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Dark Avatar: Which features do you want the most?

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Dark Avatar: Which features do you want the most?

The new poll...

https://www.galciv2.com/darkavatar
from GalCiv2 Forums

The last poll showed that the largest player demographic for GalCiv II is 26 to 35. So I'm in the majority -- barely at 35. Teh second was 19 to 25 with it declining dramatically in-between. 

This week's poll asks which feature of Dark Avatar (the expansion pack for Galactic Civilizations II) are people most looking forward to?

Dark Avatar isn't a traditional expansion pack. While it does add new units, new opponents, etc. That's where it starts. The real meat is how it fundamentally changes the actual game play. It's not quite a sequel but it's definitely closer to a sequel in terms of new features and content than it is to a typical expansion pack.

So the question is, which feature of Dark Avatar do you find the most interesting?

You have the ability to design your own opponents from scratch and play against them in future games.  You have your spies that you can send to do nasty things to your enemies or to protect yourself.  You have the environment categorization of planets so that you can't just rush out and colonize every planet at first. You have the epic generator which is designed to export your finished games as stories.  There's the asteroid fields which players can build labs on or defense platforms and the like.  There's the new AI options where rather than just setting the difficulty to "hard" you can instead adjust resource bonus/penalty and AI playing intelligence independently. and of course the new campaign where you play as the Drengin, conquering and enslaving. And lastly the new ships, hulls, and other goodies.

And that's just a surface level list. There's going to be a ton of detail work from large chunks of the AI being rewritten with new techniques to enhanced graphics, a Drengin UI, etc. 

If you don't have Galactic Civilizations II, it's at store near you. If you know someone who likes strategy games, please let them know. Staying on shelves, like Walmart, into the Fall is going to be tough so every sale counts.  If you already have Galactic Civilizations II, you can pre-order Dark Avatar and get a discount.

 

64,379 views 93 replies
Reply #26 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The feature I think will be best implemented will be the new graphics, which answers what the poll is asking. The feature I would most like to see is enhanced diplomacy.

The feature I least want is to play out the Drengin campaign. Evil is boring enough as it is, and is entertaining only when it is perilously yet meticulously stamped out by Good. Otherwise, Sauron would have kept his hand (and the ring), John MacLane would have stayed in New York and re-married, the Duke and Paul Atreides would have been eaten by the sandworm, and the Death Star would have gone right to Yavin, all not even ten minutes after the opening credits.
Reply #27 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Evil is boring enough as it is, and is entertaining only when it is perilously yet meticulously stamped out by Good.


You never played Dungeonkeeper, I can tell! Being evil in a game can be fun.
Fences - Organize your desktop icons today!
Reply #28 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
out-of-game ship builder.

Considering how much of a success Ship Design in GalCiv 2 was and is, this seems like an excellent idea for Stardock to me. It seems only logical to me to bring it to the next level. Some people might want do design a ship from time to time with all parts enabled.
Reply #29 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Considering how much of a success Ship Design in GalCiv 2 was and is, this seems like an excellent idea for Stardock to me. It seems only logical to me to bring it to the next level. Some people might want do design a ship from time to time with all parts enabled.


Exactly, I forgot to mention that in my first post. Since it was such a success the ship builder would prove that even more. It's a win-win situation if you ask me.
Reply #30 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Definately would like to see more planet environments as well as more terraforming options! That kind of stuff appeals to the hard-core sci-fi fan in me.
Reply #31 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
PLEEEAASSEE implement the economy makeover (seperate sliders for production / research , has been discussed in the forums a while ago, i think you know what i mean)

thats the most important feature by far for me
Reply #32 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Because my internet connection is so slow, it would take ages to doanload Dark Avatar. If I were to download it, could I use a download accelerator like GetRight, so that I could download it over a large period, such as a week, but only downloading for a few hours a day? And if I do get it, can I have a CD sent to me as well? And if that is possible, can the CD be sent to Australia (where I'm at)?
Reply #33 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
PLEEEAASSEE implement the economy makeover (seperate sliders for production / research

Fully agreed. The current system feels like - planned economy to me. *ducks and runs away*
Reply #34 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
And if I do get it, can I have a CD sent to me as well? And if that is possible, can the CD be sent to Australia (where I'm at)?

There's a "Download + CD" option for Dark Avatar already: Link

Is Australia served by the global mail services?
Reply #35 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I think the military aspect of the game should be scaled down (or the other peaceful aspects scaled up). As it is now you basically have the option to trade or to go to war with AI factions.
One relatively easy way to achieve this could be to make military units more expensive compared to non-military units (starbases, etc.) and less effective against other military units (battles could end without the complete destruction of either side, i.e. draw or retreat). And then of course the invasion mechanics need to be overhauled (separate military from civilian units, civilian resistance in newly conquered worlds, etc.).
With the military aspect not so predominant you could play tha game very differently.
Reply #36 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
more planet environments as well as more terraforming options! That kind of stuff appeals to the hard-core sci-fi fan in me.



The spice must flow!
Reply #38 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It was a toss-up between special environments and asteroid fields. I only went for special environments because I don't like the idea of civilizations claiming asteroid fields. I wanted to see some impassable terrain, and I guess asteroid fields is the best we can hope for. I'm also surprised custom opponents hasn't done better in the poll. This is another feature I'm very much looking forward to.

One feature I would like to see above all others however, is the ability to use new shipyards every game. Deleting all the ship designs and obsoleting the core ships gets really annoying after a while.
Reply #39 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
One feature I would like to see above all others however, is the ability to use new shipyards every game. Deleting all the ship designs and obsoleting the core ships gets really annoying after a while.


That's where the Ship Designer would come in!
Reply #40 from GalCiv2 Forums Top


I'd also like to keep track of scores of non-metaverse acceptable games (wich happens to be all of 'em actually).
Reply #41 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
New features I like most:

Varied planetary conditions (very original I know ) but seriously anything that changes the current default alien-races-are-oxygen-breathing-earth-like-gravity/environment-loving-humans-in-disguise setup is a move in the right direction. Make it as varied as possible - that would foster entirely new approach to colonisation and will put terraforming on the map (now a dead concept in the game)

Asteroid fields (which you can mine and defend). Yeah! By all means. Abstract resource symbols hanging in the void are a bizarre concept (not that I don't tolerate them). Hey while we at it, while don't you throw in nebulas which you can mine (for gas etc) but are dangerous to ships passing through (just a random thought) DDDDDDD

Ability to create your major races/contenders. Again, great idea for all those wanting to create their own galaxy using GC2 sandbox, myself included.

Any other improvements to the game a bonus.

The thing I long for but won't probably be covered: get rid of the United Planets concept, at least as a default feature after making first contact (why? how?). Let the civs invent and develop the concept later on but not from the start. The way that UP grow is also strange, new contact=new member ;/ (they agreed to join just like that?). Also why the alien (AI) civs cannot establish the leagues independently of the player (equivalent of Warsaw Pact, or OPEC). A bit more realism.

Right enough moaning. Dark Avatar will definitely make me a happier man.

Cheers
Reply #42 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I think what I would most like to see is a much larger tech base with some randomization in it. Different games with a different tech tree that kind of thing, maybe some race specific techs, expanded alignment techs, it gets very repetitive with the current tech tree, always researching the same things usually in close to the same order, some variability would vastly increase the replay value.
Reply #43 from GalCiv2 Forums Top


I think adding in a new way to win would be cool. Besides Culture, Tech, and Mil. Conquest. Maybe like a monetary victory like where you try to corner the stock markets in Alpha Centauri (AC) but to do that you'd have to have the funds to literally buy everyone out. That's just a thought.

Religion makes Civ 4 interesting. I doubt you'd want to touch that, though.

Scenarios that are un-orthodox among the regular orthodox ones. Can be said for campaign missions.

Hero's or Fleet Officers/ Captains, Admirals, etc. When a fleet has one in a ship, the whole fleet gets bonus to x, y and z. Officers get promoted after your sides wins a certain amount of space battles.

Personally, I'd like to see some advisors. I like the divine ruler feel, where all my commands get executed by pushing buttons and sliders. Still when I was getting the hang of things some advice would have been better than let the emperor walk around naked ("Emperor's New Clothes" Fable ). An economic advisor that can give you tax analysis. IE "Sire setting the rate to x as you want will result in severe unhappiness and may cause loss of revenue. " "However if you raise it to Y, you'll increase tax revenue and cause slight unhappiness. " Maybe show a graph to further emphasize. Military advisor to say Sir empire X,Y, and Z are wimps while we need to make sure we watch empire V, they're on par with us... etc. Also advisor analyzes & rates ships in comparison to another design you've made. Research advisor with a search for function units, ship components, techs. Like I want to get component X what do I need to research next ?


I can think of some more but this is what I came up with so far.

See you around the metaverse,

Shogun out.


Reply #44 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Oddly enough, the Epic generator sounds the most interesting followed by the custom AI. My plan: Make a really stupid race with 500% resource cheating. The asteriods mining could be interesting but they look a little too big in the screen shots.
Reply #45 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
My plan: Make a really stupid race with 500% resource cheating. The asteriods mining could be interesting but they look a little too big in the screen shots.


Play Heroes of Might & Magic V instead

Don't really care for this game but I choosed the terrain option.

Something I want changed though, is ship sizes. All ships must have a certain size so I DON'T have to zoom out to strategic view just to keep track of everything....
Reply #46 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
There's the new AI options where rather than just setting the difficulty to "hard" you can instead adjust resource bonus/penalty and AI playing intelligence independently.

It would be cool if you could set them to increase during the course of the game.
Dynamic Game Difficulty
Reply #47 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
out-of-game ship builder.


Yes! That allows you to save custom ships as files to import into games, so they don't all clog the shipyard! Perhaps even templates with no functional components, so that you can just drop them in, tweak, and go!
Reply #48 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'm 42 this year, so I'm bit outside the "normal" range. I really like GC2- definitely put it up there with Moo2. The ability to mod the xml really gives it staying power, and having modern graphics keeps it easy on the eyes.

0) Polish off the remaining bugs (not the minor stuff, just User interface and other coding stuff). Make sure that the game is solid before release (the beta can still have bugs, that's ok)

1) It would be very nice to be able to play GCII and GC-DA side by side. Will you give us the option to install both versions at the same time? Be nice to compare them side by side, to see how the add-on improves gameplay.

2) I like the idea that "Space is Dangerous" Space Pirates, asteroid or gaseous regions, More Galactic events. It really helps long term playability to introduce some minor random events, things the player has little control over, except in the response.

3) Given that the AI can ask me to uphold my part of alliance by going to war, I'd like the same option for the player, in addition to whatever other treaties you intend to add.

4) Can add a random event that "tests" your commitment to your alignment once you've officially settled on an alignment. Something that is painful in game terms to do, and failing to do so causes you to "lose" alignment bonuses for not being "true to faith". Example: Evil player has major planet revolt- must decide to demonstrate show of force by destroying planet, or lose Evil status, that sort of thing
Reply #49 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wow! Dark Avatar looks cool seriously going to buy it. Just got a couple of questions thought. It says you can download the game with the option of getting a copy of the game on CD sent out to you. Does that include to the United Kingdom?

Secondly. Will the custom ships designed in Galciv 2, be transfered on to Dark Avatar...as I've spent ages designing em, and whilst their not as shiny as other peoples, I've grown attached and would hate to lose em as sad as that sounds!

Thanks in advance
Reply #50 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Dark Avatar sounds great and I have already preordered it because of the fine work you guys have done with the previous 3 titles.

But one request i could make would be a wider range of techs

Keep up the good work.