http://www.indieretronews.com/2014/04/sid-meiers-civilization-beyond-earth.html
QuoteProbably the biggest news of the week has just hit the Indie Retro News HQ as Sid Meier is back with a new Alpha Centauri (1999), one of the greatest sci-fi turn based strategy games I've ever played. Sid Meier's Civilization Beyond Earth as it's titled, will not be a simple remake of Alpha Centauri but rather a "what would happen after Civilization V" (according to the devs). There will also be 3 types of planets from lush vegetation to airy decaying worlds. You will start with an Outpost and your only goal will be to survive! Are you alone on this world? Will you build cities upon the lush or decaying landscape? Will this be as good as the original? Who knows, but I'm sure many of us will be waiting for even more news on Beyond Earth!
Release date : Late 2014 - UPDATE : On further investigation, it seems as if this isn't a direct sequel, but the concept will be very similar, a representation of Civilization, but in space.
(There will be orbital devices)
Goals:
- Find proof of existence of an ancient life on the planet and try to make a first contact,
- Resume contact with Earth by deploying a satellite,
- Return to Earth (if you find out it still exists),
- Host Terran refugee on your new planet.
-Thanks Jeuxvideopc for the heads up
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-dexfwUTRjQI%2FU0ka_fOZQbI%2FAAAAAAAAL9I%2FOhGR-cumwro%2Fs1600%2FbgAvoH6l.jpg&hash=7a1f16319fd97ab35036f17bb61b55d07299ead3)
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-sOsqBnx6Cuo%2FU0kcyBSUoGI%2FAAAAAAAAL9U%2FLdg1Ho-3_Qc%2Fs1600%2FJV2V94cl.jpg&hash=9385b778e3c4336aa1da4d567bc26ac2aeb928a7)
I dairy factoried.
Alpha Centauri is still one of the best games of all time. Not only was i a very good 4X title, but it added a highly immersive presentation that is quotable like few other games.
Quote from: Queequeg on April 12, 2014, 10:27:15 AM
I dairy factoried.
I am going to hold back on that. What made AC great was its depth, and I am not seeing anything like that so far here.
If it's just a glorified Civ5 mod with "alien" terrain and some shallow alien-contact crap...it will just suck.
I don't have high hopes of this capturing the spirit and wonder of the original.
Nevertheless, I wouldn't be too unhappy if it underwent the "XCOM modernization" in some way, i.e. re-imagining a modern version of it.
Oh sweet!
Announce trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtYWqE55s24
And a few more bits:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/04/12/civilization-beyond-earth-trailer/
QuoteThis is news worth working on a weekend for. Firaxis have announced Civilization: Beyond Earth, a spiritual successor to Alpha Centauri. There's an announcement trailer below, which doesn't show any of the game but does set the scene. (The scene is of me, rubbing my thighs at all the spaceships). Also, it's due out this "Fall/Autumn" which i) is not far away at all and ii) it's nice that they wrote both Fall and Autumn because it makes me feel included as a non-American.
There's very little info on the Civilization site other than the trailer, but there is this description under the YouTube video:
Sid Meier's Civilization®: Beyond Earth™ is a new science-fiction-themed entry into the award-winning Civilization series. As part of an expedition sent to find a home beyond Earth, lead your people into a new frontier, explore and colonize an alien planet and create a new civilization in space. A New Beginning for Mankind is coming Fall/Autumn 2014.
Firaxis released Alpha Centauri in 1999 as a spin-off from the Civilization series, putting a scifi bent on the 4X formula. It was and is beloved, but the rights remain with the game's original publisher, Electronic Arts. Beyond Earth is Firaxis' attempt to re-capture the original, only without the name.
The designers are still up on stage at PAX East, talking about the game, but PC Gamer are first to the punch with a meaty interview on the game's factions, planets, alien life, AI and more.
PC Gamer: How did you go about moving the narrative into game systems?
Will Miller: We try to take as much as we can from the fiction and put it in the map. When you kill the siege worm, you see its skull, and when you pick the skull up you may find a new quest thread that you can pick up and follow, and each time you complete an objective in that thread, you get a little bit of the fiction. We decided very early that we would imply more than we say. I think that's really important, because the gaps the player's going to fill in with their imaginations is a story that's way more interesting than the one we could write ourselves. I think the more explicit you are about the narrative, the less the player gets to build it themselves. We've tried to strike a balance between content that we write, and building blocks of content that the players get to assemble into something really cool, and it belongs to them.
Shacknews follow along with a wee write-up of the announcement, which includes a couple of screenshots (one of which is above). These screenshots technically leaked earlier this morning but maybe they have been officially released now? Who knows!
What do you think? To my mind Firaxis are some of the safest pairs of hands around, and even without Brian Reynolds at the helm and Sid Meier only in his normal supervisory role, I trust them to release something worthwhile.
An the mentioned interview: (long, not gonna post the whole thing) http://www.pcgamer.com/2014/04/12/civilization-beyond-earth-interview-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-factions-aliens-technology-and-more/
As for the relation to Alpha Centauri, I guess sums up their intentions:
QuoteYeah, the influence of Alpha Centauri will be apparent, but it's in winks and nods—it's an homage to that game—this game really is meant to be our version of the place that game sat when it came out. It's our version of this idea of mankind in space, and we started with that perspective of the fiction and the narrative, and also of Civ V. Civ V has enjoyed a huge success. There are lots of parts of that game that people really like, and we're building on the Civ V technology, so we took a lot of influences from that as well. If you're a Civ V player, you'll feel right at home.
Still, it will be measured against AC when it's released, just as every fantasy 4X will be measured by most people against Master of Magic, and every space 4X against Master of Orion 2.
Apparently the trailer fits really well with Europe's Final Countdown. :lol:
http://youtu.be/Z_WSgMhfuic
:lol:
Quote from: FunkMonk on April 14, 2014, 11:58:06 PM
Apparently the trailer fits really well with Europe's Final Countdown. :lol:
http://youtu.be/Z_WSgMhfuic
Is there anything that doesn't?
Quote from: FunkMonk on April 14, 2014, 11:58:06 PM
Apparently the trailer fits really well with Europe's Final Countdown. :lol:
http://youtu.be/Z_WSgMhfuic
Oh, dear. :lol:
Quote from: FunkMonk on April 14, 2014, 11:58:06 PM
Apparently the trailer fits really well with Europe's Final Countdown. :lol:
http://youtu.be/Z_WSgMhfuic
I love how the trailer's beats match up perfectly with Europe's beats.
Quote from: FunkMonk on April 14, 2014, 11:58:06 PM
Apparently the trailer fits really well with Europe's Final Countdown. :lol:
http://youtu.be/Z_WSgMhfuic
Very good indeed! :lol:
Great news about this game! I have strong hopes that it will be done well, given the good track record of Civ V. :)
I like what they did with Civ V so I am looking forward to this.
This could be the first game in years I'll buy the day it's released.
L.
I think I bought EU: Rome on the day it was released. I haven't bought anything from Paradox since.
Quote from: dps on April 15, 2014, 06:21:38 PM
I think I bought EU: Rome on the day it was released. I haven't bought anything from Paradox since.
:hmm:
This is The only legitimate Civilization Thingy thread. :mad:
Quote from: dps on April 15, 2014, 06:21:38 PM
I think I bought EU: Rome on the day it was released. I haven't bought anything from Paradox since.
I haven't bought blueberries in Target in years.
Quote from: FunkMonk on April 14, 2014, 11:58:06 PM
Apparently the trailer fits really well with Europe's Final Countdown. :lol:
http://youtu.be/Z_WSgMhfuic
I would not be surprised if Firaxis did that intentionally as a sort of Easter egg.
Never, this is the only true legitimate thread.
Quote from: FunkMonk on April 14, 2014, 11:58:06 PM
Apparently the trailer fits really well with Europe's Final Countdown. :lol:
http://youtu.be/Z_WSgMhfuic
urgh, the worst of the Hair Metal bands. Now I can never play this without having that stupid song playing in my head. :mad:
That song is actually pretty cool. Definitely better than anything Poison, Def Leppard, or Motley Crue put out.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on April 24, 2014, 04:10:49 PM
That song is actually pretty cool. Definitely better than anything Poison, Def Leppard, or Motley Crue put out.
No it's shit, I agree with 11b4v.
I remember when it came out, all people with good heavy tastes winced in unison. Such that the earth slightly wobble on it's axis and they had to add 0.000000001 seconds to the year.
Wasn't it European hair metal?
Okay, then, it's shit. Still better than anything Poison, Def Leppard, or Motley Crue put out. :P
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on April 24, 2014, 04:34:22 PM
Okay, then, it's shit. Still better than anything Poison, Def Leppard, or Motley Crue put out. :P
Didn't care much for Poison, but Def Leppard and Motley Crue were miles ahead of Europe. :yuk:
They were awful. Europe's probably really bad too, but I do like the Final Countdown's main riff.
Only hair metal bands worth a damn were GNR and Van Halen.
Quote from: Barrister on April 24, 2014, 04:37:54 PM
Didn't care much for Poison, but Def Leppard and Motley Crue were miles ahead of Europe. :yuk:
Don't you mean.... miles away? :punk:
Quote from: 11B4V on April 24, 2014, 11:33:40 AM
urgh, the worst of the Hair Metal bands. Now I can never play this without having that stupid song playing in my head. :mad:
Spoken like someone who's suppressed the memory of Ratt, Winger, and Stryper.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on April 24, 2014, 09:43:45 PM
Quote from: 11B4V on April 24, 2014, 11:33:40 AM
urgh, the worst of the Hair Metal bands. Now I can never play this without having that stupid song playing in my head. :mad:
Spoken like someone who's suppressed the memory of Ratt, Winger, and Stryper.
Ratt= Gay
Winger= Gayer
Stryper= Gayest
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on April 24, 2014, 04:10:49 PM
That song is actually pretty cool.
How old were you in '86?
WHO DARES INSULT WINGER?
Quote from: 11B4V on April 24, 2014, 09:54:39 PM
How old were you in '86?
I didn't own a radio til about '89. :P
Quote from: Ed Anger on April 24, 2014, 09:55:39 PM
WHO DARES INSULT WINGER?
Young Ed.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg2.wikia.nocookie.net%2F__cb20110910035309%2Fbeavisandbutthead%2Fimages%2F7%2F7a%2FStewart.jpeg&hash=050ac6d1958409630e4eafb241eb99e9db239c87)
Quote from: Caliga on April 24, 2014, 06:48:08 PM
Don't you mean.... miles away? :punk:
Nobody got it. :(
Northernlion plays the first 100 turns:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48VUAuTFgyk
I like that first youtube comment is from a Jos type - upset that they only are allowing one unit per tile.
Quote from: garbon on September 03, 2014, 12:23:13 PM
I like that first youtube comment is from a Jos type - upset that they only are allowing one unit per tile.
:lol: I hadn't noticed (I rarely read YouTube comments)
I cant wait for this game.
My first impression is that it's a reskinned Civ 5. But who knows?
Quote from: Neil on September 04, 2014, 10:28:06 AM
My first impression is that it's a reskinned Civ 5. But who knows?
Yeah sounds a lot like an impressive overhaul mod...
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2599431/preview-100-turns-with-civilization-beyond-earth.html
Quote from: Neil on September 04, 2014, 10:28:06 AM
My first impression is that it's a reskinned Civ 5. But who knows?
Same impression.
Well what made Alpha Centauri was the bells and whistles more then the core game play. The flavor texts for technologies, the little movies for the wonders, etc.
Agreed. A slightly re-touched Civ5 "But on an alien planet!" with stock alien species and cardboard-cutout factions is completely unappealing. To me at least.
I have been following this very closely and if SMAC was a Civ2 reskin, then this is a Civ5 reskin... But otherwise the starting choices, the Affinities, the tech web, the aliens, the virtues, the orbital layer, the unit designing and advancement, and the victory conditions are wildly different from Civ5.
I would argue that SMAC was quite a fair bit more than a Civ2 reskin.
Quote from: Tonitrus on September 05, 2014, 12:18:47 AM
I would argue that SMAC was quite a fair bit more than a Civ2 reskin.
Which was my point - this is *not* a Civ5 reskin. This is a 4X game using the Civ5 engine, but similarities end there.
To give you some examples:
- Affinities are a radically different mechanics, both in terms how you pursue them (by researching the "right" techs and making the right event choices, while refraining from researching the "wrong" techs) and what they give you (effectively, giving you different unit and city look, different unit upgrades, unique buildings, unique abilities and victory conditions) - this is unlike anything ever done in Civilization, period (and not just in Civ5);
- The fact that each faction's "Special ability" is really negligible, but the other choices you make at start (what kind of colonists you take, what cargo and what type of space shit) affect your gameplay at least as much if not more (there are I think over 1000 combinations in total), make the choice of your leader/faction much less of a big deal than in Civ5;
- The aliens are not barbarians (they even made a video titled that) - they can be appeased or pissed off, and they are much stronger, posing a potential threat throughout the game (and, depending on the choice of your Affinity, they may either fall into the "Kill the Mutant, the Xenos, the Heretic" camp or become your friends and allies) - in a sense, they are much more like the tribes in Colonization;
- The tech web is unlike Civ5 (or any other Civ) - you start in the middle of it, and go to the sides, with extra (much more expensive) "practical application" techs working as sub-sets of "theoretical" techs;
- The Virtues work a bit like the Social engineering trees from Civ5, but they are fewer and depeer, and you get synergy bonuses for picking same tier virtues from different trees, so the similarity to Civ5 is also remote;
- There is an orbital layer for satellites - completely unlike anything (including SMAC);
- Unlike Civ5, you do not upgrade units to different ones - you just upgrade their "parts" by fitting them with better cannons or engines etc. (so like SMAC, and unlike Civ5);
- Victory Conditions are vastly different (for example the Purity Affinity has a victory condition where you have to build a warp gate to the Earth and then defend it (while other players and aliens try to destroy it) long enough for 20 human settlers to pass through to the planet and settle them as cities over a given area to win).
So, in short, it's hardly a reskin.
The flavour and feeling of the game will mean everything. After all, that's what did it for Alpha Centauri. I would imagine I'll pick this up when it's on sale.
Quote from: Neil on September 05, 2014, 07:51:54 AM
The flavour and feeling of the game will mean everything. After all, that's what did it for Alpha Centauri. I would imagine I'll pick this up when it's on sale.
I agree.
Quote from: Neil on September 05, 2014, 07:51:54 AM
The flavour and feeling of the game will mean everything. After all, that's what did it for Alpha Centauri. I would imagine I'll pick this up when it's on sale.
+2
same I did with CiV
I don't get this view. Surely, if you are interested in a game to buy it, then given that costs of the game is peanuts, paying early means the chance of there being an expansion making the game even better (see CiV) is higher. So why wait for the sake of saving the cost of a couple lattes.
Not to mention you get to play sooner.
Not everyone makes gay money.
Quote from: Martinus on September 06, 2014, 06:26:36 AM
I don't get this view. Surely, if you are interested in a game to buy it, then given that costs of the game is peanuts, paying early means the chance of there being an expansion making the game even better (see CiV) is higher. So why wait for the sake of saving the cost of a couple lattes.
Not to mention you get to play sooner.
Some people don't drink lattes? :unsure:
Quote from: Martinus on September 06, 2014, 06:26:36 AM
I don't get this view. Surely, if you are interested in a game to buy it, then given that costs of the game is peanuts, paying early means the chance of there being an expansion making the game even better (see CiV) is higher. So why wait for the sake of saving the cost of a couple lattes.
Not to mention you get to play sooner.
I'm not chomping at the bit for the game so why spend extra money?
Quote from: mongers on September 06, 2014, 07:32:15 AM
Quote from: Martinus on September 06, 2014, 06:26:36 AM
I don't get this view. Surely, if you are interested in a game to buy it, then given that costs of the game is peanuts, paying early means the chance of there being an expansion making the game even better (see CiV) is higher. So why wait for the sake of saving the cost of a couple lattes.
Not to mention you get to play sooner.
Some people don't drink lattes? :unsure:
I feel bad for Poland. Even in Manhattan lattes aren't 15 a pop.
Quote from: garbon on September 06, 2014, 07:37:40 AM
Quote from: Martinus on September 06, 2014, 06:26:36 AM
I don't get this view. Surely, if you are interested in a game to buy it, then given that costs of the game is peanuts, paying early means the chance of there being an expansion making the game even better (see CiV) is higher. So why wait for the sake of saving the cost of a couple lattes.
Not to mention you get to play sooner.
I'm not chomping at the bit for the game so why spend extra money?
Pretty much. Even if I bought it on release, it'd be months before I actually started playing it anyways.
Besides, the expansions are already budgeted and being worked on. They'll get released no matter what, since they're essentially free money.
Ok I can get Neil waiting months to play (I see what having wife and kids does to gaming time of my colleagues). But what keeps garbon and mongers so occupied?
I don't game all that often. And my point wasn't that I wouldn't have time to play it. More just a trade off enjoyment to cost. Why but it at full price when I'm happily playing games I have already bought? I can wait when it isn't something I am super enthused about.
Quote from: garbon on September 06, 2014, 11:28:13 AM
I don't game all that often. And my point wasn't that I wouldn't have time to play it. More just a trade off enjoyment to cost. Why but it at full price when I'm happily playing games I have already bought? I can wait when it isn't something I am super enthused about.
Hmm. The games studios don't like that kind of thinking.
Ok, I am a Firaxis fanboy and buy their games on the release date (in fact I preorder). So YMMV. :P
In fact I don't play these many games, to be honest. Over the last year I played WoW, CiV, CK2, EU4, Hearthstone and Diablo 3 - and that's pretty much it. Now trying to install Sims 4 once I get this Bootcamp thing working.
The way they redid spies is actually pretty cool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9T-2UBctKE&feature=youtu.be
Quote from: Martinus on September 12, 2014, 12:51:12 AM
The way they redid spies is actually pretty cool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9T-2UBctKE&feature=youtu.be
From the bit I saw (ugh how I don't like all this video stuff - much quicker to read something than watch a 30 minute video!!), yeah it does seem like they've made it more involved - to a level that it will actually make sense to dabble in.
Side note, I was thinking how rare it is to have cute (though nerdy :D) guys on game demo videos.
when was release of this again? October?
Quote from: garbon on September 12, 2014, 01:49:46 PM
Quote from: Martinus on September 12, 2014, 12:51:12 AM
The way they redid spies is actually pretty cool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9T-2UBctKE&feature=youtu.be
From the bit I saw (ugh how I don't like all this video stuff - much quicker to read something than watch a 30 minute video!!), yeah it does seem like they've made it more involved - to a level that it will actually make sense to dabble in.
Side note, I was thinking how rare it is to have cute (though nerdy :D) guys on game demo videos.
Yeah they are passable. Although one of them has a lazy eye. :P
Quote from: Crazy_Ivan80 on September 13, 2014, 01:07:26 PM
when was release of this again? October?
Yeah. 24th I think.
Cool new intro released:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc89IaktFDI
I especially like the A.R.C. space programme symbol. :lol:
They don't even have faction-specific units anymore? :bleeding:
Quote from: Kleves on October 23, 2014, 09:31:15 AM
They don't even have faction-specific units anymore? :bleeding:
DLC :D
Who's getting it?
Quote from: Kleves on October 23, 2014, 09:31:15 AM
They don't even have faction-specific units anymore? :bleeding:
Units are customized during the game, based on the affinities you level up, allowing you to choose perks for them.
Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on October 23, 2014, 08:23:35 PM
Who's getting it?
Already did but have to go to work first. <_<
Quote from: Crazy_Ivan80 on October 23, 2014, 01:27:24 PM
Quote from: Kleves on October 23, 2014, 09:31:15 AM
They don't even have faction-specific units anymore? :bleeding:
DLC :D
Not really. This is a different game, faction specific units would make no sense.
Quote from: Syt on October 24, 2014, 12:37:55 AM
Quote from: Kleves on October 23, 2014, 09:31:15 AM
They don't even have faction-specific units anymore? :bleeding:
Units are customized during the game, based on the affinities you level up, allowing you to choose perks for them.
Not just perks - each affinity also gets a number of completely unique units.
The initial unique abilities of each faction are relatively cosmetic (and one of many you choose upon landing, meaning you may meet, say, Franco-Iberia in 10 different games and each time they would have different abilities). The game philosophy is that how your faction develops is more reactive to your environment, mainly availability of different resources (so, while, say, Brasilia is more militaristic, playing Brasilia will not be like playing Zulus in CiV, where you would be pretty much left with one or two victory conditions).
Played the first 100 turns (and am off to work now).
It's very CivV like at first glance. Instead of barbarians you have alien life forms that you can either adapt to or fight against. They really don't like if you get too close to their nests. The game gives you "quests", which at the moment are simple things - recover goody huts ("resource capsules"), and quite a few decisions where you can decide what bonus certain buildings or technologies give, allowing you further customization of your faction.
Game startup has you pick one of 8 factions, combine it with one of 5 or so settler groups, and one of 5 or so start perks (an extra tech, some extra cash etc.). I'm playing a Franco-Iberian artists/culture faction atm, trying to live in harmony with the planet.
To get one thing out of the way: I don't find it has as much atmosphere as Alpha Centauri, but it has more than CivV, IMHO. YMMV.
A new thing is the orbital layer. You can launch satellites that give bonus perks to ground areas for a limited time (orbital decay and all that). The research tree branches out in 6 directions, with main techs to advance down the tree, and each main tech having one or two "sub techs" that give additional buildings or perks, but are not required to advance to new stuff.
Overall, I feel there's a VERY strong focus on being able to customize your faction to your play style, beginning with your starting parameters, over the technologies that you choose to research (or not), to the quest decisions, unit customization and virtues. Virtues replace civics and come in 4 branches of 3 levels each. Hitting milestones in each branch or tier will unlock additional perks (e.g. 6 or 7 level 1 virtues will unlock a free virtue). There's several victory conditions, and you can pursue three affinities - harmony (embracing the new environment and peacefully coexisting with it), subjugation (turning the alien planet into an Earth equivalent), and one in between.
I'm having fun so far, and look forward to continue playing tonight.
For those interested, quill18 has uploaded 13 episodes of a Let's Play:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs3acGYgI1-sjpUfVebQ6d0ATUd3K2y_l
Good summary from Syt, but I would not describe three Affinities the way he did - they are more of a triad than "two extremes and the center".
The Harmony affinity is indeed about becoming one with the planet (your units, cities and even leader will start to look more green and "gooey"); you will eventually get alien units under your command, and you can heal (rather than be harmed) by miasma that covers some tiles. It also lends itself to faster, more agile units. Think zerg. They get a special victory condition where they mindfuck everybody to meld into the planet's consciousness.
The Supremacy affinity is the borg - they are about becoming resistant to any hostile conditions (whether on this planet or others) through full cyborgisation. They will eventually develop into a faction of sleek, steel machines and units that get huge bonuses through correct placement/synergies. They get a special victory condition where they build a warp gate back to Earth and send units there to "liberate the Earthlings from the slavery of mortal flesh".
The Purity affinity is the W40's Empire of Man - they are about killing the aliens and adapting the planet to human needs. They eventually develop battle suits and floating juggernauts of units, with a very Roman/chivalry feel to them, and get terraforming technologies. They get a special victory condition where they build a warp gate to Earth and manage to settle a certain number of colonists that come through, while protecting them from other factions and aliens.
Here is an example of the People's African Union's leader having gone full Supremacy:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F2489ZoT.jpg&hash=91c35212e3986104750fdd93e831122f31e0fe6e)
The CEO of American Reclamation Corporation having gone full Purity:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F3mvS6QJ.jpg&hash=3a3257d4bf7c65b5bfe58afe6bf875eeb661a1e6)
Quote from: Martinus on October 24, 2014, 05:00:13 AMmiasma that covers some tiles
My starting location is miasma central compared to there other factions' drop points, so going harmony kinda made sense. Also something artsy French guys would probably go for. :frog:
And the Prophetess of the Kavithan Protectorate, having gone full Harmony. Notice the organic bio-implants in her brain and the "melange" eyes (btw, one of the special Covert Ops ability of high level Harmony is to call a Siege Worm strike on an enemy city :P)
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fuaw2gtd.jpg&hash=3020838d565e1e4966cd43c46e3606c979648e73)
Quote from: Syt on October 24, 2014, 05:12:26 AM
Quote from: Martinus on October 24, 2014, 05:00:13 AMmiasma that covers some tiles
My starting location is miasma central compared to there other factions' drop points, so going harmony kinda made sense. Also something artsy French guys would probably go for. :frog:
Well, I can see pretty much every leader going every Affinity. A cold-calculating rational cyborg Elodie makes as much sense (and so does a Purity one, trying to create a "New Rome").
I think my starting game will be with American Reclaimation Corporation and Scientists.
Quote from: Syt on October 24, 2014, 01:15:20 AMTo get one thing out of the way: I don't find it has as much atmosphere as Alpha Centauri...
:(
Ah ok, thanks for that.
Quote from: Martinus on October 24, 2014, 05:00:13 AMThe Purity affinity is the W40's Empire of Man - they are about killing the aliens and adapting the planet to human needs. They eventually develop battle suits and floating juggernauts of units, with a very Roman/chivalry feel to them, and get terraforming technologies. They get a special victory condition where they build a warp gate to Earth and manage to settle a certain number of colonists that come through, while protecting them from other factions and aliens.
Sounds cool. :thumbsup:
Quote from: Legbiter on October 24, 2014, 07:38:19 AM
Quote from: Syt on October 24, 2014, 01:15:20 AMTo get one thing out of the way: I don't find it has as much atmosphere as Alpha Centauri...
:(
Ah ok, thanks for that.
It's still better than CivV in that regard. The best atmosphere in a current 4X would probably be Endless Legend at the moment, thanks to its eclectic mix of factions of BDSM mages, post apocalyptic vault dwellers, bizarre cultists, spirits-bound-in-armor, reptile scholars, or almost-but-not-quite-zerg - each with its own stories and quests lines.
Quote from: Legbiter on October 24, 2014, 07:38:19 AM
Quote from: Syt on October 24, 2014, 01:15:20 AMTo get one thing out of the way: I don't find it has as much atmosphere as Alpha Centauri...
:(
Ah ok, thanks for that.
That's just Nostalgia talking.
Hey Syt,
Endless Legends looks interesting - how does it compare to Age of Wonders 3 and Elemental War of Magic? The interface looks really good but you seem to have played it so your insight is valuable.
G.
I've only scratched the surface. I like that they go for originality (kinda like the Endless Space races, and it's set in the same universe), and I like the province mechanic (only one city per province) and how minor factions work. The art style on the map might not be for everyone, I find it rather neat.
The Steam forums vibe seems to be that it's a very decent game, not awesome, and opinion of the AI is mixed, though the devs promise to work on it.
Check out a few Let's Plays on YouTube; I know that quill18 and Arumba have done some.
Only started a test game of EL, but I really like the look and the effort gone into the races (instead of just orcs, elves etc).
They put a demo on Steam today. I'm downloading it now.
Quote from: Grallon on October 24, 2014, 10:29:26 AM
Hey Syt,
Endless Legends looks interesting - how does it compare to Age of Wonders 3 and Elemental War of Magic? The interface looks really good but you seem to have played it so your insight is valuable.
G.
Speaking of AoW3, I was reading the DD's about the new Necromancer faction. Looks pretty neat / too bad that wasn't in the original release.
Quote from: Martinus on October 24, 2014, 05:05:36 AM
Here is an example of the People's African Union's leader having gone full Supremacy:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F2489ZoT.jpg&hash=91c35212e3986104750fdd93e831122f31e0fe6e)
You'd think if was going to cover his head in metal, he'd at least get cover the bald top of his head.
Was playing the demo last night, games seems fun. Sadly, I kept getting black screen that nothing would fix. My video card is really in need of a replacement.
Interrupting the EL discussion :P I had a lot of fun with BE last night. I like all the decision points. I developed a part borg part planet lover with the extra trade slots faction. It was a hoot. I think I am going to try to see what the purity line is like next.
TotalBiscuit has posted his first impressions.
In short:
- it's a very good game
- it's better than vanilla CivV
- it's not as good as CivV-BNW
- it doesn't have the personality of Alpha Centauri
Whether or not you think full asking price is worth it will depend on how much you want sci-fi based evolution of the CivV formula.
Quote from: Syt on October 25, 2014, 09:55:06 AM
TotalBiscuit has posted his first impressions.
In short:
- it's a very good game
- it's better than vanilla CivV
- it's not as good as CivV-BNW
- it doesn't have the personality of Alpha Centauri
Whether or not you think full asking price is worth it will depend on how much you want sci-fi based evolution of the CivV formula.
From just playing the demo, I can dig this. I think I'm going to wait for now as I'm not sure I'm onboard with its full price.
I watched the let's play from someone who sounds like Borat. I liked what I saw.
The one thing I dislike from the videos is how drab-looking the UI is. Way too many two-tone things to strain yourself looking at.
I don't mind the UI so much.
I wish Virtues had more flavor. Yes, they're a sci-fi-ish civics system, but most of the time I just look at the perks, not the description or even names of the items.
Similarly with tech - you can see a lot of work has gone into the research web, but for the most part I find I only look at, "what does this unlock?" Obviously that's a downside of playing a sci-fi game with mostly made up techs, as opposed to classical Civ where each tech is something you've heard of before.
The tech quotes when you research something help a bit, but they're a far cry from the classic Alpha Centauri quotes. Though to be fair, IIRC, AC started with near future tech and involved for the most part less abstract descriptions.
They've done a better job with the units; the unlocks you get when you reach new affinity levels are noticeably different, and come with one of two different perks that you pick on upgrade. Unfortunately, it seems when units level up you can only pick between healing them and making them stronger (the CivV upgrade perks are part of the customization process).
I like that you can mix ad match affinities as you like, so the other two branches don't lock off if you want to focus on one; and in fact it seems possible to unlock perks and buildings/special units from more than one branch.
Whereas Alpha Centauri's factions were much more scripted and thus well defined, so that you immediately knew what the Spartans or the University's focus would be, BE is much more free form where the factions' affinities and customizations will emerge during gameplay. Interesting design choice.
I think the game is a great framework/template but they just didn't have enough "author" resources to develop the narrative side of the game, so it feels a bit like a mod than a full fledged game. I guess it is a bit of a dilemma - on one hand, they are right that spending too much resources on stuff like wonder movies feels like a waste as people just watch them once or twice during game, and then just skip them - on the other hand, the SMAC wonder movies were so great people watch and cheer on them to this day. I suppose I understand their design decision, although I wish there was more backstory (there is a lot of sci-fi "bones" - stuff like subtle winks, hints and nods to sci-fi fans in things like names of stations etc. that let you think up the backstory etc. - but not that much meat on those bones).
Btw, the TotalBiscuit's review Syt posted/summarised is spot on - I agree 100%.
One thing I like a lot is the quest system - for example, as Purity I was tasked with declaring war on a station I traded with after I got a plea from escaped prisoners from that station, who were experimented upon with some genetic engineering.
First impressions: It seems alright....but a bit too much of a simple reskin of civ 5; renaming city states into station, barbarians into aliens, etc...
Quote from: Tyr on October 26, 2014, 08:07:43 AM
First impressions: It seems alright....but a bit too much of a simple reskin of civ 5; renaming city states into station, barbarians into aliens, etc...
I only played Civ 5 vanilla and this seems quite different with all the options of customization. Perhaps the Civ 5 DLCs added that?
Demo seemed interesting. Definitely more my speed than Civ.
Quote from: Scipio on October 26, 2014, 10:33:48 AM
Demo seemed interesting. Definitely more my speed than Civ.
How so? To me it felt pretty similar to Civ just with everything with different visuals and then some minor changes here and there*.
*Have tech in a web rather than a timeline and customization of units don't really strike me as major differences.
The special agents part of the game is intersting. I played a game as ARC with the plan of stealing science and tech to feed my borg machine to tanscendance victory. But another faction took over all but two of the other capitals and so I just had to Coup the remaining capitals for the Dominance victory.
To be honest, I don't get the "no different from CiV" complaint. I think it may come from people who just played a couple of turns, without going deeper into the game. The affinities, the special ops and the tech web make the game feel completely different, imho.
Oh. And is it right that explorers have to return to a friendly city before they can set up another expedition? Or just pass through friendly territory or...what?
Quote from: Tyr on October 26, 2014, 01:57:01 PM
Oh. And is it right that explorers have to return to a friendly city before they can set up another expedition? Or just pass through friendly territory or...what?
Yes, they have to return to the capital. There are several virtues and (I think) techs that increase the number of expedition modules they can carry. And you want to pick up at least Purity 1 so your explorers are not attacked by the aliens.
Some of the decisions seem to be no brainers. For the ultrasonic fences - either make my trade convoys immune against aliens, or give my cities +1 hex push back against aliens ... I'll take the convoy protection every time.
Quote from: Syt on October 26, 2014, 02:59:36 PM
Some of the decisions seem to be no brainers. For the ultrasonic fences - either make my trade convoys immune against aliens, or give my cities +1 hex push back against aliens ... I'll take the convoy protection every time.
Not necessarily. If you are pursuing a highly aggressive strategy of military expansion, you can keep your convoys safe for internal traderoutes anyway.
Picked this up and am quite enjoying it. Haven't played any Civ since... Civ 3? so even if it is close to Civ 5 I don't realize it.
I adored the heck out of SMAC and though this is different too, it does seem similar enough for all sorts of nostalgia neurons to be firing off.
Quote from: Martinus on October 26, 2014, 03:31:47 PM
Quote from: Syt on October 26, 2014, 02:59:36 PM
Some of the decisions seem to be no brainers. For the ultrasonic fences - either make my trade convoys immune against aliens, or give my cities +1 hex push back against aliens ... I'll take the convoy protection every time.
Not necessarily. If you are pursuing a highly aggressive strategy of military expansion, you can keep your convoys safe for internal traderoutes anyway.
Yeah, exactly. The options really depend on the tactics being used. Playing a peaceful trader go with the convoy protection. Going the military route you probably dont need that improvement at all.
Hopefully this service (http://multiplayerrobot.com/) will work with this game pretty soon.
QuoteWhat is Giant Multiplayer Robot?
Giant Multiplayer Robot is a multiplayer service for Sid Meier's Civilization V which handles passing your games' save files from player to player. As this happens, Giant Multiplayer Robot can send you notifications for when it's your turn via the website, email, and/or our desktop app. Giant Multiplayer Robot also provides services not normally available in Civilization V hot seat multiplayer, such as leaving an in-progress game, a customizable turn timer, and mod support.
Forget the details, focus on the game
The Giant Multiplayer Robot desktop app manages uploading and downloading your save files, so you don't have to worry about it. Alternatively, if you're a Mac user or prefer not to use our desktop app, you can also download and submit your turns via your browser.
I am playing a game with the aliens set at aggressive - it is a very different game this way. I am having fun with it so far. Lots of tech from killing bugs :menace:
I can't wait to try out this game.
When you start a game with random faction settings, is there a way to see what you started with, except looking at your units/tech/stats and deduce it from that?
Similarly, can I see what the other factions started with?
Quote from: DGuller on October 26, 2014, 08:45:44 PM
I can't wait to try out this game.
This quote made me immediately think of you:
"Mathematical proof is the only foundation for ethics that I can respect. Progress in mathematics is progress in morality."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality Vol. I
:P
Funnily enough, I haven't seen a single time yet of Sochua going Supremacy. Meanwhile, the African leader seems to go Supremacy each time I meet him. :D
By the way, there are several mods already on Steam. My favourite: space papacy. The Supremacy Pope looks especially rad. :D
I wish the aliens were more interesting. As it is, they're barbarians, and if you leave them alone, they leave you alone (if you don't leave your workers unattended or get too close to their hives). All non-combat interaction with them is through techs and perks.
I guess I was hoping that your game choices and affinity would change alien behavior more drastically towards you (I don't know, being able to "tame" alien units if you go harmony, or going apeshit against you if you go purity), but even when they've gone from green to red they barely attack me. Also, from early midgame on, only the kraken and worms are a bit of a challenge to your units. I guess upping their aggression will help, but I was hoping there'd be more interaction than just combat.
Quote from: Syt on October 27, 2014, 01:43:22 AM
I wish the aliens were more interesting. As it is, they're barbarians, and if you leave them alone, they leave you alone (if you don't leave your workers unattended or get too close to their hives). All non-combat interaction with them is through techs and perks.
I guess I was hoping that your game choices and affinity would change alien behavior more drastically towards you (I don't know, being able to "tame" alien units if you go harmony, or going apeshit against you if you go purity), but even when they've gone from green to red they barely attack me. Also, from early midgame on, only the kraken and worms are a bit of a challenge to your units. I guess upping their aggression will help, but I was hoping there'd be more interaction than just combat.
You can build alien units at higher levels of Harmony, but I gotta say I agree - especially the "aliens remains a threat throughout the entire game" piece seems like they did not deliver on. It could be perhaps different at different speeds (I am playing on Quick). In fact, it seems like the game is not yet perfectly balanced between speeds (people on Marathon speed complain that they can't excavate expedition sites located in miasma before miasma immunity Harmony level because the explorer dies before the excavation ends for example).
So far it seems to me that levelling multiple Affinities is a way to go (with one staying dominant, but not exclusive) as there are many buildings in other affinities that help with health etc.
In my first game, going harmony, I left the aliens alone, because that seemed logical from a gameplay point of view. It was much later (turn 200) that I realized that this was not having any effect, and by that point I had units that could easily wipe out the aliens near my cities. Yes, They feel more like a nuisance than a constant threat.
I hope they'll add more factions as DLC relatively soon. I'd also like more info patched in: what build did my city just finished? What do the wonders that my opponents build do (direct link instead of having to go through the Civipedia)? How close are my opponents to winning? What is the diplomatic status between factions?
I hope the first major DLC will add:
- more interesting/interactive aliens (add a super alien near game end? have aliens level up?)
- planetary council mechanic
- more diversity for the affinities (liberal vs. fundamentalist)
- some sort of political system; the virtues feel a bit weak, thematically
Hehe. :D
Quote from: Syt on October 27, 2014, 01:43:22 AM
I wish the aliens were more interesting. As it is, they're barbarians, and if you leave them alone, they leave you alone (if you don't leave your workers unattended or get too close to their hives). All non-combat interaction with them is through techs and perks.
I guess I was hoping that your game choices and affinity would change alien behavior more drastically towards you (I don't know, being able to "tame" alien units if you go harmony, or going apeshit against you if you go purity), but even when they've gone from green to red they barely attack me. Also, from early midgame on, only the kraken and worms are a bit of a challenge to your units. I guess upping their aggression will help, but I was hoping there'd be more interaction than just combat.
I am not sure. Alpha Centauri was brilliant but we shouldn't shackle all future similar games to go with the same storyline.
I generally agree, but in this case having the aliens is not doing much for the game besides being hindrance for early expansion.
Another item for my wishlist: more interaction with the independent stations. I like the idea of independent stations popping up, but giving them more function than "you get extra resources if you send a trade convoy" would be cool. I don't think full Civ V city state, but some diplomatic interaction, or making some of them "special" hubs for smugglers, mercenaries, or prospectors would be cool. Send some gold diggers, some free ranchers or something for a bit more of a frontier feeling.
One more thing: if a faction is getting close to victory (esp. those victories with a ticking clock), it should say so somewhere, very visibly. And their rivals should attempt to stop them from achieving said victory. Declare war, and try to destroy the gate/mind flower/whatever. Ideally, this should trigger a war along affinity lines.
I guess what it comes down to is that I quite enjoy the game out of the box, but that there's so much potential for improvement still.
Quote from: Syt on October 27, 2014, 03:40:14 AM
I generally agree, but in this case having the aliens is not doing much for the game besides being hindrance for early expansion.
Another item for my wishlist: more interaction with the independent stations. I like the idea of independent stations popping up, but giving them more function than "you get extra resources if you send a trade convoy" would be cool. I don't think full Civ V city state, but some diplomatic interaction, or making some of them "special" hubs for smugglers, mercenaries, or prospectors would be cool. Send some gold diggers, some free ranchers or something for a bit more of a frontier feeling.
Actually, this is handled through quests. As I already said, at one point I got a quest about refugees from a nearby station (with whom I had a lucrative, level 3 trade route) asking to get asylum in my faction (I was Purity at the time), claiming they have been experimented on. I agreed and after a few turns I got an envoy from the station saying that I should return them, as they are just children of the station and they don't know what they are doing, since every "adult" undergoes the same type of modifications there. I had an option to return the refugees (for a Harmony or Supremacy boost) or to refuse (Purity boost). I refused and then got a new pop-up, saying that my own people are now pressuring me to put the end to this abomination and destroy the station. Once I did so, I could then try to reverse the augmentation and re-settle the people in my colonies (Purity and I think Health boost) or to keep them isolated and study their modifications (Science boost).
Another time, I got offered a lucrative deal (bonus to trade routes for 20 turns with a station) if I destroy their rival, another station.
Quote from: Syt on October 27, 2014, 03:54:30 AM
I guess what it comes down to is that I quite enjoy the game out of the box, but that there's so much potential for improvement still.
I know. I hope they continue to develop the game. What you describe was very much the fault of vanilla CiV, but by BNW it has become the best game of the series. Hopefully, they will follow the same development route with Civ: BE.
The good thing is that the quest system has a lot of potential to introduce elements into the game that does not require a massive overhaul of the engine. I also hope the quests are quite moddable, and since they can give you Affinity, building bonuses or extra units, it seems like you could handle most of the stuff through this.
Quote from: Syt on October 27, 2014, 03:40:14 AM
I generally agree, but in this case having the aliens is not doing much for the game besides being hindrance for early expansion.
Another item for my wishlist: more interaction with the independent stations. I like the idea of independent stations popping up, but giving them more function than "you get extra resources if you send a trade convoy" would be cool. I don't think full Civ V city state, but some diplomatic interaction, or making some of them "special" hubs for smugglers, mercenaries, or prospectors would be cool. Send some gold diggers, some free ranchers or something for a bit more of a frontier feeling.
Coming to think of it, I don't think stations in Civ: BE are *less* than city states in CiV - just different. You can still declare war on them and the bonuses you got from alliances in CiV are now represented by different levels of trade routes you get from them. Sure, they will not send you troops or have their own troops, but that's the only difference at the end of the day. And the AI factions still get pissed off if you destroy their favourite trading partner (Sochua did not forgive me I destroyed her favourite Harmony freaks).
Quote from: Syt on October 27, 2014, 03:40:14 AM
I generally agree, but in this case having the aliens is not doing much for the game besides being hindrance for early expansion.
Yeah but if the aliens are simply indigenous primitive lifeforms then having them as quasi barbarians in terms of early game roadblocks until you master the environment makes sense. Primitive aliens growing with you requires an Alpha Centauri-ish story. Which the game may very well have, I have no idea, but I hope they just dropped it.
Just got this game. Man, is it fucking dark or what? I feel I need to wear night vision goggles just to be able to tell land from ocean. And I can't even find any place to change my gamma setting. It's disappointing how such an obvious thing could be missed so badly.
I think that is your rig. Or you got a bizarre random map of some sort.
Quote from: crazy canuck on October 27, 2014, 02:48:37 PM
I think that is your rig. Or you got a bizarre random map of some sort.
I don't, everything in the interface seems to be a lighter shade of black contrasted with a darker shade of black. It's impossible to see many things that should be visible. I've tried adjusting monitor settings, but it only helps very little. I'm really not digging the color scheme, I hope they fix it in one of the patches.
I dont know DG, my eyes are not that great anymore and I have no difficult seeing the impossible. :P
I don't think it's as bad as DG says, but I find that miasma is really hard to visually pick up. For something that important I'd like it to be a bit more obvious.
Quote from: DGuller on October 27, 2014, 03:07:31 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on October 27, 2014, 02:48:37 PM
I think that is your rig. Or you got a bizarre random map of some sort.
I don't, everything in the interface seems to be a lighter shade of black contrasted with a darker shade of black. It's impossible to see many things that should be visible. I've tried adjusting monitor settings, but it only helps very little. I'm really not digging the color scheme, I hope they fix it in one of the patches.
Screenshot? I am honestly curious. I am debating buying this game, even though I rarely pay full price for games, and haven't heard anyone else mention anything like this at all.
:hmm: Hmm, I just took a 4 hour nap, and when I woke up, things were just marginally tell-apartable. Either my state of tiredness really did a number on my vision, or the sunlight out the window was making things appear darker than they are on my monitor. Still, it would be nice to be able to tell things apart 24 hours a day in this game, especially given that it is a Civ game.
Quote from: DGuller on October 27, 2014, 07:23:48 PM
:hmm: Hmm, I just took a 4 hour nap, and when I woke up, things were just marginally tell-apartable. Either my state of tiredness really did a number on my vision, or the sunlight out the window was making things appear darker than they are on my monitor. Still, it would be nice to be able to tell things apart 24 hours a day in this game, especially given that it is a Civ game.
If you ask me its coding genius to have the game appear differently depending on the condition of the player. :D
I gotta say I found the display not too dark in the slightest. It is kept in darker tones, much like SMAC, but never even thought it is difficult to tell apart. I am playing the game on Bootcamp Windows on my iMac, so it is not like I have some awesome rig either.
Ok, I have to say it's pretty addicting once your eyes adjust to it.
On some tiles I find miasma a bit hard to make out.
True. I sometimes have to hover over the tile to see if it is there. Especially the biomass is often difficult to tell from miasma. But then I always try to grab at least level 3 (or 6) of Harmony to become Miasma-immune.
What determines AI civ founding dates?
One game I tried they arrived in a very slow trickle some time after me.
Another game they arrived in the turns immediately after.
I quite like the unreliability of the aliens. The barbarians are a rather predictable "Will head straight for your units", with the aliens....its a gamble of do you chance trying to walk past them or not. They sometimes do leave you alone.
Quote from: DGuller on October 28, 2014, 02:39:48 AM
Ok, I have to say it's pretty addicting once your eyes adjust to it.
Napping? Yeah, I do that everyday. The trick is to close your eyes. That way you don't need wait till your eyes adjust.
Quote from: Tyr on October 28, 2014, 05:49:03 PM
What determines AI civ founding dates?
It seems random to me. There is an advanced setting which lands them all at the same time as you.
Another thing that doesn't work from the UI perspective is the tech spider web. From the middle of the game on, it becomes very easy to miss an obvious tech to research, and you have to scroll around to see all the options. That's tedious.
Quote from: DGuller on October 28, 2014, 06:31:40 PM
Another thing that doesn't work from the UI perspective is the tech spider web. From the middle of the game on, it becomes very easy to miss an obvious tech to research, and you have to scroll around to see all the options. That's tedious.
I agree. Also I wish there was a simple way to find the tech that gives the improvement stated in the quests/victory conditions.
Quote from: crazy canuck on October 28, 2014, 06:38:54 PM
Quote from: DGuller on October 28, 2014, 06:31:40 PM
Another thing that doesn't work from the UI perspective is the tech spider web. From the middle of the game on, it becomes very easy to miss an obvious tech to research, and you have to scroll around to see all the options. That's tedious.
I agree. Also I wish there was a simple way to find the tech that gives the improvement stated in the quests/victory conditions.
You can do it by typing something into the search window in the tech web.
This game is almost nothing like Alpha Centauri. I don't have any inclination to play a second round.
Quote from: Fate on October 29, 2014, 01:35:26 PM
This game is almost nothing like Alpha Centauri. I don't have any inclination to play a second round.
Guess it is good that they didn't label it "Civilization: Alpha Centauri" or "Alpha Centauri II". ;)
Quote from: garbon on October 29, 2014, 01:49:38 PM
Quote from: Fate on October 29, 2014, 01:35:26 PM
This game is almost nothing like Alpha Centauri. I don't have any inclination to play a second round.
Guess it is good that they didn't label it "Civilization: Alpha Centauri" or "Alpha Centauri II". ;)
:lol:
Nearing the end game of my second playthrough (Purity ARC).
I hope they nerf trade routes. With up to three routes per city, and some virtues and enhancements further buffing the profits, it's a bit easy to plunk down as many cities as possible and rush trade depots in order to roll in cash (which you then invest in health) and science points.
I heard some guy won at the highest difficulty domination victory as ARC without declaring a single war - he just flipped everybody's capitals with covert ops. :cool:
I'm enjoying my time with the game, but I think after I finish this (and maybe one more) game, I will wait for some balancing patches.
From Firaxis:
QuoteSince we launched Civilization: Beyond Earth on the 24th, we've received reports that some of you are having technical issues with the game, in addition to some well thought out feedback on possible balance improvements. We thank you for your feedback and we want to let you know that the team is working on an update to address some of the issues people are experiencing in the game, as well as continuing to make improvements to gameplay and balance overall.
Here is a list of technical issues we are looking to address – (please know this list is not all inclusive and we will continue to track and research issues that are reported).
[ENGINE]
- Correcting screen resolution problems, particularly related to the 144hz refresh rate full-screen (or lack of full-screen) issue.
- Investigating a start-up problem where the game shuts down with an error immediately following the opening movie.
- Investigating crash issues submitted by users, and through Steam crash reporting.
- Adding an in-game option to disable depth of field effect for players that prefer the game without this.
[UI]
- Ongoing updates to in-game text, tool-tips, etc.
- Correcting an issue where actions could be missing from embarked workers (like repairing a pillaged water improvement)
- Adding "Completed" section to city production menu so players know what they just finished.
- Adding advanced touch controls, gesture support, pen support.
[ACHIEVEMENTS]
- Achievements not firing if Max Turns was set in previous games. Also investigating some other possible causes.
[MODDING]
- Fixing 2D leader fall-back image support for all graphics quality settings
[MULTIPLAYER]
- Investigating reports of potential multiplayer stability issues
There are also other bugs under investigation. If you're working with 2K Support, and sending along savegames or dxdiag files, that information is coming directly to Firaxis as well and will help us out. We'll provide additional details on bugfixes as we verify and correct them.
As you saw during the lead-up to launch, we continue to iterate on design through development (remember the station Adept Blue? It got nerfed a month before launch). As we have done in the past, we will continue to iterate and address issues after launch as well. Our players' feedback on balance drives the design team's goals for the game. We'll have more information on the balance changes as the design team has a chance to evaluate and implement your feedback.
We'll also let you know more about the timing of the upcoming patch as we assemble more information. Thanks for your patience and continuing dialog with us as we continue to support Beyond Earth.
-The Firaxis Games Beyond Earth development team
Quote from: Martinus on October 31, 2014, 04:11:32 AM
I heard some guy won at the highest difficulty domination victory as ARC without declaring a single war - he just flipped everybody's capitals with covert ops. :cool:
Yeah, the trade and espionage aspects are definitely op. I have played through twice now on hard without having to fight a war. Once I couped my way to victory - dead easy. The next I siphoned off research and tech points to get to the planet mind victory.
I tried going the military route with the third game but it was suboptimal to say the least.
Well that's a pity. One of the things that annoyed me about Civ was that it was a bit too easy just build yourself up and win and everybody would just let you win. Once the other Civs realized you were in the lead and building towards victory they should have been desperately hammering you down. Silly really. It is like playing a computer football game where the AI just takes a knee on every possession and lets you beat it 3-0 every time.
Quote from: Valmy on October 31, 2014, 11:35:32 AM
Well that's a pity. One of the things that annoyed me about Civ was that it was a bit too easy just build yourself up and win and everybody would just let you win. Once the other Civs realized you were in the lead and building towards victory they should have been desperately hammering you down. Silly really. It is like playing a computer football game where the AI just takes a knee on every possession and lets you beat it 3-0 every time.
Agreed. All the AI factions begin the game with the mind set of being peaceful alien lovers. They all get upset if you attack aliens for example. It would be better if some of the factions started out with a militaristic outlook.
ARC at least should look at them as a resource to be exploited, or removed.
Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on October 31, 2014, 01:30:57 PM
ARC at least should look at them as a resource to be exploited, or removed.
The most obvious is the Brazilians with their melee bonus.
Quote from: crazy canuck on October 31, 2014, 11:38:03 AM
Quote from: Valmy on October 31, 2014, 11:35:32 AM
Well that's a pity. One of the things that annoyed me about Civ was that it was a bit too easy just build yourself up and win and everybody would just let you win. Once the other Civs realized you were in the lead and building towards victory they should have been desperately hammering you down. Silly really. It is like playing a computer football game where the AI just takes a knee on every possession and lets you beat it 3-0 every time.
Agreed. All the AI factions begin the game with the mind set of being peaceful alien lovers. They all get upset if you attack aliens for example. It would be better if some of the factions started out with a militaristic outlook.
I haven't gotten past 100 turns or so (I keep wanting to restart) but this is my experience. Everybody wants to be my friend, nobody challenges me in the least.
In my latest game I'm even trying to be deliberately disruptive - I'm going purity, killing aliens with impunity, and I just conquered my first AI faction. So far the other AIs have done nothing.
In my just finished game, a few rival civs condemned me a few times, but none ever attacked me (my military power was middling). I won a contact victory. They also don't seem to follow up on their complaints if you cull the alien population. In mid game I cleared out the hordes on the subcontinent south of me so I could plunk three cities there, and while some of them complained, their disposition towards me (friendly or neutral) didn't change.
I still think if you aim for a victory the AI should DOW you to take out your mind flower/beacon/gate - at the very least the ones that have a differing affinity than you.
Have to second the complaints about research. I just don't get it. I'm usually a bit of a wonder whore but in this game I can never uncover techs that lead to one, all I know about wonders is when the ai builds one. My capital is left sitting without much to do a lot of the time.
I suggest using the colorful tech tree mod. It color codes what each tech unlocks (units, wonders, improvements etc.).
Still, the wonders are a bit underwhelming in effect, compared to their CivV counterparts.
Quote from: Syt on November 01, 2014, 07:01:43 AMStill, the wonders are a bit underwhelming in effect, compared to their CivV counterparts.
I think this is mainly because there are no great people in Civ: BE, as otherwise wonder effects are pretty similar.
Quote from: Martinus on November 01, 2014, 07:04:24 AM
Quote from: Syt on November 01, 2014, 07:01:43 AMStill, the wonders are a bit underwhelming in effect, compared to their CivV counterparts.
I think this is mainly because there are no great people in Civ: BE, as otherwise wonder effects are pretty similar.
I'll stick to SP.
http://www.civilization.com/en/news/2014-11-mod-of-the-week-the-iron-pact/
QuoteMod of the Week: The Iron Pact
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdownloads.2kgames.com%2Fcivdotcom%2Fimg%2Fblog%2Fironpact_internal.jpg&hash=03a0d6981167470742deba1f1604f23251bb9e05)
Welcome to Mod of the Week, where we highlight Civilization: Beyond Earth mods created by the community. This week, a custom Sponsor: The Iron Pact.
After the collapse of the Eurozone and the European Union in the 21st century, Germany stepped in to try and save this fragile European coalition. So Germany started offering financial aid to its neighbors on the continent, but mistrust amongst countries eventually saw these relationships end.
Following The Great Mistake, Germany closed its borders and soon Mother Nature took back much of the northern sections of the country through mass flooding and climate change. Outlying cities along Germany's famous Rhine river were devastated. Industry moved southward to the only inhabitable areas of the country.
Eventually, a new collective rose to power in Germany. The surviving old noble houses of Europe moved to take control and The Iron Pact was born. A Council of Peers was formed to oversee the country and, under The Iron Pact, the German government has effectively become a noble oligarchy.
This new Sponsor is led by Kurt von Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. He is a charming individual who, as Chancellor of the expedition, agreed to say goodbye to Earth forever in order to give his people a new beginning on a strange alien world.
You can download The Iron Pact over on Steam Workshop.
:lol:
:lol:
That's amazing.
Stuff that's being worked on for a patch (from sticky in the Steam forums):
QuoteWe have more information to share with you regarding the patch. Please find notes from the team below:
[GAMEPLAY]
• Revisiting difficulty level scaling. Increasing difficulty when playing on Apollo.
• Implementing balance pass on Health system (penalties, bonuses).
• Adjusting certain Virtues for balance.
• Implementing overall unit balance pass (strength, production and strategic resource cost, affinity level requirements, location on tech web).
• Implementing leader/sponsor trait balance pass (Kozlov, Barre, Rejinaldo, and Elodie), as well as some seeded start option adjustments.
• Implementing Covert Ops updates and exploit fixes.
• Implementing Trade Route balance and adjustments, including simpler UI.
• Implementing gameplay bug fixes as reported in the community (Quests, etc.).
• Implementing general AI improvements.
• Adjusting Affinity reward ramping when earning Affinity from Quests.
• Adjusting Station distribution, and arrival timing.
• Improving AI, including energy management, tactical management, tech and victory approaches, etc.
[ENGINE]
• Correcting screen resolution problems, particularly related to the 144hz refresh rate full-screen (or lack of full-screen) issue.
• Investigating a start-up problem where the game shuts down with an error immediately following the opening movie.
• Investigating crash issues submitted by users, and through Steam crash reporting.
• Adding an in-game option to disable depth of field effect for players that prefer the game without this.
[UI]
• Ongoing updates to in-game text, tool-tips, etc.
• Correcting an issue where actions could be missing from embarked workers (like repairing a pillaged water improvement)
• Adding "Completed" section to city production menu so players know what they just finished.
• Adding advanced touch controls, gesture support, pen support.
• Adding color icons to the tech web (categorized) with an option to disable.
• Better inform players of approaching AI victory, and updated victory/defeat screen with additional information.
[ACHIEVEMENTS]
• Achievements not firing if Max Turns was set in previous games. Also investigating some other possible causes.
[MODDING]
• Fixing 2D leader fall-back image support for all graphics quality settings
[MULTIPLAYER]
• Correcting multiple desyncs and investigating a crash due to content mismatch.
• Ongoing multiplayer improvements.
• Increasing geographic range of server browser distance filter.
Patch Log:
QuoteSid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth Fall Update Patch Notes
Balance
Wonders and Buildings:
• Holon Chamber provides 3 Science, 4 Energy (was 5 Science)
• Mind Stems cannot be bought with Energy.
Diplomacy:
• Any diplo item can now be traded in exchange for a peace treaty
• Lump Energy trade requires a Cooperation Agreement.
Trade:
• Water trade routes no longer receive any increased yield.
• Revised trade route formula for city-to-city trade, with reduced yields.
• Trade Depots can no longer be purchased with Energy.
Aliens:
• Clearing a friendly alien nest now removes the Xenomass resource from player stockpile.
• Adjusting passive recovery rate for alien opinion to be slower, to permit easier aggression escalation.
Covert Ops:
• Establish Network now has 0 difficulty and produces 0 intrigue. This prevents players from exploiting it to increase intrigue.
Health effects balancing:
• From -20 to -70, Production is penalized -1% per point (up to -50%).
• From -15 to -65, enemy Covert Ops Intrigue is increased +2% per point (up to +100%).
• From -10 to -60, Science is penalized -1% per point (up to -50%).
• From -5 to -55, Culture is penalized -1% per point (up to -50%).
• From 0 to -50, Outpost Growth is penalized -2% per point (up to -100%).
• From 0 to -50, City Growth is penalized -2% per point (up to -100%).
• From 1 to 5, nothing happens.
• From 5 to 25, Production bonus +1% per point (up to +20%).
• From 10 to 30, enemy Covert Ops Intrigue is decreased -2% per point (up to -40%).
• From 15 to 35, Science bonus +1% per point (up to +20%).
• From 20 to 40, Culture bonus +1 per point (up to +20%).
• From 25 to 45, City Growth bonus +1% per point (up to +20%).
• From 25 to 45, Outpost Growth bonus +2% per point (up to +40%).
Virtues:
• Eudaimonia (Tier III Prosperity virtue) now provides -15% less Unhealth (was -25%)
• Learning Centers now provides +1 Science for Academies (was +2)
Game Setup:
• Sponsors:
o Kozlov Ability: Orbital units last 50% longer, +50% Petroleum resource (was Orbital units last 20% longer and first launch grants free technology)
o Barre Ability: +10% Growth when Healthy, all cities start with an Old Earth Relic (was +10% Growth when Healthy)
o Rejinaldo Ability: Melee units +10% Strength, all units +5 Heal when fortified (was +10% Melee combat strength)
o Elodie Ability: provides 1 free Virtue for every 10 Virtues earned normally through Culture (was 1 free Tech for every 10 Virtues earned in any way)
• Colonists:
o Aristocrats now provide +4 Energy per City (no Health bonus)
o Artists now provide +3 Culture per City (no Health bonus)
Tech Web:
• Clear Miasma now unlocks on Ecology (was Alien Biology)
• Miasmic Repulsor now unlocks on Alien Biology (was Ecology)
• Array Science bonus now unlocks on Astrodynamics (was Orbital Automation)
• Planet Carver now unlocks on Orbital Automation (was Astrodynamics)
• Markov Eclipse now unlocks on Transcendental Math (was Artificial Intelligence)
Stations:
• Station start turn base is now 30 (was 20)
• Station minimum allowed distance to another station is now 2 (was 3)
• Station minimum allowed distance to a city is now 6 (was 5)
• Station minimum allowed distance to an outpost is now 5 (was 3)
Affinity Perks:
• Harmony level 1 grants Miasma Immunity to the Explorer unit (was Alien opinion recovers twice as quickly)
• Purity level 1 adds double combat strength when defending to Explorer unit (was Aliens cannot attack Explorers)
Quests:
• Affinity rewarded as a quest reward now ramps up slowly over the first 100 turns (on standard). This ramp will vary with game speed.
• All players now get affinity quests within 1 turn of each other. If it's not possible for all players to receive a quest at the same time, the game waits until this is possible, then immediately gives all players a new affinity quest.
• Autoplant Building Quest grants bonus Production (was +1 Trade Route)
Units:
• Explorers now have 6 combat strength (was 3).
• Sea units now follow the same rules for ranged combat defense as all other units: they use the highest of their combat values (ranged combat or melee combat) when calculating defense.
• Combat Rover unit can no longer fortify, and no longer receives defense bonuses from the terrain it is on.
• Raising the secondary level requirement for the hybrid upgrades of affinity units:
o First affinity unit (ex. Xeno Swarm) now upgrades at level 10 of main affinity and level 4 of secondary affinity (was 10+2)
o Second affinity unit (ex. Xeno Cavalry) now upgrades at 12+5 (was 12+3)
o Third affinity unit (ex. Rocktopus) now upgrades at level 14+6 (was 14+4)
o Fourth affinity unit (ex. Xeno Titan) now upgrades at level 16+7 (was 16+5)
• Lowering strategic resource costs for many affinity units, to ensure consistency across affinities and make top tier units easier to build. The first affinity units require 1 strategic, the second require 2, the third require 3, and the fourth require 5.
o CARVR now costs 2 Firaxite (was 3)
o Rocktopus now costs 2 Xenomass and 1 Floatstone (was 3 Xenomass and 1 Floatstone)
o LEV Tank now costs 3 Floatstone (was 4)
o SABR now costs 3 Firaxite (was 4)
o Xeno Titan now costs 5 Xenomass (was 7)
o LEV Destroyer now costs 5 Floatstone (was 7)
o ANGEL now costs 5 Firaxite (was 6)
• Increased production costs of upgraded Combat Rovers and Missile Rovers:
o Combat Rovers now cost 80, 160, 260, 370 (was 80, 140, 220, 320)
o Missile Rovers now cost 100, 190, 290, 400 (was 100, 180, 270, 370)
• Lowering combat strength progression of Combat Rover:
o Combat Rover combat strength progression is now 12, 18, 28, 52 (was 12, 18, 32, 52)
• Changes to the combat strength of affinity units, to make non-upgraded ones more weak in general:
o Xeno Swarm now has 22 combat strength at start, 54 when upgraded (was 34, 54)
o Xeno Cavalry now has 36, 72 (was 48, 72)
o Rocktopus now has 60, 92 (was 60, 82)
o Xeno Titan now has 86, 114 (was 96, 114)
o Battlesuit now has 24, 66 (was 40, 66)
o Aegis now has 34, 34 double strike (was 40, 40 double strike)
o LEV Tank now has 44, 77 (was 52, 77)
o LEV Destroyer now has 74, 104 (was 84, 104)
o CNDR now has 24, 63 (was 38, 63)
o CARVR now has 38, 76 (was 50, 76)
o SABR now has 52, 86 (was 58, 86)
o ANGEL now has 78 with 78 melee, 102 with 88 melee (was 88 with 88 melee, 102 with 102 melee)
AI:
• Once the game is in Extended mode (after the player clicks the One More Turn button) the AI will now only pursue Domination.
• Warmonger threat per city acquisition is now capped.
• Warmonger calculation now scaled down when cities are taken by Sponsors that are reacting to a war that was declared upon them (that is, when that civ is not the aggressor).
• Adjusted AI bonuses on higher difficulty levels.
• Additional AI tuning, improvements, and tweaks.
Gameplay Feedback:
• Implemented anonymous gameplay telemetry for design feedback.
UI
Settings and Game Setup:
• The menu now displays EQAA modes instead of MSAA modes if in Mantle version and the GPU supports EQAA.
• Added option to disable UI/Map blur.
• The player is now informed that enabling max turns disables victory achievements.
Trade:
• Previous trade routes appear in their own category at top of trade route chooser
City/Production UI:
• Adding Health tooltip help in City View to explain health sources and population cap
• City production pop-up now shows the last item completed.
• Increased city renaming from 15 character max to 23 character max.
Misc:
• Allow "One More Turn" after the default win conditions (Contact, Promised Land, Emancipation, Transcendence, Domination, Time), added text to defeat screen explaining how you were defeated.
• Option to make minimap opaque
• ESC leaves orbital mode instead of raising in game shell menu
• Added a badge to covert ops button in the action corner which will show up, and a warning to the covert ops panel when a player has any cities with high intrigue.
• Tech web - adding color underlays to building and wonder types.
• Added additional Advisors for trade convoy and trade vessel.
• Added support for third party wars in diplo overview.
• Full touch/gesture and pen support added (Ultrabook, Surface Pro, etc.).
Multiplayer
• Setting the internet server browser list distance filtering to worldwide.
• All players are notified when anyone completes a victory wonder.
• Multiple improvements to stability.
Modding
• 2D fallback image now supported for leaders on all video quality settings, not just the lowest.
• Added the ability to mod Quests.
Bugs
• Embarked workers can now correctly repair pillaged improvements.
• Fixed an issue where Max turns was getting set on "Reload", causing achievements to not fire.
• Fixed bug where victory achievements would only unlock for the first player on a team.
• Fixed empty trade requests that could occur during the AI turn.
• Fixed multiple Quest issues (quest tracking, information, and reward bugs).
• Fixed multiple issues with screen resolution on specific displays (like the 144Hz full-screen issue), and a Mantle issue causing the game to not display on the correct screen.
• Setting MaxTurns only affects timed victory conditions. For a timed victory, you must either not set MaxTurns (of which, there will be a default for the game speed), or set it to 100+ turns. All other victory conditions can be achieved regardless of max turns.
• Friendly aliens no longer blockade cities.
• Fixed some specific issues with resources not appearing properly in the player stockpile.
• Many additional bugs and crashes addressed based on community feedback. Thank you!
Is it fun?
Quote from: Zanza on December 08, 2014, 04:45:28 PM
Is it fun?
It's solid IMHO pre-patch, though not great. I played three full games and enjoyed them a fair but, but YMMV. A full game is quicker than in CivV. It's something I'll fire up every now and then, I think.
Quote from: Syt on December 08, 2014, 04:57:25 PM
Quote from: Zanza on December 08, 2014, 04:45:28 PM
Is it fun?
It's solid IMHO pre-patch, though not great. I played three full games and enjoyed them a fair but, but YMMV. A full game is quicker than in CivV. It's something I'll fire up every now and then, I think.
I only made it through two games. As we discussed before it is a game that will likely get much better with added content.
So I'll wait until they release the first DLC for it or it is 75% off on Steam. :P
Seems like a prudent course of action.
Maybe even wait for a bundle of DLCs and the game to go on sale.
I played through one game, and while the game was as addictive as usual while I was in the middle of it, I really have no desire to start up another one. It just feels a little soulless, even the interface. Maybe it will feel better once it's polished up.
I was really looking forward to it. But found it dull after two play thrus.
Sadly, I have to agree with you guys. I was all hyped for it, but I find myself going to CiV (with all expansions) if I am in need of a civilisation fix - and not this (and that's even after the Mac version was released so I don't need to do a song and dance to play it).
Perhaps they will release expansions and it will become better (vanilla CiV was also soulless).
Yeah, well I paid fifty bucks for this game. I don't look forward to paying another 20-30 an expansion to make it not boring.
I think the mistake the developers made is relatively easy to identify - they approach Civ: BE in the same way as CiV - i.e. making the game rich in terms of abstract game mechanics, but rather sketchy/abstract in terms of the narrative content or "fluff".
The problem however is that while it may work in the context of a historical game (since you do not need to explain to people concepts or contexts of stuff such as "Hammurabi", "Pyramids" or "Gunpowder"), it does not work for a sci fi game.
Quote from: Martinus on December 09, 2014, 08:44:09 AM
The problem however is that while it may work in the context of a historical game (since you do not need to explain to people concepts or contexts of stuff such as "Hammurabi", "Pyramids" or "Gunpowder"), it does not work for a sci fi game.
Yeah I think so. Fictional future stuff needs context. Unless it's Star Wars or something that's already richly developed.
Quote from: garbon on October 29, 2014, 01:49:38 PM
Quote from: Fate on October 29, 2014, 01:35:26 PM
This game is almost nothing like Alpha Centauri. I don't have any inclination to play a second round.
Guess it is good that they didn't label it "Civilization: Alpha Centauri" or "Alpha Centauri II". ;)
Yeah, but that's the problem. Everyone wants a new Alpha Centauri.
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on December 09, 2014, 07:41:45 PM
Quote from: Martinus on December 09, 2014, 08:44:09 AM
The problem however is that while it may work in the context of a historical game (since you do not need to explain to people concepts or contexts of stuff such as "Hammurabi", "Pyramids" or "Gunpowder"), it does not work for a sci fi game.
Yeah I think so. Fictional future stuff needs context. Unless it's Star Wars or something that's already richly developed.
That's all there; unfortunately it's buried in blocks of text in the game's civipedia.
Exactly. SMAC worked because it fed you this information through things like project movies and tech quotes. Sure, they have tech quotes now but they are not even read by the person that is supposed to be the author (i.e. the relevant leader), just a generic female voice. And there are no wonder movies.
To this day I think that the movie for Planetary Datalinks is inspiring.
I find The Longevity Vaccine inspiring myself. :P
You can play it free on Steam this weekend. I've played a little.
Expansion incoming!
http://www.civilization.com/en/news/2015-05-civilization-beyond-earth-rising-tide-fall-2015/
QuoteNew York, NY – May 18, 2015 – 2K and Firaxis Games today announced Sid Meier's Civilization®: Beyond Earth™ – Rising Tide, the expansion pack for 2014's turn-based strategy title, Civilization: Beyond Earth, is currently in development for Windows-based PC. Created by Firaxis Games, Rising Tide will enhance the Beyond Earth experience by adding a variety of new gameplay capabilities and providing near limitless ways for players to create a new future for humanity on an alien planet. The expansion pack is currently scheduled for release in fall 2015.
Rising Tide will expand Beyond Earth to new frontiers on the planet's surface and across its seas, adding more choices and diplomatic options as players build "one more turn" toward a new vision for humanity's future. New aquatic gameplay will explore the oceans for colonization by dramatically extending the play space, while an overhauled diplomacy system will provide players with additional layers of dynamic choices and options to shape the diplomatic landscape while engaging with the AI and one another.
"Firaxis Games has an impressive track record of delivering robust and innovative expansions that radically change player experience while adding extensive replay value," said Sarah Anderson, SVP of Marketing at 2K. "Rising Tide is no exception, offering new features and overhauled gameplay systems that will challenge players embarking on a quest for planetary domination."
"Rising Tide builds upon the lore of Beyond Earth, breaking away the historical boundaries of the original franchise and furthering mankind's search for a new home in outer space," said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis Games. "Whether colonizing the planet's oceans, acquiring new Affinities or meeting exotic new leaders, aliens and units for the first time, Rising Tide offers more ways for players to write their own stories on a new world."
Key features of Rising Tide include:
• Building floating settlements and accessing natural resources hidden beneath the seas of the alien planet, while alien beasts with unique abilities inhabit the water and challenge players in distinctive ways;
• Shaping the diplomatic landscape by upgrading traits, changing diplomatic relationships, and leveraging the benefits of your allies, all with political capital;
• Unlocking a dynamic set of Diplomatic Traits while activating different combinations in response to the changing world;
• Playing as one of four new factions, including the Al Falah, a group of nomad explorers descended from wealthy and resilient Middle Eastern states;
• Investing in multiple Affinities to unlock hybrid Affinity units and upgrades for the first time;
• Collecting and combining alien relics via a new Artifact System that unlocks powerful benefits;
• Exploring one of two new biomes, Primordial world, an untamed biome rife with volcanic activity and indicative of a chaotic landscape still forming in the new world.
Quote from: Razgovory on December 10, 2014, 01:03:47 AM
Yeah, but that's the problem. Everyone wants a new Alpha Centauri.
Everyone having excellent taste in games is not a problem -_-
Well that expansion sounds like what Alpha Centauri satarted with.
Weirdly, when given the choice I prefer BE over CivV. I like CivV, but I suck at it and get easily frustrated by it even on medium difficulty to the point that I ragequit games before the renaissance. :Embarrass:
Quote from: Valmy on May 18, 2015, 09:23:11 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on December 10, 2014, 01:03:47 AM
Yeah, but that's the problem. Everyone wants a new Alpha Centauri.
Everyone having excellent taste in games is not a problem -_-
Lack of product to sate that taste is.
Any mods that will make this more interesting?
Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on July 08, 2015, 08:53:15 AM
Any mods that will make this more interesting?
Looking at top mods on Steam and what little is said on google search, looks like people gave up. Thought maybe they will feel differently if they like the expansion pack? (I got this game as a Christmas gift and I've yet to install it. -_-)
It is just bland. I try to like it, but it isn't at all engrossing.
Yeah that was my feeling from the demo.
I'm more likely to fire it up rather than Civ5. For some reason I find Civ5 occasionally a bit tedious to play and find that BE somehow just flows better for my tastes.
I'm well aware, though, that I'm in the minority with that opinion. :)
I've played this once and have utterly no desire to play it again. I know there have been big changes made to it, but just way too many things turned me off, starting with the monochrome UI design.
Alternating between this and GalCiv 3. And yes it is indeed bland; in fact you spend most of your time pressing the END TURN button. Debating whether or not I should get Pillars of Eternity until they finally release the map editor for GalCiv3.
G.
How is GalCiv3? I should have gotten that instead of paying full price for this piece of shit. Had they released it as a paid for mod for 15 bucks for Civ V I'd be OK with it.
GalCiv3 is not much of a change from GC2, I'm sorry to say. They throw in a few things (strategic resources that you can use for stronger units/buildings, an allignment system similar to Civ5's ideologies), but overall I don'd find that the new stuff justifies full asking price.
Also, make sure you build a mining station near every resource in your territory, or the AI will come and take it, leaving you only the options of declaring war or buying it for retonculous amounts of money (planets can culture flip, stations can't).
It's 50% off on Steam for $20.
It's also free for the weekend. I played it for a few hours on Thursday night and thought it was fairly entertaining. On the fence about actually buying it.
Quote from: Caliga on August 15, 2015, 05:09:33 PM
It's also free for the weekend. I played it for a few hours on Thursday night and thought it was fairly entertaining. On the fence about actually buying it.
wait until the expansion is there. Then wait some more untill that too is cheap.
Incidentally, I love the "German Syriza" faction they just revealed. :D
Did they make any changes to UI? What I found the most annoying about the game is that everything in the interface was a shade of blue, which made it extremely exhausting to look at.
I don't really understand how to preserve health in this game. I always end up with my cities growing a lot and even though I put a focus on health buildings / time improvements...always sliding into the negative. :blush:
Also, having finally installed this, my opinion is a bit different from the demo. While still lacking a bit in atmosphere, I think it is enjoyable enough.
I played a bit this weekend, and thought it was a lot of fun.
Quote from: garbon on August 17, 2015, 09:59:19 AM
I don't really understand how to preserve health in this game. I always end up with my cities growing a lot and even though I put a focus on health buildings / time improvements...always sliding into the negative. :blush:
Also, having finally installed this, my opinion is a bit different from the demo. While still lacking a bit in atmosphere, I think it is enjoyable enough.
There is a limit to health (or at least used to be) - a city can't produce more health than the number of its inhabitants. That might hamper you.
Quote from: Syt on July 10, 2015, 08:47:35 AM
Also, make sure you build a mining station near every resource in your territory, or the AI will come and take it, leaving you only the options of declaring war or buying it for retonculous amounts of money (planets can culture flip, stations can't).
Isn't that pretty much the same as GalCiv2? I stopped playing with minor races because they would swoop in and grab all the resources before I could build constructors.
Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on July 10, 2015, 08:36:52 AM
How is GalCiv3? I should have gotten that instead of paying full price for this piece of shit. Had they released it as a paid for mod for 15 bucks for Civ V I'd be OK with it.
It is a nice game, but it's still a work in progress. As of patch 1.02, there were still bugs and AI behavior problems wich they'll likely not fix. I haven't played the later patches, but they promise to support it for a while.
Wait for a special and buy it.
Quote from: Baron von Schtinkenbutt on August 17, 2015, 04:47:28 PM
Quote from: Syt on July 10, 2015, 08:47:35 AM
Also, make sure you build a mining station near every resource in your territory, or the AI will come and take it, leaving you only the options of declaring war or buying it for retonculous amounts of money (planets can culture flip, stations can't).
Isn't that pretty much the same as GalCiv2? I stopped playing with minor races because they would swoop in and grab all the resources before I could build constructors.
Well, GalCiv2 was really about station spam, so I may not have noticed. :blush:
GalCiv3 has kind of a "city radius" for each station, forcing you to spread them out some more.
So this is in sale for something like $14. Pull the trigger? Reviews seem to be rather mixed at best...
I did enjoy it a bit on release. I bought the expansion, but didn't really get back into it despite a somewhat improved (but still weird) diplomacy system and additional features like ocean based cities.
I play it a lot and enjoy it.
Quote from: Berkut on January 28, 2016, 04:19:26 PM
So this is in sale for something like $14. Pull the trigger? Reviews seem to be rather mixed at best...
I played it once and never again. It wasn't bad, just super meh.
Quote from: DGuller on January 28, 2016, 04:51:13 PM
Quote from: Berkut on January 28, 2016, 04:19:26 PM
So this is in sale for something like $14. Pull the trigger? Reviews seem to be rather mixed at best...
I played it once and never again. It wasn't bad, just super meh.
Yeah, I made it through about three games and put it away.
I got it on the 75% off sale. I figured there was enough mods to made it cool by now. I think you should get an achievement if you can get it to run though. Like pulling teeth.
Takes forever to load up the first time. After that it's not so bad. There's also a mod that you play with 12 players allowing all factions. What really lets the game down is the lack of bells and whistles. They needed to voice actors for each of the leaders, and to bring back wonder movies. These things aren't gameplay elements but they really helped the feel of say, Alpha Centauri. And really, what a game is suppose to do is make you feel something.