game can touch (Yang can come close, but still can't match you, and he has no money anyway), will quickly see you ratcheting up the power chart, and the speed with which you can crank out lab-enhancers and such will quickly undo your measly 20% penalty to research.

Miriam is drawn to Fundamentalist: it plays well with her other abilities and makes her a wretched researcher, but that is not the case with you, and in the absence of choosing Fundamentalist to render your bases and units immune to covert actions, the efficiencies of Democracy become much more attractive in peace time, with Police State in times of crisis (coupled with your inherently fewer drones to begin with).

Minerals drive the early game, and he who can build the most stuff the fastest will win. Nobody builds stuff faster than the Drones. Nobody.

Domai, the Builder
Building stuff quickly is what you guys do! All you need is Planetary Networks, and Doctrine Flex if you start by yourself, and you're off and running. Infiltrate, steal tech in the early game to give you the tools you need, and then use that amazing infrastructure to build everything with lightning speed. By the time you get your Treefarms in place, you'll have to remind yourself that you have a research penalty, things will be rolling along so well for you, and if you're pressed by an attack, it's easy to build a stout army very quickly with cash + your native industry. Domai must be fairly active at least in the early game) as a Builder though, much in the same vein as Miriam's Builder game. Probes are about the only way you can reach those much needed early game techs in reasonable time, so use them!

Domai, the Hybrid
Essentially, you make use of some of that incredible industrial advantage by "blunting" it slightly. In the early game, a high industry rating is nearly the same as a high support rating, enabling you to carry more units per base, cutting down your minerals available, but still building things reasonably quickly. What this means is that you'll be able to keep pace, build-wise, and support a big enough army/exploration force that no one will want to press you. The Research penalty truly IS a penalty in the early game, and you won't have a lot to do for the first ten years, but after that, and once you've found someone to trade with or steal techs from, you'll soon find yourself with a lot of new capabilities. One of the coolest features of the Drones is the ability to snag rioting bases from other factions, and this opens up whole new vistas for you and your probes, enabling you to get a toehold on continents by enciting drone riots and simply moving in, without firing a shot.

Domai, the Conqueror
Big Industry = Big Army. Probe. Techsteal. Build more stuff, more quickly. Drones win. Game. (And with the Drones, it really is that simple!)

The Data Angels
Datatech Sinder Roze

At a Glance:
 * +2 Probe
 * -1 Police
 * 25% cheaper probe actions
 * Free Covert Ops Center (with Pre-Sentient Algorithms)
 * Automatically discovers any tech known to three other factions
 * Aversion Power

Sinder Roze's game
A faction not given much consideration, in general, because unlike the others, they lack a well-founded ideological base, however, a closer look reveals that this group plays borrows heavily from Lal's Peacekeepers, Morgan, and the Nautilus Pirates in terms of playstyle...admittedly without any of their advantages, but that's okay, as they've got numerous advantages of their own.

Roze's singular negative is practically meaningless, while her other abilities are quite useful. +2 Probe effectively gives every unit you have the "Polymorphic Encryption" enhancement (for free!), further enhanced by actually giving that ability to your units if you feel the need to. Essentially this makes it almost ruinously expensive to steal bases or units away from you, enabling you to leave your units single stacked far more often than your opposition (which is great from a combat perspective). That, combined with your own, correspondingly cheaper probe actions puts you firmly in the driver's seat where Covert Ops are concerned. Add that to your sharetech3 ability (gives you the same effect as the Planetary Datalinks for free!), and what you have is a faction that is quite capable of defending itself from a variety of attacks, and able to zero in on specific areas of the tech tree, relying on the fact that your sharetech3 will enable you to pick up new technological advances from areas outside of what you are pursuing as those techs are traded and passed around the other factions. In fact, to make the most of your sharetech ability, you should play this group as a synthesis of Morgan, Lal, and Svensgaard. Seeing that the other factions are in contact with each other is very important to you, as it increases the likelihood of techs being traded around, which gives you direct benefits (and, if no one seems willing to trade tech with you in the game, you've got your probe teams to get them anyway!).

Your only Social Engineering aversion is Power, and that's one that doesn't really work well with this group in any case, so even if you could pick it, odds are good that you wouldn't. You're not hampered by a lack of energy, or any research or drone penalties, and that, combined with your probes, will very quickly put you in a position of dominance.

Morgan must rely on his additional cash windfall to subvert enemy troops that land, but you (with your cheaper cover ops rates) can accomplish the same ends with less money, putting you in the same or better position as Morgan, probe-wise.

Combatively, your troops are only average, but with your probe teams, it is entirely possible to stay in Free Market for the entire game and simply steal your opponents' bases one at a time, buying them out from under him, and stealing enemy troops as they drive up to try and get the base back.

Later in the game, the presence of a Covert Ops Center in each base, you've effectively got a +4 Probe rating, rendering you immune to probe actions a la Miriam, without any of her disadvantages! (Effectively giving you your own private "Hunter-Seeker Algorithm!")

Roze, the Builder
Regardless of your style of play, Probe Teams will play heavily into your overall strategy, and the Builder's game is no exception. As you've read before though, anybody who relies heavily on Probe Teams (Domai, Miriam, Yang, Cha'Dawn, and you especially), must play a fairly active Builder's game. Thus, your goal in the Data Angel Builder game is to mind your own business, building probes anytime you get a few free turns in a base's build queue, sending out the probe foils to go find the others, and keeping the rover and infantry based ones milling about your empire (or sneaking across a rival's border, if you've got company on your continent). If the bad guys come calling, a little bit of cash will net you with a bigger army, a weaker opponent, and fewer worries. Also, if one of your neighbors decides to continue to raise a fuss, drive a few probe foils over to his infrastructure poor (and thus, relatively inexpensive) bases and simply buy his empire away from him one piece at a time.

Roze, the Hybrid
Played this way, it's all about getting out and meeting people. Your favored SE settings will tend to put you in good standing with both Lal and Morgan (and sometimes, with fickle Svensgaard), and these are the more commerce-oriented factions, generally eager to trade and make treaties, so go out, meet interesting people from exotic, far-off lands, and infiltrate them, relying on your Builderesque approach to warfare. With Roze, you can run your entire exploration effort via probe teams and transport foils, which means you can stick to Market in all but the more dire circumstances.

Roze, the Conqueror
Run a brief, early period of Market to get yourself built up to a position of power, making use of Market's energy boon to give you the important early game mobility and combat techs relatively quickly, then, construct a medium-sized force, augmented with money and probes and go hunting! If you come across a base that looks like it might be a tough fight, fine. Buy it, add the garrison to your strike force, and keep moving. It is entirely possible for you to buy even a base with a number of secret projects in it on the cheap, something even Morgan is hard-pressed to do at times!

The Cult of Planet
Cha'Dawn

At a Glance:
 * +2 Planet
 * -1 Industry
 * -1 Economy
 * Brood Pit at each base (with Centauri Genetics)
 * Mind Worms are counted twice for police duty
 * Aversion Wealth

Cha'Dawn's game
Widely considered to be the weakest faction in the game, the Cult is still quite fun to play! Their planet bonus and lack of industrial might and cash makes it imperative that you play to this group's natural strengths, and that means going native with a vengeance! The Cult "Out-Greens" even Deirdre, able to catch more worms, more quickly. This in turn (if you have pod-scattering on) enables you to go pod-popping early on, which increases your chance of catching still more worms and that can very rapidly put you in a position to launch an early-game worm rush.

The vast majority of the factions in the game have no trouble with getting to +1 energy per square, which means they'll have no trouble out-teching you. Because of this, and because of your native strengths, you must play to the metagame and become the spoiler. Specifically, this means doing everything you can to enhance the power of your native life, attacking rivals who are running Market in order to deny them access to their much-cherished money. Simply put, you can win the battle and the war by taking the fight to a Marketeer. If they drop out of Market to fight you, you win by forcing them away from their principle source of money and tech (exception: Morgan!), and if not, you will run over them, given their –3 Planet Rating!

Cha'Dawn, the Builder
It's not that you don't build well...you do okay at that, at least as well as the Spartans, but the trouble is, without some serious crawlers to augment your lagging energy production, lab-enhancers just aren't going to benefit you as much as some of the other factions. This is not to say that you should avoid them, only to point out that you will need to augment your infrastructure with a bit of an energy kick in order to get yourself up to something near parity with your Market-loving rivals (and, set up this way, when you succeed in driving your rivals away from Market, you will actually be out-producing them!) Nonetheless, pure Builder Style is a difficult game for Cha'Dawn, as you must be active if you hope to exploit your position relative to Marketeers. Also, as with the other technologically lagging factions, you must take an active stance with your Probe Teams, though, like Yang, you will seldom be in a cash-rich enough of a position to make use of many of the covert ops requiring you to spend credits. Still, as a means of keeping tech parity, Probe Teams should play an integral part of your strategy.

Cha'Dawn, the Hybrid
Much more natural a style with this faction. In times of peace, you can devote yourself to the creating of fungal barriers and fungal farms, and building up your mineral and energy position via crawlers (both of which will help you offset your starting negatives), all the while, searching out your rival factions. Once you find someone, infiltrate, and as soon as you see them making a switch to Market, hammer them hard with your captured worm force!

Cha'Dawn, the Conqueror
Sleek and fast, and...pure native! This is actually one of the simplest and most different ways of playing the game.

The first thing you need to do is catch a worm. Just send your scout out to play in the fungus, and before long, you'll be all set. Send your worm out to pop some serious pods, and try to catch another worm. Essentially, this means more playing in the fungus for you (and all the while, your bases are slowly but steadily working on Colony Pods to continue your expansion). Once you've got two worms, you're really rolling, because now the first can continue the pod-popping crusade (which will go far in keeping you in the ball-park, tech-wise), and the other can begin some serious worm farming (getting three chances per turn, unlike your scout's one) to stir up some native life. At this point, you're in prime position to get ready to do a big worm rush (and it generally only takes 4-6 Worms in the early game).

If you're alone on your continent, then your next two overriding goals ought to be Planetary Networks (for Probe Teams) and Doctrine: Flexibility (for transports) so you can go make some greedy Marketeer pay!

The Manifold Caretakers
Conservator Lular H’minee

At a Glance:
 * +1 Planet
 * +25% Defensive bonus
 * Free Recycling Center at each base
 * Space Survey
 * Directed Research
 * 3-Res armour researched at start
 * Deep Radar for all units

''Note: some people disagree with Velociryx's assessment of the alien factions. Feel free to make this more neutral.''

Lular H'minee's game
Arguably overpowered in human hands, almost to the point of making the game tedious. It's a cakewalk. Nobody will have much luck in attacking, you begin with a recycling tanks at every base, which means that you don't have to worry as much about terraforming, and farms are not really needed much at all until the midgame. All in all, you have a vastly simplified game, with more techs at game start, and an almost unbelievably strong defensive position.

H'minee, the Builder
This group was designed for the Builder game. You can play the part of the turtle, and do quite well. A program of rapid expansion will see you filling up the continent quickly (possibly switching to battle mode if you see that you're not alone, and sweeping them off the map before they can build to any significance), then, just become a hermit. Terraform to your heart's content and use your impressive tech lead (and it will be impressive) to hammer the daylights out of anybody who wants to spoil your fun!

H'minee, the Hybrid
Also easy to do. With your tech lead in the beginning, augmented by automatic Recycling tanks at all bases, your research will be top notch. That alone will make the Hybrid game easy, because you will be able to field better troops than most, if not all of your opponents. That, coupled with the fact that your 25% defensive bonus kicks in from the moment you take over a base makes it unlikely that the opposition will be able to root you out, once you get a foothold.

H'minee, the Conqueror
Again, fairly easy to do, but, with H'minee, you're probably better off simply subverting human bases to avoid population flight, and again, captured garrisons will gain that additional 25% defensive bonus from the moment you take control of the base.

The Manifold Usurpers
Conqueror Judaa Marr

At a Glance:
 * +1 Growth
 * +1 Morale
 * -1 Planet
 * +25% Offensive bonus
 * Free Recycling Center at each base
 * Space Survey
 * Directed Research
 * 3-Res armour researched at start
 * Deep Radar for all units
 * Aversion Democracy

''Note: some people disagree with Velociryx's assessment of the alien factions. Feel free to make this more neutral.''

Judaa Marr's game
Again, an almost impossibly easy game, no matter what level of play you select. You get all the advantages of Miriam's attackers, with none of her disadvantages, a morale boost besides that, a free recycling tanks at each base (which, as per the Caretakers, dramatically speeds up your game), and three techs at game start. You would have to try hard not to win the game with these guys! With normal research rates, your tech will be as good, if not better than everybody around you (especially since you are guaranteed of one extra energy per base, with your free Recycling Tanks, and three techs at game start), and with your attack bonuses you are, simply put, a terror.

Marr, the Builder
Sure, you can do this well, but why? Of course, if you're just looking to play the Builder's game with the ultimate "big stick," then this faction will do the job for you. No one will want to attack you, figuring that if you're content to build, in most cases, they'll be content to let you. At least you're not attacking them!

Marr, the Hybrid
A cakewalk. Again, in times of peace, nobody will even breathe hard in your direction for fear of provoking you, and you can focus on infrastructure, and, if the time comes to attack...well, your faction was born and bred for it!

Marr, the Conqueror
You could do this with your eyes closed! Just follow the human-faction momentum paradigms with a vengeance and you will beat them at their own game every time. Probe teams and foils first, then sweep in for the kill, and you have a leg up again, thanks to the free Rec. Tanks at the outset!

''This information was originally written by Velociryx in his SMAC FAQ. Used with permission.''


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Civ/Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri/Understanding the Factions

All factions have distinct advantages and disadvantages. They have different society traits, start with different technologies, and sometimes even have oddities such as smaller maximum base sizes. This means that every faction has a different overall playstyle, although some factions are more suited to some playstyles than others. For instance, the Hive is more likely to ICS than the Peacekeepers, because Yang gets free Perimeter Defenses but little energy income, while Lal can get more population per base and may want to take advantage of it.

The game settings can enhance or reduce the advantages and disadvantages of each faction. For instance, disabling Blind Research weakens the aliens of Alien Crossfire because they never have Blind Research, so they lose one of their inherent advantages (Or rather, non-alien players gain the same advantage the aliens already have). Likewise, Svensgaard would prefer a world with massive oceans (essentially more territory for him) and arid terrain (which hurts land factions much more than the sea-based Pirates), while all other factions would probably prefer the opposite.

The factions
An extensive overview of every faction appears in two sections:

 * The SMAC Factions
 * The Alien Crossfire Factions

A table comparing all the factions follows. Note that a faction's "preference" is preferred by the AI but a human player can (and, under some circumstances, may want to) use something else. However, the faction's aversion, if any, is always enforced: a player may never choose a faction's aversion. It simply will not show up in the Social Engineering table.

[1] Most factions have "0 hab", meaning it can have up to 7 citizens before requiring a Hab Complex. Morgan has -3, so his maximum is size 4 before Hab Complex, and Lal has +2, meaning his maximum is 9. The Hab Complex always boosts the limit by 7, so afterward the limits are 11 and 16 for Morgan and Lal, respectively. Of course, all limits disappear when a Habitation Dome is built.

[2] Net negative modifiers to efficiency in Social Engineering are ignored, while positive modifiers still take effect. Yang's bases can still suffer from inefficiency.

[3] First base and starting units are in the sea. Ocean shelf tiles produce +1 mineral. Can improve non-shelf ocean tiles with Advanced Ecological Engineering.

[4] Alien factions all have a free recycling tank in every base, energy grid in lieu of commerce (every two facilities adds +1 energy per turn; secret projects add 2.5 energy per turn), Space Survey (all land masses revealed at start) regardless of game settings, non-blind research regardless of game settings. Alien factions start with Progenitor Psych and Field Modulation and have permanent vendettas against all other alien factions, even custom ones. Alien factions can win by building Subspace Generators in each of 6 cities of size 10 or greater. The Manifold Nexus landmark grants alien factions +1 Research as well as +1 Planet.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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User:Maxpower

BS.EE. student at a US university. Working on the Electronics book.

title: User:Maxpower


text:
Talk:Electronics/Cells

Discussion of dry and wet cells is not particularly necessary for basic electronics. -maxpower

 * I agree. - Omegatron 00:31, 1 Jun 2004 (UTC)

 * so get rid of 'em completely? some useful info is left here, battery voltages, but whatever turns your crank.

 * There is some useful info. We should probably mention them and talk about them a little, along with other types of power supplies, but we don't need to explain the chemistry or describe every different battery size or talk about recharging them.  Just say that they convert the energy of chemical reactions into electricity and leave it at that.  I also think we should be talking about ideal sources in parallel and series first, and then show how a cell (or generator or opamp output or whatever) behaves like an ideal voltage source with a source impedance. - Omegatron 16:13, 1 Jun 2004 (UTC)

 * For circuits, it seems that types of (ideal) sources are more important. (Not sure if this is well covered somewhere...it could be a section on it's own, or combined with cells, or part of 'Other Components'.)  I've referred to them as independent and dependent sources, but could alternately be independent and current-controlled/voltage-controlled.  I like the simpler terminology.  Whatever the source value depends on can be called the dependence variable. - maxpower 00:32, 3 Jun 2004 (UTC)

 * I always just called them "sources" and "controlled sources", and represent them with either circles or diamonds:

 * Regular:

 * [[Image:Voltage source symbol.png]] [[Image:Current source symbol.png]]

 * Controlled:

 * [[Image:Controlled voltage source symbol.png]] [[Image:Controlled current source symbol.png]]

 * "Independent" is better than "regular", though.

 * - Omegatron 14:26, 4 Jun 2004 (UTC)

A indication of how long each cell will last for would be nice. In charge but preferably in Ampere hours. That is if the cell is rated 1Ah then it can deliver one ampere for one hour or 0.5 amperes for 2 hours.

title: Talk:Electronics/Cells


text:
Talk:Electronics/Ohm's Law

Really feel this falls under DC Voltage and Current laws. -maxpower

 * I agree. - Omegatron 00:32, 1 Jun 2004 (UTC)

title: Talk:Electronics/Ohm's Law


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Electronics/Nodal Analysis

Nodes
A node is a section of a circuit which connects components to each other. All of the current entering a node must leave a node, according to Kirchoff's Current Law. Every point on the node is at the same voltage, no matter how close it is to each component, because the connections between components are perfect conductors. This voltage is called the node voltage, and is the voltage difference between the node and an arbitrary reference, the ground point. The ground point is a node which is defined as having zero voltage. The ground node should be chosen carefully for convenience. Note that the ground node does not necessarily represent an actual connection to ground, it is just a device to make the analysis simpler. For example, if a node has a voltage of 5 Volts, then the voltage drop between that node and the ground node will be 5 Volts.

Note that in real circuits, nodes are made up of wires, which are not perfect conductors, and so the voltage is not perfectly the same everywhere on the node. This distinction is only important in demanding applications, such as low noise audio, high speed digital circuits (like modern computers), etc. If we look at how a particular circuit functions an engineer might be able to select check points that are diametrically opposite of each other, this signifies two points of current crossing over to another point this can be another method in testing a circuit to determine how nodes work.

Nodal Analysis
Nodal analysis is a formalized procedure based on KCL equations.

Steps:

 * 1) Identify all nodes.
 * 2) Choose a reference node. Identify it with reference (ground) symbol.  A good choice is the node with the most branches, or a node which can immediately give you another node voltage (e.g., below a voltage source).
 * 3) Assign voltage variables to the other nodes (these are node voltages.)
 * 4) Write a KCL equation for each node (sum the currents leaving the node and set equal to zero). Rearrange these equations into the form A*V1+B*V2=C (or similar for equations with more voltage variables.)
 * 5) Solve the system of equations from step 4. There are a number of techniques that can be used: simple substitution, Cramer's rule, the adjoint matrix method, etc.

Complications in Nodal Analysis

 * 1) Dependent Current Source
 * Solution: Write KVL equations for each node. Then express the extra variable (whatever the current source depends on) in terms of node voltages.  Rearrange into the form from step 4 above.  Solve as in step 5.
 * 1) Independent Voltage Source
 * Problem: We know nothing about the current through the voltage source.  We cannot write KCL equations for the nodes the voltage source is connected to.
 * Solution: If the voltage source is between the reference node and any other node, we have been given a 'free' node voltage: the node voltage must be equal to the voltage source value! Otherwise, use a 'super-node', consisting of the source and the nodes it is connected to.  Write a KCL equation for all current entering and leaving the super-node.  Now we have one equation and two unknowns (the node voltages).  Another equation that relates these voltages is the equation provided by the voltage source (V2-V1=source value).  This new system of equations can be solved as in Step 5 above.
 * 1) Dependent Voltage Source
 * Solution: Same as an independent voltage source, with an extra step. First write a super-node KCL equation.  Then write the source controlling quantity (dependence quantity?) in terms of the node voltages.  Rearrange the equation to be in the A*V1+B*V2=C form.  Solve the system as above.

Example
Given the Circuit below, find the voltages at all nodes.

node 0: $$V_0 = 0V\,$$ (defined as ground node) node 1: $$V_1 = 9V\,$$ (free node voltage) node 2: $$\frac{V_1 - V_2}{1k} = \frac{V_2 - V_0}{3k} + \frac{V_2 - V_3}{2k}$$ node 3: $$\frac{V_2 - V_3}{2k} = \frac{V_3 - V_0}{2k}$$

which results in the following system of linear equations: $$\left\{\begin{matrix} +11 V_2 & -3 V_3 & = & 54 \\ +1 V_2 & -2 V_3 & = & 0\end{matrix}\right.$$

therefore, the solution is: $$\left\{\begin{matrix} V_0 =0.00V \\ V_1 =9.00V \\ V_2 =5.68V \\ V_3 =2.84V\end{matrix}\right.$$

Another solution with KCL would be to solve node in terms of node 2;

$$\frac{V_2 - 9V}{1k} + \frac{V_2}{3k} + \frac{V_2}{4k} = 0$$

title: Electronics/Nodal Analysis


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Talk:Electronics/Nodal Analysis

This is something that someone with a good math background could figure out from what has been previously written in this text, but very few people just starting with electronics will be able to pick up (setting up and solving this system of equations.) -maxpower

 * Somewhat on the same lines as the previous comment, I think that the sterile procedural definition of node analysis is far from adequate from a teaching perspective. Most persons can figure out basically how to setup the system of equations, but the main confusion usually revolves around getting signs straight.  The text should address this point in some detail and explain something about setting up and utilizing a consistant system for indicating current direction.  Additionally, it would be good if it covered when/why one should add or subtract a current due to the position of the node within the set conventions and the adjacent element's active/passive function.

A nodal analysis tutorial I wrote that I want to contribute
I wrote an open-source nodal-analysis on my own wiki. Should be very easy to just copy and paste parts of it out. Please feel free to use any portions of it that are relevant for expanding this article: http://wiki.syncleus.com/index.php/Nodal_Analysis 108.16.236.53 (discuss) 06:13, 13 March 2012 (UTC)

title: Talk:Electronics/Nodal Analysis


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Electronics/Mesh Analysis

Meshes
A 'mesh' (also called a loop) is simply a path through a circuit that starts and ends at the same place. For the purpose of mesh analysis, a mesh is a loop that does not enclose other loops.

Mesh Analysis
Similar to nodal analysis, mesh analysis is a formalized procedure based on KVL equations. A caveat: mesh analysis can only be used on 'planar' circuits (i.e. there are no crossed, but unconnected, wires in the circuit diagram.)

Steps:

 * 1) Draw circuit in planar form (if possible.)
 * 2) Identify meshes and name mesh currents.  Mesh currents should be in the clockwise direction.  The current in a branch shared by two meshes is the difference of the two mesh currents.
 * 3) Write a KVL equation in terms of mesh currents for each mesh.
 * 4) Solve the resulting system of equations.

Complication in Mesh Analysis
1. Dependent Voltage Sources

Solution: Same procedure, but write the dependency variable in terms of mesh currents.

2. Independent Current Sources

Solution: If current source is not on a shared branch, then we have been given one of the mesh currents! If it is on a shared branch, then use a 'super-mesh' that encircles the problem branch. To make up for the mesh equation you lose by doing this, use the mesh current relationship implied by the current source (i.e. $$I_2 - I_1=4 mA$$).

3. Dependent Current Sources

Solution: Same procedure as for an independent current source, but with an extra step to eliminate the dependency variable. Write the dependency variable in terms of mesh currents.

Example
Given the Circuit below, find the currents $$I_1$$, $$I_2$$. The circuit has 2 loops indicated on the diagram. Using KVL we get: Loop1: $$0=9-1000I_1-3000(I_1-I_2)$$ Loop2: $$0=3000(I_1-I_2)-2000I_2-2000I_2$$ Simplifying we get the simultaneous equations: $$0=9-4000I_1+3000I_2$$ $$0=0+3000I_1-7000I_2$$ solving to get: $$I_1=3.32mA$$ $$I_2=1.42mA$$

title: Electronics/Mesh Analysis


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Civ/Social Engineering

Social Engineering is equivalent to what the Civilization games refer to as form of government. However, Alpha Centauri's system is the most flexible of any Civ game (until Civilization IV): you can not only choose the form of government, but fine-tune its economy, values, and how it embraces advanced technology.

In Civ games, it is usually the rule that you must switch out of your starting form of government as soon as you can get any other form. This is not always true in this game. It is surely important to adjust your Social Engineering choices, but the time must be ripe. Would you want to switch to a Police State if you're already inefficient? No! You should only use Police State if your empire is reasonably efficient and will remain so.

Diplomacy
Your Social Engineering choices affect the AI factions' attitudes toward you. Each faction has a "preferred" choice and an "aversion" choice. For example, Morgan will begin to like you if your economy is a Free Market (his preferred choice), and will hate you for running Planned (his aversion). Likewise, Deirdre will hate you for running Free Market, and love you if you're Green. Factions will dislike you slightly if you use any other choice in the category of their preferred choice. To use the previous examples, Morgan will be wary of you if you are using Green economics, and Deirdre if you are running Planned. Listed under each socio/economic model are the factions whose attitudes are affected if you are using that model.

A faction may not select its aversion as a current engineering choice, regardless of whether it is AI-controlled or human-controlled.

Frontier
No advantages or disadvantages. While it is balanced, it lacks focus. Yang will want to switch to Police State as soon as possible because it will grant him great advantages with the only penalty being the upheaval cost, due to his immunity to inefficiency.

Police State
+2 Support, +2 Police, -2 Efficiency (except Yang)

Yang's best option because he incurs no penalty from it, and he starts with the option to boot. Everybody else is likely to suffer great inefficiency, so for them, Police State must either be balanced with other Social Engineering choices with positive Efficiency modifiers (e.g., Green) or with being a faction with bonus efficiency (e.g., Deirdre).

This is the Hive's preferred choice, and the Peacekeepers' aversion.

Democratic
+2 Efficiency, +2 Growth, -2 Support

Not a good idea for militaristic players, but great for pacifists. The extra efficiency will strengthen the economy, while the growth will help the faction expand, both horizontally and vertically. Watch out when sprawling those bases, though – you lose the 10 free minerals for new bases under a Democracy.

This is the preferred choice of the Peacekeepers' and the Data Angels, and is the aversion of the Hive and the Usurpers.

Fundamentalist
+2 Probe, +1 Morale, -2 Research

When a faction switches to Fundamentalist, they mean business! This choice was designed for one thing: kicking butt. Your research will be crippled, so forget about it unless you can balance it (with Knowledge or your faction's traits), or you wish to start the war to end all wars.

This is the preferred choice of the Lord's Believers, and the aversion of both the University of Planet and the Cybernetic Consciousness.

Simple
No advantages or disadvantages. While it is balanced, it lacks focus. Yang will want to switch to Planned as soon as possible because it will grant him advantages with the only penalty being the upheaval cost, due to his immunity to inefficiency.

Free Market
+2 Economy, -3 Planet, -5 Police

This is only good for one thing: bringing in lots of money. This is best if your faction already has an economy bonus; it will help the benefits balance against what you lose: control of both your people and Planet. Forget about balancing out the -5 Police; reversing or minimizing the -3 Planet is doable. The penalty isn't too bad if you know what you're doing. It is if you don't.

Advanced players may want to switch to Free Market as early as possible by researching Industrial Economics at the first opportunity. The base tile of each base is free from early game restrictions, and not much energy is being produced elsewhere because the focus is on creating Colony Pods, therefore the energy output of each base can often be doubled, or nearly so. This strategy is not universally accepted, however.

This is the preferred choice of the Morganites, and is the Gaians' aversion.

Planned
+2 Growth, +1 Industry, -2 Efficiency (except Yang)

Again, Yang will usually want this because he suffers no disadvantages. Otherwise, the efficiency hit can be crippling. The combination of Police State with Planned is signing your faction's death certificate — unless you're Yang, in which case it's your most optimal combination! Otherwise, it is often good for a Democratic faction (in order to give a further boost to Growth), especially because the efficiency of Democratic will balance perfectly against the inefficiency of Planned.

This is the preferred choice of both the Caretakers and the Usurpers, and is the Morganites' aversion.

Green
+2 Efficiency, +2 Planet, -2 Growth

Best if you wish to fight with Mind Worms — both in the sense of fighting against them and fighting using them. Otherwise, the +2 Efficiency is often not worth the -2 Growth. However, keep in mind that once you have many many bases, +2 efficiency will benefit your economy as much as FM's +2 economy without all the drawbacks.

This is the preferred choice of the Gaians and the Planet Cult, and the aversion of the Free Drones.

Survival
No advantages or disadvantages. All other Values will hurt you militarily in some way or other, but Power will more than counterbalance that. The others will not; therefore, choosing a Value can be the most determining factor in whether or not you will play a military-focused middlegame.

Power
+2 Support, +2 Morale, -2 Industry

Another choice that warmongers will want, although the -2 Industry can also hurt their cause. There is no reason to choose Power unless you wish to use your military might extensively. The Cloning Vats removes the penalty to Industry, making this choice much more feasible.

This is the Spartans' and the Pirates' preferred choice, and the aversion of the Data Angels.

Knowledge
+2 Research, +1 Efficiency, -2 Probe

This choice is good either for boosting your Research through the roof or making Fundamentalist more practical. While The Hunter-Seeker Algorithm does not improve your Probe teams, it does make you immune to being Probed, so the defensive half of the penalty is removed.

This is the University of Planet's preferred choice, and the Lord's Believers' aversion.

Wealth
+1 Economy, +1 Industry, -2 Morale

As the name implies, this is for the money-grubber. Especially useful for Morgan, as he can run Wealth instead of Free Market and get the much-desired +1 energy per square.

This is the Spartans' and the Pirates' aversion.

None
No advantages or disadvantages. As with Values, all other options will hurt you militarily, but Thought Control will counterbalance it by far if you have enough positive modifiers to Support elsewhere. Future Society is geared towards helping you bring the game toward the end, and selecting one will likely be the final Social Engineering choice you make.

Cybernetic
+2 Efficiency, +2 Planet, +2 Research, -3 Police

Mind Worm lovers will love this.

This is the preferred choice of the Cybernetic Consciousness (who else?). Additionally, the Consciousness is immune to the Police penalty, as is any faction that has built The Network Backbone.

Eudaimonic
+2 Economy, +2 Growth, +2 Industry, -2 Morale

A boost to infrastructure, for those who like to make use of newly-conquered empires near the endgame.

This is the Free Drones' preferred choice.

Thought Control
+2 Morale, +2 Probe, +2 Police, -3 Support

An all-military option, despite the -3 Support. The Cloning Vats removes the -3 Support penalty.

title: Civ/Social Engineering


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Civ/Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri/Understanding the game

Playing styles
The detailed descriptions of each faction refer to three playing styles: Builder, Hybrid, and Momentum. These will be defined here. But first, it must be recognized that there are as many different approaches to the game as there are players who love the game, but these (often wildly varying) approaches can, in at least a general sense, be grouped into the three basic styles of play. They are basic archetypes rather than full styles. Recognizing them is vitally important in effective planning.

Builder
Builders don't care much for fighting, preferring to cloister themselves off on some small to mid-sized continent, terraform, build infrastructure, and research new technologies. The hallmarks of Builder style play are:
 * 1) Long delays in prototyping new weapons and defensive systems, in favor of constructing infrastructure
 * 2) The preservation of as close to 100% of industrial capacity as possible in order to speed the completion of the aforementioned infrastructure by minimizing support costs
 * 3) Very aesthetically-pleasing empires (let's face it, Builder Empires just look cool!)
 * 4) Strict adherence to industrial caps with regards to ecological damages, that is, Builders spend a lot of time terraforming, and they don't like to see their efforts undone by sudden fungal blooms, so you will seldom find any, and certainly no significant eco-damage in a Builder Empire). For the reason of preservation of Industrial Capacity alone, "Biogenetics" is probably a Builder player's most treasured tech, and many a Builder player will micromanage his or her bases down to the unit level, upgrading any unit which is tying up support costs.

To maximize the strengths of this playstyle, you must head straight to Industrial Automation for the acquisition of Supply Crawlers, and from there move right on into the lifting of your resource restrictions. You live and die by the following five techs: Centauri Ecology, Industrial Automation, Gene Splicing, Ecological Engineering, and Environmental Economics. The goal of the early Builder game is to reach Environmental Economics as quickly as possible and create such a vast economy in terms of total outputs, relative to the opposition, that when the combat techs arrive (and wise Builders will begin pursuing them the moment they get Environmental Economics), their superior economic sub-structure will enable them to out-produce and out-tech everyone else in the game.

Hybrid
The Hybrid's main watch-word is flexibility. He's the guy who wants to be ready for anything that might come up, and while he greatly admires the Builder's stunning efficiency and sterling industry, he also knows that somewhere out there on the map, and maybe closer than he thinks, are people who would like nothing better than to take it all away from him. To that end, the Hybrid player makes some "strategic sacrifices," developing a stout standing army as early as techs permit it, and upgrading and honing them constantly. Often, the Hybrid Player has half (or more) of his army on the prowl, looking for pods, and looking for potential enemies of the state. Yes, he's interested in developing an economy to rival his Builder counterparts, but not at the risk of being blind-sided by some fast-moving attacker.

For Hybrids, the key technologies in the early game are: Centauri Ecology, Industrial Automation, Doctrine: Flexibility, Gene Splicing, and Ecological Engineering. This gives you several of the key advantages of the Builder player, but also gives you more options in terms of exploration and response to incoming threats.

Momentum
Fast and loose! The Momentum player's main goal is to expand with lightening speed, get a horde of small bases (production centers) up and running, and then use them to build a war machine that is second to none, and while he's getting his production centers geared up, his scouts are on the prowl, a sharp eye open for signs of anybody else. The moment he finds someone else, the real show begins, and the Momentum player is banking on the fact that, because he's so active, even if you have a technology edge, he'll be able to probe his way to technological parity and smash you with his relatively large standing force. Bases are seen as little more than barracks, and not much attention is given to infrastructural builds, beyond the absolutely essential (i.e., network nodes, to cash in artifacts found or stolen).

Momentum players will want the biggest bang for their buck, and they'll want it as quickly as possible. For them, the key technologies are: Centauri Ecology, Industrial Automation, Doctrine: Flexibility, Non-Linear Mathematics, and Ecological Engineering. They're willing to work around the mineral restrictions to get a decent army in the field, and many of the factions this group favors come with support bonuses, giving them a relatively large number of "free" troops anyway. A perfect example of this would be Miriam Godwinson's Believers. With their +2 Support rating, each of their bases gets four free units. Figure one former and one garrison, that still leaves her two attackers per base that can go out hunting. Multiplied out over ten or twelve bases, and it's no wonder she's so feared by the Builder crowd!

Putting it together
As you can see, while there are key differences between the various styles of play, there are also some similarities between the three styles. Two techs in particular popped up all three times: Ecological Engineering and Industrial Automation. These may be the most critical techs in the entire game: if you have them and your opponent does not, you are in a vastly superior position.

One final stylistic note to point out is this: Do not make the mistake of believing that Builders never fight and Momentum players never build infrastructure! All players of note will shift and change their strategies based on prevailing game conditions, and because of that, these "styles" mentioned are more archetypes than anything. They point to the tendencies and pre-dispositions of players toward one end of the spectrum or the other. The implication is not that Builders can only build, and Momentum players can only crank out an endless supply of troops. I don't know of anyone who plays that way, and even against an average player, such a strategy would come apart rather quickly. Essentially then, the stylistic approaches speak more to the timing than anything else.

For Builders, the key to the game is the rapid development of infrastructure. They figure that the faster they can develop vast efficiencies, the better off they will be, and those greater efficiencies will enable them to quickly catch up militarily in the midgame.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Momentum gamers recognize how much damage a few early game attackers can do, and seek to maximize that damage against their opponents, forcing their rivals to divert resources to deal with threats to hearth and home, while the Momentum player is free to build infrastructure without such threats.

In the center are the Hybrids, who will strike opportunistically — and divert some portion of their early game resources to be ready to do that — but are unwilling to go full bore in that direction, lest they fall behind in infrastructural development.

The Early Game
The Early Game is the game up until the time all those annoying restrictions are lifted, and before you get the chance to start playing with the more interesting unit types. Specifically then, the techs that provide the boundary to the early game are: Resource-Wise: Gene Splicing, Ecological Engineering, and Environmental Economics. Weapon wise: Lasers (Applied Physics) and Impact (Non-linear Mathematics) will be most prevalent (with Missiles falling at the outer edge of the early game, much as Environmental Economics, developmentally). Defensively, you've got Synthmetal (Industrial Base), and Plasma (High Energy Chemistry) with some interesting variance provided by 3-res and 3-pulse armor, and of course, all units will be powered with the old-style Fission generators (weakest, and most expensive).

Implications of the early game: 1) Stuff is expensive to build. The old generators are not cheap, to put it mildly, and that's bad news for you, because your mineral production is wretched, and while there are ways to improve that, none of them will happen quickly, or without a fair amount of planning on your part. 2) Terrain squares are not very productive. Pre-restriction lifting, you're faced with a limit of 2r (r being whatever resource you're harvesting) in each category, for an absolute maximum of six resources per square (i.e. - Monolith, 2r for each of the three resource-types).

Taken together, that's a pretty punishing two-edged sword. Not only are you having to pay more for your early game units in terms of time to build, but you're also faced with terrain squares that have limited value.

There is some good news though, in the form of special resource squares. These squares are not limited by the early game restrictions, and as such, they should receive your immediate attention. If you find one that's located in an unattractive base-building spot, that's no problem....the moment you get industrial automation, send a supply crawler out that direction and start taking advantage of the resource! (and more about this in particular on the section on Terraforming!)

The Middle Game
The Middle Game is bounded on one side by the lifting of energy restrictions, the acquisition of Missile techs (with Air Power coming soon thereafter), and the discovery of Fusion Power and runs all the way to the acquisition of Habitation Domes and is where the bulk of your game will be played out. Terrain squares get more productive as more terraforming options become available, your formers get a ton of new things to do, and your units (both offensively and defensively) become vastly more dangerous.

The Late Game
The late game is marked roughly by the introduction of the Habitation Dome. Generally, single player games don't last very long once you get here, and few multi-player games ever make it this far, so don't expect to see much of the late game, unless you really enjoy playing single-player mode, and really like to take your time.


text:
The Cold War/Study Guide

Greece (1947)
Communist successes in 1947-48 enabled them to move freely over much of mainland Greece, but with extensive reorganization and American material support, the Greek National Army was slowly able to regain control over most of the countryside. Yugoslavia closed its borders to the insurgent forces in 1949, after Marshal Tito of Yugoslavia broke with the Soviet Union.

Berlin (1948-1949)
The Soviet Union blocked Western rail and road access to Berlin from June 24, 1948 - May 1, 1949. This Berlin Blockade was one of the major crises of the Cold War. The crisis abated after the Soviet Union did not act to stop American, British and French airlifts (Berlin Airlift) of food and especially winter fuel for the winter of '48~'49, as well as other provisions to the Western-held sectors of Berlin following the Soviet land blockade.

Study Questions

 * 1) What ended the blockade?
 * 2) The crisis abated after the Soviet Union did not act to stop American, British and French airlifts of food and other provisions to the Western-held sectors of Berlin following the Soviet land blockade.
 * 3) What made West Berlin such an unusual part of the West German state, and what caused this arrangement?
 * 4) In 1945, the victorious Allied Powers reached the Potsdam Agreement on the fate of postwar Europe, calling for the division of a defeated Germany into four occupation zones (thus reaffirming principles laid out earlier by the Yalta Conference), and the similar division of the capital, Berlin, deep within the Soviet occupation zone, into four zones. Thus the French, German, and British sectors of Berlin were deep within the Soviet occupation zones, connected by a narrow land corridor to the maqin Allied occupation zones in Germany, and thus a focal point of tensions corresponding to the breakdown of the U.S-Soviet wartime alliance. (See Origins of the Cold War)
 * 5) Why were the Soviets interested in Germany?
 * 6) The Soviets sought to create a unified but demilitarized Germany under their tutelage, or as Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov told U.S. Secretary of State James F. Byrnes in 1946, a united Germany that could be neutralized after Russia received industrial reparations from Germany. This strategy was a response to a 150-year history of repeated Western assaults on Russia, including World War I and Napoleon's 1812 invasion. Stalin considered it essential to destroy Germany's capacity for another war, which conflicted with the US desire to rebuild Germany as the economic center of a stable Europe. (Stalin assumed that Japan and Germany could menace the Soviet Union once again by the 1960s.)
 * 7) Why was the United States interested in Germany?
 * 8) The United States, however, stressed that postwar reconstruction in Western Europe depended on German economic and industrial recovery. The U.S. stance was that if it could not reunify Germany with Soviet cooperation, the West could develop the western, industrial portions of postwar Germany controlled by France, Britain, and the U.S. and integrate the areas into a new European sphere of democracy.
 * 9) When did the three western sections of Berlin fuse into the capital of West Germany?
 * 10) As outlined in an announcement on March 6, 1948, the London Conference declared support for fusing the three Western-occupied zones in Germany into an independent, federal form of government, and bring the fusion of the three Western zones into the U.S.-led economic reconstruction efforts (See Marshall Plan).

Korean War (1950-1953)
The Korean War was a conflict between communist North and anti-communist South Korea. Both sides sabre-rattled incessantly, threatening military action. However, more importantly, Stalin's interest in an ice-free Pacific seaport for Russia ( Pusan ), was the key motivation for his encouragement of a " blitzkrieg " military reunification of the Korean peninsula. It was also a proxy war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Principal combatants were North and South Korea, the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the People's Republic of China, although many other nations sent troops under the aegis of the United Nations. The Soviet Union also supplied combat advisors and aircraft pilots, as well as arms, for the North Korean and eventually Chinese troops. In U.S. parlance, Korea was officially termed a U.N. police action, not a war.

Study Questions

 * 1) What caused the Korean War?
 * Korea was a Japanese colony from 1905 effectively and 1910 officially, until the end of World War II in 1945. The Allies agreed that Japanese forces north of 38° north latitude (the 38th parallel) would surrender to the Soviet Union and those south of 38° would surrender to the USA. The Allies pledged that Korea would be a unified, independent country under an elected government but failed to specify the details.
 * The United Nations held an election in 1948, but the Soviet Union refused to allow participation in their occupied zone. Instead, they handed over power to the North Korean Communist Party under Kim Il-Sung, the anti-Japanese Korean partisan forces leader, who had been secretly in exile in Moscow for years, being schooled in Stalin-style communist control and doctrine. In contrast, the South democratically elected the nationalist exile Syngman Rhee as its President.

 * 1) Why did China support North Korea?
 * The People's Republic of China's recent victory over American-supported Nationalist Chinese forces, was wary of an American-led victorious war in Korea. Mao Zedong was concerned that it would encourage American intervention in Asia and would destabilize the region. General MacArthur's brilliant and rapid counteroffensive pushed North Korean forces almost to the Chinese border, at which point, China fearing invasion, hurriedly threw a million man army into the fray.

 * 1) Why did the United States support South Korea?
 * American action was taken for a number of reasons. Truman was under severe domestic pressure for being too soft on communism. Especially vocal were those who accused the Democrats of having "lost China." The intervention was also an important implementation of the new Truman Doctrine, which advocated the opposition of communism everywhere it tried to expand.

 * 1) How did the Korean War begin?
 * On June 25, 1950 North Korean forces moved south in force. Using Soviet massive materiel, military strategists and embedded advisors, together with huge reserves of Soviet-trained manpower, their surprise Blitzkrieg-style attack was a crushing success. Within days South Korean forces were in full retreat. Within three weeks, the South Korean forces, and the small number of Americans, mainly combat engineers rebuilding infrastructure, not military trainers, in Korea, were driven into a tiny area in the far Southeastern tip of the peninsula, around the city of Pusan. With the aid of U.N. troops, hastily shipped in, mainly American, American supplies ( war materiel ) and initially sporadic air support, the U.N.-led pitiful ROK forces, almost driven into the sea, managed to stabilize a defensive frontier / holding action, termed the Pusan Perimeter. Although more UN support eventually arrived the situation was perilous, and it looked as though the North would defeat the U.N. and, ultimately militarily reunify the peninsula.

 * 1) Besides the main powers (North and South Korea, China, US and USSR), what other countries participated in the Korean War?
 * Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Greece, the Netherlands, Ethiopia, Colombia, the Philippines, Belgium, and Luxembourg, all under the aegis of the United Nations.

 * 1) How did South Korea and UN forces recover from the North's rapid expansion and control of all but the tiny southeastern tip of the peninsula?
 * In order to alleviate pressure on the Pusan Perimeter, MacArthur, as UN commander in chief of U.N.'s Korean theater of operations, ordered an invasion at Inchon, far behind the North Korean troops . This was an extremely risky operation, but it was extremely successful. United Nations troops landed at Inchon, faced only mild resistance and quickly moved to recapture Seoul. The North Koreans, finding their supply lines cut, began a rapid retreat northwards and the ROK and UN forces that had been confined in the south moved north and joined up with those that had landed at Inchon.

 * 1) Why did Truman fire General MacArthur?
 * MacArthur meeting with ROC President Chiang Kai-shek in the role of a U.S. diplomat. MacArthur was also wrong at Guam when President Truman asked him specifically about Chinese troop buildup near the Korean border. Furthermore, MacArthur openly criticized the Commander-in-Chief during press conferences, and was rude and flippant when speaking to Truman. Most significantly, he suggested using nuclear weapons to deter China. MacArthur was succeeded by General Matthew Ridgway.

 * 1) Why was Korea significant in the development of the Cold War?
 * The Korean War was the first armed confrontation of the Cold War, and a model for many later conflicts, that of conventional, limited warfare, instead of an all out nuclear war. It also expanded the Cold War frontiers, which to that point had mostly been confined to opposing Russian expansion in Central Europe.

 * 1) What are some famous artistic interpretations of the Korean War?
 * Artist Pablo Picasso's painting Massacre in Korea (1951) depicted violence against civilians during the Korean War. By some account, civilian killings committed by U.S. forces in Shinchun, Hwanghae Province was the motive of the painting. In South Korea, the painting was deemed anti-American, a longtime taboo in the South, that it was prohibited for public display until the 1990s.
 * In the United States, far and away the most famous artistic depiction of the war is the book, movie and television series M*A*S*H, which depicts the misadventures of the staff of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital as they struggle to keep their sanity through the war's absurdities through ribald humour and hijinks when not treating wounded.

Space Race (1957-1975)
The Space Race was an unofficial competition between the United States and the USSR in space exploration and technology, and especially to the race between the two nations to land a human being on the moon in the second half of the 1960s.

The Soviets beat the Americans in most firsts, but did not manage to beat them to the moon. Technology and especially aerospace technology advanced greatly during this period. In the sense that it was contested during the 1960s, the space race is usually considered to have been ended by the joint Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975.

Iran (1951-1953)
In 1951, Prime Minister Muhammad Mussadegh, a militant nationalist, forced the parliament to nationalize the British-owned oil industry in Iran. Despite British pressure, including a economic blockade which caused real hardship, the nationalization continued. Mussadegh was briefly forced from power in 1952 but quickly returned and forced the Shah to flee. It was assumed Mussadegh would declare a republic, but a few days later the Shah returned and again forced Mussadegh from office on August 19 with U.S. CIA support. Mussadegh was arrested and a new prime minister was appointed.

Guatemala (1954)
In 1944, Gen. Jorge Ubico's dictatorship was overthrown by the "October Revolutionaries,"a group of dissident military officers, students, and liberal professionals. This started what is sometimes called The Ten Years of Spring, a period of rare free speech and political organizations, land reform, and a perception that great progress could be made in Guatemala. A civilian president, Juan Jose Arevalo, was elected in 1945 and held the presidency until 1951. Social reforms initiated by Arevalo were continued by his successor, Col. Jacobo Arbenz. Arbenz permitted the communist Guatemalan Labor Party to gain legal status in 1952. This greatly upset the American government which, under pressure from CIA Director Allen Dulles, brother of the U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, denounced the communist tendency of Guatemalan government and decided the Arbenz government had to be overthrown. Despite most Guatemalans' attachment to the original ideals of the 1944 uprising, some private sector leaders and the military adhered to the U.S.-imposed ideas about communist threat and started to view Arbenz's policies as a menace. The army refused to defend the Arbenz government when a United States and United Fruit -backed group led by Col. Carlos Castillo Armas invaded the country from Honduras in 1954 and quickly took over the government.

title: The Cold War/Study Guide


text:
Talk:Guitar/Arpeggios and Sweep Picking

Nice rewrite. The note on how the pick is held is important in sweep picking though; if you want to do it right. -- Jimregan 09:44, 31 May 2004 (UTC)

title: Talk:Guitar/Arpeggios and Sweep Picking


text:
Civ/Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri/Unit Construction

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
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.

Chassis
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

 * Prerequisite: Mind/Machine Interface
 * Speed: 10
 * Terrain: air

The 'copter is like the needlejet, except that it can survive running out of fuel in a space without a city or airbase. Instead of being destroyed outright, it simply crash-lands, taking some damage. The 'copter can also attack as many times per turn as it has fuel remaining; however, attacking with the last unit of fuel will result in the unit crash-landing. Care must be taken when assigning go-to commands to a 'copter, as they will always end their turn upon entering a friendly base square, regardless of how many moves they have left. They are unique among non-land units in that they can blitz, or attack multiple times per turn.

Cruiser

 * Prerequisite: Doctrine: Initiative
 * Speed: 6 (8 with Maritime Control)
 * Terrain: Water

The cruiser is the ultimate transport unit. When fully upgraded, it can carry up to 16 units! In addition, it has the most movement points of any sea unit. Ideal for large maps, and long range transportation.

For warships, it may be better to buy the cheaper foil, unless of course, the distance from your base to the target is a far away.

Consider using for maritime probe team strikes, simply due to the large amounts of movement points. Do not engage in probe team warfare unless you can afford to lose the probe team. Just get to the target, do whatever sabotage you need to do, and do it quickly.

Foil

 * Prerequisite: Doctrine: Flexibility
 * Speed: 4 (6 with Maritime Control)
 * Terrain: Water

The early waterborne unit isn't as fast as a cruiser.

Gravship

 * Prerequisite: Graviton Theory
 * Speed: 8
 * Terrain: air

Late-game chassis that is strictly superior to the needlejet, equal in speed but with no fuel limitations. Very valuable chassis when equipped with high-power weapons and armor. However, unlike the 'Copter, it can only attack once per turn.

Hovertank

 * Prerequisite: Nanominiaturization
 * Speed: 3
 * Terrain: land

This is a middle-to-late-game unit that moves faster than the rover. One strategy that could be effective is building the ascent to transcendence at whatever city has the highest industry, then building these with a supply module attached to them at every other city you own and rushing them toward that city.

Infantry

 * Prerequisite: None
 * 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. Infantry have a bonus to attacking cities.

Missile

 * Prerequisite: Orbital Spaceflight
 * Speed: 20 (depends on fuel)
 * Terrain: air

Middle-game chassis designed for kamikaze-style attacks. Cannot be equipped with weapons (except for special missile-only weapons) or armor and very few abilities. Can be very powerful if one uses it wisely.

Needlejet

 * Prerequisite: Doctrine: Air Power
 * Speed: 20 (depends on fuel)
 * Terrain: air

Though it can move an impressive distance, the needlejet will crash and burn if it ends a turn outside of a city or airbase. Also, the needlejet has the ability to attack twice in one turn, but if you choose to do this, it will die at the end of the second attack, as a bee dies after stinging something.

Speeder

 * Prerequisite: Doctrine: Mobility
 * Speed: 2
 * Terrain: land

This creates a rover, which, in addition to its increased speed, also applies other properties, such as the loss of the infantry unit's bonus to city invasions. Also, it counts as a mobile unit for the purposes of special armor bonuses.

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.

Hand Weapons

 * Strength: 1

Psi Attack

 * Prerequisite: Centauri Psi
 * Strength: uses psi combat; depends on morale or lifecycle
 * Cost: 10

Units with the Psi Attack ability attack with psi instead of weapons. The most common and basic example of such an attacker is a Mind Worm boil.

Laser

 * Prerequisite: Applied Physics
 * Strength: 2

Particle Impactor

 * Prerequisite: Nonlinear Mathematics
 * Strength: 4

Gatling Laser

 * Prerequisite: Superconductor
 * Strength: 5

Missile Launcher

 * Prerequisite: Synthetic Fossil Fuels
 * Strength: 6

Resonance Laser
Provides a 25% bonus against units with Psi Defense. The most common such defender is a native unit.
 * Prerequisite: Bioadaptive Resonance
 * Strength: 6
 * Cost: 8
 * Alien Crossfire Only

Chaos Gun

 * Prerequisite: Superstring Theory
 * Strength: 8

Fusion Laser

 * Prerequisite: Organic Superlubricant
 * Strength: 10

Tachyon Bolt

 * Prerequisite: Unified Field Theory
 * Strength: 12
 * Cost:

Resonance Bolt
Provides a 25% bonus against units with Psi Defense. The most common such defender is a native unit.
 * Prerequisite: Sentient Resonance
 * Strength: 12
 * Cost: 16
 * Alien Crossfire Only

Plasma Shard

 * Prerequisite: Advanced Spaceflight
 * Strength: 13

Quantum Laser

 * Prerequisite: Quantum Machinery
 * Strength: 16

Graviton Gun

 * Prerequisite: Applied Gravitonics
 * Strength: 20

Singularity Laser

 * Prerequisite: Controlled Singularity
 * Strength: 24

String Disruptor

 * Prerequisite: String Resonance
 * Strength: 30
 * Cost: 40
 * Alien Crossfire Only

Conventional Payload

 * Prerequisite: Orbital Spaceflight
 * Strength: 12

Fungal Payload
Fungal Missles target a land square without a base or unit. Depending on reactor this plants an additional 1 – 4 squares of fungus, destroys most improvements and generates mindworms and a fungal tower in the detonation square. It leaves boreholes, bunkers, condensers, and solar mirrors. It destroys roads, forests, farms, soil enrichers, mines, and sensors.
 * Prerequisite: N-Space Compression
 * Strength: N/A
 * Alien Crossfire Only

Planet Buster

 * Prerequisite: Orbital Spaceflight
 * Strength: 99
 * Cost: 32

Tectonic Payload
Tectonic Missles target a land square without a base or unit. Depending on reactor level the land will be raised 1 – 4 levels, up to the maximum of 3500 m. This does not destroy improvements.
 * Prerequisite: N-Space Compression
 * Strength: N/A
 * Alien Crossfire Only

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. When deployed in a base, it will add one population to that base's total population.

Probe Team

 * Prerequisite: Planetary Networks
 * Equipment cost: 4

Units with probe equipment can perform a number of covert actions.

Terraforming Unit

 * Prerequisite: 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: Industrial Automation
 * Equipment cost: 8

Supply units can extract one type of resource (either energy,mineral, or nutrient) from any non-cultivated square and convey it to its home base, and can also be brought to a base to apply its full 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: 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.

Defense
A unit's defense determines how well it fights when it is attacked. Defense strength affects a unit's mineral cost. Some defenses affect a unit's cost by more than just their defensive strength.

No Armor

 * Strength: 1

Psi Defense

 * Prerequisite: 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.

Synthmetal Armor

 * Prerequisite: Industrial Base
 * Strength: 2

Plasma Steel Armor

 * Prerequisite: High Energy Chemistry
 * Strength: 3

Pulse 3 Armor
''Same as Plasma Steel Armor, but more expensive and with +25% bonus vs. mobile attackers. Alien Crossfire only.''
 * Prerequisite: Adaptive Doctrine
 * Strength: 3
 * Cost: 5

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.

Resonance 3 Armor
''Same as Plasma Steel Armor, but more expensive and with +25% bonus vs. Psi attacks. Alien Crossfire only.''
 * Prerequisite: Field Modulation
 * Strength: 3
 * Cost: 5

Mainly useful for combining with Hypnotic Trance on a foil for a great Psi defender. Other than that, see above.

Silksteel Armor

 * Prerequisite: Silksteel Alloys
 * Strength: 4

Photon Wall

 * Prerequisite: Photon/Wave Mechanics
 * Strength: 5

Probability Sheath

 * Prerequisite: Probability Mechanics
 * Strength: 6

Neutronium Armor

 * Prerequisite: Matter Compression
 * Strength: 8

Pulse 8 Armor
''Same as Neutronium Armor, but more expensive and with +25% bonus vs. mobile attackers. Alien Crossfire only.''
 * Prerequisite: Super Tensile Solids
 * Strength: 8
 * Cost: 11

Resonance 8 Armor
''Same as Neutronium Armor, but more expensive and with +25% bonus vs. Psi attacks. Alien Crossfire only.''
 * Prerequisite: Sentient Resonance
 * Strength: 8
 * Cost: 11

Antimatter Plate

 * Prerequisite: Matter Editation
 * Strength: 10

Stasis Generator

 * Prerequisite: Temporal Mechanics
 * Strength: 12

Fission Plant

 * Prerequisite Tech: N/A
 * Strength: 1

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

 * Prerequisite: Fusion
 * Strength: 2

The first more powerful reactor you can get. The decrease in build costs is noticeable, and your units will be nearly unstoppable until your opponents discover Fusion as well.

Quantum Chamber

 * Prerequisite: Quantum Power
 * Strength: 3

Reactors beyond Fusion are of little use, since the game will probably be over by this point.

Singularity Engine

 * Prerequisite: Singularity Mechanics
 * Strength: 4

AAA Tracking
+100% defense vs air units.
 * Prerequisite: Advanced Military Algorithms
 * Cost: 1

Air Superiority
Allows a unit to attack air units in flight. Air units with Air Superiority gain a +100% combat bonus versus other air units but suffer a -50% combat penalty against ground and sea units.
 * Prerequisite: Doctrine: Air Power
 * Cost: 1

Algorithmic Enhancement
Improves probe team success rate and decreases probe attack energy costs. Also allows a probe team to attempt an attack on a base or unit under the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm, though at an extremely low success rate.
 * Prerequisite: Nanominiaturization
 * Cost: 1
 * Alien Crossfire only

Amphibious Pods
Allows ground units to attack sea bases, and allows ground units to attack from on board a sea-going transport. Also allows ground units to cross the gap between a friendly sea base and dry land without needing a transport in the base.
 * Prerequisite: Doctrine: Initiative
 * Cost: 1

Antigrav Struts
+1 movement rate for ground units, and ignore terrain movement penalties. An air unit with Antigrav Struts gains a movement rate increase equal to its reactor level.
 * Prerequisite: Graviton Theory
 * Cost: 1

Blink Displacer
Attacker ignores base defense bonuses.
 * Prerequisite: Matter Transmission
 * Cost: 1

Carrier Deck
Transport may carry air units.
 * Prerequisite: Nanometallurgy
 * Cost: 1

Clean Reactor
Unit does not require support from its home base. Not to be confused with the unit's Reactor, the Clean Reactor trait eliminates the cost of support. Note that probe and supply units inherently do not incur support costs, hence do not need this ability.
 * Prerequisite: Bio-Engineering
 * Cost: 2

Cloaking Device
Ground unit ignores zones of control (may move past enemy units without stopping).
 * Prerequisite: Frictionless Surfaces
 * Cost: 1

Comm Jammer
+50% defense vs. fast units (rover, hovertank).
 * Prerequisite: Advanced Subatomic Theory
 * Cost: Attack/Defense (rounded down, maximum 2)

Deep Pressure Hull

 * Prerequisite: Nanometallurgy
 * Cost: 1

Deep Radar
Unit can see two squares away instead of one. Note: units still cannot see into fungus (as sensor arrays do).
 * Prerequisite: Advanced Military Algorithms
 * Cost: 0 for air or sea units, 1 for ground units

Dissociative Wave
Halves all positive combat bonuses (such as the +25% defense against fast units conferred by the Comm Jammer special ability).
 * Prerequisite: Centauri Psi
 * Cost: 2

Drop Pods
Allows a unit to make an Airdrop over a range of eight tiles, instantly moving from the tile of origin to the destination, provided that there are no air defenses near the destination tile, that the unit has not moved yet this turn, and that the unit is starting from a friendly base or airbase. Upon discovery of Applied Gravitonics (or upon completion of the Space Elevator, whichever comes first) any units with Drop Pods may instead make Orbital Insertions, which removes the eight-tile restriction. A unit that has made an Airdrop or Orbital Insertion may attack on the same turn, but will suffer a -50% combat penalty.
 * Prerequisite: Mind/Machine Interface
 * Cost: 2

Empath Song
+50% to psi offense.
 * Prerequisite: Centauri Empathy
 * Cost: 2

Fuel Nanocells
Adds +2 to an air unit's fuel supply, effectively increasing its range by 1.
 * Prerequisite: Matter Compression
 * Cost: 1

Fungicide Tanks
Formers remove fungus at double speed.
 * Prerequisite: Synthetic Fossil Fuels
 * Cost: 1

Heavy Artillery
Ground unit can make long range bombardment attacks from up to two squares distant. It is important to note that artillery units are incapable of attacking any other way.
 * Prerequisite: Polymorphic Software
 * Cost: Armor+Speed-2 (rounded down, maximum 2)

High Morale
Unit gains one automatic Morale upgrade, in addition to any conferred by the unit's respective facility (ie. Command Center, Naval Yard or Aerospace Complex).
 * Prerequisite: Intellectual Integrity
 * Cost: 1

Hypnotic Trance
+50% to psi defense. This is probably the most popular special ability in the game, perhaps rivaling Clean Reactor, putting defending land units on equal footing with attackers, and turning sea or air units into veritable psi fortresses.
 * Prerequisite: Secrets of the Human Brain
 * Cost: Attack/Defense (rounded down, maximum 2)

Marine Detachment
Allows an attacking unit to capture a severely damaged enemy sea unit.
 * Prerequisite: Adaptive Doctrine
 * Cost: 1
 * Alien Crossfire only

Nerve Gas Pods
+50% attack bonus. Additionally, when attacking a city, kills half of the city's population (round up) if the attacking unit wins.
 * Prerequisite: High Energy Chemistry
 * Cost: 1

WARNING: using a unit equipped with this in combat is considered a Simple 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.

Non-Lethal Methods
Unit counts as two for police purposes (suppressing two drones instead of one).
 * Prerequisite: Intellectual Integrity
 * Cost: 1

Polymorphic Encryption
Doubles the energy cost incurred by an enemy probe team attempt to subvert the unit.
 * Prerequisite: Pre-Sentient Algorithms
 * Cost: 1

Repair Bay
Transport acts as a bunker (units heal while on board).
 * Prerequisite: Nanometallurgy
 * Cost: 1

Soporific Gas Pods
Unit reduces Morale of non-native enemy units by two when attacking.
 * Prerequisite: Bioadaptive Resonance
 * Cost: 1
 * Alien Crossfire only

Super Former
All terraforming orders except for Remove/Plant Fungus are executed at double speed.
 * Prerequisite: Advanced Ecological Engineering
 * Cost: 1


text:
User talk:164.164.82.29

Hello? I noticed you took an intrest in... testing the Computer Programming page. IF you just want to test out the wiki syntax, etc. There's a page for that called the Sandbox. Please test wikisyntax there. Thank you! KirbyMeister 12:53, 31 May 2004 (UTC)

title: User talk:164.164.82.29