I love GalCiv II but I'm sad to say that from all the gameplay of the alpha and even your list of changes from each version is confirming my worry that III is not really that big of an update. Heck, you guys are even using the same old logos and opponent civs from the last game. Two of the bigger changes mentioned are strategic resources and the ideology tree, but even these are just rehashed features from games like Civ V. Why were strategic resources not in the last version for that matter. That concept has been around for years. And the ideology tree is just another social policy feature like in Civ V.

It would be nice if you tried to implement truly new, original features that make the game different. Not everyone loves the city states feature in Civ V but at least you could say that is a completely new feature to that series that really alters the entire world and gameplay experience. Where is that happening in Gal Civ III? Otherwise, you should not call this a sequel - it's just another expansion.

You have also really simplified the economic system in this game and taken away the unique aspects of II that made it stand out from other games, i.e., like the ability to reduce production spending to manage your economy. Now with that big circle, it looks like all you can do is adjust where the spending goes vs. each category.

Multiplayer? United Planet proposals? Again, all sounds like features we can find in other games and that should have been around years ago. I personally don't care about multiplayer but a lot do so you can have partial credit on that one.

It's probably too late for this game but I hope you guys are hearing some of this feedback to think about future projects. There are a ton of people commenting on the YouTube videos about how this game is not really looking very different from the last version.

And I'm sorry, but the hex map, even though I personally prefer it, is actually not doing a thing to change decisionmaking or overall experience in a game like this. If anything, it's just reducing the number of directions you can move your ships (now only 6, before with squares it was 8 directions).

 

Gal Civ 2 had minor races that you could do much more with than you can currently in Civ V, trading techs to minor races in GC2 with tech brokering turned off remains one of the most lucrative things possible in that game!

 

I think you're reading a bit too much into the alpha mate, if you'd done as much research as you claim you have you'd realise the the alpha just has a few core mechanics in it to see if the engine can stand up to stress tests, and that the beta is going to be much more fleshed out and review worthy. Don't off the horse while it's young, puberty may well be kind to it yet! (In your eyes, I already think the game is headed to be a large improvement on an already fantastic previous version).

 

Fate,:beer:

I believe you are passing judgment too soon. The alpha was released last week.

 

This is where I draw the line. Hex grids are far superior to squares in terms of balanced movement.

[/quote]It would be nice if you tried to implement truly new, original features that make the game different. Not everyone loves the city states feature in Civ V but at least you could say that is a completely new feature to that series that really alters the entire world and gameplay experience. Where is that happening in Gal Civ III? Otherwise, you should not call this a sequel - it's just another expansion.[/quote]

Minor civs have been part of GalCiv since the beginning. That's why I didn't break them out into their own section.  We will likely expand on minor civs but they're not new to GalCiv.  We had them first.

The city states feature in Civ V is vastly different than the minor races feature in this game. Minor races in Gal Civ are just other opponents who are not as threatening and who can trade with the player, but that's it. The city states are a core change in how Civ plays - you trade with them or go to war with or over them, and receive very significant benefits from them, and everything they do or offer is tied up into other game mechanics (social policies, unique civ features, etc). I don't see how anyone can even compare that to just having a few minor races as opponents.

The point I was making is to look at a feature like that and see how they took a chance and really updated the mechanics of how their game plays - it's a completely different game than Civ IV. I don't see anything being done to Gal Civ III in this regard.

You can call this version alpha, beta, gamma, zeta, these are just words. You're releasing an early build to the public for 99 bucks to help begin actually testing the game. If some as-yet-unmentioned major new features are still to come after this point, I will be very surprised.  That would be an odd decision to let the public see any version of your game so early in the process. To me it's like Apple selling a new iPhone prototype to see what people think, before they implement any big new changes other than to update a few icons or something.  It's just not common sense. We'll see what happens.

 

 

Wow, you have a very interesting and unique view of things here. I take it you have no background in the industry? Ever be an "official" beta tester before? Your opinion of what constitutes "common sense" is not universal...

There is hope for minor civs in GCIII to do more than occupy one planet and spam the univese with starbases (and offer cheap tech trading). Maybe this time they get to occupy a few planets, ally between themselves to kick some alien ass(es). Or join you as unique vassals. Or... something.

Initially I did not like the City States in civ V much.

I found their importance artificial and the magnitude of the bonus they provide made the system exploitable. I literally vassalized every city state in the map and SteamRolled all the other civs. 

I have not played the game with expensions though, nor did I even play it recently. I went back to Civ IV instead.

I am overdue for playing an up to date patched + expansion Civ V though. Maybe I would change my mind about it then.

 

The balls on this bloke to go up against the owner of the game with a misinformed and poorly thought out argument.... This is what I'd expect to see if I went onto the steam forums. Nobodies forcing you into buying the alpha at 100 bucks mate, shove off!

 

Fate,:beer:

He's so wrong too.

I've participated in several of Stardock's early release betas and the game I downloaded at first was very much not feature complete. I recall that the race-specific tech trees in Twilight of the Arnor were introduced after testing started, and they were not all introduced at once.

 

Race specific tech trees where by far the best addition to the game ever. I to remeber the beta of Twilight of the Arnor and how they added them for different races over different release, I was always eager to try out the latest race to get tech tree love after any release.

The problem I have is that it implies the opposite:   colony non-adjacency penalties.  It encourages a boring, grow-your-empire-normally game, when what I really want is for players to really mix it up and all h-e-double-hockey-sticks break loose.  I'd rather see the outlying colonies be valuable, juicy targets worth starting a war over.  Plus the strong races with big empires will only get stronger (since they will have more "middle" planets with lots of bonuses).

Speaking of hockey sticks:  I hope those Quebec Canadiens really spank New York good tomorrow.  

Adjacent bonus apply to putting certain improvements in a colony on adjacent hexes.....

They  aren't to do with the location of the planet.

Oh, cool.   That was on my Galciv2 wish list, too.   I think it rocks because it makes you think about how to build your colony.  Location matters.   And not just for what you build:  the bonus tiles' locations matter, too.

 

Just when it got me to thinking about the proximity-to-other-colony bonuses....      I was thinking maybe ship-building bonuses for each neighboring alien planet, and improvement-building bonuses for each same-race planet.   That way everybody's warships get built toward the front line (instead of always rally-pointing everything).  Plus it makes you have to shift gears as your empire grows (and your outliers become inliers).

They are switching up how ship-building is being done. I think you will be pleased with the idea of what they are going to do with ship-building especially when you move to the front line. But planet proximity bonuses are not on the list that I've seen on the moment.

more minor races

It did, but it messes up the pretty nature of the list.

 

PS:  Galciv2 for OS/2 had an entire expansion-eaque thingy dedicated to ship design if I recall, called "Shipyards."  So saying ship design wasn't present is only sorta-true.

 

 

No.  Having a competent artist was by far the biggest, most noticeable change (no offense meant to Brad).

Indeed it did, and you remember the name as well as I do.

Will we be able to play MP on all map sizes?  I really hope it is not limited to the small map.

They have already unlocked MP to support larger map sizes than small.

Here's some ideas I would like to see on the list. Picking proposals at united planets based on who had the most influence. I would like to see great people. I would like to work together with the ones you have a research treaty with. The next is close to the previous where you can ask a faction to research a tech. This would be faction specific tech. I would like to see units being produced to counter those you are hostile with. I would like to see the jagged knife fixed. I would like to see stronger small factions. I would like to see a better ai. I would like to see the ideologies more equal.

This is an old thread but it does get referenced.

I have one change to the Galciv3 column.    Independent shipyards:  this, imo, is a big change and introduces a lot more choices (like building shipyards for separate nearby colonies or using one shipyard for both) plus some serious tactical issues when on offense or defense.

My 2c.   Perhaps I should have a "post sale" and charge only 1c for a weekend.  Hmmm.

 

 

Don't disrespect the Snathi, or they'll "disrespect" you right back.