Best space TBS ever. Read a review - any review (assuming it's for galciv2) - then buy it. I have never, ever heard of such a stable, functional initial release version for any PC game in the last 5 years, with the exception of Galciv 1. If you only buy one game a month, or even every 6 months, make sure that this is it.
I wrote a program to analyze Galciv 2 and report on all its good points, but it crashed my computer. When it started again, my computer was suddenly 500 mhz faster and had an extra 512 megs of memory loaded into it. Also I had a new printer. No shit, it's really that good.
Galciv's developer, Stardock, supported the original PC Galciv game for several *years* following its release, possibly longer. By the time they were done with it, it had twice the features and was three times as good. This is a purchase you can make with confidence, knowing you will not get screwed over because the publisher moves on to their latest greatest product and won't fund another patch.
The game's only failing is its lack of multiplayer, but considering its explosive success thus far, and the fact that stardock said they left things open in the code for a multiplayer addon, you can expect that sometime in the future a cheap expansion will be available.
Also there's no copy protection of any kind. Install it on both your computers and your laptop too, they don't care. You don't even need the CD in the drive. Entering the serial number is optional during install in case you lose it (tho you can't update without a serial).
If you are a fan of the TBS genre, especially the likes of Master of Orion 1/2 (NOT 3), this game was made for you. The developers actually give a damn what you think of their game and are willing to make changes to suit the best interests of their customers.
The developers are so thoughtful that the game's minimum specifications are a Pentium 133 with 128 megs of ram. But at the same time, you can also increase graphical options to the point where it will fully utilize a modern system.
The AI is fantastic and evidently only cheats on the highest level(s). There are like 10 difficulty levels, and up until the point where it cheats (the last one or two), all it's doing is disabling more and more features of its intelligence. At the "intelligent" AI setting, any gamer will have a hard time keeping their empire afloat due to the aggressive nature of the AI - not that it will even attack you overtly. A rich and powerful civilization might pay off several weak ones to wear you down, only to come in at the last moment (sending a gloating message to you as well) and wiping the lot of you out.
Other times, depending on what the AI civilization's priorities are, it will simply wage a culture war, pushing its own values and ideas on your citizens until they all rebel and you're left with no power base.
Oh, did I mention that the game is also priced $10 below the standard cost for new PC games? That's because they are both the developer and publisher - all their profits go to them. You're supporting people who create games for the love of the game, like how it was in shareware days, rather than giving 98% of the money to EA or whoever while the developer gets whatever pennies are left over when you buy any other title.
If you thought MOO3 was shite, get it GC2 while you can, if you can, since it is sold out almost universally now and the next re-manufacture is going to be a few weeks at least.
Galactic Civilizations 2
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SwiftSpear
- Classic Community Lead
- Posts: 7287
- Joined: 12 Aug 2005, 09:29
Don't worry. You'll realize how great it is when you find out those damn humains have been selling the Drengin missle technology so the Drengin can get around your armour, whitch only works against rail guns. Then when you decide to sink some espinage into the humains, you find out the reson why such a small empire is getting three other empires fighting eachother. Because they are so damn good in diplomacy that they have gotten everyone nice with them, and gotten everyone at war with eachother. And they trade technologys for money, and use those money's to funnle ships into the Drengin empire so the Drendins can take YOU out!
THOSE BASTARDS! (That was at intellegent difficulty, and i lost. Badly)
THOSE BASTARDS! (That was at intellegent difficulty, and i lost. Badly)
Oh and Cyder forgot to mention the ship builder. heheheh...you have a basic ship chassy, then you have hard points all over the chassie. Then you go nuts with billions of little bits and pice's that you can totaly creat a compleatly unique (and cool) Ship.
Dont belive me? Look at THIS!
This was made ENTIRELY in game. No hacks. No mods. No changes made by the player
and this one!
Or this one might look framiler to any B5 whatchers...
And those bits and pice's actually DO things! Put a lot of engins on things? They go faster! Put more armour on! THEY HAVE MORE ARMOUR!
Laden your ships with colony pods, it can colonise planets! Splatter black hole gun's all over it and have fun blasting your enemy's to oblivion with the most powerfull gun in the game!
Also did i mention when you build a lot of ships and place them in a stack, you can put them into a fleet. Fleet Vr Fleet battles are the highlight of warfare. It looks cool, is nail biting tensionfull and compleatly cool!
If i sound like i am gushing...i am! CAUSE THE GAME IT WORTH IT!!!
Dont like any of the premade race's? Make your own!
Hate the campain? Don't play it!
Think your galacy is too big, small, bight, hot, coold, life filled, or has a suprlus of giant space worms? You can change each and every one of those fetures!!
Think you are zoomed in too much? Well you can zoom in this much....
And zoom out a bit more...
and a little more...
and a wee bit more...
not far enough yet!
HOW ABOUT THIS!
Dont belive me? Look at THIS!
This was made ENTIRELY in game. No hacks. No mods. No changes made by the player
and this one!
Or this one might look framiler to any B5 whatchers...
And those bits and pice's actually DO things! Put a lot of engins on things? They go faster! Put more armour on! THEY HAVE MORE ARMOUR!
Laden your ships with colony pods, it can colonise planets! Splatter black hole gun's all over it and have fun blasting your enemy's to oblivion with the most powerfull gun in the game!
Also did i mention when you build a lot of ships and place them in a stack, you can put them into a fleet. Fleet Vr Fleet battles are the highlight of warfare. It looks cool, is nail biting tensionfull and compleatly cool!
If i sound like i am gushing...i am! CAUSE THE GAME IT WORTH IT!!!
Dont like any of the premade race's? Make your own!
Hate the campain? Don't play it!
Think your galacy is too big, small, bight, hot, coold, life filled, or has a suprlus of giant space worms? You can change each and every one of those fetures!!
Think you are zoomed in too much? Well you can zoom in this much....
And zoom out a bit more...
and a little more...
and a wee bit more...
not far enough yet!
HOW ABOUT THIS!
I'll believe that when I see it.Caydr wrote:P.S. Starforce (evil computer-crashing crapola crappity-crap-crap copy protection company) was apparently so pissed off that GC2 has been such a success without ANY copy protection that they themselves posted a link to download a warez copy of the game in their (starforce's) forum.
Unforunately no- StarForce is still legal...Zoombie wrote:Isn't that kind of illigal?
Oh you meant the link thing... Well first, it was a link to search results for torrents of the game... Second, in Soviet Russia Illegal is kind of you!
(ok so its not 'Soviet' Russia, I couldn't resist. The company and the person posting the link are both Russian)
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SwiftSpear
- Classic Community Lead
- Posts: 7287
- Joined: 12 Aug 2005, 09:29
Official GC2 site, Galciv2.com: (excerpt)
Furthermore, a gamespot article on the subject: http://www.gamespot.com/pages/news/stor ... 864&page=0
above link goes here: http://www.galciv2.com/temp/starfo2.jpgMarch 11, 2006
. . .
For example, we were quite disturbed to discover that the company that makes Starforce provided a working URL to a list of pirated GalCiv II torrents. I'm not sure whether what they did was illegal or not, but it's troubling nevertheless and was totally unnecessary.
. . .
Furthermore, a gamespot article on the subject: http://www.gamespot.com/pages/news/stor ... 864&page=0
This isn't quite true, they posted a link to a site that had a torrent for the game. Not that they are any less scumy though.Caydr wrote:P.S. Starforce (evil computer-crashing crapola crappity-crap-crap copy protection company) was apparently so pissed off that GC2 has been such a success without ANY copy protection that they themselves posted a link to download a warez copy of the game in their (starforce's) forum.
Multiplayer in a TBS is really really really boring. Escpecialy for me!
Also the framework for multiplayer is already IN the game. Stardock (the company) just needs enough email's...
Also the A.I is so blisteringly smart, it'll actually play BETTER then most humains (and use L33t speak less). Oh and they only cheat on the REALLY DAMN HARD settings!
Also the framework for multiplayer is already IN the game. Stardock (the company) just needs enough email's...
Also the A.I is so blisteringly smart, it'll actually play BETTER then most humains (and use L33t speak less). Oh and they only cheat on the REALLY DAMN HARD settings!