Steam is really lacking a "meh" button. Beyond Earth on its own is a good game with a somewhat interesting story and progression. The problem is, it's a Sci-Fi Sid Maier game playing on a newly colonized planet featuring human factions against one another. And that's why if you know Alpha Centauri you just have to compare the two - and that's where Beyond Earth is lacking. A lot.
Strategic descision on the worldmap are a lot less deep. Terraforming has a lot less options, especially no height manipulation.
The native life is nothing more than animals and the miasma is no fungus - the Planet is not a mind of its own. It's just factions of humans developing diferent ideologies and fighting it out on another planet.
The different Leaders are by far not as strong characters and well yeah, that's it.

It's an okay game, even a good game if you haven't played SMAC or you can free yourself from comparing the two.
If you've played SMAC and hope for a modern game that equals it - don't play this one or be prepared for a disappointment.

the use of tech for factuion i disagree with the side questions for hoe to use developed tech items I.E. the safety fences, which would make more sevce to sway factions by how the items are use like keeping the human safe from the native or control them maybe keeping them in pens to train these ideas would seem to add more depth to how you choose which path is foillowed supremicy purity or co operation.

It's like if you (like the actual "you" sitting there reading this message now in real time)... if YOU were kidnapped and strapped into a NASA space shuttle and being ordered to fly it. The game literally couldn't care less if you have no idea what you're doing... it's just "figure it out, ♥♥♥♥♥!"

No thank you