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Author Topic: Galactic Civilizations IV  (Read 24229 times)

Martok

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Reply #75 on: August 18, 2022, 04:41:46 AM
Version 1.05 has dropped (this one sort of snuck up on me): 


https://www.galciv4.com/article/513851/




The big changes are the addition of Survival Mode and Sandbox mode to multiplayer.  I do find it a bit odd that it took this long for sandbox MP to happen. 


Perhaps of greater interest, however, is the fact that apparently Stardock has moved most of their assets away from GalCiv4 (although they are still working on the next patch), and into development on their next major project. 

Fingers crossed it's Derek Paxton's fantasy 4x.  There's some speculation it could take place in his Fall From Heaven "universe", though zero details have been released at this point. 



"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


Martok

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Reply #76 on: May 02, 2023, 05:33:06 AM
So Stardock released Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova onto both Epic Games and -- huzzah! -- Steam Early-Access this week, and it's all I've been playing the past few days.  (Hey, I gotta keep myself occupied while desperately ignoring AoW4 plus waiting for Stellaris: Galactic Paragons to drop... :P


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1357210/Galactic_Civilizations_IV_Supernova/






Supernova is both the original game plus the new Supernova expansion bundled into one package.  Going forward, it's the only version of GalCiv4 that will be available (for purchase) on all platforms -- a bit like how GalCiv3 has long been automatically bundled with the Crusade expansion. 


By far the most notable feature of the Supernova DLC is the "AlienGPT", which uses AI to generate lore, diplomatic dialogue, and leader portraits specific to your custom-created civilizations.  And in the next couple months, it will be able to generate events & missions as well. 

It's far too soon to say whether this is going to be mostly just an interesting gimmick or a genuine game-changer, but either way I applaud that Stardock is at least trying something new/different. 

And regardless of how that works out, I'm enjoying GalCiv4 for all its other features:  I'm definitely digging the Core Worlds/Colonies system, I like how Leaders & Citizens work, Policies and Ideologies are fun tools for running/shaping your empire, and research/technology feels significantly more interesting/dynamic compared to the series' previous iterations. 

Oh, and the soundtrack is excellent; it's by far the best they've ever done.  I'd call it a mix of Trek-like, space-opera, and electronic (but actually done well) -- there's not much of the overly-synthesized junk they've had too much of in their other games. 


Thus far, my main complaint is, not surprisingly, the combat, or lack thereof.  Brad keeps going on & on about how it's been completely revamped for Supernova, but it's just as lame & disappointing as it's always been.  At least I was expecting that, however. 

I haven't put enough time in the game to give it any sort of score at this point, but I will say I'm having fun overall.  it's meshed together well enough for me that it's giving me the "one more turn" vibe, which is generally a good sign.   




For those curious, Brad put up a development roadmap a few days ago.  Looks like he's aiming for a full release sometime late summer. 

https://littletinyfrogs.com/article/518504/galciv-iv-the-supernova-roadmap



"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


Yskonyn

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Reply #77 on: May 02, 2023, 06:31:56 AM
« Last Edit: May 02, 2023, 06:39:53 AM by Yskonyn »



Martok

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Reply #78 on: May 04, 2023, 04:26:17 AM
It's too early for me to say for certain yet, but I think GC4 may have finally addressed one of the main weaknesses in the series' previous iterations: the economy. 

Specifically, it was often difficult to know whether -- or how much -- constructing a given building on a given tile on a planet would improve your manufacturing/research/income/etc. output.  Even now, it's admittedly still not always clear, but both building stats and the UI are better presented & laid out so as to make things easier to understand overall. 


On a different note:  One change I really like that is that all Starbases, regardless of type (Mining, Military, Communications, Economic) now include some degree of "harvest" ability, which means they automatically siphon up a portion of any & all strategic resources within their collection range. 

Dedicated Mining Starbases are still the best for resource-harvesting, of course.  However, you're no longer forced into situations where you must choose to build an Economic Starbase that boosts your planets' abilities, but at the expense of no longer being able to mine that juicy source of Promethium nearby. 


I also gotta say, I'm liking the Ideologies more and more.  They're fairly powerful, and definitely add some flavor to your empire.  They're a little like Traditions in Stellaris, which is not a bad thing IMO. 


In addition, I'm discovering that you really cannot ignore settling the minor planets (Colonies) that "feed" resources to your Core Worlds.  It's tempting to just go right for the big juicy planets you come across, but if you do, then they won't be nearly as productive.  There's certainly still a "colony rush" (just like in most space 4x titles), but your priorities for colonization aren't going to be quite the same as they are in other games. 


My final comment for now:  I love the way GalCiv4 has implemented Citizens as a mechanic.  Your Core Worlds generate new Citizens at a certain rate, and these Citizens are what you truly use to expand your empire. 

When you finish building a colony ship, you must load a Citizen onto it; and that Citizen's stats (Intelligence, Social, Diligence, Resolve, etc.) will determine, to an extent, the stats for the planet (whether Colony or Core World).  A Citizen with a high Intelligence stat will give a nice boost to a planet's research, a high Resolve stat will boost a planet's ability to resist invasions., etc. 

You must likewise load a Citizen onto constructor ships, and that Citizen's stats will partially determine a Starbase's defensive ability, mining output, etc.  It's a pretty cool system, and I wouldn't be sad if other 4x/grand-strategy games in the future were to adopt something similar. 




I believe I read in one of the devblogs that the new combat system is due to be  implemented during EA, so there still is hope.


https://forums.galciv4.com/516719/galciv-iv-supernova-dev-journal-3---battle-viewer-and-ship-behavior-improve

https://www.galciv4.com/article/517359/galciv-iv-supernova-dev-journal-7---whats-new-in-supernova




I realized that after I posted, but it doesn't matter:  Combat is still going to be crap, regardless of whatever "improvements" are made.  I've generally enjoyed the GalCiv games, but combat has always been a pile of rat turds, and this game is -- and still will be -- no exception (sadly). 

Including the pointless Battle Viewer -- which you can only watch *after* combat has already taken place -- merely adds insult to injury.  :doh:  :kling: 


« Last Edit: May 04, 2023, 07:20:36 AM by Martok »

"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


Martok

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Reply #79 on: May 11, 2023, 01:03:32 PM
Moving my comments over here so I don't derail a different thread... 




And then there's GalCiv 4 sitting there in the Steam store calling my name.  :D

Stardock is doing some genuinely interesting things with GalCiv4.  It's not going to replace Stellaris as my favorite space 4x, but it's pretty dang fun. 


And they don't hesitate to experiment a bit and make changes while it's still in Early-Access.  It's actually kinda cool watching Brad & co. mess around with things on the fly and try different stuff as they go.  I'll admit I'm enjoying being a guinea pig in this instance. 



"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


Martok

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Reply #80 on: July 13, 2023, 03:23:54 PM
Version 1.61 is out: 


https://www.galciv4.com/article/521473

https://www.galciv4.com/article/521434/v161-live-changelog---galactic-civilizations-iv-supernova



Major improvements & enhancements to the AI, along with a significant balance pass to weapons, defenses, hull sizes, etc.  Sounds like mixed fleets are (finally) more viable/desirable, including by the AI.  Might be time to dive back into this... 



"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


Martok

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Reply #81 on: July 28, 2023, 03:44:03 AM
Version 1.65 has dropped: 


https://www.galciv4.com/article/521713/v165-early-access-update---galciv-iv-supernova




- Planetary management screen has received a visual & UI upgrade.
- New traits and events have been added for Leaders.
- New technologies added to the tech tree. 
- New alien & robot images added to the civilization-builder.
- Culture traits have been redone and made more unique.
- Various adjustments made to map generation, specifically with respect to sectors and the spawn rates of certain star types. 



"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


Martok

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Reply #82 on: July 28, 2023, 03:44:15 AM
On a different note...  While I don't believe anything official has been announced yet, it sounds like GalCiv4's full release is being pushed back to this autumn. 


While undoubtedly a bummer for those waiting to get their hands on the full game, this would likely be a good thing overall.  There's been a lot of useful player feedback -- a good deal more than was initially anticipated, I suspect -- that Stardock has incorporated into successive builds.  It has slowed down development a bit, however, as the team has had to constantly readjust their project timeline accordingly.  Brad Wardell isn't exactly sanguine about the likely delay, but at the same time clearly believes it'll better serve the game (and the players) in the end. 



"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


Anguille

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Reply #83 on: July 28, 2023, 05:44:32 AM
I am in no hurry...still plenty of other things to play. Good if they keep working on it.



Martok

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Reply #84 on: August 01, 2023, 06:26:39 PM
The updates are coming thick & fast now -- v1.66 has already dropped: 

https://www.galciv4.com/article/521826/v166-live-changelog---galactic-civilizations-iv-supernova



The highlight of this update is an overhaul of planetary management, including a notable upgrade to the UI/UX.  Should be a lot easier to navigate now. 

Map generation has also had a major rework to frequency of various star and planet types -- some were too common, and others too rare. 




Incidentally, I don't know how much I've talked about it, but it's pretty cool how engaged the dev team (and Brad especially) is with the community.  Their responsiveness to player feedback is impressive. 


« Last Edit: August 01, 2023, 06:42:14 PM by Martok »

"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike