Disappointing Ground Combat

from GalCiv2 Forums
As it looks now, the ground combat "system" in galciv 2 is not very apart from the old one in Galciv1. Which was very cheesy and disappointing.

I cannot understand why one makes a 4x game and dont integrate a good combat system for ground forces. Lets see the classic games approach to this topic:

-MOO2 tried it and it was ok. (option to buy marine barracks and command points draining due to invasion transporters)
-Star General tried it and it was very good. (the planetary map was not too big and there have been alot of options...)
-Empire of Fading Suns tried it and it was excellent - but also complex and a little bit too time consuming
-Space Empire tried it and it was good in it. (several troop designs and the option to fortify planets with additional ground troopers)

-Galciv 1 did not try to develope a proper ground combat system and it seems the same approach is taken in Galciv2. Its a pity.
22,344 views 18 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Well im thankful there is atleast basic ground combat this time around
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
As Funboy stated ion another thread - "it's strategic game. it will not be any tactical combat whatsoever" .
Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Yes "Funboy" indeed.

I would have nothing agianst a nicely randered ground combat. Kind of like Moo2 had. Where there was really no tactical input from the player, it just looked cool.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Ground combat is top of my list for features to overhaul, although to be honest I'm not exactly sure what I'd want to replace it with. I just know I'd like more than a little screen which I tap the spacebar on. It's a bit of an anti-climax after building up all the military hardware needed to take on an invasion.

However, I'm much more interesed in other areas being done well at ground combat's expense, such as fleet battles.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
as i keep saying this features are essential everyone would love them unforutanitly other ppl around the world are very picky and if they notice that a game has a faulty or bad feature ANY that will bring down its rep BADLY soi recomend doing somting better.... otherwise things can happen...
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
i wanted to say to use EXPS
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Lord Kiron
As Funboy stated ion another thread - "it's strategic game. it will not be any tactical combat whatsoever" .


well, nobody says something about "tactical combat". Accurately this would mean small unit combat. (eg. platoon, company)

What I said is that for example MOO2 (which was also a strategic game) did ground combat in an interesting, simple and balanced way and galciv 1 did not learn from this. Instead the stardock developers insisted on their own flawed view of ground combat. The result was a unsatisfying combat system with a strange real time element (pressing space bar)

Btw. (if somebody remembers) the same thing was with ship design in galciv1. The developers insisted in their view and said that galciv ist a "strategic" game and therefore no ship design will be necessary. Also a big failure in game design. But thanks god they have at least learned the lesson and corrected this in galciv2. I would wish they just do it for the ground combat question too.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
it'd be cool if we could get a video window (like we have for fleet battles) for ground combat... some kind of video that would vary by the size of the forces (shoot like 5 short bik clips) I duno just a thought
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
What I said is that for example MOO2 (which was also a strategic game) did ground combat in an interesting, simple and balanced way and galciv 1 did not learn from this. Instead the stardock developers insisted on their own flawed view of ground combat. The result was a unsatisfying combat system with a strange real time element (pressing space bar)


Are you refering to Moo2's invade/bombard/both functions? The actual fighting was just as hands off as in gal civ, once the troops go in its number crunching with some animated men falling over dead. Gal civ just doesn't bother with the animation.
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
No, its not the same. In MOO2 you have to decide if you go for invasion or for bombardement, depending on the number of you fleet command points. I play it regularly and its not an easy decision either building up a planetary assault fleet which can invade a major planet or instead using the fleet command points for another battleship. So in MOO2 you have to make decisions (sacrfice a portion of the fleet logistic for planetary assault or not)

And MOO2 was just an example. There are other classical 4x games with good ground combat systems. Stardock could learn from them.
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
Alpha Centarui had excellent ground combat.
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
Alpha Centarui had excellent ground combat.


Yes and and X-Wing had excellent sapce combat *rolls eyes*
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
If I wanted ground combat I would buy something along the lines of Generals or Desert Rats.
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
Just boils down to time and budget.  There's always after release to revisit it.
Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top
Just boils down to time and budget. There's always after release to revisit it.


Any thoughts on what you'd like to do in a possible expansion?
Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top

Yes and and X-Wing had excellent sapce combat *rolls eyes*



I know.... let's contact microsoft and ask 'em for the source code of Close Combat III, then use it in GCII.
The planet invasions would be so involved and engaging then... nevermind that it might bankrupt stardock.

My vote goes to emulating invasions from gc1 with more assault modes- feints, sieges, slash n' burn, clustercoitus , meteor collision, supersoldiers, etc. And if the ground combat does get an overhaul you could make it so that troops/ground units can be designed (sorta like ships) with various chassis, armors, weapons, support systems, maybe even those 'extras'. Siamese twin Drengin shock troops, anyone?
Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top
Can't we just throw in some blood and gore! I don't need to control my troops, but if my troops are far superior to the enemy, then I want to see lots of blood and meyhem! What's the point in being on the winning side if you don't get to see your enemies dismembered in a horrifying bloodbath?!?
Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top
You know some rolling video on the invasion screen would be good, just to liven it up and give some sense of action. By video I'm talking pre-rendered and looped, not depicting your battle but just 'stock footage' of drop ships, tanks, bombardment etc.

For those who have played it, in the mission briefings in Dawn of War there is a video playing with in-game battle footage going on. The camera is flying across the battlefields giving a grainy black white image as if its a recon probe transmitting from the front line.

It's pure eye candy but would give invasion a bit more oomph.