New reviews have arrived!

Thursday round up..

from GalCiv2 Forums

It's been a week of new reviews from around the net.

Killer Betties has taken a look at Galactic Civilizations II.   It concludes with:

With numerous races to play and many different ships to design and play with, this really is a sci-fi fan's dream of a space empire builder. There is sure to be many mods based on popular shows and movies for it, as it would lend itself well to this. The game is fun and relatively fast moving, so it's worth going out and getting.

You can read the whole thing here.
 

We found another review tonight that had been posted a couple days ago called GamerFeed.  Their review writes:

This empire-building strategy encompasses everything that makes the genre great. If you are looking for a game that falls in the same vein as the Civilization and Master of Orion series, and absolutely bursting with content, this is the game to get. Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords is great technologically and also in gameplay.

GamerFeed's review can be fond here.

UK site Ace Gamez put up their review this week as well. Their rating system has a fairly unique category called "Lifespan".   After spending some time on their site, I came to really appreciate that particular metric.

Their review concludes with:

I know what it takes for a game to be addictive, and GCII has it. It will take up so much time, yet you'll find yourself yearning for more. While you're out, you'll be thinking about how to take a certain planet without leaving yourself exposed, or who to make an alliance with next. Truly a must buy for role-play and strategy fans everywhere.

You can read their review here.

I have to say, seeing these reviews is just, well, so cool.  

When you visit a site like this, you see a game developer's site. I.e. this is the website of a strategy game and you may already have the game, or you may be thinking of getting it.

But for us, we leave, eat, sleep this stuff. So we're so excited to hear what people think. The good and the bad (though obviously we prefer the good). 

For other developers out there, for anyone who think you have to have 50 guys to make a modern PC game, don't despair. Just pick something you really like to make. Something you want to play and make it. 

More to come! !FROGCARE!

12,499 views 18 replies
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
i find thebiggest problem with modern games is they concentrate too heavily on graphics over fun and innovation, every firstperson shooter nowadays is relatively the same as the one before, just diffrent seeting or story, or one or two extra features, with "shiny new graphics" it's nice to be able to play a game like galciv2 that is packed full of plain fun, and yet, with good graphics too, if only more games could be made in the same manner of developement and customer respect that stardock uses, then gaming would be a whole better place , brilliant job stardock, deserve every good review,and then some
Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
"Sometimes smaller is better, or so I am told... "

Anyways, you Stardock folks are the tops for game developers. You deserve all the success and more. Cheers.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
i find thebiggest problem with modern games is they concentrate too heavily on graphics over fun and innovation, every firstperson shooter nowadays is relatively the same as the one before, just diffrent seeting or story, or one or two extra features, with "shiny new graphics" it's nice to be able to play a game like galciv2 that is packed full of plain fun, and yet, with good graphics too, if only more games could be made in the same manner of developement and customer respect that stardock uses, then gaming would be a whole better place , brilliant job stardock, deserve every good review,and then some


that i agree. i like a game that does something tremendously good, whether it's exception gameplay, good sound or fabulous visuals. but one thing's for sure, i'm gonna play galciv2 on my new laptop!
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I've never been much of a 4X gamer....always been a hardcore FPS person. Played CivIV some, saw this game all over gaming boards and took a closer look. Saw what great guys the devs are, and how dedicated they are to the game. Bought the game a few days ago, spent a few nights fiddling with it and learning the ropes. Sat down tonight to start a game.

I'm still not sure how I managed to lose track of 4 hours.

I'm not entirely sure I even blinked during that span, either.

Excellent game guys. Honestly, that seems like such an understatement that I keep trying to think of a better way to say it. I suppose the best way to put it is to say that I know I should go to sleep, but I may play a few more turns....

Edit: Blast, was using the old chatbear board tags. For some reason Opera isn't supported here.....
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
So when will Master of Magic be started?


To paraphrase what Brad has said in response to that question in other threads:

Once they can get more developers hired.

Right now, Stardock is fairly limited in terms of personnel, and this obviously hampers their efforts in trying to develop games. At least until recently, they were short-staffed enough that Brad actually had to shift some of the people working on Society to help out with GalCiv 2 for a while. I believe MOM 2 is Stardock's next project after Society, but don't quote me on that one. I know Corporate Machine 2 and Political Machine 2008 are on their plates as well, but I don't remember where those two games are in Brad's long-range schedule.

By the way, Brad, truly awesome work. Of all the strategy games I've ever played (and I've played a bunch over the past decade), GalCiv II is one of only 2 strategy games that I'd rate a 9.0 or higher. And it's the first strategy game in 3 years that has me suffering from the "just one more turn" syndrome again. Huge kudos to you and everyone in Plymouth; you've made a truly fantastic game.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
congrats - this game deserves all the praise it is getting, there is nothing on the market like it, i agree with comments above about the one more turn syndrome, was designing a new ship a new heavy fighter for my new civilisation, started playing at 8pm, thought at midnight, ah just one more turn, next thing i knew it was 4am.

Well you can't design a heavy fighter, and not try it out,

as above you deserve so much praise for this game. it is great, it allows open play, which most people crave, and it also allows the people that like to be technical to design there own ships.. what more can one person ask for.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Again 2 thumbs up, great game and it is keep getting better.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I no longer have a desire to DosBox Master of Orion. Stardock has rapidly become my favorite game developer (having not really known much about you three weeks ago).
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The game is just great and the reviews shows it. Long live Stardock! If there is going to be a MoM 2 I will buy for sure
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I no longer have a desire to DosBox Master of Orion. Stardock has rapidly become my favorite game developer (having not really known much about you three weeks ago).


i have a rather vague recollection of stardock before i saw galciv2, maybe it's because i tried out the windowblinds or object desktop, can't remember which.
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
On the GamerFeed review

The only downside to setting out into the deep black of space is that there don't seem be any boundaries outside of one's immediate planet. Competing races cannot send a ship to your planet without inciting war, but they can blithely set down a colony ship on a planet within the same solar system as your homewold. The galactic border lines represent influence, not actual territory boundaries. So, in a good game, you would build up a very influential civilization and eventually take over that planet without firing a shot. But it still feels very strange to have aliens march in and set up shop right in your back yard. After all, one would think there would be a huge uproar if aliens came in and colonized Mars before we had a chance to get there. Imagine the Cuban missile crisis on an interplanetary scale.

They do raise a good point here. It would be nice to have some diplomatic repercutions against settling words to another race's world and therefore also make the AI a bit hesitant to settle in the core of your influence zones, when they would feel threatened by you or another AI.
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
All i ask is that you stay true to your ideas there. Keep making the game you would want to play and leave the extras to the modders in some cases. I would hate to see the core of the game corrupted because a few very vocal people drowned out the quiet masses playing the game.
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You guys deserve the good reviews. This game is amazing.
I only hope it doesn't fail me out of school.
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
1Up has a review up now. . . may want to link it, as you DID get a 9.0, Brad
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Great game that for sure, but i have a great problem in updating it !!! The programs tell me that i've the wrond cd key, hey, i've bought that game!!!! First you cant' play a game without some problem of sort (crash or other error) probably to much hurry in selling the game without a serius b-testing; but this is a common problem with developers. But the fact that you can't update it like a normal game (download the patch and install it), makes a game that i dream of playing a nightmare!!!
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wildghost, did you just post on the first thread you clicked on? What does your problem have to do with this thread? Try to keep your posts in the appropriate threads; you're far more likely to get help that way.

Back on topic... congratulations on more positive reviews! You've made a great game and it really shows.