Galactic Civilizations 2

[Logic]

Oh, do I love this game. By Stardock, who also made the semi-famous for Sins of a Solar Empire, this game is everything I am looking for in a turn based strategy game. Except the game freezes all the time. And I have no idea why.

I am using the latest patch, but certain actions cause the game to freeze for some inexplicable reason. Attack that outpost, invade that planet, move the map too far southwest. Does anyone know what might be causing these problems? I used to play this same game (a different copy, pre-Gold Version) on a different machine (also a laptop) and never had this freezing problem. Is it the Gold edition maybe?

[warty goblin]

Seriously love the game as well. I'm hoping to pick up Twilight of the Arnor as soon as possible.

On your technical issues, are your drivers up to date?

[chiasaur11]

I only got the base game now.

Fun, fun times.

I even built a Mechagodzilla as a ship!


And the PC Gamer UK blog on the subject is awesome.

Sorry about your problems. You already checked stardock for a solution, right? Beyiond that, I've got no clue.

[warty goblin]

I only got the base game now.

Fun, fun times.

I even built a Mechagodzilla as a ship!


And the PC Gamer UK blog on the subject is awesome.

Sorry about your problems. You already checked stardock for a solution, right? Beyiond that, I've got no clue.

Seriously, get the expansions. I haven't played TotA yet, but Dark Avatar is a quantum leap in awesomeness from Dread Lords. Unless that it you like fleets of little ships, because fighter swarms get totally brutalized in Dark Avatar, since ships fire their weapons bank by bank, and after killing one target will fire on another per round, instead of emptying all the torpedoes into one target per round.

[chiasaur11]

Seriously, get the expansions. I haven't played TotA yet, but Dark Avatar is a quantum leap in awesomeness from Dread Lords. Unless that it you like fleets of little ships, because fighter swarms get totally brutalized in Dark Avatar, since ships fire their weapons bank by bank, and after killing one target will fire on another per round, instead of emptying all the torpedoes into one target per round.

I know. It's on the list. I mean, I read the PC gamer UK blogs on how smart the AI is.

I mean, if computers go all Matrix on us, I'm pretty sure there'll be Gal Civ AIs in charge of the attack.

[The Evil Thing]

I've been playing a Huge map for some time now. It's mentally exhausting seeing as I have more colonies than I know what to do with.

In some respects, the tech tree reminds me of Imperium Galactica 2. I guess you might call GalCiv 2 its spiritual sequel.

[Rockphed]

If you like this game, get Space Empires, which Stardock also publishes. Having played both GalCiv2 and SE3, SE3(which is about 10 years old) feels like a better game. SE5, if if had turn based combat would rock utterly, but real time combat is pretty annoying. After noticing that Stardock currently owns the Space Empires franchise, I was left stunned at how they could include so many of the failings that Space Empires had avoided after its first incarnation(which barely counts as a game) and own Space Empires.

Not that I am saying that GalCiv2 is bad. It is actually pretty high on my list of games. However, it has too many annoying things for me. On the other hand, one of the greatest things about it is the influence thing. The last game I played, I was conquering worlds through influence every couple turns.

Another similar game is Sword of the Stars, which seems to be the other way from space empires as Galactic Civilizations. Or maybe Space Empires is the illegitimate time child of GalCiv and SotS.

[SolkaTruesilver]

Can you please enumerate the failing of GalCiv2 that SE3 doesn't have? 'Cause I heard a lot of good about SE3, and I would like to know what's so better about it.

[Rockphed]

I personally prefer the differentiated sectors of Space Empires to the open map of Galactic Civilizations. Also, Space Empires has controllable combat(which can let small ships win against larger ships with just a little management, but tends to take an insane amount of time to run.

Also, I prefer the Space Empires system of upgrading a weapon's effectiveness through range and damage to the Galactic Civilizations method of changing size.

Thirdly, I prefer the SE system of HP = shields + armor + number of systems to the GC method of HP = ship size + research + leveling. In SE4 and 5, there is some method of ships gaining experience, though I don't know what it does, and all equipment can take variable amounts of damage. In SE3, the only way one ship differs from another of the same class is if it is built on a planet with a military acadamy, which grants it a bonus to targeting and dodging.

I hope that I don't come across as too abrasive. Galactic Civilizations is pretty good, and it has a couple mechanics(like influence) that SE doesn't. On the other hand, in Space Empires two different empires don't normally have planets in the same system unless one is in the process of conquering the other.

[Logic]

I seriously suck at the campaign though, not even going to lie. Something about only 3 planets and still trying to build up to planetary invasion from the ground up EVERY TIME gets to me.


Seriously love the game as well. I'm hoping to pick up Twilight of the Arnor as soon as possible.

On your technical issues, are your drivers up to date?

Not being completely computer savvy, I usually wait until my machine tells me that something requires an update rather than look at the updates for the problems I seem to be having. Now that I think about it, a few other games have freezing issues as well, and I shall be doing some research into what is actually installed on my computer, and seeing if it matches the hardware. Thanks for the advice.

[DigoDragon]

From what little I've tried of it, GalCiv2 does have a lot of nice customizable features. I do like that in a game since it adds a personal touch to your experience. Also-- the different ways you can win the game instead of solely by conquest is great. Now I just need a machine powerful enough to run it at home. :smallredface:

[warty goblin]

I seriously suck at the campaign though, not even going to lie. Something about only 3 planets and still trying to build up to planetary invasion from the ground up EVERY TIME gets to me.



Not being completely computer savvy, I usually wait until my machine tells me that something requires an update rather than look at the updates for the problems I seem to be having. Now that I think about it, a few other games have freezing issues as well, and I shall be doing some research into what is actually installed on my computer, and seeing if it matches the hardware. Thanks for the advice.

In that case I'll offer reasonable odds it's a driver issue. Updating them is really very easy, all you have to know is the maker and type of graphics card you have, then just go to the makers's website (basically nVidia or AMD) and follow the directions.

One of the things I've always really liked about GalCiv2 is that you can't control the battles. I'm a galactic overlord not an Admiral. I tell the dudes with guns where to go and who to shoot at, they do the rest. On the other hand by allowing me to determine things like ship design it keeps the combat more interesting and varied than in say Civ III. Plus as Supreme Ruler of my piece of the galaxy it makes sense I have a hand in approving and overseeing ship design. Granted designing them from the ground up probably isn't something most genocidal dictators do, but that's just fun.

[chiasaur11]

In that case I'll offer reasonable odds it's a driver issue. Updating them is really very easy, all you have to know is the maker and type of graphics card you have, then just go to the makers's website (basically nVidia or AMD) and follow the directions.

One of the things I've always really liked about GalCiv2 is that you can't control the battles. I'm a galactic overlord not an Admiral. I tell the dudes with guns where to go and who to shoot at, they do the rest. On the other hand by allowing me to determine things like ship design it keeps the combat more interesting and varied than in say Civ III. Plus as Supreme Ruler of my piece of the galaxy it makes sense I have a hand in approving and overseeing ship design. Granted designing them from the ground up probably isn't something most genocidal dictators do, but that's just fun.

Hey, if you can make it look like you (with enough work) without losing firepower, I bet more dictators would do it.

[warty goblin]

Hey, if you can make it look like you (with enough work) without losing firepower, I bet more dictators would do it.

Exactly. Let all lesser being feel the full wrath of the Magnificant Goblin class dreadnaughts, bristling with missiles and railguns enough to shoot all but the greatest of enemy fleets out of the skies, it's pointy ears and long nose shining with running lights...

[chiasaur11]

Exactly. Let all lesser being feel the full wrath of the Magnificant Goblin class dreadnaughts, bristling with missiles and railguns enough to shoot all but the greatest of enemy fleets out of the skies, it's pointy ears and long nose shining with running lights...

Awesome.

You built it in the actual game?

Also: Anyone else reading this (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=195920&site=pcg)?

It's good stuff.

[warty goblin]

Awesome.

You built it in the actual game?

Also: Anyone else reading this (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=195920&site=pcg)?

It's good stuff.

Not yet, no. It would require Huge hulls to do right. I need the room for weapons after all.

[warty goblin]

I'm getting closer to my grand dream of a goblin head shaped warship, floating amid the stars and bringing ruin upon species who are less green. So far the august Goblin empire stretches across four worlds, two of which are actually worth the rock they are made out of, and boasts the second largest military in the galaxy. As soon as I've finished the tereforming of some of my more...toxic planets (the colony brochures call them "atmospherically challenging"), I'll start research to learn how to invade other people's planets.

[chiasaur11]

Heh. I played an easy game just so I could get massive vehicles and black hole eruptioners for a Mechagodzilla.

Its got sixteen parsecs a week movement, can go halfway across a galaxy unsupported, and has death ray breath. Over 180 damage shots of raw missile damage.

Plus, it's a massive bipedal robotic kajiu. Life is good under his pointy metal claws.

The only sad thing is no-one could field anything to keep it busy.