GURPS: Alpha Centauri!

[Stefu]

Yes, it's true! I just visited www.sjgames.com, and happened to catch this news item!

quote: June 27, 2000: Steve Jackson Games, Electronic Arts, and FIRAXIS Games Announce GURPS Alpha Centauri Steve Jackson Games is proud to announce that it has acquired the rights to produce a GURPS adaptation of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri®, a computer strategy game developed by FIRAXIS Games® and published by Electronic Arts. Alpha Centauri is an Origins Award nominee for Best Strategy Computer Game of 1999. Octagon Entertainment, representing Electronic Arts and Firaxis Games, arranged for Steve Jackson Games to produce this adaptation. Set in the 22nd century, Alpha Centauri begins as a group of colonists sets off for the Alpha Centauri star system with the goal of saving humankind from extinction. As the ship nears its destination, an uncharted meteor strikes it, awakening the travelers from cryogenic sleep. The ensuing chaos results in the formation of seven factions, each with differing goals and agendas. The separated leaders and their crews crash land on a lonely planet orbiting Alpha Centauri and must begin the monumental task of survival on an alien world and of forging the future of mankind. Players can take the role of one of the seven faction leaders, each working to further its own agenda, and all vying for control of the infant colony. GURPS Alpha Centauri will work within and expand upon this framework, while maintaining the fun and flexibility that have made Alpha Centauri a world-wide hit in the computer-game industry. "It's exciting to know that people outside of the computer game industry will be able to experience the intriguing world of Alpha Centauri," said Sid Meier, Chairman and Director of Creative Development at FIRAXIS Games. "It's a deeply fun and challenging game on any platform." GURPS Alpha Centauri is tentatively scheduled for a first quarter 2001 release. For more information, contact Andrew Hackard at (512) 447-7866. --Andrew Hackard

Here's a capsule description:

quote: GURPS Alpha Centauri Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, from Electronic Arts, is an innovative strategy game which tells the story of humanity's colonization of Planet, a world in the Alpha Centauri A system. GURPS Alpha Centauri will be a worldbook based on Alpha Centauri's storyline and setting. It will cover Planet's indigenous life forms, terrain, and landmarks in detail, and will discuss a number of unique topics vital to Alpha Centauri's plot, such as planetary consciousness and Transcendence. It will also tell the story of Planet's settlement by humanity, profile the major human political factions and their leaders, and catalog the technologies, social systems, and secret projects developed by the colonists. This material will be accompanied by notes on characters (explorers, pioneers, scientists, soldiers, spies, etc.) and advice on campaigns with themes such as commerce, exploration, military conquest, political intrigue, preservationism, and the quest for Transcendence. In the spirit of the Alpha Centauri strategy game, which is different every time it is played, this book will enable the GM render a customized version of Planet – with the GM's choice of timeline, factions, and technologies – rather than offer a single, monolithic view of the setting. 128 pages. Other Notes: The writer must be both an Alpha Centauri player and intimately familiar with GURPS. Since the writer will have to produce a faithful adaptation of existing material on a short deadline, we are only considering previously published writers for this title. Please attach your publication list to your query letter.

And in case someone suspects something:
http://www.sjgames.com/general/autho...ules.html#SMAC http://www.sjgames.com/ill/

Whee!

We first reported about this on Apolyton on June 7.

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Dan; Apolyton CS

[Stefu]

No you didn't. I want to be the first.

We did, Stefu (see apolyton.net/smac), but you did pass along the official announcement to us once it was released -- thanks!

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Dan; Apolyton CS