Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor Beta 5

It's here!

https://www.galciv2.com/Journals.aspx
from GalCiv2 Forums

Good thing there are 29 days in February or we wouldn't have gotten this out "this month".

Beta 5 of Twilight of the Arnor arrives and it has some pretty huge new features.

Here are a few of the major highlights:

  • Ascension Victory Condition is now in! Maps with this condition enabled get 5 ascension crystals. Build a starbase on them and collect 1 ascenion point per turn for each one. Collect 1000 and win. Of course, the alien civilizations won't be too keen on this.

  • AI designed ships.  Players can now opt to have the computer AI design combat ships for them.

  • Auto-Launching of ships. Players can specific various parameters to have ships auto launch when they're built.

  • Custom Races are back in! Now you can design your own race and choose which technology tree for them to use.

  • Updated graphics. Make sure you ooh and ahh at the updated human ship textures and such. And feel good knowing they use a fraction of the memory that they did back when they were ugly.

  • Updated Economy. Mo money.

  • New weapon effects!

  • First build with any real AI updates.  The beta 5 series begins the official updating of the computer AI players. 

 

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Full change log

 

49,216 views 65 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Marry me? :D
Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Arrrr!!!!

Weekend saved.

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Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Great!!! Just got it downloaded....going to try it out now..... :HOT: 
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
And feel good knowing they use a fraction of the memory that they did back when they were ugly.
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Good to see a dev team with a sense of humor :D

Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
BTW, the ascension game mechanic is totally fun so far. I'm having a blast with it.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Sweet! Now I can use custom races with my custom maps
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Woo, sounds like a lot of fun!
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I just slapped my grandmother!

Finally CUSTOM RACES ARE BACK IN! Thank you, thank you!

Weekend will be fun after all!
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks for the update. But i've got a question, when you guys at Stardock start working on the campaign will you be using the campaign editor?
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
how do you update beta 5? Stardock central for me doesn't hsow anything new since 2/19 for Twilight of the Arnor.
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
kryo says:
Set server to US-1, Show prerelease, Refresh XML, restart SDC.
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Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Updated Economy. Mo money.
End of quote


Rock on. Really you had me at Hello! But all the goodies are just groovy.
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I still can't get the update to take as the previous update problem has carried forward for me. It got to the Extracting phase but now infinite loops from 0 - 2 % on the SetRegistryValue.vbs.
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Excellent. Time make my custom race!

________________
Edit:
I thought we were getting some more editors, not re-enabling custom races like they used to be (mostly). The only difference being we choose which tech tree to use.
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
aaahhhh I hate you...!
custom races, AI design ships, updated graphics, and again custom races! Well I was modifying human race to my taste before but now its much better since I can give them specific tech too.
I hope custom maps will work too and map editor wont crash.
Have to say I didnt expect so much stuff in a beta a little before final..
love u guys..
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The graphics for transports are now disappearing randomly just a fyi. Keep up the good work!
Reply #19 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yes, Its just a sad fact that this is the last expension pack :(
but oh well, its one well of a one :P
Reply #20 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The graphics for transports are now disappearing randomly just a fyi. Keep up the good work!
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+1 .
Also the game crashes to desktop from time to time.

Another thing I noticed is that it become a bit harder to play using anything that not human.
Reply #21 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
my colony ships disappear and then reappear on a save reload
Reply #22 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
A starbase on an ascension crystal, when destroyed, cannot be rebuilt. The constructor just sits there. You can however build another type of starbase atop the site, which is weird--it's like destroying the starbase destroys the crystal, only not.

The mini-graphic at the bottom of the screen representing a ship does not upgrade with the ship upgrade.

I have no CTD issues, but I've only had a few hours with it.
Reply #24 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Awww, I LIKED the huge military maintainence. Will the final game provide a way to mod that in? ;)
Reply #25 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
my colony ships disappear and then reappear on a save reload
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Actually currently at this stage ALL my ships started to disappear including once even starbase (after a fight).

Also for some reason there are some specific starbases that can't be repaired with "starbase repair pack" - computer just says "no modules to install" even when starbase has health 4/48 , while other starbase with 42/48 can be repaired just fine.