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GC: Altarian Prophecy Beta 4 (1.49J)

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GC: Altarian Prophecy Beta 4 (1.49J)

from Stardock Forums

We put up a new build today of GalCiv Altarian Prophecy for those of you who have Drengin.net. http://www.drengin.net.

We implemented some fo the changes we had talked about for being in the base GalCiv 1.21 here.  Let me discuss some of them here.

1) I made it so that minor races no longer build trade goods. This will have a definite change on the game both making it easier and harder for players depending on their strategy.

2) Starbases are now MUCH cheaper to build. I think the base cost is $150 instead of $200. But you get X number of them for free based on the size of the galaxy where X = radius of the galaxy. (12 x 12 galaxy would be 6 free star bases).

3) HOWEVER...certain modules now cost $$ to build. Mainly low level ones that make a big difference early in the game or can be used as an exploit.

4) Modules have also been tweaked so that they're more spread out and mroe orderly (battle stations requires turrets now for instance).

5) Defense modules have been strengthened at higher levels so that they should survive better later in the game.

6) Influence has been changed in how it claculations. THIS WILL NEED PLAY TESTING. Previously it worked as follows:

You had Sector Influnece X. And # of Starbases in sector Y.

It would then go through a loop and say X = X+ X*Starbase[Y].InfluenceModifier

Do you see what that would do? The more starbaess you had doing influence, the more powerful it would get.

Now it changed to this:

We add up the total influence bonuses FIRST and then mulitiply it later. This will dramaticlaly change influence pumping in the sense that you'll want to pump up fewer starbases more rather than have more starbases with fewer cultural enhancements.

Now, for Altarian Prophecy players:

WE NEED YOUR HELP: Please play the campaign. We need to know what works for you, what doesn't.

And as if that wasn't enough, Stardock Central has undergone a great deal of work to try to make it faster and more reliable when downloading and gathering things. But wait, that's not all, a whole new version of SDC is in the works with a much cleaner interface. But hopefully the days of  "I cna't find GalCiv on SDC" will soon be over.

You will probably need to go to tools->Check for updates to make sure you have the latest one. Make sure you have SDC v1.3.

2,149 views 63 replies
Reply #51 from Stardock Forums Top
I have realized that the main reason i don't see a problem in the higher cost of cultural starbases is probably, because i allways chase (and trade for) all the influence ressources i can get my hands on (on huge 3-5). Maxing this ressources out normally gives ne a cultural boost, that makes me 2-3 times stronger (in influence) than the AI's.
Reply #52 from Stardock Forums Top
I have realized that the main reason i don't see a problem in the higher cost of cultural starbases is probably, because i allways chase (and trade for) all the influence ressources i can get my hands on (on huge 3-5).
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I think we're getting confused with two different things. The higher costs, and the new formula are two completely different changes made in this build. The costs one is just annoying an unnecessary in my opinion. Not to mention, inconsistent with other modules and annoying and ugly from a UI perspective.

My bigger dispute is with the new formula. In fact, if the developers like the new formula. Then I think the additional costs for modules is compeletely unecessary because the former will stop any abuses anyway.
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Reply #53 from Stardock Forums Top
#49 by Veteran Star Pilot
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Sorry, I don't know what to say. My findings are very different than what you describe. Maybe it's because you're playing at Normal, and I'm playing at Masochistic?

And half the Military upgrades cost money. All Battle Stations cost 100, Protective Shields cost 100, and half the remain attack enhancers (Dread drones cost 200, but Micro Fighters is still free, for example).
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So half the military ones cost money, half the culture ones cost money, none of the economic or defensive ones do... Ah, nice and consistent.

I find it strange that about half of the attack improvements and just under half of Culture modules cost money. It seems to me that if half costs, then the other half should as well. Otherwise, why bother?
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I agree compeltely. Also from a UI perspective it's just annoying. I think we're paying enough for constructors and starbases modules shouldn't cost anything. Otherwise, just make constructors cost more, that's easier from a UI perspective.

The biggest change I've found by far is that with the inclusion of two new Majors, the speed at which Battleship and Dreadnaught techs are researched has speeded up greatly.
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That might be true, but doesn't affect me since I never war early in the game. I don't think I've ever faught in the era of Battleships. Dreadnaughts at the earliest, and usually not until Overlords.

However, this effect is actually beneficial to the Human. As the AI will trade you Battleship technology easily and cheaply on its own, and will do the same for Dreadnaughts.
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My favorite is when they refuse a trade for 8 techs for one military tech, and then a few turns later offer me the military one for a single tech, usually something minor like "Brain Wave Mapping". Oops, just noticed you said the same thing, using "Drones" as your example. :-)
Reply #54 from Stardock Forums Top
Paguma, I was thinking it may be because you are playing Maso that you find Culture/Influence to be so much weaker. The AI does get bonuses on Maso, and I thought one of them was effectively Cultural resist? I don't play Maso and I don't recall what all the bonuses the AI gets at that level.
Reply #55 from Stardock Forums Top
Do I ever have a perfect example of how these changes just don't work.

In my current game I have the ideal situation you might want to do a cultural attack. My home sector has 5 planets in 4 systems. There are 3 planets from other races in adjacent sectors. This seems like the ideal time to boost my culture to absorb the aliens on my doorstep. This would be be a perfect example of a non-cheesy use of a cultural attack right? Get a load of this!

T1 | T2 | 0
------------
E2 | E1 | 0
------------
0 | 0 | D1

E1 is my home sector. I have 4 systems with the following influences: 59,22,20,19. These include my politcal capital and the planets that I built 2 cultural wonders on. Also, the 9 fully culturally maxed out starbases with +343% culture each.

Sector Influence:

CSF: 53548
Torian: 835

E2 is another habitable system for me, it's influence is: 28

Sector Influence:
- CSF 7390
- Torian 835

T1, the Torians have 2 planets here, one of which they stole from me culturally early in the game. Which is really frustrating since I can't take it back with far superior circumstances. The planet influences: 26, 7

Sector Influennce:
CSF - 7096
Torian - 1607

T2 has another Torian planet, influence 35

Sector Influence:
CSF - 7096
Torian - 1552

D1 is a Drath planet, a much weaker race than the Torians, and I can't even cause a revolt on it! Planet influence: 34

Sector Influence:
CSF - 7096
Drath - 1000

None of the planets are revolting.

Sorry but if I can't do a cultural attack in the above circumstances, with as much invested into the attack as I have, it's clearly just not working, at least at Masochistic.

Again, I have the save game if anybody at Stardock wants to see it.
Reply #56 from Stardock Forums Top
Hmmm...

I just finished a "maso" game in which I flipped a number of systems. The key "seemed" to be having culture SBs and/or planets in at least 5 of the 8 surrounding sectors plus significant advantage in universal influence. Localizing influence in one sector is less effective than spreading it over several adjacent sectors.
Reply #57 from Stardock Forums Top
it's clearly just not working, at least at Masochistic.
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At Maso the AI does get a boost to Loyalty (something around +60%, I think) that makes cultural domination slower.

At Normal difficulty, a three hundred point difference in influence is more than enough to start defections, it just takes some time.

~SDC~
Reply #58 from Stardock Forums Top
#55 by Citizen Paguma - 3/20/2004 10:48:17 AM Do I ever have a perfect example of how these changes just don't work. In my current game I have the ideal situation you might want to do a cultural attack. My home sector has 5 planets in 4 systems. There are 3 planets from other races in adjacent sectors. This seems like the ideal time to boost my culture to absorb the aliens on my doorstep. This would be be a perfect example of a non-cheesy use of a cultural attack right? Get a load of this!
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Honestly, I haven't really had any problems flipping planets. One planet with a maxed out culture bomb can overwhelm an adjacent sector, sometimes even when that sector has several AI owned planets within. Once that sector flips, the sectors around it start falling like dominoes. Heck, I've flipped adjacent sectors by colonizing a class 10 planet!

Are you sure you haven't let the AI's get all those influence resources, wonders and trade goods?

Bill
~SDC~
[Message Edited]
Reply #59 from Stardock Forums Top
Are you sure you haven't let the AI's get all those influence resources, wonders and trade goods?
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They may have some wonders, but I have at least 2, as well as all the trade goods, so it shouldn't be any worse than a tie.

The key "seemed" to be having culture SBs and/or planets in at least 5 of the 8 surrounding sectors plus significant advantage in universal influence.
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Yes, but at this cost, there is no point. You're almost better off just invading. I find it especially frustrating because I thought the above example was a perfect example of when you'd want to use a cultural attack.

Honestly, I'm sorry, but I don't want to do any more testing. I'm finding it very frustrating and it just turns me off the game completely. I'll just stop doing cultural attacks. Unfortunately, I feel the game has just taken away an option. Less options means less interest...
Reply #60 from Stardock Forums Top
Paquma:

Hmmm, according to those numbers that you posted, it should have been a cakewalk to flip them. I don't understand why, but I do understand your frustration. Sorry I can't help you. I'm playing at Maso, too, so I don't think that's an issue.

Bill

~SDC~
Reply #61 from Stardock Forums Top
Just a brief thought - given the games 'E' rating, is it appropriate to describe the Korx as 'evil bastards'? :notsure:
Reply #62 from Stardock Forums Top
Just a brief thought - given the games 'E' rating, is it appropriate to describe the Korx as 'evil bastards'?
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Why not? Maybe they were all offspring born out of wedlock. Maybe that's why they're cranky. ;)

Bill

~SDC~
Reply #63 from Stardock Forums Top
Paguma, do you know which government type the other rathes have?