Feedback --Long Listing

from GalCiv3 Forums

Prelude:  This is an ongoing list of recommendations/necessary changes.   I will update it every week (but some weeks may be shorter due to play volume).  I am not omitting anything based off of what is said to be 'coming soon' or 'intended' as I have been in far too many alpha/beta/released games that such things never happen.  (I won't give any devs "benefit of the doubt" anymore) 

 

Experience:I am an avid strategy player, focusing on that genre almost entirely, with a definitive love for 4x games (of which galciv 2 is probably the best in history).  I want this game to be great, because I want to be able to play it for a decade. (I have been playing galciv since 2003) 

Sections: I will break my posts into 3 sections, "issues" --things that should be changed/addressed, but aren't actually a bug,  "additions" things that need to be added to the game, as they do not exist already.  "bugs" -those annoying creepy crawly things that should be squished.

NOTE:suggestions are listed in the order I put them in my notepad, not in order of importance.

 

ISSUES:

  • Icons for the various passive special bonuses on planet build hexes. Such as the ones that give a +1 level for population or economy buildings.  There are already ones for things like "grassland" which gives a +1 population.  They could be a small single, coloured 'dot' in the top corner so its immediately visible which regions have these small, but key, bonuses when building.  Having to click on every hex is VERY annoying, and doesn't give a complete viewing of the planetary bonuses.  (Good idea with the adjacency bonuses, this was brilliant! I always built like that in Gc2 anyway, for aesthetic purposes=D
  • Standardize the names of bonuses: having some buildings/hexes say 'finance' while others say 'economic' is somewhat ambiguous. Yes, we know the words are largely synonymous, but that doesn't mean we haven't seen games draw distinctions between 2 similar terms before, and been burned by it.  If they affect the same thing, please use the same term.  (other examples are 'culture/influence')
  • Allow hex upgrades without deleting first: this was present in gc2, and a necessary function to allow for sweeping changes to planetary design without completely stripping a planet first.  Also, an icon, or button, or auto-build option for automatically upgrading existing buildings (such as was in gc2) would be WONDERFUL.  Doing this manually is dubious at best.
  • Show whole tech tree/Allow Research Queueing: being unable to see the techs that follow and how they interconnect is like running blind.  Also, when techs cost 1 turn it gets annoying selecting a new tech every turn instead of having them automatically move to another.
  • Excess research spent on next tech:this was done already in GC2 and should hold for all future versions. Due to the scope of the tech tree is is common to focus on one line, and then go back much later to a simpler line and have the necessary research to get 2-3 techs in 1 turn due to overflow.
  • Effect of food on population unclear: I have SEVERAL planets with more population than they have MT of food, so I am unsure what limits (if anything?) there are on population or what role food actually provides.
  • Planet specific production palette on initial planet info screen: Being able to micromanage planetary production is GREAT. But I'd like to see a smaller version of it on the normal planet info screen to remind me of where it stands. This would avoid the very annoying checking everytime I visit a planet to see if I have moved it off the "100% production" that new planets always start at when I'm making 2-4 factories on them.  A simple pie-chart right above "planetary statistics" would be a perfect spot for it.
  • Total planetary bonuses: the planetary statistics is great, but I'd like a listing somewhere (preferably on the primary screen) of the total planetary bonuses (Such as 140% production, 60% economy, 30% research/etc/etc)  This could go in a small column at the top left (above the proposed production palette pie chart)
  • Production summaries: similar to how in GC2 There would be green/blue icons for planet/ship construction completions. This would help me KNOW when a new ship is built! Right now they tend to sit on the planets, unknown to me that they're ready to embark on missions!
  • Cursor edge scrolling: an option to allow having the cursor touch an edge to scroll the minimap would be nice.
  • Limit the # of attacks of fleets: Space is huge, even a single hex represents a vast amount of volume. Attacking separate fleets, even in the same hex, would require some traveling/combat time, and as such, should have a limited quantity per turn (in GC2, it used a unit of speed, this was acceptable, but another method may be devised to fill this role, perhaps "weapon recharge" ship effects which allow multiple attacks per turn?)
  • Identify "1 per planet" improvements: I would like to know, before building, which improvements I can only have 1 of per planet
  • Starbase upgrade prompt/Storage: When a constructor reaches a starbase, give a popup alert. Avoids having a starbase with unutilized upgrades available.  Also, allow a starbase to 'save' constructor upgrades so they can be ready to utilize new upgrades immediately after techs become available.  This # should probably be limited some how, perhaps by a tech-line (say another tech after some of the defense modules, or keystones in other starbase upgrade paths).  A very annoying thing in GC2 was having to send 1-2 constructors to each star base after a new tech was researched.  If I could just spend the constructors earlier, and then upgrade as necessary, it would remove a lot of headache. (And it makes sense, as these could be saved as various spare parts in a cargo hold, but such storage would be limited, which explains a tech-tree line to support making more storage; perhaps miniaturization?)
  • Planet filter topic of colony AGE: Being able to see the youngest colonies would let us quickly direct-buy the improvements on them that we like to get them up to par/self-sufficient.
  • Ship experience: more battles should result in better crews/stronger ships.  I think it would be neat to allow each ship to be customized with how their exp affects their growth (HP/attack/defense/movement/scanner range/etc) But understand that may result in an explosion of items to be tracked by the CPU separately.  Even if exp can't be micromanaged, it should still be there (as in earlier GC2)
  • Minor battle control: We should be able to do 'something' during battles with our fleets.  I know GalCiv is primarily a 'strategy' game, but tactics in individual engagements make a large difference in their result.  Allowing fleets to focus fire on a single ship, or protect a weaker ship or something would be a nice step.  Of course, an 'auto battle' option should be present for those not interested in such trivialities.
  • Battle result summary: Tell us the damages/losses after we click the battle confirmation
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Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

BUGS::

 

  1. Fleets/ships moved opposite of selected: I'm noticing that when multiple ships are in the same hex and I select one (yellow outline in the listing) that the OTHER ship is the one to be moved when I click a destination. I am unsure if this is intended ro a bug, but it should certainly be reversed.
  2. Unable to colonize planets/build star bases: There have been times when I select a ship and try and construct a star base or colonize a planet that nothing happens, including no error message if I'm doing something not allowed (out of # of available starbases/colonies--I hope this isn't the case, there should --NOT-- be a hard cap on colonies or star bases, just increased maintenance)  I THINK these have all happened in enemy territory?  Note--If I am at war, or even peach, I shouldn't be physically/hardcoded restricted from colonizing/starbasing in others' territory.  Let me do it, just have them get SERIOUSLY mad at me if I do)
  3. Auto-explore stuck in bottom right corner: I put most of my scout ships on auto explore, and they all ended up in the bottom right corner, even though it was explored (it may not have been when they set their course to that space, but if it was later explored their auto-pilot path should have stopped so I could give them new orders)
  4. Fleets go AROUND starbases, wasting movement: my ships will go AROUND a starbase instead of through it (one I own) which costs a few movement points and doesn't really make much sense... I don't think the starbase takes up the entire sector =p
  5. Initial Colony on hex with bonuses: the initial colonies shouldn't be placed on any hexes with bonuses.  Or, a better solution, allow us to place the initial colony when we take the planet! This would allow us to zoom in immediately after colonizing and start up the construction queue right away.
Reply #2 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Additions:


  1. Reinstate the dual-build (starships and improvements): This is what has made GC2 stand above other other games, being able to build both infrastructure and military at the same time.  I'm not suggesting that we get twice the production, just split it amongst shipbuilding and social building, perhaps with a slider to adjust the % spent on each.  This also allows for 'good' races to have structures that increase ONLY their social production, and "evil" races to -ONLY- increase their military production (possible special improvements/bonuses available based on the civilization morality)
  2. Tactical Ship commands: Mentioned above, but allow us some control/effect on the actual fleet battles.
  3. Morale/happiness/approval: There should be SOME check to the 'how well are we running things' effect of gameplay.  Morale is generally a military term, perhaps influenced by ship kills/losses, with an improved effect on the military (say max morale gives a +25%, lowest morale gives a -25% to all ship stats)  Happiness/approval would be the civilian aspect--additional production/research/economic bonuses on planets. No suggestions as to what would affect it though.
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