A preview of the NEXT Galactic Civilizations II update!

1.6 is done, time for 1.7!

from GalCiv2 Forums

Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar 1.6 is available for free download by all Dark Avatar players but we're just getting started in our after-release support! 

We're already well underway with Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar 1.7 (actually 1.61 will be available shortly which will have some graphics engine tweaks/fixes for some users who had problems with 1.6).

So what will 1.7 have in it? The screenshot on the right shows the new maintenance and leasing summary screen (and leases are getting a revamping to make them more attractive to use by both players and computer AI).

Other features include a new local high score list with a new hall of fame screen, Starbase managers, Starbase modules that raise maximum HP, Constructor rally point management, new mega events (based on player suggestions), Anomalies randomly return, a new type of governor based on rally point destination, updated computer AI, updated diplomacy AI, and more!  Stay tuned!

If you don't have Galactic Civilizations II, you can get Galactic Civilizations II: Gold Edition either directly via TotalGaming.net (which supports PayPal and most credit cards) or at your local retailer.  If you have Galactic Civilizations II already you can upgrade to Dark Avatar at the purchase page.

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Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Great news. Any ETA yet?
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Will the graphic engine tweaks assist with slow/choppy scrolling/zoom in Vista? In XP, the game played super fine but in Vista the zoom, especially, is sometimes ignored altogether. Is this just a function of Vista being graphically hungry? I have 2 GB RAM and a 7800 GTX with an Athlon 64 x2 4400+. Vista Ultimate is the 64-bit version.

I expect it's just due to Vista, and since I'm dual-booting with XP I can always go back and play on that if need be. Just hoping to switch some things over to Vista.
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
That is an awesome list of features... the amount of work you're putting into the post release of an already fantastic game is extraordinary.

Will we be getting a beta to test at some point?
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Will the graphic engine tweaks assist with slow/choppy scrolling/zoom in Vista? In XP, the game played super fine but in Vista the zoom, especially, is sometimes ignored altogether. Is this just a function of Vista being graphically hungry? I have 2 GB RAM and a 7800 GTX with an Athlon 64 x2 4400+. Vista Ultimate is the 64-bit version.

I expect it's just due to Vista, and since I'm dual-booting with XP I can always go back and play on that if need be. Just hoping to switch some things over to Vista.

That's what 1.6 should take care of.  You still need the new nVidia drivers though.

Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Will the graphic engine tweaks assist with slow/choppy scrolling/zoom in Vista?


That's been resolved since early in the 1.6 betas (Cari rewrote the minimap code to compensate for the poor 2d drawing on Vista+nVidia).
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Sounds excellent, can't wait. Are we going to be able to threaten the AI in 1.7? Properly threaten, not just demand stuff in return for nothing?
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! for taking care of the Starbase hit point issue... but i have to ask, will you be fixing the way all weapons on a starbase fire as one while ships get to fire thier guns separately? It would make sence to me to allow each weapon module to fire as a individual gun. this would also help make the weeker weapon modules more valuable. Thank you so much for lissening to our suggestions. Your costumer support really is why you continue to get my money. Thank you.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Please consider including a toggle to turn anomalies completely off, would you? I always considered them a mild irritation but at least they were gone after a few turns, the notion of them continuously popping back up dring the game is... unpleasant.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Can't you just set them to none in the galaxy setup screen at the beginning of the game? I always leave them on, but I'm pretty sure you can set them to none.
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Can't you just set them to none in the galaxy setup screen at the beginning of the game? I always leave them on, but I'm pretty sure you can set them to none.


Nope, it only goes down to "rare."
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I always considered them a mild irritation but at least they were gone after a few turns, the notion of them continuously popping back up dring the game is... unpleasant.


Well, you could mod it down to where there's only one type of anomaly that does absolutely nothing at all and no others
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I agree with Vinraith.

Eventhough I usually have the anomalies setting on 'common' or 'abundant', it'll be nice to have the option to turn it off completely to get a different experience.

I'm not a software program but I believe it'll just take a small change on the program code to have it completely turned off??

Nevertheless, I'm delighted 1.7 update will have anomalies respawning randomly. Will there be an option to turn on/off the ability to respawn anomalies?
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Played Supreme Commander yet? Of course you have. For 1.7 you guys should really steal the way that Supreme Commander zooms in, i.e. zooms in to where ever the cursor happens to be. Zooming out, grabbing the screen, moving it, zooming in, and then grabbing the screen again to move it to the exact spot I want makes my wrist sad. It's a nice, cheap feature that will get a thumbs up from everyone!
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hope you have read this thread:

Labs, factories and focus

The "All Labs/Factories" approach (ab)uses the game mechanic in a way that doesn't quite make sense, at least in my opinion. Yes, I know it's costly and difficult strategy to accomplish, but it just doesn't sound like the economy sliders are working like they should be when this kind of trick is possible. Spewing buildings and starships from research labs just doesn't sound right, no matter what kind of abstractions I try to do in my head

I'm all in for Mascrinthus's suggestion for removing the spending slider and separating production and research sliders, and I hope Brad & Stardock will take a deep look into the mechanics of economy management sliders.

PS. I also like the idea of losing some efficiency when using focus. In example, 100RPs from Labs => 75MPs to focused area. The percentage can be finetuned to fit game balance, of course.
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Okay, I have a question. I have two computers in my home. One has internet and stardock central on it. My other one has GalCivII on it. Is there a way for me to download the updates from stardock onto a CD or disk and then get those updates to load on my other computer? I'm not good with this computer stuff, but i really want these neat upgrades! So if you could tell me a way to do this and give me some instruction    (put it in simple terms, haha). This would really be appreciated.

Can't thank you guys enough,

RisingLegend
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Please consider including a toggle to turn anomalies completely off, would you?

Seconded. Shouldn't be hard to do given that there is a setting for it already, it just doesn't go down far enough. Please make sure that they don't reappear then though.
Reply #19 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
PS. I also like the idea of losing some efficiency when using focus. In example, 100RPs from Labs => 75MPs to focused area. The percentage can be finetuned to fit game balance, of course.

I disagree. There is a penalty already and you lose additional efficiency because not all bonuses (if any?) are applied on focused production/research.
Reply #20 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The "All Labs/Factories" approach (ab)uses the game mechanic in a way that doesn't quite make sense, at least in my opinion. Yes, I know it's costly and difficult strategy to accomplish, but it just doesn't sound like the economy sliders are working like they should be when this kind of trick is possible. Spewing buildings and starships from research labs just doesn't sound right, no matter what kind of abstractions I try to do in my head

I disagree. This strategy is very hard to do - it is not for the beginner - it is an advanced strategy that takes a lot of work.

Leave the sliders alone - there are enough nerfs now. If one does not want to use the sliders - set them and leave them alone. Easy choice. This is a SP game - the charm of it is in the fact you can do so much. Leave major changes for a new engine in GC3.

-----------------------------

Love the updats coming in 1.7....you are addressing a lot of stuff that have been discussed by the community over the last year...great job listening! Thanks!

Reply #21 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I think anomalies would contribute a lot more to the game if they were drastically reformed.

Right now, all that happens is that everyone starts off with a survey ship, and gets a fairly even share of small, insignifican bonuses that generally average out.

If it was me designing the game, i'd make the following changes, in the event that i considered it a high priority.

1 option to not start with a free survey ship. why should you have a ship with technology you haven't researched?

2 fewer anomalies but with larger effects. maybe even to the extent of gaining trade goods that can be sold to other civilisations or free technologies

3 anomalies do not randomly reappear, but rather are split into 4 categories on creation, each of which requires you to have researched a higher level of sensors before it it seen.

this system would make space exploration a valuable strategy and means of getting ahead throughout the game, but one that different civilisations will exploit to different degrees. ie, it wil be something to be prioritised along with developing your military, technology and economy, which it is certainly not at the moment.
Reply #22 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thank you, I can't wait for next patch

The lease manager seems it's going to be quite busy and have a looong list after mid-game. Maybe adding a sorting function to organise ships by cost/alpabetically/sector present? I think cost would be the more useful.

Three cheers for Stardock! Hip-hip-hoorey!
Reply #23 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Ok should i cut and paste my recent additions to the other thread about what i'd like added?
Reply #24 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Okay, I have a question. I have two computers in my home. One has internet and stardock central on it. My other one has GalCivII on it. Is there a way for me to download the updates from stardock onto a CD or disk and then get those updates to load on my other computer?


Yep. Right click on GC2 and in SDC and choose ARchive Application->Download and Archive (if you have a DVD burner or large USB drive, go ahead and agree when it asks if you want to do the modules too--if you only have a CD burnder, you'll want to say no to that and archive each part manually so you can fit them on the discs).

That'll make .sdc archive file(s) in C:\Program Files\Stardock\Stardock Central\BACKUP. Grab them and copy them to USB Drive/CDR/DVDR/etc alone with a copy of the SDC installer. Take them over to the offline machine, install SDC, then double-click the .sdc file(s) in explorer to unpack them. Then activate the game by email (fill out the activation prompt when you run the game, and when it fails due to lack of internet it should give you that option) with a trip back to the online machine and back to the offline machine again, and you should be ready to go.
Reply #25 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Any thoughts of adding some new types of troops to ground combat or some new eye candy for the ground battles?

Great work as always looking forward to playing 1.7