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Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar 1.5X released

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Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar 1.5X released

The first update has arrived!

from GalCiv2 Forums

Stardock is pleased to announce that the first of many free updates to the award-winning expansion pack to Galactic Civilizations II has arrived.

Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar gets its AI updated, new play balancing tweaks, memory reduction and more.

In terms of the AI, we read through strategies posted on the forums and took notes as to how the top players were playing the game and then updated the AI to take advantage or thwart some of those strategies to various degrees.  Players should find the game significantly more challenging at higher levels (tough on up).

We reduced the memory use of the game by implementing a "garbage collection" feature in which obsolete ship designs the AI creates are removed from memory. This can reduce memory usage significantly in long games which in turn improves performance.

We also made changes to defense in that they're cheaper and use less space to encourage more usage of defense modules on ships. 

Many other minor tweaks were made based on player feedback.

If you don't already have Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar, you can get it here at GalCiv2.com or at retail in the form of Galactic Civilizations II: Gold Edition which includes (until April) a $10 rebate for people who have Galactic Civilizations II already inside the box.

To update, use Stardock Central which you can get in the downloads area here. This will update both Dark Avatar expansion pack users and users who have purchased the Gold Edition.

We hope you enjoy the updates and look forward to reading your feedback on the forums. Thanks for posting your ideas, suggestions, and requests, we hope we've been able to translate some of your AI and gameplay requests into action in this first update.

The full change log can be read here.

37,185 views 39 replies
Reply #26 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'm playing computer games since 15 years and i can't remember a company so close to its players. Thanks.

richard
Reply #27 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I'm playing computer games since 15 years and i can't remember a company so close to its players. Thanks.

richard


I can think of a couple, but they were at their height before the true flowering of the Internet and the flowering of connectivity between Designers and Players. I do agree with you that, here and now, Stardock sets a very high standard in taking care of its fan base.

Bravo!
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #28 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I do have to ask the perennial question, though: How will it affect pre-existing save games? I'm in the midst of a huge map (on the metaverse, no less, my first incidentally). Should I wait to download this until that game is finished?


They will work fine. I made special effort when I added new AI variables to make sure they wouldn't affect saved games.




So, the game I am playing now is the last one in which I will be able to so easily exploit the AI's insufficient response to cultural takeover. :Grin:

Reply #29 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Is it just me, or is tech trading completely nerfed? I can't seem to trade anything for anything - I usually trade "medium" techs for cash and a few low-level techs. Now I can't get _anything_ for less than 5 or so medium techs. I know they AI is evaluating them - but they don't want trade? Miniturization? Research centers? I can see not paying much for the colonization techs, no worries there. Confused - makes it pretty tough to end a war as well - no value to techs. Maybe a decimal point slipped?

Cheers
Scott


Yeah, they're really tough on tech trading now...at least on masochistic. You can no longer rely on the AI doing all your research (and I'm suffering for it as I tend to not build enough research buildings). But it is still possible to make *ok* trades if you have good relations and a decent diplo advantage. This is definitely the first game I've played where tech whoring is no longer a valid option...and I really like it (well, maybe it would be possible if you used 'super-diplomat').

This is truly an excellent update. I have to admit I was less than impressed with DA originally - but 1.5X is awesome.

Cheers

h

Reply #30 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I do hope these changes will make the AI start using defence on it's ships.
At present, because defence is totally useless, I never bother researching any of it. It is much better to go for the maximum attack possible.

The AI never uses it, so there is no point in researching anything other than the fastest attack technology, Beam.
This makes the whole research tree redundant and removes an interesting part of the game.
This opiniom is based on my experiences in one game.Which is not finished yet.
Reply #31 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

That's because in Dark Avatar originally the AI figured out what other players figured out that defenses were not very good per cost and size.  That's changed in 1.5X.

The fact the AI wasn't putting defenses on its ship was a tip off that defenses weren't as useful as they should be.

Reply #32 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Heh, it'll be figuring out the exploits next
Reply #33 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The update also killed my huge game. After updating, I have a memory leak in 3 different save games. Ah well. As long as a NEW game doesn't do this.

Chris.
Reply #34 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hey, wait a minute... I bought the gold edition at retail the other day and I didn't see any $10 rebate!
...
...
Aw, man. Found it. I guess I didn't go through all the stuff in the box very well. I tossed the receipt, though. Crap, crap, crap.

So now what? Drive down to Plymouth from Lansing so they can take a picture of me with both games as proof?
Reply #35 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

"Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar 1.5X released
The first update has arrived!
By Frogboy
Posted March 1, 2007 16:24:14

Stardock is pleased to announce that the first of many free updates to the award-winning expansion pack to Galactic Civilizations II has arrived....

To update, use Stardock Central which you can get in the downloads area here. This will update both Dark Avatar expansion pack users and users who have purchased the Gold Edition."

Today is the 14th, which is quite a bit more than "in the next few days". I've looked all over the forum, all over Stardock Central, and everywhere else I could think of. Yet, I can NOT find the patch or any link that leads to it. So, having been reading so much about how great this patch is, I'd seriously like to acquire it. I would have expected to to see a boldface link in very large letters proclaiming "Dowload it HERE." Yet, search as I might, I can't find it.

Reply #36 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I've looked all over the forum, all over Stardock Central,


The 1.5X patch is [only] on SDC. If you've got DA and GC2 registered to your account you should simply need to log in on SDC. If you don't have it set to automatically pop up with any updates, you'll need to manually hit the + by GC2, then select DA and hit update.
Reply #37 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Will be a way for a standalone download?. Right now I have bandwidth, but I don't like to rely on it.

Thanks.
Reply #38 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Doesnt Gal Civ Gold Edition have DA patched to 1.5 default?
Reply #39 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Will be a way for a standalone download?. Right now I have bandwidth, but I don't like to rely on it.


Not soon, however you can use SDC's archive option to save the updated version of the game off so you can stash a copy away for a backup, if that's your concern.


Doesnt Gal Civ Gold Edition have DA patched to 1.5 default?


GC2:Gold includes DL 1.5 and DA 1.5. The 1.5X and later patches for DA supercede the "plain" 1.5.