Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is a 4X strategy game with a sci-fi theme that was originally released in 1999.
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Pros
Pro Gameplay really differs from faction to faction
Pro Great hard sci-fi storyline and setting
Pro Memorable faction leaders and philosophies
Pro Simultaneous multiplayer
When playing against an opponent in the game the players can make moves simultaneously, which means there is no waiting around for each player to take their move, which saves time as well as makes the game more immediate.
Pro Great multiplayer balance (with exceptions)
Most factions can be successfully played in multiplayer and are great on certain maps with certain strategies e.g. Builder (population or money or tech), fast attacker, hybrid, Each is unique and has it's own advantages. Only few are truly useless.
Pro Custom (modular) units
You create units yourself out of parts
Pro Deformable landscape and weather patterns
Cons
Con Looks dated
The game was originally released in 1999 and it shows, the graphics are subpar compared to newer games, though the gameplay still holds up.