I want so much to like this game

But I think the developer must hate newbies

from GalCiv2 Forums
I think the concept of this game is so cool, and I have spent over a week trying to play it. Apparently the AI settings are completely false. I have been playing the dread lord campaign and no matter what setting I use, I get waxed. In the last htree campaigns, I set it to cakewalk, yet I start out in last place as far as the civs go. Inside of 20 rounds, I am so far behind the power curve that the only way I "won" several of the campaigns was to get blown down to 1 planet and the Aceans and the Tolians kept taking my plantes that I had lost to the Dread lords and they wasted themselves on fighting them. They were up to Doom Ray and Beyond Good and evil and I was still tyring to research Xeno economics. I know I am not a hrad core gamer, but this is crasy. After 15 restarts of the last mission of trying to protect earh, I have tossed in the towel. I start out losing money, and if I drop the spending level, then I lose all my research ability, so I still end up with tech of zero. my "team" races are about 6 technologies in front of me in 5 rounds, and the dread lords come within 60 to take the planet. BY that time I am so indebt that I just can't do anything. And this is on CAKEWALK. So, should I play suicidal because cakewalk means for the bad guys and suicidal means for them? I am so disappointed in this game. I want to enjoy it but who likes losing on the easiest level? I have been playing games for 20 years and have never seen anything like this. ANy suggestions would be appreciated. Jim
8,349 views 14 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well, cakewalk means the AI becomes more stupid on all sides (allies included) and they can't help you effectively. The Dread Lords are difficulty resistant as they're so damn powerful. Play on sandbox until you're better at the game, the campaign isn't the main game anyway
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Try these posts. And read the Journals section. BTW, the devs are trying their best to get a game that has something for both Newbies and Hard Core phreaks.

A Beginners Guide posted by a fellow gamer
https://forums.galciv2.com/?ForumID=162&AID=112366#863188

Strategy Forum with lots of articles
https://forums.galciv2.com/?ForumID=347&AID=0&p=1&s=2&d=1

A guide for beginners by the Games Designer
https://forums.galciv2.com/?ForumID=164&AID=104908#849932
Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Its not that hard of game...
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Its not that hard of game...


Going up against the Dread Lords before you know the game mechanics? Ouch. I got owned on subnormal against the measly Drengin first time I played.

Once the economy model is managed, all else falls into place.

First comes the knowledge, then comes the pwnage.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Its not that hard of game...


... but if you're a new player, the campaign is a wrong place to start.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks for the comments. Not sure how you would know the campaign isn't the pace to start. And if you are playing on the easiest setting, it shouldn't be impossible to win. And I am not sure how to learn the game mechanics without playing the game. I did play the "normal" universe game for awhile and won there.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You need to sandbox a lot, and learn to adapt. The best way to do this is at challenging, where some people are normal and others intelligent. At intelligent, they pull a lot of tricks to keep you on your toes. It isn't impossible to win, it's just a damn pain.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I still can't take on the Dread Lords on Cake walk with any sureity on any ai level (and I'm playing sandbox on challenging). The only way I beat the campaign was on the earth mission was to crash my economy in a mad sprint, while selling almost all I had to finance a mad dash to teh DL planet. When it ended, I was maxed out on my debt limit, loosing hundreds of bc a turn, and had only one shot. It wasn't pretty, but worked.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
yeah stardock really needs to state somewhere that the campaign is not the place to learn the game, im sure most people think its like starcraft or wow and that the campaigns are where its at. i played sandbox a lot then started on campaign and didnt like it just because half the dang tech tree is missing, back to sandbox i went! i wouldnt even bother with the campaign jlgerre, play sandbox and have fun.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Why don't you try the sandbox mode? I bought the game a month ago, never tried the campaign, and I'm still playing it whenever I have time, that's how good it is and tons of things to like/love about it, especially the ship designer, have you tried that?

Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I didn't play too much of the campaign... but you might want to try this...

Play the mission and find where all the planets are. Yes, your "ally" colonized them... Restart that mission and colonizer rush and get every planet before anybody else can, even though it isn't necessarily the brightest thing to do. Then, build up over time (since you now can) and win the mission on your own.

Kinda silly, but it worked for me.
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I didn't play too much of the campaign... but you might want to try this...

Play the mission and find where all the planets are. Yes, your "ally" colonized them... Restart that mission and colonizer rush and get every planet before anybody else can, even though it isn't necessarily the brightest thing to do. Then, build up over time (since you now can) and win the mission on your own.

Kinda silly, but it worked for me.

Also, I parked a military starbase right on top of an enemy homeworld once... although this was at a very easy difficulty mind you, but they never could get around it.
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I dunno, I tend to think the campaign is the place to start.

If you're willing to go to the alternative missions, you really don't have a do-or-die dread lord mission until pretty late into the campaign.

The begginer's strategy guide should help with some tips.

Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
OMG how can anyone say that (reference to the OP) . I think with just as many easy levels as there is hard, tutorials, an excellent manual, Several threads here about tips + the afore mentioned beginners' strat guide. The Galactic WIKI, Galactopaedia. There is a treasure trove of help, just gotta look for it