Frogboy Frogboy

GalCiv II: v1.1 preview

▼

GalCiv II: v1.1 preview

Here's what's in store..

from GalCiv2 Forums

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.

115,235 views 223 replies
Reply #101 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Definately nice work, on the game and the updates!


1.2 patch ideas:

1) Ship Upgrades - move the "Upgrade" button from the context area of the Control Panel to the Ship Details window. (So that you don't have to disband a ship from the fleet and move off by itself. Unless I'm missing something simple! )
Reply #102 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Looks like a lot of great upgrades: Please give constructors TWO circles. I want to see the area of influence before I build, but I also want to see the three parsec limit.

doug
SoundPackager - Customize the Windows sound scheme
Reply #103 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I like what I see on the patch. One thing I'd really like to see is the ability to decide how many minor races are in a game. Also give them a little more AI help. I like a rich galaxy with races tripping over each other. Especially if these minor races have some bite to them. They dont have to progress like major races but being some amount of a threat would be welcome especially if backed by a major race.
Reply #105 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
No Tech Trading option

Will this allow to gift tech to other races, or ask tech as tribute? If you can't gift tech, alliance would be very difficult to establish.
Reply #106 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Will the Good, Nuetral, Evil Ethnic techs be finished? Well mostly Nuetral and Good as it seems that those are missing quite alot compared to the Evil Ethnic Side.

Just an idea have each ethinc side give you a boost in certain areas as future technologies or such:
Good - Influence, Morale , + defense ability, (if possible maybe also social production), boosted area of effect (or ability) for Influencial Starbase
Neutral - Trade, Economic, +hit points, boosted area of effect (or ability) for Economic Starbase
Evil - Military Production (Production), Soldiering ability, +weapon ability, boosted area of effect for Military Starbase. More production, economic the more empires your at war with.
Reply #107 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks for your great efforts to make a great product even better. I do not regret a penny of what I spent on GalCiv.

For future revisions... for those of us who *do* chose to include tech trading, a mousover or something in the diplomacy window that gives the relative value of the techs being traded.
Reply #108 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wow. I put size "12" for the font on that post. That's the biggest 12 point font I've ever seen. Sorry, I didn't mean to shout.
Reply #109 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wonderful. Stardock rulez!

Please restore option in the ship builder to not wipe out all components on upgrade.

I second that suggestion.
Reply #110 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The list below is by no means comprehensive. It's just some of the things we're focusing on:
Reply #111 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
What about it acting like you're starting a new game when you load a game? I would think that needs to be fixed and the scroll on the bonus tile descriptions. Not that I'm to worried about these miniscule problems/annoyances.

Stardock you are EXTREME!!!
Reply #112 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Awesome news! I can't wait to see this in action, especially the ship insignias and rotatable parts.

Just a couple of requests for v1.2:

1. I'd love to see a way to restore the default race properties in the game menu without deleting the config file manually. The current workaround is pretty clumsy.

2. Please enable a way to design ships separately from the game proper. I don't know if this even possible, but if it is, I know there are plenty of people that would muck around with that forever.

Anyway, great job Stardock!
Reply #113 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Why is everybody getting exited about the option to not trade tech? It seems to me that tradiing tech is a huge part of the game.
Reply #114 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I would still LOVE an alarm of some sort. I love your game and all, but I have been talking myself out of playing it because I so easily lose track of time and end up missing some plans I had made earlier in the day. Give me an alarm and I promise you will have all my free time with no worries.
Reply #115 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
This patch looks awesome. Thanks for taking the time to listen to your community guys, it really makes me glad I got this game. That and the game itself is awesome in general

Why is everybody getting exited about the option to not trade tech? It seems to me that tradiing tech is a huge part of the game.


Tech trading = easy mode.

2. Please enable a way to design ships separately from the game proper. I don't know if this even possible, but if it is, I know there are plenty of people that would muck around with that forever.


I second this! Then you can design hulls to use for ships later. As it is now though you can sort of hack do this by starting a "Battle of the Gods" game, since you have all techs to start with.
Reply #116 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
A few things I would like added in the next Gal Civ 2 patch:
1. Unique ships for every race. In the current version different races share the same ship models
2. Make defense a bit more useful.
3. More art and sound effects. Each weapon should have a unique sound effect
4. Add in a Zone of Control concept to the galaxy map(you can't fly past the other side's ships without a fight)
5. Add in small descriptions for the things in the game like improvments, tech,weapons etc.....
6. Balance the races a bit more. Right now I think certain races tend to have more useful bonuses compared to other races. For example compare the Thalens to the Torians.
7. Add in a treaty option to prevent other races from just waltzing in your territory. Make it similar to concept to Civ 4
8. Make the galaxy map more interesting by adding in objects such as nebulas and other nice eye candy.
9. Also make the planet's change as the population and number of improvements increase. For example add city lights and other subtle visual clues to show the player that the planet is developed.
Reply #117 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wow! Seriously SD, I love how amazingly responsive you guys are being to game issues. You almost got my whole wish list on there!
Reply #118 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Already on 1.1, and it's full of what we've asked for. Stardock I love you!

Ps. Didn't notice anything about the neatrality learning tech, any news on adding the building in?

Keep up the great work!
Reply #119 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I have not played GC1 in a while but IF my memory doesnot betray me, I think we had the option to tell the AI to remove their starbases and ships from "OUR" territory or sphere of influence.


I never played GC1 mayito8888, but I wish we had something like that now. Its damned hard to deal with a neighbor empire that’s building influence starbases INSIDE your borders as a good empire as the only way to get rid of those starbases is to blow them up or trade for them. If you are trying to win by diplomacy, declaring war every time some alien gets it into his head to go for the cultural victory is hard to say the least. You can just forget about trading for it.
Reply #120 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
How about replacing the spending slider and 3 sliders to allocate the spending with:
1) 1 slider to set the research output
2) 1 slider to set the factory output
3) 1 slider to allocate the factory output between ship and planetary improvements


Seconded. It would make things both simpler and more intuitive; no need for the Spending slider at all if this is implemented.
Reply #122 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Why is everybody getting exited about the option to not trade tech? It seems to me that tradiing tech is a huge part of the game.


Because, some persons are complaining about AI trading anything with anyone like a theory (weapon or armor) level research for a very good tech
Reply #124 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Could you make the game bake me cakes?

Becuase that's about all it lacks.
Reply #125 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
No tech trading option? What is meant by this? I like trading technologies for cash and or giving them to my friends and foes.