Brian Reynolds Says Alpha Centauri 2 Unlikely

Jason · Jan 26, 2007

[ Update ]

Every month or so, someone brings up how great it would be to have a new sequel to <a href="http://www.firaxis.com/games/game_detail.php?gameid=7" target="_blank" title="AC">Alpha Centauri</a> and everyone agrees until a killjoy reminds us that EA owns the rights. This month, AC lead designer <a href="http://www.bighugegames.com/" target="_blank" title="Big Huge">Brian Reynolds</a> himself is the killjoy at <a href="http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showpost.php?p=874363&postcount=59" target="_blank" title="QT3">Quarter To 3</a>.<blockquote>Alpha Centauri has I suspect been kind of trapped in "Triple IP Voodoo Purgatory". I think the IP itself probably still belongs to Electronic Arts; the right-to-develop probably still belongs to Firaxis where most of the artists still work plus the current "Civ team" and Civ4 engine; and substantially all of the original designers/programmers/writers who created the "world" now work at Big Huge. So it would be kind of like trying to put the Beatles back together (though at least no one's dead), and THEN you could deal with the question of whether there'd be a big enough market for it to make it worthwhile.

I suppose if the powers-that-be perceived enough of a market for it, then Firaxis (i.e. Take Two) and EA could unwind the IP rights and do some kind of follow-on with the Civ4 engine. My guess is don't hold your breath. It would be interesting to see though... if they go for it my advice to them is hire a designer/writer with a philosophy degree! </blockquote>Next month, Brian chimes in on the existence or non-existence of Santa Claus. Stay tuned!
Spotted @ <a href="http://www.quartertothree.com/">Quarter To Three</a>

Cthulhugoat · Jan 26, 2007

Good news, actually. Classics are better left alone - specially when EA's name is around.

Fez · Jan 27, 2007

It's shitty news. That's like saying we should stay with Civ 1 as it is a classic. I'd like to have seen them at least try for a proper sequel.

no · Jan 27, 2007

Oh? I think SMAC has aged very well and is still very much replayable. Better leave the franchise alone than release a sequel for the current market loaded with crappy gimmicks.

Fez · Jan 27, 2007

That pretty much covers 90% of all sequels. Even if it stinks, you still have the original anyway. As long as they try to make a proper sequel it is worth a shot.

SMAC has aged well and I do like to play it still, but what good does it do me if no one ever attempts to make a sequel or branch from it?

no · Jan 27, 2007

Well, of course I wouldn't mind a SMAC sequel, but I'd rather see the time and effort of a supposedly talented development team spent on something fresh and new. Trying to craft a sequel for a nearly perfect game just because of it's sheer popularity has pretty much always led to a floppity flop.

Elwro · Jan 28, 2007

I wonder if Firaxis could make another "Civ in Space" thing and just slap a different title on it.

Fez · Jan 28, 2007

I can't see how anything could stop them, as long as they don't copy obvious things like the plot and names from AC. They could easily set it on another world too.

Jason · Jan 28, 2007

I wonder if Firaxis could make another "Civ in Space" thing and just slap a different title on it.

Perhaps if they're going to do another Civ-ish game, they'd rather do a proper Civilization for financial reasons (another Civ would most likely sell more than a new sci-fi game) and emotional reasons (Civ is their baby while most of the AC people are at Big Huge Games now).

Fez · Jan 28, 2007

A brand new civ type game from them would be good. Maybe even not a sequel at all but a fresh start to try out some new ideas.

Araanor · Jan 29, 2007

Hell, they could just do something 4X-inspired. Reynolds and the gang have worked magic before, if they'd only put their efforts to something that hasn't been done to death already as RTSs have.

Fez · Jan 29, 2007

If they had that team together I'd be quite happy to see them work on that too, they've certainly proven themselves to me as capable of producing a good game. It wouldn't have to be civ, a 4X strategy would be okay too, but I'd get worried if they deviated too much from their area of expertise and went for RTS or something.

Jason · Jan 29, 2007

and went for RTS or something.

If you're talking about Reynolds and other AC folks, they already have. There's Rise of Nations and Rise of Legends. Man, you really have been out of the loop.

Fez · Jan 29, 2007

A brain fart, that should have read FPS.

Pegultagol · Jan 29, 2007

off topic, but how is rise of legends? has anyone tried it?

as for SMAC, I would like to be able to just finish off the game with the expansion. I believe it was called alien crossfire, and cannot find it anywhere, unfortunately. If EA just re-issue the series like they did with their laptop game series, I would be happy for a while.

Elwro · Jan 29, 2007

I downloaded the expansion from Home of the Underdogs some time ago. (I'm technically at work now so I won't check.)

Fez · Jan 29, 2007

I got the expansion for SMAC ages ago when it was still available. It's worth trying if you can get it, but I don't think they have it on budget labels now even, they tend to have the game without the expansion only.

Flem · Jan 30, 2007

I recently bought The Conqueror's Pack for SMAC and the civil war games and it didn't came with the expansion. Why wouldn't EA include the expansion?

Elwro · Jan 30, 2007

I have no idea, but here's the expansion for those who'd want to try it.

Flem · Jan 30, 2007

Thanks, Elwro.

Pegultagol · Jan 30, 2007

thanks, elwro, looks like you don't even need a disc after all.

Dmitron · Feb 1, 2007

Well, not unexpected. I've been off the interweb the past week - would've been on this topic like a fly on shit. Oh well.

I wish someone would create an interesting, new (no muskets and cannons please) sci-fi, civ clone. That might suffice..

A philosophy degree is required..? How about an imagination? Civilization feels like a cartoony grade 8 history textbook. Grand strategy genre suffers from the same problem. I love EU, HOI - I just wish they'd take the engines and invent a new setting. Why do I have to play a thousand variations of WWII to get my strategy fix?

AC expansion is well worth it, because any added official AC content - is well worth it.

I wonder if Firaxis could make another "Civ in Space" thing and just slap a different title on it.

Civ is high on the sales charts along with other "imaginative" titles (The Sims). A third of those sales are parents who think their kids will enjoy the "history" (perhaps not, but I enjoy generalizing). A new sci-fi setting unrelated to a major movie franchise..? Looking at Firaxis's "light hearted" titles, I suspect AC was an anomaly. Mindworms devouring colonists and appearing in nightmarish dreams, anyone?

Greatatlantic · Feb 1, 2007

Pegultagol said:
off topic, but how is rise of legends? has anyone tried it?

as for SMAC, I would like to be able to just finish off the game with the expansion. I believe it was called alien crossfire, and cannot find it anywhere, unfortunately. If EA just re-issue the series like they did with their laptop game series, I would be happy for a while.

I borrowed a friend of mine's copy. I guess it was OK, but just didn't addict me to the gameplay as well as Rise of Nations did. The good are three truly distinct civs, very original art style... ney three original art styles (OK, not original but original to RTS), and the ability to support several different play styles. As this was a borrowed copy, I didn't want to go online with somebody else's key, so I can't report on that aspect.

Gameplay wise it is similar to RoN, with upgradable cities and trade caravans. However, there are fewer resources (just 2) and hero units play an important role. I should say that the included campaign wasn't that great, and the actual story to go along with it was abysmal. Sort of a shame, you have a very interesting setting, and a pretty bland story. Also, the game had some frame rate issues with me which went away when I turned down the settings, but gosh darn it I didn't want to turn down the settings.

I remember KC and me having a big back and forth about the demo. Do a search, I'm sure you'll find it.

Fez · Feb 1, 2007

Wasn't there a EU2/HOI2 mod that was meant to be pushing the time line ahead? Maybe one of them will reach future times. Perhaps modding will be easier with the new engine and you'll get your wish.

Dmitron · Feb 1, 2007

Fez said:
Wasn't there a EU2/HOI2 mod that was meant to be pushing the time line ahead? Maybe one of them will reach future times. Perhaps modding will be easier with the new engine and you'll get your wish.

Wouldn't it be nice to play an actual boxed game with high production values..
There's only so much modders can do.

Brian Reynolds Says Alpha Centauri 2 Unlikely

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