GalCiv II: v1.1 preview

Frogboy

Join Date 03/2001

+2419

GalCiv II: v1.1 preview

Here's what's in store..

Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords v1.1 is in development. We've got a lot of new features planned. The list below is by no means comprehensive. It's just some of the things we're focusing on:

The ability to set a given planet as a technology, research, ship building or balanced planet, . NOT like the overall focus. It would literally add a 9% boost to a given type (or 3%, 3%, 3%).
Color coded the hammers/etc. based on whether they are bonus or not. Then on mouse over, which by then should be very nice, we can display where these numbers come from.
On game setup, have an option to simply set up how many players you want to play against and have it randomly pick who you’re playing with.
On game setup, have a checkbox that says "Randomize intelligence". The result would be that the game difficulty would be used to distribute the intelligence points. Example: I could select "Tough" and then have this checkbox selected and it would look at the # of players and the total number of intelligent points it takes to have tough and then distribute it out so that some are smarter than others (up to a 30% difference between intelligences).
Lots of tweaks to the context window UIs which we’ll be discussing how best to do it.
Fleet Manager screen.
An option to show auto pilot ships destinations on map with a very very faint line (dotted preferably if possible) where they are going. Ala the trade routes.
When selecting a constructor, have a very very faint circle that shows the area of effect a starbase would have.
MAJORLY updated AI (not to make it tougher, to make it smarter at higher levels and dumber -- i.e. poor strategies -- at lower levels)
Additional ship extras for more ship options
Bug fixes of various kinds
Approval Rating > 75% gives you a 5% boost to production. Approval rating < 40% has a -5% affect on production. Players won't be charged for this bonus production.
Ability to rotate ship components in the Ship Designer
Dynamic logo components - brand your ships with your insignia
Enhanced context menus for managing stacked ships and fleets
Starbase modules pruned/tweaked
Unused Social Spending routed to military spending (or back to treasury if nothing is being used)
New ship components
UI for selecting MODS/Total Conversions
Updated Scoring System
No Tech Trading option
New maps and scenarios
Various tweaks to economics, costs, etc.

Update: Free-form ship component rotation and resizing after being placed added. Very cool in action!

We expect to have this out by the end of the month. It'll be free for all customers of Galactic Civilizations II -- now at a store near you.

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Thank you, this is the biggest improvement of all.

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Please,Please makes available more cylindrical , semicircular and saucers forms for the new ship components
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Whoops! Just rechecked the patch list and see that 'No Tech Trade' is there (was it just added?)

That is great! It will be really neat to have unique civilizations to battle against.

Next: The middle ground for tech trading ---> Only being able to trade tech that you've personally research (or that you've researched more than 50%, in cases where you steal / or make a trade).

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SWEET, I'm assuming bug fixes aren't listed in the feature's preview.

So where do we put in ideas for 1.2? I have a bunch of good ones like:

1) in shipd esign, you should be able to resize a component by selecting it on the ship after it was already added. That way you dont have to delete and reaply stuff

2) Do something to manage user ship designs, maybe make it possible to make libraries of designs, then pick a library to use before game, or no library at all. I hate scrolling through the frikin shipyard :/

3) Add more to governor tabs. Like ability to send all of one kind of ship to a location as opposed to all ships. Like if I have constructors going to no rally point, make it so I can send all constructors going to no rally points, to a rally point. Current ability only allows you to send all ships regardles of class.

4) Change the shading of dark colors for purpose of showing the area of effect of a starbase. If I choose a dark color as my race color, I can barely see the starbase circle on the map!

5) Add more info to the Civilization manager colony screen that will show you stuff like how many empty tiles the planet has and if its set to focous porduction! (And for the love of god fix the civ manager bug that will send you back to civ manager after closing a planet window, no matter if you entered the planet window via civ manager or not!)

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Great changes ! Amazing !

I hope that you will includes on the summary screen of a planet the bonuses that come from the tiles !

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I see the no tech option on the list...

Is the AI upgrade going to include some improvements to their ship design? Namely adding on engines?

Also does the AI redesign everytime it gets new ship techs? Or does it wait until it sees a new threat/reaches some tech threshold/...

Ideally the AI should redesign everytime it gets a new tech, or if not redesign at least look to upgrade.

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Hey, are you cats gonna add the Neutrality Learning Center? I feel like I die a little inside each time I see that tech and no improvement listed under it.

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Everything on the list sounds like it will enhance the game &/or the playing experience (they're not quite the same thing) - Good job on distilling the sentiments expressed on the forums....

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So where do we put in ideas for 1.2? I have a bunch of good ones like:

1) in shipd esign, you should be able to resize a component by selecting it on the ship after it was already added. That way you dont have to delete and reaply stuff

2) Do something to manage user ship designs, maybe make it possible to make libraries of designs, then pick a library to use before game, or no library at all. I hate scrolling through the frikin shipyard :/

3) Add more to governor tabs. Like ability to send all of one kind of ship to a location as opposed to all ships. Like if I have constructors going to no rally point, make it so I can send all constructors going to no rally points, to a rally point. Current ability only allows you to send all ships regardles of class.

4) Change the shading of dark colors for purpose of showing the area of effect of a starbase. If I choose a dark color as my race color, I can barely see the starbase circle on the map!

5) Add more info to the Civilization manager colony screen that will show you stuff like how many empty tiles the planet has and if its set to focous porduction! (And for the love of god fix the civ manager bug that will send you back to civ manager after closing a planet window, no matter if you entered the planet window via civ manager or not!)

I would like to second every single one of these suggestions.

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I see the no tech option on the list...

yes man i was blind.Thank you Stardock now i'm really happy

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I personally like tech trading! Don't get rid of it! Maybe just an option so that you can opt not to have it in game.

Tech trading is probably the best way to win a game when you're a tech civilization. I can keep out of wars entirely...have a small, powerful military that costs me little in maintenance, and spend all my funding on research. Then I can sell techs to other players so that I can buy up all the production points I need.

I had a custom civ with something like +60% to research and even some diplomacy bonus. I research the dipolmacy tree first so that I can get great prices on trading, and then I just trade my techs for ships and money.

The diplomacy screen is completely pointless without tech trading...I for one never have any money because I spend it all on production or defecits...so techs are my primary form of currency.

It does need some work though, as the AI is completely retarded in what it will offer in exchange for your techs. I got asked if I would trade Warp IV for Missile Theory. It also doesn't pay you anythying close to what it cost you to research a tech, so you have to make that up by selling it more than once. If I'm spending 130 BC per turn on research and it takes me 15 turns to research invasion, the AI should give me at least what it cost me to research it, if not more because they're paying a premium to have it NOW.

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Many thanks for being so responsive. Any chance of making it possible to access the Galactopedia in game like the Civilopedia in the Civ series? And how about making it possible in game to get rid of ship designs forever ? In any case, I'm looking forward to the update.

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All I can say is WOW - sounds AWESOME.

Any chance the "civilopedia" will make it in that quickly?

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This is why I bought this game, Stardock's support is always great.

I personally like tech trading! Don't get rid of it! Maybe just an option so that you can opt not to have it in game.

It does say "Option"...

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No tech trading is there.... WHOA!!! I need a beer to celebrate....

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I would like to be able to warn off ships that come into my territory,like, "Leave my space or you risk war!" As it is, the stupid enemy ships just go wherever they want.(Yea, everyone's an enemy)

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good patch, but it's not yet enabled NO TECH TRADE OPTION.Please devs hear the cry of people which don't like tech whoring (we are a lot) !!!!

Dude, read first, shout later.

-"No Tech Trading option". Good enough for you?

GREAT extras! Everything I wanted, and then some! It should be an excellent patch, I really love you guys!

I really hope those nothing-is-ever-good-enough-for-me guys read this..On the other hand, I bet even that won't be good enough for them, either

You deserve every credit you've got. I feel like buying the game again just to make a point, honestly. I bought my copy online, I think I'll buy a boxed version, too when it'll finally reach a store near me. And no, I'm not just saying that.

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I'd like more gorevnor options eventually.

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I think the wording on that tech trading option is fuzzy. I just re-read it and now think it might mean an option for "no tech trade" and not that they are removing the option entirely. That makes more sense. Grammatically it would be clearer to have said "Tech Trading now optional" or some such.

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No word on splitting manufacturing and research spending so they are independent of each other?

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This looks well cool guys, thanks a lot for the continuing hard work you put in.

No one else has mentioned it but I would just like to thank you for adding paths on the main map for auto pilot moves.
I know they are on the mini map, but they look poor (too blocky) and will be much better and easier to spot on the main screen

huzzah!!

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i will buy this game when you finally add a multiplayer option. and for those who don´t like multiplayer: use single player.

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getting excited.

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Woohoo!

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Wunderbar!!!

i cant wait to see the bug patch list and see if some things like the learning centers are fixed and perhaps some weapons in the game.

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So where do we put in ideas for 1.2? I have a bunch of good ones like:

For a 1.2 i would suggest some option that would add more information in the game.
-costs in shields of every improvement or ship and number of shields u have already built.To be more clear like in civ4( where you see barracks, 15/80 shields, 4 turns) in gc2 enhanced factory (32/100 shields, 4 turns remained)
-costs of techs and your research points already spent (planetary defense 152/1800 research points, 12 turns remained) instead of (planetary defense 12 turns remained)
-i'm a bit anal but i would like detailed improvements description (soil enhancement use biochimic enzhymes which enable a faster photosyntesis or things similar.)
-last but not less important useful informations about courage,loyalty,advantage factor and other abilities or concepts not yet explained

One question is population growth ability bug fixed in 1.1?

Anyway with this last patch i must say that devs are really doing an hard job to improve this game.If there will be so much improvements in a few time this will be really a must buy strategy game for all customers.
I repeat thank you for hearing our plea about Tech Trading, Stardock is really the best developer i've ever seen

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