jwburks

Join Date 03/2007

Haven't Played This Game In A Long Time, Just Updated It; Not Much Has Been Fixed.

That is very sad.

Hm. Been a while. Maybe a week or two after this game was released is when I bought it on the advice of some forum mates over at BioWare.com's Off Topic forums. It was fun at first, mainly because you have more breathing room than Civ IV and you can build your own ships and what-not, but to be honest the game was a little shoddy. Sadly, it still is. Don't know how many times this game has been patched, but it seems to have been a lot. So why does nothing seem different? The controls are still a mess, the AI are still morons, the tech tree still doesn't tell you anything so you're researching blindly. That's only a few things I can think of at the moment, but there's plenty more. Still, the burdensome controls and micromanagement coupled with the simplistic tech tree (each tech gives you a building that takes longer to build and gives slightly more, or a weapon that does the same damage but takes up a little less space, etc.)... makes for a very sad experience if you ask me. I'm sad to see that all of the great ideas that were asked for and posted before I stopped playing... none of them were added, and it's been a long, long time. Why did they ask, then? To makes us feel like we actually have a voice here? Bah! When the hell is this game going to be worth the money I paid for it?

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Maybe never - for you.

This game requires intelligence.

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I have been playing turn-based strategy games, including the civ series, the MOO series, and Alpha Centari for many, many years, and let me tell you, I don't know what you're talking about.

This game is fantastic. The AI is known as being one of the smartest in any game, although I've heard that it is pretty dumb if you play it on the easier AI levels. That's what you get if you play it in easy mode--it's easy! Sheesh.

Some of your other complaints are actually features, in my mind. And most of the things changed in the patches, rather than being bug fixes, are brand new improvements and features, like a new graphics engine or improved AI, the kind of the things no other game company will add in a patch.

Now, this game is not for everyone. Perhaps it just isn't your cup of tea. That's fine. To each his or her own. But don't come in here insult this game and the fine folks who actually listen to their player base. I mean the owner of the company actually comes in here and answers questions and apparently makes himself available on irc chat sometimes. THE STINKIN OWNER HIMSELF!

Oh yeah, you'll find that as a result of the fine way we're treated, the play base here is among the most loyal of any game I have ever seen. This message is probably going to be one of the nicest and most understanding you're going to get.

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Not sure exactly what you think should be different. Some of what seems to bother you is simply part of playing a 4x game, and could not be changed by the nature of things (and those of us who like the game would not want them changed.) I'm particularly puzzled by the one specific example you give, i.e., that an advancement in weapons technology makes the weapon more powerful or smaller. What else in the world do you expect to happen? I'm sorry you bought a product that you do not like, but I for one am quite pleased with my purchase.

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I think he was expecting that the weapon would give more damage per weapon unit, instead of realising that when each weapon is smaller, you can choose to fit more on the ship(thus making the ship more powerful in attack) or you can use the saved space to maintain the same offensive ability but add extra speed or armour or whatever else you need to it.

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Agreed, the AI is so far the best I have seen. They scale very nicely with difficulty levels without resorting to blatant cheating.

However, he rises a valid point: You DO research more or less blindly, because the techtree doesn't exactly tell you beforehand what you get. Makes it harder on the beginner, until you know what the improvements are. On the other hand, this is only realistic, most of the time we research towards a general goal, with the specifics becoming clearer only over time. Also, the progression towards smaller components is seen already today: CPU development is based more or less on the premise that we can manufacture smaller and smaller circuits.

Given the (in my opinion) quite major changes from DA, the latest patches and particularly TotA, I have to ask the OP which game version is he playing?

On a side note, I said it before, but the only space 4X game that is better than GalCiv2 is the immortal Master of Orion 2.

Others are either overly complicated, user-unfriendly, shallow or pale wanna-be copies. GalCiv is the only worthy heir, and I'm already in near bliss with the expectation of Stardocks 'Not-Master of Magic'.

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However, he rises a valid point: You DO research more or less blindly, because the techtree doesn't exactly tell you beforehand what you get. Makes it harder on the beginner, until you know what the improvements are.

True, but that's true of every 4x game. There's really no avoiding it completely, although I understand some of the changes in the new expansion should help.

What he needs to realize is that GCII breaks up what would normally be one tech in other games into several. Techs in GCII are a LOT quicker to research, but most represent incremental improvement on existing technologies. There are a lot of techs which do actually do more damage, go faster or so fourth, but you have to go through all the steps to get there. Yeah, it's different, but how is that a bad thing?

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No, he is right we get no say in how the game is developed. Oh, and call me when the head of another game company will speak to me. I'm busy talking to Brad.

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CobraA1

Join Date 09/2006

+26

I think this game probably just isn't your cup of tea . . .

I don't have any problems, and I think TA is going to improve the tech tree so you have a better idea what you'll be getting.

If the AI isn't smart enough for you, crank up the difficulty, or get a better CPU - I think it's designed to scale with the processor.

The structure of tech tree is also getting an overhaul in TA, with races getting their own custom improvements and stuff.

Curious: What don't you like about the controls? They seem to be decent to me.

When the hell is this game going to be worth the money I paid for it?

I dunno about you, but I think it was worth every penny for me. I do plan on getting future expansions, and I'm saving up for Stardock's Object Desktop. IMHO Stardock makes great products and has earned my support

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Neilo

Join Date 04/2006

+128

And i suppose you refuse to use the wheel.

That has not been updated in something like 2000 years... Why? There's nothing wrong with the design and function. Same goes here, sure the wheel has seen it's share of tweaks as has this game, but when the foundation is solid there is no reason to frak with it.

I guess you and this game just don't mix. It's a shame as you will not find a better developer and promoter of their products as Stardock.

Not that you will spend the money, but the tech tree is taken care of in TA, the new expansion pack, Twilight of the Arnor.

Not sure what it is about this game that is not worth the money. I for one have never bought a more worthwhile item in my life.

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Gee, a wasp is buzzing above my skinny head. Will it sting? Can it actually disturb me enough so that i change my mind about splendid games i bought (with my very own hard-earned ca$h.. cuz, i WANTED to.) and some people who plunck back here to spit their poison on my otherwise good mood.

Tell you what, jwburks, you've got some nerves - we're in a free world after all and anyone has a right for an opinion. Yours stops where mine begins. Keep reading along my dear insect....

I am a Scifi fanatic. I enjoy playing stuff which immerses the wildest side(s) of imagination into their concepts and fantastic designs. GC2 is one of those. Just a tiny slightly 'above' the X-Com (UFO-Defense tactical combat) franchise. No small feat in my case.

Now, i'm not the last Hard-core gamer out there either. I've coded procedures & functions in numerous spaghetti (more like soup noodles for the kiddies) sources, declared a giga-slide worth of variables/constants and routines, and compiled the final 589,156 (+/-250,000 more on average) lines worth of push/jmp/srl on hexas while crossing every last fingers still attached to hands in pain from hitting keyboards for hours and days. Only to witness the whole junk of pile crash many times over. Programmer's hell, waste and doubts. Tears of blood running down the schedule imposed by Capitalist freaks the size of an Iceberg afloat.

All the while SD does an excellent job in all aspects of development, service, support, quality, stability, and soooooo on.

So don't come here, complaining about your bad rap experiences with Galactic Civilization II, expansions included. I don't work for these people, but say if i would - i'd be running the heck out of my busy chair to spell it out loud for you;

PLAY or LEAVE us all Alone!

- Zyxpsilon.

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Further proof that you can literally have some of the best game support in the industry and there will still be people chucking bricks at your windows. You can't please all of the people all of the time indeed.

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Hi!
I remember you complainig about the game some months ago ( I don't think I am cut out for this type of game ), so it seems to me it's not the game, it's you who has the problem. Like others wrote, it's just not your coup of tea. Please don't spit all over it because of that. Nobody forces you to play it, does he?

BR, Iztok

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Actually, unless I'm just tired and misinterpreted, but the tech tree does say what will be researched later on. Maybe not exact specifications (like how much damage and space those phasors III will take up) but needless to say, the info is there, just have to click on the box.

Well, I'm not trying to convince anyone this game is good, I hate the attitude that is rampant these days whereby a product must meet all expectations or otherwise heralded as rubbish. I do remember when I first bought this game the bugs (especially CTD) drove me nuts, and yet I stuck with it. Now with improved graphics, optimisations from patches, AI tweaks, additional features, this game has evolved (yes, I say evolved) into something I truly consider to be awesome, if it was great initially. Many companies could learn from the AI system in use. If Civ IV had the AI like Gal Civ, I'd be so much more happier. In fact, I can only think of 2 other games with an AI like Gal Civ, they are Far Cry and Z (apparently with Z, the better the processer, the smarter the enemy, so kinda fits). Correct me if I'm wrong.

Why can people not be patient these days, especially with the small independant developers, and see a game as being an investment in leisure time. I guess it is just a lack of patience. If one lacks patience, then this game is most likely to be unsuitable.

Meh, I'll stop rambling on now

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In short everyone has their opinion. Like well uh, I can't quote that. Anyways, My own opinion is that the thread starter is wrong. I will not insult their intelligence or lack of, nor their upbringing.. nor... Anyways. GCII a great game. Still some haters out there

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Exactly, Everyone has an opinion just like an ...hole. It is not wrong, just different from everyone elses. I don't like the Nintendo WEI, I think it's a joke, but I'm not going to shoot it down because it's not my type of game.

Maybe first person shooters are more for you, or does Halo suck as well?

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Ahem.

Troll.

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always nice to get a fire going on cold autumn mornings... or at least a few flames

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After reading up some of the answers found in the link provided by Iztoc, where (in as far as in March, an eternity in any gaming-world sense!) most people here graciously and politely gave you numerous hints to enjoy GCII gameplay, this latest situation now bugs the heck out of my greatest understanding attempts.

So i'll repeat the reasoning.
You HAD nerves, plenty of it.
Or else...

- Zyxpsilon.

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I also read the link, after I posted my comment, otherwise I may not have been so polite.

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I don't feel the least bit sorry for you, there was a demo on the site you could have just as easily downloaded. You should have downloaded it and played it to see if it was your kind of game instead of just going by word-of-mouth. Oh well, you live and you learn.

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