Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri Secret Project: The Ascent to Transcendence

[@npatrcevic]

This one still brings shivers down my spine and a tear in my eye. I can play SMAC ever and ever again like it were the first time. It's not the gameplay, it's the citations and visionary imagination that make the game my favorite. Thank you Sid Meyer and his team for this wonderful creation. Where have these days gone?

[@ParameterGrenze]

I comment on this 12 years after you made this comment random internet person

[@320466]

@@ParameterGrenze bro i recently played this hard infuriating game.... but its so beautiful, every unit has lore the scout burning away mind worms, the psi shield project.. col. corazon one mind protects the rest.... fuuck. this is whats wrong with modern gaming.. no heart all money.. just sad. get it at gog its soo good. this game is gaming history fuck cod and halo..this game in particular

[@320466]

is great

[@xiphosura413]

"Eternity lies ahead of us, and behind. Have you drunk your fill?" - Lady Deidre Skye, "Conversations with Planet", Epilogue

[@DeftCrowMk3]

You know what else is chilling? That nebula is the same nebula as in the intro. The end is another beginning, just like it was in Civilization 2.

[@Upwinger2020]

Not everybody on Alpha Centauri trascends, the people remaining in a physical body are going to live in what is pretty much a paradise world, as the planet in communion with the trascended humans terraforms itself. Also this new civilization sends back a ship to recolonize earth, they find it empty and they create a splinter civilization there with advanced nanotech.

[@tr233]

This would be crazy if only one know how to code it, wait i can code ;)

[@mod4rchive]

No they all trascend but can choose to make a body

[@AnotherFancyUser]

@@mod4rchive All of this reminds me a lot of The instrumentality project from Evangelion.

[@ulture]

@@mod4rchive I remember from somewhere that Yang gave his subjects the choice of transcending or staying put, with enough crops and supplies to survive. Seems out of character, until you consider that it's a backup plan in case transcendence doesn't work.

[@320466]

noo nano tehc started to build civilization i belive

[@SuiyoDawg]

No, the issue was ecological. Planet would consume all life on the planet to fuel it's fungal expansion, BUT once it reached it's critical mass where it was capable of forming sentience and self-awareness, it found no more fuel for it's new massiveness. It then collapsed into a semi-awake dreaming state, which is what we came to know planet as. The information blast helped force it into sentience shortly before this critical point, which let it "think" before it killed us, and itself.

[@noneofyourbusiness4830]

How was the planet going to kill all humans?

[@dignes3446]

@@noneofyourbusiness4830 Basically with worms, but countless tiny mind controlling worms instead of a few giant ones like in Dune.

[@Ishkur23]

And it's all your fault, Shinji!

[@timetochronicle]

The ascent to transcendence is not the same as the Human Instrumentality project. You don't lose your identity/individuality/personality in transcendence.

[@powerist209]

@@timetochronicle And also no orange juice.

[@vincegalila7211]

@@timetochronicle well we don't exactly know what happens with instrumentality.

[@Borealis-Rainbow]

@@timetochronicle it kinda is tho, humans lose their physical forms and merge into one mega conciousness that is dominated by the faction leader, potentially influenced by planetmind itself which is core to the entire things. Humanity is absorbed into planet, I would say individuals are fucked.

[@Rifky809]

@@Borealis-Rainbow not everybody tho, it implies that the one that didn't join the transcendence is going to live in a paradise planet

[@wefuntw]

This game deserves a remake!

[@grdja83]

Thank Brian Raynolds. SMAC was much more his child than Sid's.

[@matsku84]

One of the many possible goals in Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is to transcend into a higher plane of existence, and once you achieve that goal you see this video.

[@aranayailyaris73]

eternity lies ahead of us, and behind

[@hallerd]

The universe chisels sentience out of cold starfire.

[@wormwoodbecomedelphinus4131]

Although the progenitors are apathetic of our people, we should remain forever thankful they created such a treasure for us to study and use. Without the progenitors, there would be no Planet consciousness, no Psy and nothing here to study. Although we've come to blows and committed unspeakable acts against each-others people, the Progenitors creation of Planet cannot ever be denied.

[@CosmosJack]

the concept is that the fungus on Planet acts as a brain, with the fungus tubules acting as neurons, etc. So this "mind" becomes hostile, humanity uploads all of its knowledge into the 'planetmind' to help it understand humanity, (the voice of planet secret project', and afterwards anyone who wishes can upload their mind into the fungus brain. The Ascent to Transcendence enusres that the leader you play as has the dominant mind.

[@320466]

the brain fungus realizes that life has sentience to late and kinda eats its self before it cant truly become a hive mind, it talks about it in a research. the planet mind has done this many time the first destroying the progenitors due tot he amount of psychic energy released.. this game is sooo good!!!

[@320466]

beyond earth transcendence victory doesn't have shit to this

[@ChristophBurschka]

Have yet to try the new game, but this makes me sad.

[@Tzilandi]

Christoph Burschka You wanna see the ending? Go to IGN. com and look at wikis/ civ-beyond-earth/ Harmony. It is literally just the topmost picture and a voiceover. That's it.

[@320466]

Tzilandi i so happy that game is bringing people back to this game the game not that bastardized version i hate it so much

[@arminius1453]

It's not even this cinematic that makes the Alpha Centauri ending so rewarding... it's rather the text afterwards, from MY over 1000000... such a beautifully written game.

[@dignes3446]

This game transcends beyond earth.

[@hyeonse]

I really like how the aesthetics of humanity becomes more religious and reminiscent of the classical era as the technology becomes incomprehensibly complex and advanced. Kinda like going full circle, I guess. :p

[@320466]

our thoughts go back to the beginning

[@Busterdrag]

And so Human Instrumentality was started.

[@timetochronicle]

The ascent to transcendence is not the same as the Human Instrumentality project. You don't lose your identity/individuality/personality in transcendence.

[@AnotherFancyUser]

@@timetochronicle But everyone is one, in the Human Instrumentality Project for you to become one with others there must no exist AT fields (what you said about individuality), here is like everyone is one with the planet. I think I read somewhere that, if you want to become an entity again you can by thinking about it which is super similar to the end of evangelion when lilith says something like 'if you find yourself within your heart...' or something like that. Both are kind of similar, which is bonkers because this game was release in 1999 and EoE in 1997, both are great ideas.

[@incompletemachine877]

One thing I find frustrating in the discourse on this game is that a lot of people point out the horror elements and such, and say all kinds of cynical things about the various factions; but to me they miss out on the point. The entire point - to me - of the secret project videos and the facility and tech quotes is that humanity is capable of wonderous and terrible things without limits. yes, there's horror and questions about what we're doing and willing to do. there are some facilities I simply wont build (Punishment sphere, Brood pit and Genejack factory for example) because I think they are so horrible that nobody sane would ever build them. likewise I balk at the Dream Twister, Self Aware Colony and Cloning Vats because of the violations of human rights they imply or outright represent. But the wonder of Transcendence, the Space Elevator, the Theory of Everything and facilities like the Paradise Garden, Psi Gate and Nanohospital show us that we're not just monsters. we're Angels, and like Angels we can rise or fall.

[@CosmosJack]

during the interludes (storyline) in the game the planet mind and scientists both urge you to complete the ascent where you will be the dominant mind. interludes pop up occasionally during encounters with mind worms, when there's violent fungus growth, and for some specific base facilities and secret projects

[@320466]

its also due to high contamination

[@Gruegirl]

basically the grow cycle cannot be stopped, but by merging humanity with the planetmind they managed to keep some part of humanity alive, according to the GURPS supplement says it best. "Humanity still exists but as part of the greater planetmind, extensions of consciousness that can travel far from Planet. Transhumans even went to earth to rebuild civilization there."

[@jimparkin2345]

There is an RPG supplement for this video game?!

[@320466]

@@jimparkin2345 there are books, but i dont think they are cannon due to them just sleeping the planet bloom.. and not stopping it. i feel the writer did not play the game. still its a read i think there are 2 books.. its been a really long time lol

[@JamaiusYan]

Basically, the info blast in planetmind was a last ditch effort to ensure survival for humanity. After all, how elso could they contend with an entire sentient ecosystem? They used the info burst to try and at least overload the mind so that it either was destroyed, meaning fungus would be like normal plants from earth, or that the planetmind would become fully sentient, meaning it could be reasoned with.

[@Mcree114]

Hey God, a lot of good that flaming sword did huh?

[@marshmallowbudgie]

well like Kleist said, we went around the long way and just climbed over the back wall--once the multiverse itself was in our grasp we realized that we only ever had one thing to do, ever since the beginning and we let go

[@OrbGoblin]

perfect ending to a perfect game

[@Rider339]

I remember when I last got this victory, I was playing on Tough difficulty and only me, the spartans (who were alllies) and Yang left (who was being a right utter moron). I built voice of planet, then when that was built we all started building this wonder and while I was building it, Yang launched 3 planet busters on the city I was building it in. I stopped 2 of them using satallites but coundn't stop the 3rd. However I got it built in another base and so i still won.

[@Ciclavex]

Ascent to Transcendence is a game-winning Secret Project. Once it has been built, the game ends in the builder's victory.

[@npatrcevic]

I'd like to know who came up with the ascent to transcendence line. Don't know many things that make my eyes water like this 1 does.

[@red_cosplay]

And now, everyone is an ocean of Fanta!

[@xiphosura413]

Is this the real life? Is this just Fanta-sea?

[@wormwoodbecomedelphinus4131]

No, just fungus.

[@timetochronicle]

The ascent to transcendence is not the same as the Human Instrumentality project. You don't lose your identity/individuality/personality in transcendence.

[@AwkwrdPrtMskrt]

Damn you, NERV! You blew it all up!

[@Gargantupimp]

Sis Meier's: Transcendence - you have to compete with rival transcendent beings in the multiverse in order to secure a political, economical, spiritual, or (an even more) transcendent victory. CROWD FUND IT NOW!

[@georgsgrants9925]

They all already won. That’s what the ascent to transcendence is. Politics, economics, religion are pointless at this point. All that’s left is to enjoy the beauty of the universe

[@Gargantupimp]

@@georgsgrants9925 Part of the heavenly enjoyment could be to compete just for the heck of it.

[@CicerotheDefender]

Also read "The Last Question". From the stars we and our world were born, and to the stars we return again.

[@Xenodamus]

they're also debatably the more powerful faction since they have no ecological damage problems and in Alien Crossifre, they're extract tons of resources from the red fungus.

[@320466]

the do have ecological damige but it takes alot to reach there, you have to mine bore lol

[@marshmallowbudgie]

in canon it's Dierdre who achieves this--y'know, the Scotch chick whose minions can make themselves neutral in the face of literally skull-splitting brainfuck-worms

[@320466]

she strives to achive balance, she has a quote since the worms cant truly terraforming, the reasrch goes in which life thives when there is no need for competition and humanity builds xenoforests plus 3 to minerals energy and food

[@CicerotheDefender]

Read "Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clarke. This is a not a loss of humanity but rather an ascendance to the next step of evolution, Godhead. The Theory of Mind, the negative entropic nature of life, it all points to this ending.

[@arminius1453]

CicerotheDefender would you say these books inspired this game's storyline? Or are similar at all? I've been wanting to read a book along these lines

[@320466]

@@arminius1453 yes i believe a old very old interview .. good luck finding it with he creator.. if you do please post the link here

[@DoctorPoopnik]

Yet with individuality, we have the.. "gift" (focusing on the positive aspects of it) of multiple perspectives. When one human can't figure something out, then they ask their friend - who may well understand it and be able to figure it out. Corny as it sounds, individuality = teamwork = capability to beat a broader range of challenges.

[@Curious2Dream]

Everyone would ascend to the new state of being, but only a few would be the ones in control, the moderators of all souls. So you could take any you didn't like, and eliminate them from existence.

[@320466]

it doesn't really work like that i believe. in transcendence you are more like felt drive to do the things of what ever faction made the last secret mission. there is monoog of planet demon morgon and planet friend yang or something like that

[@matsku84]

Yes I do. I'm glad you asked because I had totally forgotten about them. I'm going to upload both (probably in one vid) in a few days.

[@Arancaytar]

Indeed, It is not humanity, but consciousness that is preserved (as the voice-over dialogue mentions).

[@gjeldrez]

First time I saw this I turned off the computer and went to bed.

[@320466]

yes, this seems like the right response

[@KensanOni]

It always made me angry that the novelizations didn't use this ending.

[@timetochronicle]

It would be too expected. I think the point of the novels was to sure how the game wouldn't end, or game over, and that the player has to make up for it by playing (and winning) the game

[@320466]

@@timetochronicle the novelization had 4 endings it could choose. the writer just sucked.. there was two books... the third one guess no surprise why it wasn't created

[@tppcrpg6311]

It all returns to nothing

[@yamiblade]

Goddamnit Shinji

[@wefuntw]

When technology ascend to this level, there is no difference to powerful magic.

[@DecepticonLeader]

Actually, transcending can also include the body, since it's an extension of your being.

[@viraticwars]

Make a sequel!!!!!

[@Nightshift10000]

And thus humanities journey ends and the journey of a new race on a new, wondrous plain of existence begins.

[@That-Comrade555]

i always freak out when another faction gets this, especially enemies

[@320466]

fuck i hate it, when that happens... busters for all!!

[@jellogarden]

people turn into immortal, transcendent beings that are one with the planetmind

[@yamiblade]

They become energy beings and become one with the planet and spread out to continue on other worlds.

[@PorterB]

The only factions that Morgan cant outprobe are the Believers and Data angels, but he is the only one that can run fundamentalism and still make discoveries every 5 turns.

[@320466]

it has to i think morgans like money and fancy living, adn they dont wanna psyops other ppl

[@PorterB]

@@320466 Its not just money, the way SMAC & Civ 2 work from the sliders is that 'commerce / trade is everything'. Economy is the most powerful trait in SMAC, it gives you more cash to divert to science or luxuries. Said cash can also be used to run fundamentalism and steal cities and units. When used by the player, the morganites are the strongest faction and can out tech the university and cybernetic ones - +1 economy is way more powerful than +2 science, especially since you can reach +2 economy with just the wealth policy. Ignoring FM and rushing to Wealth is top priority - the AI sucks with morganites because it cripples itself with FM - combined with the -2 support and -3 city size cap the AI cripples itself by running FM too early, and not knowing to place top priority on Wealth and Hab Complexes. You offset the reduced city cap by pushing out as many supply crawlers as possible.

[@FrostPegasus]

They don't give up individuality, but rather become an undispensible part of the greater group.

[@Airaku]

Mass Effect Synthesis (Synergy) ending xD

[@ElectricChaplain]

The most ironic thing is that this ending is just what I imagine would happen in Revelation.

[@Princess2Warrior]

+ZodiacShotgun *Why, exactly?*

[@ElectricChaplain]

I don't know what I was smoking

[@cruelangel7737]

Well, that solves the Fermi paradox...

[@cecasander]

I think the Voice of Planet was actually meant the persuade the Planetmind not to destroy mankind, as it would be such a loss in knowledge and culture and such...

[@Nightshift10000]

I wasn't trying to force anything on you, but you sure as hell are trying to force your disbelief on Me.

[@Ratama]

My "victory" was to destroy every piece of fungus with singularity hover formers set to automate remove fungus.

[@Nightshift10000]

Whether it is or isn't is irrelovent, I believe in it and I have a right to believe in it and say that it is real. It is Me thinking and expressing what is on My mind. You cannot stop Me from Speaking My Mind on here and neither can anyone else.

[@Nightshift10000]

Amen to that, someday it will be the beautiful ending to our story.

[@jellogarden]

No its not like a technological singularity. When each human soul merges with the planetmind, each individual becomes an indispensable part of the whole, but your faction is the "leader" group of souls. So basically everyone becomes immortal and can fly all over the universe and such.

[@Darkshadows9776]

If you want to play this using the Civilization IV system there's a mod called Planetfall, it doesn't have troop customization like in Alpha Centauri, or the videos and sounds (those can be added if you have Alpha Centauri on your computer still) but it works

[@skatemetrix]

Mankind becomes Q.

[@Gargantupimp]

It would be awesome to be Q right?

[@malafunkshun8086]

@@Gargantupimp mhmm! 😂

[@redplague]

Just build lots of those supply rover things throughout the game then when you can build this project use them to rush it.

[@Nightshift10000]

Thank You and I will.

[@HawkTheChosenOne]

I played and finished the game with all factions and the Gaians are my favourite, I dunno why but they fascinate me somehow :) I kept plaing with them over and over again, probably the Voice of Planet was luring me subliminaly xD

[@SuiyoDawg]

Sadly, no. The interwebs is just a medium :c Though a lot of people believe that the Singularity, which is the term for that exact occurance, IS coming within the next century.

[@Azovie]

It was an on-going joke in the philosophy department that one day a student would just stand up in the middle of lecture, exclaim "I finally understand," and then immediately vanish (or transform into some metaphysical anomaly) because nothing human can ever grasp the answers to the questions we seek and for us to achieve that state of enlightenment we would have to be part of a metaphysical realm we really cant comprehend.

[@Princess2Warrior]

*Atheists are so hypocritical. Hahaha.*

[@MarciCow]

Very influenced by Arthur C. Clarke's "Star Child" idea, no?

[@matsku84]

True :D! I'll post it sometime today (the 14th).

[@HawkTheChosenOne]

Wtf do I see on comments page, Sister Miriam Godwinson trying to probe Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang xD

[@metalslimehunt]

But in the ending of another faction getting the Trancendence done sugests that humanity merges with the Planetmind.

[@Kemonokami]

I'm afraid to see what the science victory for THAT game will be...

[@trbd]

but where are the applauding people?

[@timetochronicle]

The ascent to transcendence is not the same as the Human Instrumentality project. You don't lose your identity/individuality/personality in transcendence.

[@ChernovGitz]

Get in the fucking fungus Shinji

[@arminius1453]

Amazing story. Is there any scifi book that inspired it?

[@MCArt25]

Clarke's *Rendezvous with Rama* is probably the closest. Kubrick's *2001: A Space Odyssey* was also based on that book.

[@AnotherFancyUser]

Not a book, but maybe it was inspired also by Evangelion's Human Instrumentality Project.

[@AbsurdAsparagus]

basically energy beings you have transcended the 4 current dimensions and moved in to the higher ones am i rite

[@RobbyL9]

@HatKeinenNamen Well I would think that the Caretakers would ultimately declare their mission a failure and catch the 8:15 back to Progenitor land. The Usurpers would either fight to the death trying to destroy the ascension temple or, like the Caretakers, skip planet and try to find another of the Manifold worlds to ascend in. If the Usurpers ascended, HO BOY! Humanity would be in deep shit. They'd either be cleansed by design or in an ensuing conflict, or enslaved by the power hungry Usurpers.

[@nikolanx51]

@Alignn Yes. I understand it's supposed to be alien. I'm not an impartial person, and I often think of how it would be if we were to begin having interactions with some extraterrestrial entities. I know that something we humans would consider beautiful might be considered ugly by other standards. That does not mean I must like that alien opinion. Same goes for the Planet Voice. To me, it is disgusting. Plain and simple. But that does NOT mean I do not respect it in it's some other way.

[@TheKatamariguy]

@MidasRK some kind of vague sci fi concept of leaving our bodies into a superior noncorpereal form. basically become ghosts

[@wefuntw]

And therefore , human become gods , no more gods among humans

[@yamiblade]

No Kings, No Man, Only Gods.

[@marshmallowbudgie]

No More Slaves, No More Masters. Power and Wealth to the People

[@wormwoodbecomedelphinus4131]

After Clarke's Third Law, there is Clarke's Final Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from God.

[@jimparkin2345]

There is only Yahweh, regardless of planet.

[@jetaimemina]

"Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clarke. There is no other explanation for this video.

[@Ratama]

We Must Dissent

[@SRAANG01]

They really need to do a redux for this game! I like this one the most out of all of the civ games... and I have all of them but Civ V!

[@Kemonokami]

I wonder...what if Mankind achieved Transcendence in the real world, let alone our lifetime? Would we even deserve it?

[@scfan7231]

Human behaviour is economic behaviour. Particulars may vary. Nuff said.

[@welap]

Well its technological singularity in some way: the humanity make itself evolve

[@Princess2Warrior]

*Forced-mutation is not evolution.*

[@matsku84]

I have to approve comments first to avoid spam.

[@RojOdio]

Well, I've never played this game. But Ascending is a common theme in Sci-fi, it usually involves a civilizations reaching a point where they don't need physical bodies and turn into energy beings. Usually, this means they turn god-like and leave the Universe. That's what I am guessing is happening here.

[@jellogarden]

yea its easy to understand if you complete a game

[@ChrisHennick]

I'm going to build this one in real life.

[@Gargantupimp]

Send me a PM when you do please.

[@klasky123]

Why does her voice sound like it is coming from an old intercom?

[@Kemonokami]

It is the voice of Planet herself.

[@jellogarden]

No, transcendence isn't like the world of the matrix. It's the same world they started in, it's just the humans have become immortal and pure, one with the planetmind. They left their physical bodies behind.

[@unfetteredfreak]

@SpookyNooky i think it's more like in "2001 a space odyssey"

[@Jensaw101]

@TMorrowAZ "... and our thoughts turn again to the beginning."

[@Uberskull]

I wonder if that could possibly happen with the Internet one day, when observed by an outside viewer. What an dirty, foulmouthed sentience that would become :P

[@Pushkin1234]

Whenever I see this, it always makes me think of the Human Instrumentality Project in Neon Genesis Evangelion. Only not depressing.

[@Azovie]

It's not THAT complicated. Basically, it's saying for us to understand (and fully understand) the universe/ existance/ life etc we could no longer be human. This is because we are limited by our biological capacity.

[@woodwyrm]

@TheKatamariguy ascension?!?

[@PorterB]

@LandHawkJr hehe. Ive just been trying out Morgan for a few days using a builder / economic strategy. People declaring war and landing near me was funny, I probed all their units and cities using my exponential wealth.

[@jinglesassy1]

ok so it sounded to me like you were trying to force it down me so lets just leave it here before we start a war lol

[@Nightshift10000]

Oh whatever, I have the right to speak My fucking Mind.

[@woodwyrm]

@admiralzzyx not really, you merely learn how to exist without a 'physical form', your individuality i'd assume is very hard to remove^^

[@webkilla]

i'd prefer keeping my individuality too - too much borg hive droning in anything else... although from what i can see in the game then ppl still retain their individual minds, they just dont retain any physical forms to it. I'm thinking ghostlike being with godlike powers n stuff

[@jinglesassy1]

sure sounds like you are trying to force it.

[@cecasander]

Reminds me of Clarke's Third Law.