The Map of Planet from Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri

THE MAP OF PLANET

By Chris Pine, Firaxis Designer & Creator of the Map of Planet

I’m going to talk about the Huge Map of Planet. The other one is simply a scaled down version of the same thing.

My first and foremost concern in designing the Map of Planet was to make Planet look . . . like a real planet. The deep trench on the sides of the map shows the tectonic action of Planet as the continents are pushed apart. Another area of geothermal tension is near the South Pole, in the center. There are volcanic islands poking up, including the active Mount Planet, and the Geothermal Shallows just to the North. Craterous lakes and seas also pop up from place to place.

Another concern was that my Planet match Brian’s story of what Planet must be. Planet “thinks” with a gigantic neural net consisting of the fungus. In order for this to work, however, the fungus had to be connected, even across continents. I also assumed that fungus would not grow on the Uranium Flats, and that it would be surrounding the Ruins. The fungus, which seems to originate from the Ruins, has severely scarred the terrain nearby, tearing up the coastline and denting the plains with small lakes.

For some reason, however, the fungus has stayed out of the very center of the Ruins, which, if you can get there, is an excellent place to build a city. The surrounding terrain is unusually rich in minerals, nutrients and energy. Surrounded by monoliths, all of your units will get upgrades and repairs whenever you want. And who’s going to go in and get you? For those interested in mind worm hunting (whether for the money or for
the military benefits), it is advised that you keep your bases to the south, however, and avoid building sensors. Only the fiercest of mind worms will roam near bases.

Further south on this long battlefield of a continent is Pholus Ridge. Produced by the clashing of two separate tectonic plates (one heading east from the Great Marine Rift and another almost stationary under the Sea of Pholus), it is a wealth of mineral resources. There is a particularly choice spot in the center, with energy and nutrient resources located nearby.

The Freshwater Sea is has the cleanest, most nourishing (and fungus-free) water on Planet. It’s excellent for hydroponics and experimental sea colonization. There are also some nice spots to build port bases along the northeast side of the sea. These serve as canals from the Freshwater Sea to the much larger Sea of Pholus and are conveniently located near mineral, nutrient and energy resources.

Upon seeding Planet with Unity pods, there was a small area of ocean that was accidentally seeded three times. The abundance of foreign material caused the sea fungus in the area to proliferate. (The fungus and mind worms have been called “Planet’s Immune System.”) This New Sargasso is a dangerous place to navigate, but the rewards are great as well. Planet-friendly factions will find this a nice place for sea bases: secluded and full of fungus.

Because of the fungal network, mind worms can move rapidly. For factions who use this to their advantage, it’s a small world after all.

There are several other places with excellent resource abundance. Morgan or other energy-conscious factions will want to build on the Sunny Mesa and in the Uranium Flats. Garland Crater is another great place to settle, especially as most of the fungus in the nearby area was destroyed by the blast. For fast growth, try the Monsoon Jungle — the rainiest part of the rainiest continent, food is never a scarcity. However, very little rain ever makes it over the ranges to the east. Most goes into the jungle or into the big river dividing the continent, resulting in a desert to the east. It’s not a great place to be, but at least the fungus and the mind worms think so, too.

For peace and quiet, try the Isle of Deianira, the island in the northern center of the map. Incidentally, I did not name any of the landmarks of Planet. Brian, who has a much better knowledge of mythology than I do, named them after Centaurs and a few other things from myths about Centaurs.

Source:
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri: Prima's Official Strategy Guide by Chris McCubbin with David Ladyman