PC Gameworld says Galactic Civilizations 2 rocks!

[Shagnak]

<strong>[ Game -> Review ]</strong>

<p><a title="PC Gameworld" target="_blank" href="http://www.pcgameworld.com">PC Gameworld</a> has produced a very positive <a title="review" target="_self" href="http://www.pcgameworld.com/reviews/gamereview.php/id/889/">review</a> of Galactic Civilizations 2, the reviewer saying that it "is one of the best strategy games I've played recently".</p><p>Special praise is heaped on the rather good AI:</p><blockquote><p><em>Speaking of the AI it should be noted that <em>GC2's</em> AI is very
effective and will use every tactic available to beat you. I was beat
fair and square by the AI repeatedly while learning the ins and outs of
the gameplay available. I was never ripped off by cheap tactics or AI
cheating, I was always just plain beat down. <strong>An AI system that can win
without resorting to underhanded tactics is always appreciated and not
as common as most people think</strong>. Stardock's AI programmers deserve a big
pat on the back for this one.</em> </p></blockquote><p> So, what are you waiting for? </p><p>Reward the hard-working Space Gnomes at <a href="http://www.stardock.com" target="_self" title="Stardock">Stardock</a> with a purchase and bask in the glow of strategy wonderfulness! </p><p>(There, was that effusive enough?)</p><p> Thanks, <strong>Nicolai</strong>!
</p><p>Spotted @ <a href="http://www.pcgameworld.com">PC Gameworld</a></p>

 

[Levski 1912]

The game is absolutely beautiful, but sadly I can't play very much today. Damn you, school!

 

[Jason]

Shag, the links through TC don't work. You need to use direct links.

 

[Shagnak]

Thanks, they should work now.

 

[Astromarine]

there's a lot of shit that doesn't work if you log in through TC, actually. you guys should bug Calis with it

 

[Jason]

That's like trying to get someone to fix the street lights in the ghetto.

Hey Astro, why don't you write a detailed review of GC2 and give it to the kids to post on the main page? You've already written a preliminary one.

 

[Astromarine]

Too busy playing. duh :D

In seriousness: Why not? I'll try, maybe as soon as I finish the third level of the campaign. Can't hurt.

As an update of my impressions, I've finished the first two levels now, and I'm really happy with the game. In the first level, I was being slaughtered, but managed to fix what was wrong with my civ, design the perfect ship to counter the threat I was under, and win. In the second, I started beating on the opponent from the start, winning the resource race by a landslide, and just overwhelming him. All in all, a VERY satisfying experience so far. BTW, I'm playing on "normal" difficulty, meaning the AI isn't at it's maximum power. That happens at the "Tough" difficulty(2 or 3 above normal, I think), and above that the AI's power is boosted by economic advantages. If I was playing on tough I'd be slaughtered like a little lamb

 

[Shagnak]

there's a lot of shit that doesn't work if you log in through TC, actually. you guys should bug Calis with it

I believe he's already aware.
I've already posted concerns in the super sekret forum for admin peoples (actually, don't you have access to that?).

Hey Astro, why don't you write a detailed review of GC2 and give it to the kids to post on the main page?

Kids!? Heh.

On our "to-do" list is a GC2 review.
I put myself down as responsible, though I believe Pat has an interest too.

 

[Astromarine]

(actually, don't you have access to that?).

No, I spend a couple months away from the site due to work and nothing new being around, and when I came back I was removed from staff. So I'm not special anymore, like you cool kids. Except I'm still an angry cunt, apparently :D

I'm gonna write something anyway. I'll email you guys with it, in case you want to post it. If not, I'll just make a thread in the Strat forum.

Speaking of not being special anymore, do you guys need any help or are you covered? I crave my leet powers, and I'd even prefer for it to be on the strategy site rather than RPGs, as that's my primary passtime anyway.

 

[LlamaGod]

Since you show real interest, I say you might as well become one of the TCancer. WELCOME A BROAD

The site could use more people, especially since im often busy lately, but i'll get soemthing done eventually.

And someone willing to make more content is always good.

I can try to use my admin wizardry and enable you right now.

 

[LlamaGod]

And so it shall be.

 

[Shagnak]

I'm gonna write something anyway. I'll email you guys with it, in case you want to post it. If not, I'll just make a thread in the Strat forum.

Well, if you've been added as a mod/admin (and it sounds fine to me - you were codex staff before, after all), you can start a thread in the tcancer staff section and we can give feedback and collaborate.
I was intending to start something myself, but my new position and personal shit has got in the way, so the more the merrier. I'll check back in the morning (have to get up for work in 6 hours ) to see wassup.

 

[Levski 1912]

Since Astro seems to be playing the campaign, I'll post my impressions of my forays into the sandbox mode. I started a game of "simple" (yes, you may poke me with sticks), and proceeded to get bogged down right off the bat in a war with a minor power, the ultimate objective being their class 15 planet. After several small victories, I discovered their resource starbase, which I promptly attacked...and lost my entire fleet. On the home front, overtaxation and lack of social improvements proved my undoing as my whole state fell under the influence of my small neighbor after I was forced to sign a peace treaty. The AI is quite aggressive at expanding, both economically and militarily. If one ignores any sector in overall development, you could easily find yourself economically weak when the AI players flex their muscles- lack of starbases, resources, or technology are deadly in their own ways.

The AI in the game is good (as previously mentioned) and even though I'm somewhat steamrolling over it in my current game, I am playing on "simple". The ship creation tool is fantastic and a great way to waste some time, and this is one of the rare games where economic and social development doesn't eventually bore me *glares at TW series*. Also to be mentioned are the graphics, which are excellent for a game this type. Even though I play completely zoomed out, the game oozes polish in all areas, from the interface to the ship-to-ship battles, easily putting supposed strategy giant Civ 4 (or 3) to shame. There's just something cool in spending 30 minutes creating the perfect frigate, and then watching a fleet of them taking on the enemy.

 

[S4ur0n27]

And getting destroyed?

I wanna more about the diplomacy and the relations between races D:

 

[Astromarine]

Starbases are powerhouses in this game. I saw this in the first campaign map, but the second one REALLY drives home the point. The map consists of (I think) 5 different systems, each with habitable planets, and about 15 or 20 resources. I managed to focus completely on military production at the beginning, and swamped constructors (going to the extreme of designing a new model of constructor that had souped up engines just so I could beat the AI to the resources). They were key to my steamrolling of the AI, because they:

a) give tangible bonuses
b) can have their defenses built up tremendously.

So it's not surprising that it destroys a big fleet. In my experience, to be able to attack starbases, your only options are to either blow them up before their defenses are built up or to use fleets of MEDIUM hulls. Anything less and you have to sacrifice a lot of ships. Doable, but quite expensive.

BTW, the information on starbase modules is the most important information the game has. That's why it needs an espionage level of ADVANCED before you can see it. Even the full information on the civ's home world and all its upgrades is only HIGH.

[EDIT] For the Graphics Whores and the Choice Bitches among you: a thread about ship designs: http://forums.galciv2.com/?ForumID=162&AID=102080