Masochism?

from GalCiv2 Forums
I have now played countless games and have *never* had a planet taken from me except by Dreadlords and 1 from the Yor in the campaigns (after 3 invasions from Dreadlords).

Today, I continued a fairly young game where I was playing as the Drengin for the first time..... the Altarians (God bless them) are absolutely kicking my ass! It's such a pleasure! They have stolen a number of planets (I started to use slash and burn tactics, destroying the pitiful small worlds I have to stop them from taking them.... but it looks like I am doomed! I just picked up the necessary techs to build ships equal or greater than theirs.... but I only have a couple of production planets up..... this could be my first defeat..... if so.... why am I loving it??

Over an hour just went by in what seemed like a couple of turns! And I am in trouble with my girlfriend for being late! (not so late that I couldn't report my first major ass-whupping though!! )

Well, that's all really... I have never bothered to report on my victories, so I assume that when it comes to Galciv2, I am some kind of masochist!!
13,930 views 19 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I get that. There's nothing like going down in a blaze of glory sometimes.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
@ Spearthrower!
The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
lol

The fun in any game comes from getting your Bhind handed t you by the AI. Godz, I recall the days when every moron was all over in blissed ignorance about the brilliance of C&C - that had like an AI that barely understood how to produce a L-click.

Then came Dark Reign and that AI would rape you in three minutes flat if you did not use a decent strategem. You learned quickly and it wold take you at least 50 tries to finish the final scenario.

Same here - the first time in the campaign you meet the DL is is a welcome change because it forces you to come up with another technique (well, after you are done cursing the designers and the fruit of their loins) than tankrushing - and occasionally in the random games you are forced to approach a situation from a different perspective than you are used to. Enjoy those moments for they will make you a better player and teach you a little humility.

Unless you hit save every other turn... try and force an "Iron Man" mode on yourself.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Having a game that can beat you is a blessing.

So many are so easy to win its not worth playing. I won my first contest on gigantic a galaxy, Then I figured I would try a metaverse game not really knowing what it was. Needless to say I started the game in the middle of the map and was besieged on all sides by some very unfriendly neighbors. Every time I begged enough to get peace from one, another would start on me the next turn. So when the tech advantage got to lopsided in their favor I surrendered and received my first loss.

I loved the whole game; I don’t want to lose every time. But I don’t want a game that I can never lose to either.

GC2 is the best 4X game I have ever played and it keeps getting better.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
This game doesn't need to exert much effort to squash me, and when I tried the evil conquest/pillaging destroyer's path I was soundly beaten. But I had a blast with my gigantic though technologically inferior fleets, winning many battles with numbers and the help of our racial skills. But eventually, the tech/economy gap became too great, and I gave up...

Until I get better, I'll be a good boy and win with money and culture... and beginner difficulty...
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Haven't lost yet, but I am only now starting in on the full AI so that could change. What really scared me though was that on my "Dread Lord on Parade" scenario, I pushed turn, was about to name my first colony (I ever colonize Mars first) when I got the meanwhile message saying "The Dominion of Korx has succumbed to the relentless power of the Dread Lords". When you realize a race was just destroyed on the third turn you almost curse the day you were born!
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'm disappointed to report that I won!

When I came back to the game, the first turn after loading, the Altarians asked for peace..... they were having some trouble with the Yor coming in on their flanks. I turtled down with a couple of really nice planets down in the south where the Korx were spreading out.... then my evil buddies decided to snatch those nice planets..... by this time I was a bit more technically advanced, I designed a new ship, put military spend on 100% and pushed out a pile of ships. By the time the Korx arrived in range they asked for peace (the "oh we were only joking" text ). I refused naturally and took all my shiny new ships down to attack with a few transports I'd had ready for the Altarians. A few planets later they surrendered to me! This came as a bit of a surprise as it doubled my empire with a couple of 20ish PQ planets as well!!

I then took stock and realised I'd somewhat overbuilt on the military front and it was costing me quite a bit to maintain them all, so I did the true Drengin thing and sent them all to attack Altaria!!

It was a drawn out battle, they wouldn't surrender until their last couple of planets.... but by the time I defeated them, I owned nearly 1/4 of a gigantic map.

The rest of the game was plain sailing, turtling up for a while to get some infrastructure built and some research done. I got my evil techs and went on a rampage to end up with an Influence win (I thought I'd turned it off!! )

Anyway..... I still lost some planets which was refreshing!
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I concurr. I don't understand the reason for it, but out of the incalculable number of computer strategy games I have played over the last 20 yeears, GalCiv 2 is probably the most fun to lose.

Getting an ass kicking from the Altarans? Rock on, bro.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I am looking to getting my ass kicked on 1.1 - I havent downloaded the beta yet.... I may do next weekend. I've got a couple of games in progress I dont want to disturb for now. I haven't lost a sandbox game yet.

From what I have heard, the Ai is much more capable of prosecuting a war..... I so want to lose damnit!! Not just a slow, gradual loss but a big fat ass-whupping type loss. The kind of loss that will knock me back 3 feet out of my chair, make me stare in wonder at the screen, walk with a slump in my shoulders for a week..... that kind of loss!

Let's hope it happens!
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
While I didn't lose my first game in the new beta, I came close! Medium sized map with abundant planets so it was pretty cramped.

Out of nowhere the Arceans declared war on me and sent out an enormous fleet of troops transports all in one turn. I went "WTF is going on?" when I saw 4 planets fall before I even knew there was war. We were getting on so well! And another 4 or 5 troop transports mid-travel to undefended planets. Not your run of the mill 4-move transports either. These things were fast.

I've never had to defend planets that aren't right on the border before, and to have a mass co-ordinated attack on about 1/10 of my planets? Awesome stuff!

The Yor got in on the action too (it was just the 3 of us at this point) and took out 3 of my 4 resource starbases, and 1 or 2 of the others. Unfortunately my important one (morale) was VERY well defended and he sent mini ship after mini ship to certain doom.

Unfortunately I never finished the game to see if I cold pull it back (lost the save game while messing around with things reporting a bug), but even at the beta level things seem so much smarter. I'm worrying what we'll be facing by the time 1.5 rolls out. Will I have to go down to beginner level?
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Will I have to go down to beginner level?


Oh I hope so.....

That's good news mate.... happy to hear it's tougher now...... Only question is.... why didn't you have those planets defended? I always have a tiny defender in every colony, no matter how small it is!
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I've never had to have them defended before unless they were a few squares away from someone I was at war with. But - now I'll have to from now on. Awesome!

Anyway, does this desire to be beaten senseless mean that we're sick in the head or something?
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Anyway, does this desire to be beaten senseless mean that we're sick in the head or something?


It means we are looking to challenge ourselves to become better. If you know you are going to win, it's not quite as fun. If you are being destroyed and lose, you know you can play again to try and not lose. Defeat is the path to Victory
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Anyway, does this desire to be beaten senseless mean that we're sick in the head or something?


Well, speaking personally, I'd have to agree!

+1 Sick in the Head ability here. Effect: Morale goes up considerably when losing fleets or planets.
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wow. You know you've been playing too much when you describe yourself in terms of racial ability bonuses.

Here's hoping you don't have a 50% minaturisation bonus.....
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I lost once...and I lost really badly...I was the yor...and I was pretty much in the middle of my 5 opponents...now, the Drengin were one of them. So, I did a mass colonization of a huge chunk of space, and was well on my way to becoming an unstoppable force, my techs were soaring, and I was just getting into building up my military (about 10 more turns, and I would have been quite strong).

Then the Drengin declare war.

At first, I'm thinkin no sweat...and I mass produce what I can ship wise to coordinate my defense. 3 rounds later, I'm outnumbered, and outgunned (their ships were larger, and better armed). I put up almost no real defense...next thing I know, about 10 troop transports come in and take my key planets...I lost rather swiftly

I loved it...teach me to think myself unbeatable. Those ten rounds made all the difference, doh!
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Here's hoping you don't have a 50% minaturisation bonus.....


No but my girlfriend has a 50% logistics bonus......



I can't believe I said that..... if she reads that.... and understands it.... she will KILL me!
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Will I have to go down to beginner level?


er... if you guys have to go down to Beginner, what will the rest of us who are on beginner level already go down to?

Reply #19 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well they could introduce an even easier level where everyone just surrenders to you as soon as they meet you.

Of course, some simpleton would probably still lose somehow and make a forum post about how the AI cheats.


(completely ignoring outrageous slur on someone's girlfriend...)