Tiny request regarding custom races

from GalCiv2 Forums
I get that SD doesn't want custom races to be as cool as the built-in races. I don't like it so much, but I get it - they don't want a game like MOO2 where there's very little point in playing a built-in race when a custom race is generally as good or better. So SD chooses to nerf the custom race making it so the 15 points, on average, are far fewer than the 7-10 points built-in races get once you factor in their built-in bonuses.

Okay, that's cool, makes their work of building interesting races worthwhile. Fine. But what I really hate is that I feel like building a custom race as an opponent is a bit of a cheat. I could build nine opponents who have a whole bunch of very small bonuses, make them peaceful as hell, and know that on any given map, a built-in race that specializes in one area will pretty much crush them all.

I don't do that, as I'm not that concerned with the points race, but I could.

Now, I don't much care what other people do, but I would like to know if SD ever plans to make it so I can build a cool custom opponent. I like the built-in races and all, but I wouldn't mind a custom opponent that isn't so crippled as the custom races tend to be. I'm fine with only being able to play a 15-point custom race, but it'd be nice to have 20 points or something when customizing an AI-only race. I'm sure I could do this by editing XML, but I have a feeling that race wouldn't be valid on the metaverse....
7,549 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I agree with your post 100%. Using a custom race by defult seems harder than if I use a regular race I try to customize that. Personally I would like a little more kick to custom races and I agree with 20 give or take a couple. I think they are close to it at 15 but, if you take the Thalians or the Yor for example they have a boat load more bonus's before you can add on an additional 8 more so than the 15 points can give you.

If Stardock feels that this will make the game to one sided where you can turn the race into a one sided monster than maybe they could make certain combinations limited like if moral and economy couldn't both be maxed out or something like that although you can get some really lopsided responses using regular races with the bonus just take the torian's you can get 150% reproduction rate with these bonus.

I agree this is a request its not a nessesity for the game I usually use lower dificulty settings when using a custom race.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Does it matter about the metaverse?

I don't use it myself and do edit the XML where ever I fancy. I'm having great fun creating powerful custom races then playing as a standard race.

like the 'Membari' a very power, Saintly race, but extremely warlike, they are on a mission to purge the galaxy of all evil, or indeed anything mildly evil. Those feckers like to try and wipe out everything in the name of goodness. Crusading nutters.

I have another evil race based on a name someone else here suggested the 'Nuts'. Again highly modified. Utterly Useless researchers, but breed like nobodies business and have a good economy. You tend to see alot of single Membari ships fully teched out going up against fleets of dozens of low tech Nuts ships.
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I think the reason thgat custom races dont get the same number of points to use is that the built-in races have some abilities that make then unique but dont really help them too much. At least a human player making a custom race would never waste points on them. Like the Yor with their 100% loyaly. If a human ahd the full number of point to use, the custom races would be quite powerful.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Nothing wrong with the Yor having such high loyalty, I NEVER have to worry about an AI flipping my planets because of this high loyalty.


All will fall before the might of the Yor Collective!!
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Oh, and I also long for a way to do whatever I want with a custom race in terms of points....

Why not have a "lame/whack/experimental" mode - whatever you wanna call it, and make it so the player can decide what he wants do to... if I wanna make an uber race with 50 points of stuff, why not... why shouldn't I be able to do it?

It's a single player game... why restrict the player?
I'll probably NEVER be interested in submitting a game to Metaverse.. why would I, it's a single player game... multi doesn't even enter my mind when I'm playing this game.

It's like Chess, not Counter Strike.




hopefully, that roundabout point made sense  
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
As noted above, if you're not interested in the metaverse you can freely edit the xml files however you like. They're about as straightfoward and human-readable as modding gets.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'm keen on the metaverse. I like being able to point friends to a link and say "look how big a nerd I really am!" Totally impresses the chicks, too.

I'd like to be able to play against the Cylon without feeling so bad. The problem is they're an awesome race that take a lot of risks - they're super fast and maximum aggressive combined with a few other appropriate boosts that I can't recall (soldiering and military production I think), but they can't compete in a universe that isn't practically custom-built for them. They're a fun race to have to deal with, but they are almost always inferior in a game that has the drengin or the korath.

I'd never expect an amped custom race to be allowed for me to play on the metaverse, but playing against powerful custom races would really be nice.

EDIT: Don't get me wrong, I think the modding ability is really cool. I'd just like to see modded custom races above a certain "value" allowed into metaverse games as opponents.