Galactic Civilizations III v4.5 Update Improves AI,
Early Game, Diplomatic Trades, and More

Read the changelog

v4.5 makes some updates that help get your early game moving just a little bit faster. You now start with 2 scouts and all starting worlds have 4 more tiles and additional currency on them. Diplomatic trades have also been tweaked so that you can get a little more bang for your buck – or your Elerium, if credits simply aren’t enticing enough. 

We’ve also updated several of the art assets for events so that you can enjoy a fresh new look. Updates to the AI improve game pacing and support further immersion with things like better tax handling, choosing what technology to research, and aborting trades with the player if it determines the trade is truly unreasonable. 

Thank you for all your loyal years of dominating the galaxy. It’s important to us that we continue to give our older games love and attention so that we can continue to give back to you – our fans. 

There's a ton of content in this update! You can view the full changelog at the bottom of this post, or by checking out Brad's post here.

Don't have Galactic Civilizations III yet? Click the links below!
Owners, the v4.5 update is ready and waiting for you in your Steam client. 

Galactic Civilizations III v4.5 Changelog

• AI’s will now merge with the weakest other civ if they are hopelessly behind after 75 turns.
• Turns before an AI can surrender changed from 100 to 75 but odds of surrendering in a given turn reduced..
• Yor Fusion Matrix improvement pop cap benefit reduced from 2 to 1.
• Yor Anti-Matter Matrix improvement pop cap benefit reduced from 2 to 1.
• Yor Quantum-Matter Matrix improvement pop cap benefit reduced from 4 to 1.
• Earth planet class increased from 12 to 16 (4  additional starting tiles to build on)
• All other starting planets also given +4 starting tiles.
• Yor (Synthetic civs) can now build more population starting turn 1.
• Yor manufacture population now only requires Durantium.
• Yor starting base population cap reduced from 16 to 8.
• All players now also start with a Scout ship to help get exploration moving a bit faster.
• Most starting trade resources on planets require Promethion to upgrade. This was a bit of a newbie trap before where new players could find themselves with several things to start building on their planets that have little near-term benefit.
• Theocracy Government Colony Limit increased from 5 to 50 to make it more attractive.
• Unity Government Colony Limit increased from 7 to 32 to make it more attractive.
• Republic Government Colony Limit increased from 16 to 32 to make it more attractive.
• Emergency Coalition Government Colony Limit increased from 12 to 50 to make it viable
• Empire Government Colony Limit increased from 36 to 72 to make it more attractive.
• Several other government types tweaked slightly.
• Like with planetary Trade Resources, most artifacts found on worlds now require Promethion to upgrade to avoid the newbie trap, new player overload.
• Going over colony limit from government penalty reduced from 25% to 20%.
• Capital World raw production points increased from 3 to 5.
• Capital World raw gross income increased from 10 to 12
• Strategic Command now provides general manufacturing instead of just Military and provide Manufacturing bonuses to adjacent improvements.
• Basic Factory improvement cost increased from 30 to 40 but has been moved up in the tech tree so players get it earlier.
• The Bank…is no longer indestructible.
• Several other banking and financial buildings are no longer indestructible.
• Entertainment Center tech requirement moved from Cultural Exchange to Universal Translator.
• The Mega resort is no longer indestructible.
• However, Paxton’s Emporium IS indestructible now.
• Carriers are more powerful but now require Large Scale Construction tech (moved far back in the tech tree).
• Updated many of the event graphics with new better looking ones.
• AI Trade offers are much, MUCH better.
• So many bug fixes.
• Fixed bug that caused AI to “see” planets the player could see even though it was in that player’s FOW.
• AI much better as handling taxes
• AI much MUCH better at choosing what technology to research which should make it far more effective when at war.
• AI better about offering treaty trades
• AI will abort offering a trade to another player (AI or human) if it determines it’s a really unreasonable trade.
• Crusade: Durantium requirement removed from bigger hull classes to match Retribution.
• Base ship speed increased by +2
• Large hull HP increased from 80 to 100
• Large hull cost increased from 400 to 500.
• All Engine upgrades get +1 more moves (if you are putting on hyperdrive you should get more than 1 extra move)
• Tiny hulls get +1 moves.
• Lower end weapons no longer require a special resource (i.e. particle beams don't require Elerium).
• Root threshold of faction power before surrendering changed from 25% to 20% (AI slightly less likely to surrender).