seems to be back to normal now

last post i tried was fine anyway

edit: yep, definitely back

I like the sound of things too. sabotaging tiles could be ok - imagine sabotaging that 700% manufacturing tile! and i guess you could sabotage multiple tiles on a planet too. will be interesting to see how it works!

my favourite improvement is the planet categories, will definitely make the early game more interesting and fun. being forced to colony rush to have any chance was a bit annoying. This change will make actually exploring more important, maybe.

I'd pay $29 for it....

I love GC2...

Meklar- that is not a bug, it is by design. Either way some have found it somehow annoying, I just click the turn button one extra time.

My favorite is definitely the planet types also. That will give the colonization phase much more depth. Second are the asteroids. Finally, we get asteriod bases! w00t!!!

And those poor Altarians.... I liked 'em, too....

Hmmm, the Drengin/korath schism sounds very much like the ur-quan kzer-za (green, slavers) and Kohr-ah (Black, genocidal) from *We're not worthy!* Star control two, no complaints there but

Different races being able to colonise certain specialised planets is a feature I thought was lacking in the original, I'm glad to see it added, it will (hopefully) make the beginning more interesting, less of a mad rush for planets.One thing im not sure about here, but will having these different conditions effectively mean more colonizable planets per galaxy? i.e. As it stands colonizable planets seem to be those near Earth standard unversally, so will humans be able to use these worlds, whereas say the drengin will prefer volcanic worlds (well thats the type of world i imagine them occupying at least) the torian water worlds etc.. That was one of my favourite things about *Bows down and worships* Master of orion, especially as the silicoids and I believe the meklar, being able to take any world hehehe

As for espionage, more is better! I like the ability to sabotage enemy installations, steal research.. there is a game, o.r.b, quite like haegemonia but unfortunately relatively unrecognised, (Being released around the same time didnt help)In which you could sabotage their research, slowing it down, and destroy ships killing its crew (of which there was a limited supply).I love being a sneaky bugger, and would love to see these abilities in galciv, which in my opinion is already quite good at exploring non military options.
I want to sabotage that huge frelling Battleship they're sending at me and blame those hesmana insectoids (man they annoy me...influence just flowing from thier wazoo's..do insects even HAVE wazoo's?)

Yes, I am farscape fan.

As for megablobs question of price, I dont mind paying the $30 (though perhaps somewhat more for myself, I'm guessing this price is USD not AUD)Stardock are definitely a company I'm willing to support.Their policies regarding updates and replacement (Most specifically being able to download a replacement for free if you have the serial- I love you guys!) were definitely a major selling point.Man this is a huge post,I'm just gonna end it here...

Will you be able to pre-order without TG?

they say "he expansion will be initally released digital only via TotalGaming.net (and the store on GalCiv2.com)"

maybe the reduction shown is the total reduction to the planetary production from sabotaging that tile?

I got the impression, just the individual tile was effected.

I guess it will depend on how many agents you can get, and how much you have to spend to get them. lots of -20%'s could have a pretty big effect. also, if you choose +% espionage as a race ability, maybe this % would be increased?

Showed 18 agents available in the screenshot I saw, so look pretty plentiful and I assume espionage will effect them, so having a high % might open up new playing strategy's.

Looks like some fun stuff, but sadly, I've grown tired of the kind of micromanaging that GC2 requires. All they'd have to do is apply excess production to the next item in the build queue and I'd be placing my preorder immediately. But if I have to keep moving the production sliders one percent at a time and checking my planets' production levels with each and every repetition on each and every turn, then not even the great-sounding features of this expansion pack will provide any enjoyment for me. Babysitting my planets has gotten old, and I can't play an optimal game without it.

I'd also very much like to be able to save the game without losing a turn's worth of production, but that's slightly less important.

Looks like some fun stuff, but sadly, I've grown tired of the kind of micromanaging that GC2 requires. All they'd have to do is apply excess production to the next item in the build queue and I'd be placing my preorder immediately. But if I have to keep moving the production sliders one percent at a time and checking my planets' production levels with each and every repetition on each and every turn, then not even the great-sounding features of this expansion pack will provide any enjoyment for me. Babysitting my planets has gotten old, and I can't play an optimal game without it. I'd also very much like to be able to save the game without losing a turn's worth of production, but that's slightly less important.

You don't actually have to do that if you don't want to...

Sadly the novelty factor has run down to a trickle for me and this game. Its cute but the limitation of only being able to play against AI opponents means the game has ceilinged
- new campaign *yawns* - havent played the original one - care factor =0

more espionage - meh

restrictions of planets colonising - more like MOO2 every patch
was a shortcoming of the original

the only challenge twinking micromanagement to outwit a number crunching machine - how much better can it possibly be

throwing more money to defeat the computer - nah

I do if I'm playing to win.

Then play to have fun. Isn't that the entire point of a game?