Galactic Civilzations II: 21 Feb

Post by **Vympel** » 2006-02-02 10:14am

www.galciv2.com

Check out shots of the Gamma. I loved the original, you could tell these people really understood the size and scope of a galactic strategy game.

Like this screenshot.

I can't wait to design and literally piece together my own ships.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2006-02-02 10:18am

where's my demo of 2 then....

Crossroads Inc. · Post by **Crossroads Inc.** » 2006-02-02 10:19am

*patiently waits for Mac version...*

GrandMasterTerwynn · Post by **GrandMasterTerwynn** » 2006-02-02 10:52am

Completely moddable . . . with the ability to create one's own ships? Quickly, someone toss me in the ocean . . . and don't worry if the water starts steaming!

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2006-02-02 02:15pm

What? I was playing Galactic Civilizations 2 nearly a decade ago. Graphics weren't as nice in that version, though.

Nephtys · Post by **Nephtys** » 2006-02-02 02:23pm

GrandMasterTerwynn wrote:Completely moddable . . . with the ability to create one's own ships? Quickly, someone toss me in the ocean . . . and don't worry if the water starts steaming!

No multiplayer. That's kinda disappointing, considering how much fun we're having with TWO PBW games of Space Empires IV.

Space Empires V is coming out in March anyway. And it offers the same in a less shiny package.

http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... &start=750
http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... 5&start=75
http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... &start=150

Or the bunch that're publishing SEV...

http://www.malfador.com/

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2006-02-02 03:06pm

Nephtys wrote:
GrandMasterTerwynn wrote:Completely moddable . . . with the ability to create one's own ships? Quickly, someone toss me in the ocean . . . and don't worry if the water starts steaming!
No multiplayer. That's kinda disappointing, considering how much fun we're having with TWO PBW games of Space Empires IV.

Space Empires V is coming out in March anyway. And it offers the same in a less shiny package.

http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... &start=750
http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... 5&start=75
http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... &start=150

Or the bunch that're publishing SEV...

http://www.malfador.com/

I wonder if Space Empires V vill be availible on Steam like Space Empire IV

I sure hope so.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2006-02-02 03:23pm

Faram wrote:
I wonder if Space Empires V vill be availible on Steam like Space Empire IV

I sure hope so.

It will be, SEIV is on steam percisely to promote the SEV as far as I know.

Netko · Post by **Netko** » 2006-02-02 04:57pm

Nephtys wrote:
GrandMasterTerwynn wrote:Completely moddable . . . with the ability to create one's own ships? Quickly, someone toss me in the ocean . . . and don't worry if the water starts steaming!
No multiplayer. That's kinda disappointing, considering how much fun we're having with TWO PBW games of Space Empires IV.

On the other hand, from what I've read in the dev journals, exactly because there wont be any multiplayer the atmosphere should be much better since little touches that draw you in will be available. Plus the AI should be something of a monstrosity if even 2/3s of what they are promising come true (and this without the AI cheating in any way).

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-02-02 05:00pm

mmar wrote: On the other hand, from what I've read in the dev journals, exactly because there wont be any multiplayer the atmosphere should be much better since little touches that draw you in will be available. Plus the AI should be something of a monstrosity if even 2/3s of what they are promising come true (and this without the AI cheating in any way).

GalCiv I had a monstrously powerful AI that had only 1 minor cheat in that it knew all planets good to colonize beforehand. I couldn't even match it at Normal. At the highets levels, IIRC, it started to cheat.

There's even a Dev Log of a designer playing a GalCiv game in an attempt to show players how to succeed at the game and being reduced to a little rump state before making his comeback against the enormous Purple Blob of territory nearly surrounding him.

Crossroads Inc. · Post by **Crossroads Inc.** » 2006-02-02 05:30pm

Can anyone find out if they will even be releasing this for Mac? I searched the main site but didn't find anything.

GrandMasterTerwynn · Post by **GrandMasterTerwynn** » 2006-02-02 05:52pm

Nephtys wrote:
GrandMasterTerwynn wrote:Completely moddable . . . with the ability to create one's own ships? Quickly, someone toss me in the ocean . . . and don't worry if the water starts steaming!
No multiplayer. That's kinda disappointing, considering how much fun we're having with TWO PBW games of Space Empires IV.

Space Empires V is coming out in March anyway. And it offers the same in a less shiny package. :P

http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... &start=750
http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... 5&start=75
http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... &start=150

Or the bunch that're publishing SEV...

http://www.malfador.com/

Multiplayer? Feh. I care not about multiplayer. I'm the sort of person who's happy playing with bots, or doing the MPD thing and playing against myself. But . . . SE:IV looks to be trivially easy to mod, so I'll be buying that quite soonish. SE:V too, maybe, when that comes out.

Nephtys · Post by **Nephtys** » 2006-02-02 05:57pm

Yeah, SEIV is extremely easy to mod. All the data files are in text format, with easy to read columns like "Weapon type:, Weapon Size:, Race Research Bonus Value:, etc..."

Admiral_Evian · Post by **Admiral_Evian** » 2006-02-04 06:36pm

I enjoyed playing Space Empires IV, it truly is a very deep game with some matches lasting for several weeks.

Can anyone shed anymore light on this new ship design system in Gal Civ 2?

It sounds wonderful, but I have a feeling that its not what they are hyping it up to be. My guess, and I hope im mistaken here, is that this new ship design system is just like the typical component slot system on similar games where you could "design your own ships" by simply placing a variety of weapons in prepositioned slots. This new system is probably similar in that you will have the option to bolt an additional engine or gun section onto a prepositioned hull point. This would not really make it a ship design of your own, but simply a ship upgrade which has been allowed by the developers of the game.

If however we could actually design a ship with any shape and almost any size then this would open up a huge area for possible tactics and would be great fun. The thought of engaging an unknown enemy ship is just awesome.

I couldn't really tell from the vague reviews though, so please feel free to post any helpful info.

Crossroads Inc. · Post by **Crossroads Inc.** » 2006-02-04 07:04pm

Crossroads Inc. wrote:Can anyone find out if they will even be releasing this for Mac? I searched the main site but didn't find anything.

<_<

>_>

InnocentBystander · Post by **InnocentBystander** » 2006-02-04 07:28pm

Crossroads Inc. wrote:
Crossroads Inc. wrote:Can anyone find out if they will even be releasing this for Mac? I searched the main site but didn't find anything.
<_<

>_>

Netko · Post by **Netko** » 2006-02-05 04:38am

Admiral_Evian wrote:I enjoyed playing Space Empires IV, it truly is a very deep game with some matches lasting for several weeks.

Can anyone shed anymore light on this new ship design system in Gal Civ 2?

It sounds wonderful, but I have a feeling that its not what they are hyping it up to be. My guess, and I hope im mistaken here, is that this new ship design system is just like the typical component slot system on similar games where you could "design your own ships" by simply placing a variety of weapons in prepositioned slots. This new system is probably similar in that you will have the option to bolt an additional engine or gun section onto a prepositioned hull point. This would not really make it a ship design of your own, but simply a ship upgrade which has been allowed by the developers of the game.

If however we could actually design a ship with any shape and almost any size then this would open up a huge area for possible tactics and would be great fun. The thought of engaging an unknown enemy ship is just awesome.

I couldn't really tell from the vague reviews though, so please feel free to post any helpful info.

It's the select-shape-and-put-stuff-on kind. What you are suggesting isn't really feasible for a 3d game. Seriusly, while what you are suggesting is nice in theory, in practice most people would be pissed at that much freedom versus a shape chooser (requreing everyone to know 3d modeling just to create a ship in a game is a big no-no). Plus, the max size of the ship is determined by your current tech. Altough it wouldn't surprise me that more shapes become available later on (in a bonus pack or as a user moddable option).

GuppyShark · Post by **GuppyShark** » 2006-02-22 07:15am

According to Penny Arcade, this game is OUT. Nobody has tried it yet?

Post by **Vympel** » 2006-02-22 07:49am

It's not out in Australia until March ... ish. Can't remember the date EB gave me. Annoying.

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2006-02-22 07:53am

Vympel wrote:It's not out in Australia until March ... ish. Can't remember the date EB gave me. Annoying.

Order it online and DL it

Melchior · Post by **Melchior** » 2006-02-22 10:32am

GuppyShark wrote:According to Penny Arcade, this game is OUT. Nobody has tried it yet?

I have (I ordered it online). It's a bit early to judge (only played it for half an hour), but it seems very good, especially the ship design interface.

petesampras · Post by **petesampras** » 2006-02-22 11:39am

The lack of multiplayer is a serious issue. Mulitplayer is just so much more fun and challenging, in my opinion. I used to play Moo2 a lot single player, and though I was pretty good. Then some friends who play multiplayer invited me over to play. Thought I'd do pretty well, but I got completely minced. The depth of multiplayer completely overshadows singleplayer. Maybe oneday A.I.s will compete, but I don't think we're there yet.

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-02-22 04:13pm

petesampras wrote:The lack of multiplayer is a serious issue. Mulitplayer is just so much more fun and challenging, in my opinion. I used to play Moo2 a lot single player, and though I was pretty good. Then some friends who play multiplayer invited me over to play. Thought I'd do pretty well, but I got completely minced. The depth of multiplayer completely overshadows singleplayer. Maybe oneday A.I.s will compete, but I don't think we're there yet.

Set the AI to Intelligent, which makes both you and the AI equal (no 'cheats'/bonuses to economy or the like for either one.).

GalCivII's AI is rather good, you'll be suprised at how it wipes the floor with you unless you're an efficient player. Hell, the AI Dev posted a log ["Altarian Downfall"] where it beat him fair and square. And if you're that good, you can turn it up to higher levels where the AI "cheats" as if it were a player at a low difficulty level like a mofo.

Do you even have the game? If you've played it, I could see you talking about the AI of a game and should obviously defer to your statements as an opinion, but I don't think you really should critique design decisions of a game you don't own. There exists a significant margin of error in most reviews when the reviewer has never exactly played the game.

--------

Playing easy setting after testing harder ones to learn the new buttons and get the hang. Rather pathetic, I know, but nothing beats learning how to play like docile opponents.

Ship design is both fun and a little frustrating since the hardpoints are so numerous I always fuck it up unless I zoom in so far I can't see the finished product. I've probably spent more time upgrading older ships to use newly developed engines/weapons/defenses and prettifying them then actually playing, all considered.

For a beam-weapons researcher, Miniaturization is a godsend, by the way. It's not fun having ships that can only fit a single laser cannon.

Sharpshooter · Post by **Sharpshooter** » 2006-02-22 05:07pm

The Gamer part of my being is sodomizing the Cheap Bastard with a cardboard tube filled with change right now. Any bets on how long it'll take for me and other likeminded cheap SOBs to crack and order it?

petesampras · Post by **petesampras** » 2006-02-22 05:30pm

MRDOD wrote:
petesampras wrote:The lack of multiplayer is a serious issue. Mulitplayer is just so much more fun and challenging, in my opinion. I used to play Moo2 a lot single player, and though I was pretty good. Then some friends who play multiplayer invited me over to play. Thought I'd do pretty well, but I got completely minced. The depth of multiplayer completely overshadows singleplayer. Maybe oneday A.I.s will compete, but I don't think we're there yet.
Set the AI to Intelligent, which makes both you and the AI equal (no 'cheats'/bonuses to economy or the like for either one.).

GalCivII's AI is rather good, you'll be suprised at how it wipes the floor with you unless you're an efficient player. Hell, the AI Dev posted a log ["Altarian Downfall"] where it beat him fair and square. And if you're that good, you can turn it up to higher levels where the AI "cheats" as if it were a player at a low difficulty level like a mofo.

Do you even have the game? If you've played it, I could see you talking about the AI of a game and should obviously defer to your statements as an opinion, but I don't think you really should critique design decisions of a game you don't own. There exists a significant margin of error in most reviews when the reviewer has never exactly played the game.

--------

Playing easy setting after testing harder ones to learn the new buttons and get the hang. Rather pathetic, I know, but nothing beats learning how to play like docile opponents.

Ship design is both fun and a little frustrating since the hardpoints are so numerous I always fuck it up unless I zoom in so far I can't see the finished product. I've probably spent more time upgrading older ships to use newly developed engines/weapons/defenses and prettifying them then actually playing, all considered.

For a beam-weapons researcher, Miniaturization is a godsend, by the way. It's not fun having ships that can only fit a single laser cannon.

If the game lacks a multiplayer option, you don't need to own the game to critic that aspect. It is a clear cut fact. I have played a great many space empire building strategy games - Moo 1&2, Stars, Ascendancy,GalCiv 1, etc. From playing these types of games I have found multiplayer to be a lot more fun and challenging than single player. Thus a lack of a multiplayer option I see as a minus for this type of game. I may well still buy Galciv 2, but if it had had multiplayer I would be more likely to do so.

Everyone places some judgements on games before they buy/play them. Otherwise, you would just buy games randomly - (since how would you distingiush between titles?)