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Drengin Digest: February 2008

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Drengin Digest: February 2008

Status report

from GalCiv2 Forums

Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor is being worked on heavily. This week we started implementing a new feature that allows players to have the AI design ships for them. So for new players in particular who just want a decently designed ship, they can now get it with this new option.

Obviously the AI is going to be a major element of what we start working on. Beta 5, which is due out later this month to those who have pre-ordered it, will be the first beta with significant AI enhancements. It will also have a host of other tweaks based on increased internal play testing.

The last beta, beta 4C, was the first one to provide updated AI to the minor races. We haven't seen too many reports on any differences in their behavior. We'll be making a lot more tweaks to them. Basically, minor races will behave the same as major races in the final version except that they won't colonize new planets. But they'll invade, research, and just generally behave smarter than they have in the past.

For the past couple weeks, Stardock has had its collective attention on Sins of a Solar Empire. It's been a lot of work to get that out but the results have been fantastic. It's currently the #1 game in North America according to Gamerankings user interest polling. Sales have been phenomenal as well and the first few reviews have been very positive.

In the next week or so, we'll be migrating to an updated forum back-end that should be (in theory) much faster than what we have today.  It should also have a lot of cool new features. Naturally, everyone will hate it. :)

Most of the Stardock games team is working on the upcoming 4X fantasy strategy game which will be turn-based and have turn-based tactical battles and support multiplayer.  It uses a brand new engine we've been developing that allows players to zoom out and see the world as a cloth (Tolkien-esq) map or zoom in to see individual leaves on trees. The reason we've developed our own engine is so that we can have fine control on the hardware requirements. We want people with 5 year old systems to be able to play the game easily (and I mean play it VERY easily) but at the same time allow players with the latest DirectX 10 cards to get an incredible visual experience too.  We'll open that up for pre-orders (which will allow users into the beta) probably by end of Spring.

So that's what's happening.  Let us know if you need anything.

Cheers!

 

47,929 views 63 replies
Reply #51 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wow, I can hardly wait ;) You guys are awesome!

So that's what's happening. Let us know if you need anything.
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I guess ... more TotalGaming tokens :D
Reply #52 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Master of Magic bring back fond memories. I still have it too. The one of the greatest, or the greatest, fantasy 4x turn base strategy game in my opinion.

Hopefully Stardock and its affilates's 4x fantasy can surpass the content of MOM.
The Political Machine 2024
Reply #53 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hopefully Stardock and its affilates's 4x fantasy can surpass the content of MOM.
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The critical failing of MoM (apart from only supporting 320x200 graphics, which was unforgivable even in 1994) was its A.I. The game design and mechanics were fantastic, but in the end you were playing against a braindead opponent who just cheated massively. I have no doubt that Stardock can do much better in that regard. :)
Reply #54 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Master of Magic is still the most fleshed out fantasy TBS. The gameplay mechanics were great, the interface well designed and the quick fight mode a good combination of 'quick' and 'deep'. The greates weakness was probably the AI. The super hero strategy worked too well.
AOW1 & AOW2 had beautifull graphics and sound, and could have been great successors to MOM. But the gameplay was too dumbed down to be enjoyable. Too much randomness destroyed the strategy. In the end the games turned out to be very boring.
Dominions 3 is without any doubt the deepest strategy game I know and if you got used to the sub-low graphics and the 'combat programming' it's extremely addictive. But the biggest problem is still the AI. Super hero strategies also work far too well against the AI.
Disciples II is probably one of the most underestimated fantasy TBS games. I discovered it just by accident and it has probably the best quick-fight mode I know. It looks very simplistic at first, but it's actually very deep. It's also the only fantasy strategy game where I enjoyed the campaign mode. Though it lacks a bit in the 'world strategy' part.
Medieval - TW II is probably the most impressive strategy game at the moment. I'd really love to see a version with magic and fantasy in it. I guess the biggest weakness is also one of it's biggest strengths. The 'quick-fight' mode is pretty much a game of its own and definitely not 'quick'. Sure it's amazing too watch, but very often it's also a lot of work for little gain. It's pretty much wasting half an hour for a whole battle field fight or I've no control at all about the fight. I also miss an auto fight option so I can enjoy the graphics and know how the units behave in battle.
HOMM 5 is my biggest dissapointment so far. HOMM3 was nice, but HOMM5 reminds me more of a turn based screen safer. The weakest game I know if it comes to strategy. Diablo is chess compared to that. Almost everything is randomized an the unit stacking makes simple spam tactics too easy. The game could be still entertaining in a 'switch your brain off and enjoy the graphics' way. Unfortunately it also has the worst AI I've ever seen in my life. Sure, lot's of games have weak or even brain dead AI's, but they at least don't take 2 minutes for one AI player to decide what it should do with one single hero. I also read a quote of their AI programmer in their forum that the AI should 'simulate' a challenge at the start of the game and then just give up so the player can 'enjoy' a victory. After I read that I knew that I would never be on good terms with that developer team.
Reply #55 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

As for this turn-based "4X fantasy strategy game", that sounds very interesting. Can anyone name another game that something like this would be like? I just never have heard of a turn-based "4X fantasy strategy game" before??


The Heroes of Might and Magic series is sort of a 4X-Lite Fantasy strategy game. HOMM3 is my personal favorite. HOMM5, last I heard, has a horrible "cheating" AI, but is otherwise good. HOMM4 is so different from the others, but I still like it.

There was also Masters of Magic (or something like that), that, I believe, Stardock tried getting the permission to do a direct sequel of. There's Dominions series too, of course.

Either way, I am highly looking forward to this 4x fantasy game.
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I've played all the HOMM's as well, and I occasionally play MoM using dosbox.

Good games.

I'll be another preorder. :)
Reply #56 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
They haven't pushed out a build yet to my knowledge that was world-ending buggy.
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If I had a bone to pick with Stardock, it'd be this. Yes, for the most part, none of their games have crippling bugs in them, but there's a list of minor bugs that's three miles long, most of which have been around since *DL* that have gone unfixed.

They're mostly minor, cosmetic, or at best mildly annoying, but the sheer volume of them is what's wrong. It's like having a Ferrari that had a dead fish under the seats for a while. It's an awesome car, it performs great, and it's a pinnacle of engineering and loads of fun, but it'll still always smell like crap. Yeah, they have other priorities, but like I said - these aren't all TA bugs, or even DA bugs, many of them are DL bugs.

The other thing is the loads of 'features' that the community universally despises. The 'tie' rule, the tech trading, the espionage system, all of which will likely never get a proper fix.

(Oh and you can add the stuck-turn bug to 'world-endingly buggy', though that appears to have been fixed).

Reply #57 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I am stoked by the announcement of a turn based 4x Fantasy game and shall be looking forward to that! especially if it has the sort of play say Age of Wonders and Masters of Magic but with more options and being a little less totally combat oriented.

sins looks nice but not being a fan of rts games in any shape or form ill pass on it and stick with Gal Civ:DA for my sci fi fix :)
Reply #58 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
*Can hardly wait for next beta* :)
Reply #59 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
"Most of the Stardock games team is working on the upcoming 4X fantasy strategy game which will be turn-based and have turn-based tactical battles and support multiplayer"


it was unkind to speak of this and not have more information available. It may have satisfied the sadistic streak in you, but your karma has taken a hit.

Reply #60 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Most of the Stardock games team is working on the upcoming 4X fantasy strategy game which will be turn-based and have turn-based tactical battles and support multiplayer ... We'll open that up for pre-orders (which will allow users into the beta) probably by end of Spring.
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Just so y'all know how much you've beaten me into submission: I'd preorder the thing TODAY, even not knowing the title. "Stardock" + "4X TB Fantasy Strategy" is all I needed to know. See you in the beta, Lord willing.
Reply #61 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
While a 4x fantasy strategy game sounds great (maybe lords of magic but fun and non-buggy) I'd rather hear news about Dark Avatar getting finished...

I'm dying to get at the improvements that must be in there since last update. Not to mention this beta is getting a little long in the tooth.
Reply #62 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
While a 4x fantasy strategy game sounds great (maybe lords of magic but fun and non-buggy) I'd rather hear news about Dark Avatar getting finished... I'm dying to get at the improvements that must be in there since last update. Not to mention this beta is getting a little long in the tooth.
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Dark Avatar isn't finished?
Reply #63 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
So do we have any new updates?

I know there are always delays. since it was to be near the end of spring and we are now there... when is the new update?