The designers have tried to envision what will legitimately be possible 200 years in the future, in essense trying to bring history to the future. By the time it completes its journey, and Alpha Centauri begins, the crew has split into seven factions and they've gone their separate ways on this alien planet's surface. Alpha Centauri deviates from the Civ format in many ways. Instead of different societies with similar characteristics, each Alpha Centauri faction has distinct strengths and weaknesses. You have more control over governance and will make economic, social, and ethical decisions.
Victory can come through brute force or peaceful negotiations.
And you will encounter an alien ecology that doesn't necessarily take kindly to your efforts to terraform it. The demo is compatible with both Windows 95 and 98. There is also still an exciting trailer with techno music and quick cuts available for downloading, though the file itself is larger than the demo. Most of the footage contained herein was part of the E3 trailer, but the picture has been enlarged and the pace quickened. If you need help, check out our guide to downloading .