Ok, I'm getting a lot of time in this one lately. So far, it's great.
Mega Events: I'm seeing a pattern with the mega event, Plague, coming up fairly early in the game. The first time this happenned, I had tech trading option turned off. Woops! That destroyed the game. When the player gets the antidote invented, there needs to be an exception to let the player give the AI players the antidote even if tech trading is turned off. Potential problem: The AI don't seem cery interested in researching the antidote! I'v noticed this in several games wherein I was tech trading. Lastly, the Plague seems to be the ONLY mega event? What are the others? Even with tech trading turned on, this mega event might be a little too strong in terms of cost to the cure. It may need to be reduced. In my games, I had tech research bonus abilities... I can only imagine how long it would take to find a cure if I had not!
Spys. I like them! However, they are far most costly than in GCII per tech stolen. The cost would be about right if spys were not also needed for defense to snuff enemy spys. I think a base 25 percent reduction in spy cost is needed. Perhaps place a cost option for them in pre-game menu setup: normal, 25% reduced, 50% reduced. Also, it would be nice if there were a limited tech tree branch for spys: CIA Training centers, for example (spys become 25% more effective or are reduced in cost by 25%). Also, in placing syy, the planet tile information is revealed at any AI planet chosen. This is 'free' intellegence not availble normally. Perhaps the game engine should 'grey them out' until the spy has been there a few turns. I 'wish' the Spy button brought up the Spy Screen ONLY! It does only if I have no spys to 'place.'
Custom Players. I tried this first last night. I'd would be nice if there were some other images to choose from for the face of the custom AI player... instead of the lines face.
Planet Tiles: I notice the bonus items are not showing up since my last update; 0.10a017. Have these features been eliminated?
Planet Type Research: The AI is not very fast at doing this. In two game in a row, I have been able to colonize nearly every planet type: Radiation, Barren, etc. While it properly expensive, the AI seems to ignore such reseach entirely.
Campaign Menus: These are blank. Will these be added later? A map editor/campaign editor would be nice too. The old editor doesn't add asteroids and planet types (radiation, barren, etc).
Misc. I sometimes get a crash to desk top if I click on things too fast before the game engine has a chance to reply; especially if I have click TURN and the game engine is still trying to show items that need my attention, then I click over to something else or talk to an AI or reply to a pop-up.
Comment: Now that there are asteroids, perhaps the mining items for various bonus (moral, economy, etc) should be eliminate and made apart of asteroid mining as 'types of asteroid minerals' located on the various asteroids. It would make more sense.
Nothing else at the moment.
I'm playing without mods; windows 2000; ATI PCIE graphic card; max memory.