First game of TotA

Hmmm...didn't go so well

Played my first game of TotA tonight.  I'm decent at GalCiv 2, and usually play pretty peacefully.  So I started off that way here too.  Good emphasis on research, a bit of trade building up, a few trade goods built or being built.

Specifically, I had built diplomatic translators and was building Harmony Crystals.  I was researching Heavy Gravity Colonization, and had no military yet.  I had the first 2 trade techs and was sending trading vessels out.

So in other words, I was still pretty early into the game.  I had about 10 planets, and had only made contact with 2 other major civs.

Suddenly I got an event.  The Jagged Knife, or something like that.  It said it's this race that came and claimed planets from across the galaxy--27 total, including 3 of mine.  And not just any 3, but my BEST 3, including my 20+ pop planet that WAS building Harmony Crystals.  AND they took everyone's tech, basically making them immediately by FAR the dominant race in the galaxy.  I didn't even play another turn.

Um, that seems a bit excessive for an event.  I mean, didn't my planets (or anyone else's) at least TRY to put up a fight?  Or see them coming?  Hell, a CTD might have been a less jarring way to end that game...

7,761 views 10 replies
Reply #1 Top
That was one of many "mega-events" that exists to make it "a little more interesting" hehe. If you don't like them you should turn them off, I have.

I guess they are for veteran players that want extra difficulty.
Reply #2 Top
Well, that event was there from DA. Turn them off for the first couple of games, till you get the hang of it.
Reply #3 Top
All I can say is, turn mega events *OFF* unless you like the experience of getting your spleen ripped out completely at random. I always play with them off - there's still random events, just not the mega-annoying events that turn the entire galaxy upside down and destroy games. I'm not sure if they're disabled by default, but they should be. Experienced players know enough to turn them on if they want them, it's no trouble for them to do so. New players don't know to turn them off, and it destroys games and teaches them that GalCiv is about playing, having fun, and then watching your game go to heck and get ruined in front of you. It's terrible PR.
Reply #4 Top
This particular event has happened to me a couple of time, but it's usually pretty late in the game. A few games back I was playing as the Krynn, was just about done wiping out the Korath and was allies with everyone else. The newly created civ took five of my planets, and I considered breaking my alliances so I could take my planets back, but decided it wasn't worth it, really. I don't have any problem with random events (some of them are pretty cool), but I certainly agree that this particular one would be terrible early on.
Reply #5 Top
I had this event happen to me and I attacked them right away beacause none of their planets were defended.Not only did I get some juicy planets but I also stole some nice techs from the resulting invasions. This obviously dosen't work though if you are trying to win a game peacefully, but if you are willing and able to change your strategy you can benefit from something like this happening in the game but if you don't like that style of play just turn off the mega events as suggested before.
Reply #6 Top
This particular event has happened to me a couple of time, but it's usually pretty late in the game. A few games back I was playing as the Krynn, was just about done wiping out the Korath and was allies with everyone else. The newly created civ took five of my planets, and I considered breaking my alliances so I could take my planets back, but decided it wasn't worth it, really. I don't have any problem with random events (some of them are pretty cool), but I certainly agree that this particular one would be terrible early on.
End of quote


I'm not sure I understand the situation. . . why would you need to break alliances in order to attack the Jagged Knife? Did you immediately ally with them after they took five of your planets?
Reply #7 Top
Well, to be fair they are megaevents. They do just what it says on the tin. They mega affect your gameplay and change the course of the game. They are supposed to do that.
Reply #8 Top
Something might be said for turning off megaevents for the first few games of TOTA, until the new quirks and features are completely grokked.

Reply #9 Top
Thanks for the feedback. I turned them off for the second game, and it's going much more smoothly. I haven't played GalCiv2 since the expansion was announced; I used to play with the mega events on, but never got hit with anything of that magnitidue, so I just figured that it was a product of TotA. Regardless, I'm quite happy, as others apparently, playing with them off.  :D 
Reply #10 Top
Rakenan, the situation was this: I was on my way to a diplomatic victory and the only thing left to do was get rid of two or three Korath planets. In order to take back the Jagged Knife planets I would have had to break an alliance with a major civ so I would not win the game. It really wasn't worth it.