- A further look into Version 2.0 -
Published on September 19, 2008 By ScottTykoski In GalCiv Journals
Continuing our in-depth look at 2.0 brings us to the new Galaxy Setup options, as well as the Espionage changes people have been looking for. Again, as with all new things in 2.0, we aren't looking to revolutionize, just to bring these features to a natural completion before work on GCIII begins (which is still a way off, but still looming).
 
 
New Galaxy Options
 
As Brad (Frogboy/Draginol) pointed out in his official Preview of 2.0, we've gone in and added some options for the Placement of Special Environmental Worlds, as well as the Frequency of traditional Random Events.

When the Environmental Worlds option is cranked up, approximately 75% of the galaxy's habitable worlds will be of an Extreme class (Toxic, Aquatic, etc). This is a great way to play if you like a long, drawn out Exploration phase of the game. Placed at it's lowest setting, the galaxy will only have around 10% of habitable planets requiring special technologies to inhabit, making the Colony rush closer to Dreadlords, but keeping those technologies somewhat vital.
 
The Random Events setting works in a similar fashion. You can turn them off entirely, or you can set them to happen around 4 times more frequently. This results in a fairly hectic game, where you're never quite sure of your galactic footing.
 
 
 
Espionage
 
Changed back in the first 'Dark Avatar' expansion, the new Espionage system enjoyed a love/hate relationship with the players. Some people liked the new options, allowing the placing spys to strategically disable an enemies infrastructure. Other players disliked being forced to perform blatantly offensive maneuvers to gain higher levels of intelligence on their neighbors.
 
The new system adds 'Empire Wide' spying option to your 'Espionage Details' screen. Here you can place permanent spys on a race, which will gather up information and raise your 'Espionage Level' and unlock more information on them. These spys ONLY gather information (passive in nature), cannot be nullified, and dictate the espionage level that you can reach.
 
Spys placed on planets will also gather information on a race, but at 1/3 the rate.
 

We've also added the ability to spy on Minor races. Yahoo!
 
 
 
The Beta Release
 
Like most things we do, Version 2.0 is going to have a Beta period starting (barring any major problems) next Wednesday, the 26th of September. For those not playing Mega Man 9 next week (which is what I'll be doing), you'll be able to try your hand at the update, playing with all these fresh new features and helping to ensure the game is still balanced (and stable). This will be released on Impulse, with the final version making it up onto Stardock Central as well.
 
Next Wedensday: We wrap up our 2.0 journals with some nice new Negotiation tweaks, Campaign updates, as well as all the dangling improvements that'll make 2.0 rock!

Comments (Page 1)
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on Sep 19, 2008

Awesome, that's a much needed tweak to AI. Is that the extent of the changes though? One of the major complaints was being crippled with agents, and another was the exorbitant cost that fielding agents required. Decreasing the cost of agents (or making it dependent on the number of agent's you currently have available/in the field) would solve that well enough.

on Sep 19, 2008

Sweet can't wait to test it out.

on Sep 19, 2008

Not quite what I was hoping for, but a perfectly good solution I think.

 

Jonnan

on Sep 19, 2008

Starstriker, the cost of agents now becomes much more reasonable because you don't have to risk losing them just to gather intelligence.  You no longer have to constantly replace your agents as they get nullified every few turns.

on Sep 19, 2008

Fixed pics.

on Sep 19, 2008

the cost of agents now becomes much more reasonable because you don't have to risk losing them just to gather intelligence

Exactly...costs should stay reasonable for those playing a passive espionage game. It's only when you're trying to use the spys in an agressive manner do their cost start hurting.

That's not to say we wont need further help balancing, but we think this is step in the right direction.

on Sep 19, 2008

This spying system sounds better than what it was, but it still doesn't make me go "Yay, spying!". It's just a feature in game that I must give some consideration but it's still not "fun".

 

I don't know how to make spying fun, but this doesn't sound like it...

 

Btw, if passive agents can't be nullified, how does one prevents enemies from spying you?

on Sep 19, 2008

I do have a question, though.  Once you reach the highest espionage level with a civilization, does it remain for the rest of the game, even if you reassign all your spies elsewhere?

on Sep 19, 2008

Oh, and how does technology theft figure into all of this?

on Sep 19, 2008

To be honest i expected a lot more from the improved espionage promised in 2.0. It seems just a bit streamlined but it will remain as much interesting as it was before........

on Sep 19, 2008

Thanks for the workaround

 

What i had hoped to see in the spying section was what you have included and the inclusion of a system that upon placing spies on a planet you could choose whether to nulify the building or actively try and tech steal from the base tech of the building you placed the agent on. IE if you placed an agent on a factory you got 'X' percentage chance of stealing a production tech etc...

 

That said i am happy to see the new version you are releasing so thanks

on Sep 19, 2008

Yeah, I know people we're hoping for an overhaul, but we really needed to keep things simple for backporting purposes (plus there's only so much you can do with a 4 year old codebase before massive pain ensues).

The main issues that we're trying to address here are...
1. Gaining intelligence levels by spys that can be nullified is a PITA.
2. Spys get too costly (mostly becuse of the tug-of-war caused by 1).
3. You should be able to spy on minor races.

There were TONS of cool ideas that were thrown around the forums concerning Espionage, and they've all been filtered into our massive 'GCII possibilities', but at this point it needs to be very straightforward (but gameplay and coding wise) to be considered for an update.

on Sep 19, 2008

N.P we still love you . Any update to the espionage system is happily welcomed!

on Sep 19, 2008

Oh and god bless you for point 3!

on Sep 19, 2008

Btw, if passive agents can't be nullified, how does one prevents enemies from spying you?

There was no way to stop this in DL, so in respect to passive intel, we are back to DL's methods.

Oh, and how does technology theft figure into all of this?

Seconded...er now it's like...thirded or so?  In DL once you hit advanced and stopped spending on a race, you'd get random tech steals.  In DA/TA it seemed on when you'd have a spy on a race and hit that high did you get a tech steal.  How will 2.0 work in this resepct?

And a whole new question I think, I see a Place button for the passive agents, can you remove them to place elsewhere, or are they gone forever in intel gaining/maintaning?

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