Terraforming SMAC

SMAC Terraforming is the engineered modification of Chiron's topography, weather and ecology in Firaxis' TBS Game of 1999, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (SMAC). Terraforming is conducted via Formers, Super Formers and units prototyped with terraforming equipment.

The effects of terraforming are manifold, multi-layered and far-reaching. In addition to ecology, terraforming impacts the mobility of unit as well as the yield of Nutrients, Minerals and Energy, thereby impacting Base population growth, facility-building, military build-up and Base economy. Terraforming also impacts Base warfare capability through bunkers, sensors and landing pads.

Terraforming Constructions & Cultivations

Build Mag Tube (mobility)
Build Road (mobility)
Construct Air Base (military strategy)
Construct Bunker (military strategy)
Construct Condenser (nutrients, rainfall)
Construct Echelon Mirror (energy)
Construct Mine (minerals)
Construct Mining Platform (oceanic minerals)
Construct Sensor Array (military strategy)
Construct Soil Enricher (nutrients)
Construct Solar Collector (energy)
Construct Thermal Borehole (minerals and energy)
Construct Tidal Harness (oceanic energy)
Cultivate Farm (nutrients)
Cultivate Kelp Farm (oceanic nutrients)
Drill to Aquifer (river: +1 energy, increase moisture of surrounding squares)
Plant Forest (nutrients, minerals and energy)
Plant Fungus (mobility hindrance on land)
Plant Sea Fungus (oceanic mobility hindrance)
Remove Fungus (to build mines, solar collectors and roads on land squares)
Remove Sea Fungus (to build mine platforms and tidal harnesses on ocean squares)
Terraform Down (can form sea shelves)
Terraform Level (convert rocky squares to rolling)
Terraform Up (can form mountains, raise ocean depth to shelf level and create landbridges)
Xenoagriculture (nutrients from xenofungus)

Topography can be terraformed up to raise mountains or down to form seas. As well, rivers can be formed by drilling to aquifers and rainfall can be manipulated via condensers (and by raising terrain). Note that rivers increase unit mobility, increase the moisture of catchment squares and grant +1 to energy production.

Through Terraform Level, rocky squares can be converted to rolling squares.

What to Build on Squares

The short answer is that Forests should be prioritized followed up by Tree Farm, Hybrid Forest and Aquifers.

At the least, Colony Pods should found colonies on rainy or moist rolling squares. If the square is also a river, all the better. But the best non-resource square on which to found colonies is a flat rainy jungle river square or a rolling rainy jungle river square (both of which yield 3 Nutrient, 1 Mineral and 3 Energy). However, you should appraise the catchment as a whole, not just its center square.
Mines should be built on rocky squares
Farms should be built on rainy or moist rolling squares
Solar collectors should be built on high-altitude or farm squares
(Self-replicating) forests should be built on arid flat and moist flat squares

Here is an example of a very strong colony catchment aka production radius. On the left, the colony is at level 1. On the right, the colony is at level 6. The level 6 colony has not built any base facilities at all (yet).

What makes this catchment king-tier:

Each square of the catchment snares Monsoon Jungle (which is also rivered and largely xenofungus-free).
3x Energy special resources, 2x Nutrient special resources and 1x Mineral special resource.

The 60th level version of the colony (bottom-right):

Here is another example of a fledgling colony with king-tier potential:

Forestation Terraforming:

Roads should always be built on mined squares due to the mineral bonus conferred. Roads should link Bases and should be built with forethought of their future application.

To get the most bang for buck out of boreholes, work them with Specialists.

Resource squares external to Base catchment radii should not be ignored since condensers and boreholes can be crawled by Supply Crawlers.

Terrain

The surface of Chiron is made up of squares or "tiles". Each square is a terrain-type that is assigned resource and movement variables. To learn the nature of a selected square, Shift + Right-click the square or right-click the square and choose "Info" from the dropdown menu.

Xenofungus

Xenofungus or Fungus is a form of plant life native to Alpha Centauri. It has a number of unusual properties which you may discover in the course of play. Some of the more obvious properties include:

Fungus impedes movement. Units may have difficulty entering Fungus squares. Increasing your Planet social engineering rating will alleviate this problem. Building the Xenoempathy Dome improves Fungus movement considerably.
Fungus has some defensive value when defending against other human factions. Against alien Mind Worms, however, Fungus has negative value.
Fungus squares can be tapped for resources; the resource level provided by a fungus square is determined by the number of Centauri technologies you have discovered.

Ocean Squares

Ocean squares are squares that constitute seas, oceans and lakes.

Ocean squares produce minerals only if you build a mining platform, in which case they produce 2.
Ocean squares produce 1 nutrient unless you cultivate a kelp farm, in which case they produce 3.
Ocean squares do not produce energy unless you build a tidal harness, in which case they produce 3.

Rockiness

The Rockiness of an area determines that region's Mineral production potential. Regions can be flat, rolling, or rocky.

Flat regions produce no minerals unless a mine is built there, in which case they can produce one.
Rolling regions produce a single mineral, which can be increased to two with a mine.
Unimproved Rocky regions also produce 1 mineral, but can produce 4 with a mine and road.

Rocky areas inhibit movement, costing twice the normal number of moves to enter. They also provide a modest defensive benefit in combat.

Rainfall

The Rainfall level of a region determines the amount of Nutrients which can be produced. A region can be arid, moderate or rainy, producing 0, 1, or 2 nutrients respectively. A farm increases the nutrient production by 1.

In addition to coastal and tropical regions, the western (upwind) slopes of mountain ranges tend to be quite rainy, since warm moisture-laden air cools as it rises, and sheds its moisture as rainfall. You can take advantage of this phenomenon by raising hills to the east of your important bases. Conversely, areas east, or downwind of mountain ranges tend to be quite arid.

Altitude

The Altitude of a region affects the amount of Energy which can be collected there. To collect this energy, you must build a Solar Collector.

Areas below 1000m above sea level produce 1 unit of energy
From 1000m to 2000m, areas produce 2 energy
2000m-3000m areas produce 3 energy
Areas more than 3000m above sea level produce 4 energy

Nutrients

The Nutrients resource is produced in squares with sufficient rainfall, sometimes supplemented by the addition of Farms and similar enhancements. Every citizen at a base must "eat" two Nutrients per turn to survive. Surplus nutrients are stored. When sufficient surplus nutrients have been accumulated, a base will grow, producing a new citizen.

Terraforming Nutrients

Construct Condenser
Construct Soil Enricher
Cultivate Farm
Cultivate Kelp Farm
Plant Forest

Terraform for Nutrients with Formers; Crawl for Nutrients with Supply Crawlers.

Special Nutrient Resource Squares

Special Nutrient Resource squares produce two extra nutrients, and Monsoon Jungle squares produce a single extra nutrient.

Increase Nutrients via Base Facilities

Hybrid Forest
Recycling Tanks
Tree Farm
Sky Hydroponics Lab

Minerals

The Minerals resource is produced in squares with sufficient Rockiness, sometimes supplemented by the addition of Mines and similar enhancements.

Once a base has exceeded its free Support level, any additional units (military or non-combat) consume one Mineral per turn of support.

Surplus minerals are applied to production of facilities>, units, and secret projects which a base is creating. When sufficient minerals are accumulated, the facility or unit is built.

Terraforming Minerals

Construct Mine
Construct Mining Platform
Construct Thermal Borehole
Plant Forest

Terraform for Minerals with Formers; Crawl for Minerals with Supply Crawlers.

Special Mineral Resource Squares

Special Mineral Resource squares produce two additional minerals per turn, and can be increased to three extra with a mine. Crater squares also produce one extra mineral.

Increase Minerals via Base Facilities

Genejack Factory
Nanoreplicator
Nessus Mining Station
Quantum Converter
Recycling Tanks
Robotic Assembly Plant
The Bulk Matter Transmitter
The Space Elevator

Energy SMAC

The Energy resource speeds research and increases wealth. Energy Reserves aka the treasury increases in size based on SMAC Economy.

Terraforming Energy Resources

Construct Echelon Mirror
Construct Thermal Borehole
Construct Solar Collector
Construct Tidal Harness
Drill to Aquifer
Plant Forest

Terraform for Energy with Formers; Crawl for Energy with Supply Crawlers.

Special Energy Resource Squares

Special Energy Resource squares produce two additional units of energy per turn. Squares in the Uranium Flats and Geothermal Shallows produce one additional unit.

Increase Energy via Base Facilities

Headquarters
Hybrid Forest
The Merchant Exchange

Energy Allocation

The Energy surplus can be adjusted to prioritize Labs, Psych or Economy.

In prioritizing Labs, the discovery rate of Technology, Base Facilities and Secret Projects is increased (Research) whereas Psych is for generating Talents (which assist in Drone management) and Economy increases the Energy Reserve (money in the bank).

Energy Summary

Energy is produced in squares with Solar Collectors, particularly those at high Altitudes.

Depending on the Energy Allocation which you have made on the Social Engineering screen, all the energy you produce is divided among three priorities: Economy, Labs, and Psych. Some of the energy a base produces may also be lost to Inefficiency. Energy allocated to your Economy is added, as energy credits, to your Energy Reserves, which function as your treasury for monetary transactions.

Energy allocated to Labs is used to conduct scientific research. The more energy you allocate to Labs, the quicker you will make technological breakthroughs. Your Energy Reserves represent stored energy. Your reserves function as your treasury for monetary transactions. Your energy reserves increase depending on the amount of Energy you allocate to Economy on the Social Engineering screen.

Landmarks

Landmarks are terraforming priorities because the squares of Landmarks confer bonuses to Energy, Mineral and Nutrient yield.

Garland Crater, Crater: +1 minerals in interior squares
Mount Planet, Volcano: +1 minerals and +1 energy squares around the mouth
Monsoon Jungle, Jungle: +1 nutrients in each square
Uranium Flats, Uranium: +1 energy in each square
New Sargasso, Sargasso: Xenofungus, Unity Pods
The Ruins, Ruins: Circle of Monoliths x8 (farm mind worms and repair and level up units)
Manifold Nexus: +1 Planet
Great Dunes, Dunes: Desert
Freshwater Sea, Fresh: +1 nutrients in each square
Sunny Mesa, Mesa: Construct Solar Collectors
Nessus Canyon, Canyon: +1 minerals (unimplemented)
Geothermal Shallows, Geothermal: +1 energy in each square
Pholus Ridge, Ridge: +1 energy in each square
Borehole Cluster, Borehole: Thermal Boreholes

A rivered Monsoon Jungle with 2x catchment each with 3x Nutrient Special Resources:

Monolith

Monoliths are mysterious and unexplained alien devices discovered on Planet. A monolith will increase a unit's morale (or life cycle) one level, but an individual unit can receive only one monolith upgrade (hint: consider saving your upgrade for those hard-to-get promotions from Commando to Elite).

A monolith will also completely repair any damaged unit; this can be done any number of times, even if a unit has already received a morale upgrade from a monolith.

Monolith squares can also be tapped for resources, and will produce 2 Nutrients, 2 Minerals, and 2 Energy each turn.

Ecology SMAC

Terraforming can cause severe ecological damage, which can be mitigated via ecological preservation; namely, Forestation, Tree Farms and Hybrid Forests as well as Centauri Preserve, Temple of Planet and The Pholus Mutagen.

The effects of eco-damage include rising sea levels, volcanic eruptions, xenofungus blooms and agitated indigenous lifeforms, aka aliens.

As humans expand and build colonies on Planet, they inevitably begin to cause ecological damage. Ecological damage can provoke the native life forms and cause other unexpected effects.

The more mines, solar collectors, roads, and farms (but not forests, which actually help the ecology) you build, the more the potential damage. Boreholes, Mirrors, and Condensers cause even greater damage. You can reduce or eliminate this type of damage by building Tree Farm and Hybrid Forest facilities.

As your industrial output (minerals) increases, ecological damage will also take place. This effect can be reduced by building the Centauri Preserve, Temple of Planet, and Nanoreplicator facilities.

Back to: Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri Guide.

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