Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth

[Spectacle]

SMAC ( forget SMAX ) is a very solid S-F, that treat science part pretty seriously for a game and is probably the most "realistic" 4x game ever.

Archetypes is realistic? The factions exist in SMAC because they are required for the story to be told. There is no actual chance that factions as such would ever actually rise up. You're confusing possibility and science with realism. Like I said, old-school sci-fi.

Not that I disagree with the setup of SMAC. I'm just pointing out that setting up a sci-fi scenario so as to explore themes and philosophies is pretty old school and not what they will be going for. They'll be targeting the blockbuster, which includes as little as much left to the imagination.

While I could see SMAC like factions arising from a disintegrating colonial expedition, the challenges of surviving on a hostile planet with no infrastructure would realistically erase any differences as practical solutions would override any ideological preferences.

Once the situation had stabilized, the new generation of colonists would be too different from their parents to simply pick up their ideology.

Still, the factions in SMAC make for great gameplay

 

[The Brazilian Slaughter]

SMAC ( forget SMAX ) is a very solid S-F, that treat science part pretty seriously for a game and is probably the most "realistic" 4x game ever.

Archetypes is realistic? The factions exist in SMAC because they are required for the story to be told. There is no actual chance that factions as such would ever actually rise up. You're confusing possibility and science with realism. Like I said, old-school sci-fi.

Not that I disagree with the setup of SMAC. I'm just pointing out that setting up a sci-fi scenario so as to explore themes and philosophies is pretty old school and not what they will be going for. They'll be targeting the blockbuster, which includes as little as much left to the imagination.

While I could see SMAC like factions arising from a disintegrating colonial expedition, the challenges of surviving on a hostile planet with no infrastructure would realistically erase any differences as practical solutions would override any ideological preferences.

Once the situation had stabilized, the new generation of colonists would be too different from their parents to simply pick up their ideology.

Still, the factions in SMAC make for great gameplay

The practical solutiions are represented by the early-game social engineering civics, which are all about pragmatism. Eventually you have a more organized society, then its time to choose...

Don't forget they had rejuvenation tech by then, which is why the major leaders last through centuries*. Of course, I doubt that stuff was acessible early on, it was probably elites-only. Imagine entire generations being doctrined by the seven and their elites. Generations of indoctrination.

From the novella (you can download in the original SMAC site), they HAD to fragment because the ship got fucked up by a micro-meteorid, and it was going to overshoot Chiron and then they would spend years dying in space in a fucked-up starship until it crashed in the planet. In the end, every leader got his pod and everyone got out of dodge. Cue all those generations of isolation and indoctrination, then the factions make perfect sense.


*I do find it a bit hilarious that the democratic leaders ALWAYS rule, almost as if their democracy is a farce or they're so charismatic they're always back at the saddle at the end of things.

 

[anus_pounder]

Didn't the Church lady blow everything up in the novel?

SMAC ( forget SMAX ) is a very solid S-F, that treat science part pretty seriously for a game and is probably the most "realistic" 4x game ever.

Archetypes is realistic? The factions exist in SMAC because they are required for the story to be told. There is no actual chance that factions as such would ever actually rise up. You're confusing possibility and science with realism. Like I said, old-school sci-fi.

Not that I disagree with the setup of SMAC. I'm just pointing out that setting up a sci-fi scenario so as to explore themes and philosophies is pretty old school and not what they will be going for. They'll be targeting the blockbuster, which includes as little as much left to the imagination.

While I could see SMAC like factions arising from a disintegrating colonial expedition, the challenges of surviving on a hostile planet with no infrastructure would realistically erase any differences as practical solutions would override any ideological preferences.

Once the situation had stabilized, the new generation of colonists would be too different from their parents to simply pick up their ideology.

Still, the factions in SMAC make for great gameplay

The practical solutiions are represented by the early-game social engineering civics, which are all about pragmatism. Eventually you have a more organized society, then its time to choose...

Don't forget they had rejuvenation tech by then, which is why the major leaders last through centuries*. Of course, I doubt that stuff was acessible early on, it was probably elites-only. Imagine entire generations being doctrined by the seven and their elites. Generations of indoctrination.

From the novella (you can download in the original SMAC site), they HAD to fragment because the ship got fucked up by a micro-meteorid, and it was going to overshoot Chiron and then they would spend years dying in space in a fucked-up starship until it crashed in the planet. In the end, every leader got his pod and everyone got out of dodge. Cue all those generations of isolation and indoctrination, then the factions make perfect sense.


*I do find it a bit hilarious that the democratic leaders ALWAYS rule, almost as if their democracy is a farce or they're so charismatic they're always back at the saddle at the end of things.

 

[Grimgravy]

Didn't the Church lady blow everything up in the novel?

Well isn't that special?

 

[Space Satan]

David McDonough: There’s a system called virtues, which is an expression of what your civilization cares about, so who they grow up to be, what their priorities are and so forth. It’s been totally redesigned for this game, meaning it’s different from any previous Civilization. Culture drives the acquisition of items within a virtue table, and those items have a lot of cross-linking benefits in and out of other systems in the game — everything from city progression to tile improvement to military strategies to territorial acquisition and diplomacy and so on.
Lena Brenk: The way Anton designed it, the trees are a lot deeper, so you have a tree that you can follow down, the whole column through, and the more points you spend in one tree, you get kickers — additional bonuses that you rack up. If you go very wide and select virtues from different branches of different trees, you get kickers as well, but they’re different in that they give you bonuses for going in very different directions and not focusing on one tree. So the system is quite different from prior Civilization games.

You build orbital units in your cities, then launch them into orbit, which exists on a camera level above the planet’s surface. All of the orbital units are designed based on their effects on things on the ground (or water, as the case may be). And so everything from terraforming the ground, augmenting your improvements in your cities, buffing your military units or making military tactics possible to the point of outright bombarding holdings on the ground. And then the other way around, with things on the ground being able to shoot down orbital units. That’s how orbital play is done. Whatever your aims and ambitions and problems are on the surface of the planet, the orbital layer is an extension and complication of them.

 

[Space Satan]

From PC Gamer UK, June edition (no. 266)
- Colonists options: Intellectuals give a science boost. Alternatives: mercenaries (mil boost), aristocrats (commerce), engineers (production), pilgrims (faith)
- Cargo options: Terrain mapping (show continent outlines), lifeform scanners (shows life), guns (guns!)
- Sponsor (faction) options: Franco-Iberia is mentioned. A choice between nation states and multinational corporations is briefly mentioned.
- Colony Ship options: implies it is linked to early base facilities. But not clear.

Other bits and pieces: Xeno Titans for Harmony players. Wolfbeetles are an early lifeform with a nest (like barb village mechanic - intensity of attacks increase as you kill them). Settlers - new outposts are vulnerable and need supply routes to feed them before they become established towns. Manticore units mentioned. Different biomes. Siege worms 'thumper' are an alternative 'plant nuke' device for Harmony players.
******************
Franco-Iberia?

 

[KoolNoodles]

Would assume the Franco-Iberia sponsor option is a reference to a unified Spain/Portugal/France or something along those lines. When the Romans had nominal control of the areas of France/Spain/Portugal, it was/is sometimes referred to as the "Franco-Iberian Peninsula".

 

[Space Satan]

They say it's "Level 3 Naval Fighters"

 

[Space Satan]

They messed up Purity with Harmony. Could not edit.

Spoiler

 

[KoolNoodles]

Huh. Can't decide which looks more "Pure" and which looks more "Harmonious".

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

So 3 ideologies to choose from, just like in that game, huh, what was it called... oh, CiV.

 

[Space Satan]

I hope it will affect more than some bonuses and unhappiness.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

They say it's "Level 3 Naval Fighters"

i thought this game was based on civ, not anno 2070.

 

[Space Satan]

Well, so far every futuristic naval ship looks somewhat like that in every game.

 

[KoolNoodles]

Don't really care what they look like(Alpha Centauri looked pretty awful, and some of the unit models.....). As long as the game play is compelling.

 

[Zeriel]

The Harmony (real Harmony) ship is kind of silly. You'd expect Harmony to be a lot of bio-engineered stuff, not to just LARP it and make everything look like Avatar. I was worried they wouldn't have the guts to commit to making Harmony realistically repulsive, though, as any faction that decided to bio-engineer itself to fit an alien planet would seem to us.

 

[anus_pounder]

Purity looks undergunned compared to the other two.

 

[Tigranes]

That's because it'll have magic.

(Seriously, that's what will happen.)

 

[Space Satan]

Some shit about affinities

Spoiler

We spoke with Will Miller and David McDonough, Co-Lead Designers for Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth, to learn more about this new system.

What are Affinities?

Affinities play a central role in every game of Beyond Earth. Your faction always starts off human, but the decisions you make in the tech web will take your faction to the next stage of humanity. There are three very different Affinities – Purity, Supremacy and Harmony - that represent some post-human ideas we found to be the most evocative.

Can you explain the three Affinities?

Purity – A faction that aligns itself with the Purity Affinity is a faction that refuses to be changed by the alien world. Instead, the faction is out to create the ideal human and change the planet to be more like Earth. Of course, the only way to do this is through brute force, dramatic terraforming, and big guns. The Purity units, which are some of my favorite, beautifully illustrate this faction’s unwillingness to change. The units are big and powerful, yet still have a classic, valiant look to them. They’re both extremely intimidating and majestic at the same time.

Supremacy – Going the Supremacy route gets you some of the sleekest and coolest units in the game. I see Supremacy being very popular among many players just for the units alone. This Affinity is focused on developing advanced technology and implanting its people with cybernetics. The attitude here is that humanity has put a great deal of value into technology, because it’s what saved them and brought them to the new planet. Factions willing to go this direction gradually give up more and more of their organic forms, but this is by no means the ‘evil robot’ route. Like the two other Affinities, Supremacy requires you to make great sacrifices for progress, but there are no wrong answers when it comes to deciding the future.

Harmony – Factions who choose the Harmony Affinity have accepted the new alien world and embrace it. These players will not change the planet, but they allow the planet to change them right down to their very own DNA. Harmony units takes on a more organic look as the synergy between the faction and the alien life progresses. Devoting your research to Harmony will eventually allow you to get alien creatures on your team and breed new units based on their genes. It’s an awesome feeling to team up with the planet, who at one point was bent on killing you, and go on the offensive against all your opponents.

How do you think players will engage with Affinities?

We think Civilization fans will engage with Affinities in one of two ways; philosophically, and what’s best for the game they’re playing. We’ve found some players always choose an Affinity based on the narrative and moral impact - not everyone wants to outfit his or her people with cybernetic implants. I know a couple of people around the office who find the Purity Affinity almost cult-like, while others see the value of keeping Earth history alive in an alien world. The other type of player will choose the Affinity which best suits his or her current game situation. They’ll play a few dozen turns and try to figure out what’s going to happen in the next hundred. They’ll choose an Affinity based on that or even create a hybrid of Affinities that gets them the best perks and stats for their current game. Neither player’s approach is wrong; in fact, we hope to see fans approach the game in both of those ways.

Where did the idea for the Affinity system come from?

Early on, we realized we were developing a game about an untold future, but it needed elements that were still familiar to the player. The three situations Affinities present to the player are fun, believable, and powerful outlooks as to what could happen to humanity in the not-so-near future. A fun aspect about Civilization has always been seeing the humble beginnings of your people and how they have changed by the end of a game. We always found that aspect of Civilization appealing and wanted to enhance that. In Beyond Earth, how your people change is almost tangible. You’ll see humanity is no longer human. The planet and other factions will influence you. You will change or you will be changed.

How does Affinity unit progression work?

In Civilization V, units would gain experience through combat and eventually get a promotion. You could make your military more powerful by upgrading certain techs and advancing units like Warriors to Spearman. In Beyond Earth, upgrades are tied directly to your devotion to the Affinities in the game.

As you progress down an Affinity, you gain unique upgrades you can’t get under the other affinity lines. Selecting an upgrade applies it to all units of that type. For example, any and all Marines deployed on the planet will receive the new upgrade as soon as you choose it. Upgrades can’t be revisited, so players have to think hard about what they’re willing to give up.

These upgrades help distinguish two factions who share the same Affinity. Two Supremacy Marines facing off will not be on equal footing. Based on the chosen upgrades, one faction’s Marines may have a lot more firepower than the other.

 

[Storyfag]

This looks somewhat promising. Would give this game a try if not for the inherent limitations of CiV

 

[Space Satan]

Screenshots from PC gamer review

Spoiler

 

[Angthoron]

I'll probably end up playing it, but those screens have like nothing on SMAC. It doesn't feel different, and the planet certainly doesn't look alien. SMAC environments actually look and feel alien, and the cities and improvements/units look like something a bunch of space explorers would kinda sorta build. Sure, I get it, it's more likely that we'd colonize a planet that's closer to what Earth is like, but still - not alien/spacey enough.

 

[oscar]

Looks indistinguishable from Pandora: First Contact

 

[Space Satan]

Q&A from devs

Q. Could you advise what the starting advantage is of one of the already revealed factions?

One of the new factions is the Pan-Asian Cooperative. Their ability is focused towards improving production, which is the cornerstone of a Domination victory, but also extremely useful if you want to focus on building wonders. Or, if you have some of your population specialize in research, you’ll still be able to go through your production queue on schedule. During the early turns, however, if you’re building lots of Marines, that extra production makes the difference in the time it takes to buy some breathing room.

Q. How far does the unit workshop allow us to customize the units? Do the upgrades work in a similar manner to promotions in Civilization V?

Previously, in Civilization V, promotions were assigned to a unit based on the experience they earned in combat. You upgraded different types of units by researching new techs, like moving from Warriors to Spearmen. It works a little differently in Beyond Earth. Instead of researching new kinds of units, you gain the ability to purchase upgrades for them based on your devotion to the Affinities in the game.

As you move down an Affinity line, you get upgrades that are unique to the Affinity line. When you choose an upgrade, it’s applied automatically to all units of that type. For example, all your Marines, wherever they are on the planet, will gain the new upgrade. You have a tough choice to make at that point because you can’t revisit your upgrades and choose another path to follow.

Just because you share an Affinity with another faction doesn’t mean your units will be like theirs. They may choose entirely different upgrade abilities, so even if your troops look alike, they may not necessarily fight the same way.

Promotions are still assigned to individual units. So if you can preserve that first Marine unit until endgame, they’re going to be carrying all the promotions they earned through their history, even though they look nothing like when they were first built. They’ll be far more powerful by then.

Q. We've heard that the culture system is based on ‘virtues’ - is that much like the policy trees in Civilization V?

The virtues are similar to the social policies in Civilization V in that both are purchased using culture, but there are some critical differences in Beyond Earth. We looked at the idea of choosing across different virtues versus going deeper within a particular virtue and added the idea of “kickers.” These are bonuses you can earn either by going deep down a particular path, or buying virtues across all the trees. The depth kicker is a bonus for staying within a line. The breadth kicker removes some of the opportunity cost for choosing multiple virtue paths – while you won’t get some of the deep, powerful virtues, you won’t be penalized for spreading yourself across many virtues either.

Q. Apart from Earth itself, does Beyond Earth feature one planet each play?

Each game of Beyond Earth is the story of the settlement of one planet. At the start, you’ll choose who your colonists are, and what tools they’ll bring with them, and then when the game begins you start the story of that world. The next time you play the game, it’ll be the story of an entirely different planet. As Civ players know, you always have to choose and adapt your victory approaches based on the geography of your settlement and the events that follow.

Q. How many turns will we have at the start of a game of Beyond Earth before other factions arrive? Will they then all arrive at once?

Right now, you can choose to have all the factions land at the same time, or have them gradually arrive over the first few hundred turns of the game. We found that in the beginning, fighting for survival against the alien world is usually enough to keep players focused. In order to keep the game competitive, late-arriving factions will get some bonuses to help them catch up. Maybe they left after you did, and arrived with more people or better technology? Eventually you’re going to have to confront them if you want to win.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

i know it's going to suck but DAMN i want a new game like this SO BAD!