User Guide

• Terrain Type (see Resources, p. 36)
• Any Enhancements (see Terraforming and Enhancements, p. 46)
• Coordinates (see Mapping Planet, below)
L on the window to show the number of resources produced by that square.
The long window at the bottom of the screen displays a picture of each unit
or base stacked in the current square. Place the cursor over an item to view its
data. L on a picture to make a unit the active unit. L on a base to zoom to
the Base Control Screen.
DATA MFD
This is the window located in the lower center of your screen. It’s a reposito-
ry for general information about your faction and current events.
If you L on the M button (for “messages”), the Data MFD displays the most
recent messages generated by the game, with the oldest at the top.
If you L on the I button (for “information”), the Data MFD displays a con-
tinuously cycling series of screens displaying important information about
your faction and its status among the other factions.
MAPPING PLANET
When you first arrive on Planet, you’ll have no idea where you are, where the
other factions are, or indeed what might lie over the horizon. You’ll have to
begin the fascinating process of exploring Planet, and as you progress the
world map is unveiled.
The map of Planet is a spherical surface projected onto a rectangular image.
This means, in realistic terms, that the squares at the top and bottom of the
map (near the poles) represent much smaller areas than the squares in the mid-
dle (near the equator). In game terms, however, there’s no difference—a square
is a square. Understanding the projection, however, does make it easier to
WELCOME TO ALPHA CENTAURI
CHAPTER 2
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