Galactic Civilizations

[Spacewolf]

So, I'm in the mood for a decent 4X game and was wondering if people would recommend Galactic civilizations 2 and its expansions? Also if anyone knows a decent site to get them from if they do recommend them, best I've seen is Gamersgate which has it for a few pounds cheaper.

I am aware there is a new one coming soonish but I doubt my laptop will be able to handle anything that new. If you like feel free to share any mods, stories that illustrate why the game is good/not good or what else you would recommend in the genre. (I have played both SOTS which I didn't like and Sins which I did.)

 

[Xeorm]

I found it to be pretty fun, especially trying some weird variants. Like conquering everyone without firing a shot. Not the most amazing of games, but certainly fun.

 

[thiosk]

Im the opposite, I didn't like SINS and I did like SOTS (but I never ran the battles). I jsut played hiver and slowly crawled my tendrils accross the galaxy.


I'm a strategy guy. I honestly prefer good old master of orion II over most others, though it does show age outwardly.

I never really got into gal civ-- its the map, really, the map bothers me. It really is essentially a civ map with space rules. Objects just litter the map and you put cities on them.

An interesting one is distant worlds. It absolutely requires all expansions, and the combined version isn't coming out til may. Its also not on steam, a major weakness, but I play it all the same, on and off. Its arguably the best of all 4x games, but it has some problems that I cant stand. The specific one is that the economy is simultaneously too complex and too simplistic-- you move a lot of resources around, but very little stands out as actually important except the % quality of the planet.

 

[Meteor4118]

My friend really liked MOO 2, But I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Master of Orion 3. I like the races, I like the ickthul calling to say they hate you. I like the concept of a Geodic running away from your spies with a big briefcase of intelligence.

 

[The Madman]

GalCiv2 is one of the best 4x out there I'd say if only for it's absolutely massive sprawling nature and the sheer volume of ways you can play the game. Seriously the sheer volume of ways in which you can play the game and events that can occur is staggering, almost no two games will ever be the same. You can play as a peaceful civilization that prospers through trade and research, or as a terrifying juggernaut of death and destruction. The morality feature is also neat, forcing you to make decisions that will determine how your civ advances and how other civs will perceive you.

AI is also quite good in GalCiv2, some of the best out there in a 4x. I can do some really impressive stuff and personally I like to have the AI's intelligence randomized to keep things interesting and make things even more unpredictable.

So really if you like games like Civilization then hell yeah you should pick of GalCiv2. Damned good game!

 

[DEAD34345]

I'd say Galactic Civilizations 2 is the best "standard" 4X game out there, possibly by quite a wide margin. If you've played dozens of 4X games it's probably not going to do any one new thing that will blow your mind and completely change the genre for you, but 90% of what it does do, it does better than 90% of the other games out there. The AI especially is leagues ahead of most other games.

I just hope we get more of the same when GalCiv3 comes out, except this time with multi-player.

 

[veloper]

Play Armada 2526 instead. Galciv 2 is very unbalanced and rather dull.

MoO2 is still the benchmark for 100% turn-based space 4X games, but the RT tactical combat in Armada is still ok for most purists.
For the hardcore, there is also Space Empires 4 Gold.
Also heared very good things about Distant Worlds, but the price of admission isn't worth the gamble to me.

GC2 is bottom of the barrel.

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

I would definitely recommend GalCiv2. It and the original Age of Wonders are in close competition for my favorite 4X game ever.

Be warned though: GalCiv2 is a great game but it's essentially just Sid Meier's Civilization in space (with better humor and AI, and bigger maps, and a larger tech tree). If you want something different look elsewhere.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

If you've played CivIII, you should have a rough idea of how GalCivII plays. The window dressing is different, and you have to design your own units, but by and large it's pretty much Civ3 in space. Which is not at all a bad thing -- GalCiv2 is the one 4X game that I've put the most time into, aside from the original Civilization. Just has that perfect balance of being large and complex while still being fun, and avoiding the trap of being "Spreadsheets: The Game" like some other 4X games I could name.

Speaking of which, anyone know if there's a 4X game that can be played in an Excel spreadsheet? It should literally be possible to set one up with the right macros and formulas. Would be a wonderful gift to all the procrastinating office drones of the world XD

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

I definitely recommend it, lots of fun, although I find it gets boring faster than civ because the maps don't feel particularly different to each other. Once you've seen one galaxy you've seen them all.

One of the best things about it is designing your own ships. I notice OP has an aquila for an avatar, well you can do some pretty good recreations of Battlefleet Gothic ships in the ship editor. I managed to go from Fury interceptors, up through Cobras, Firestorms, system defense and cargo ships, Light and standard cruisers all the way up to battleships. They don't quite scale to each other properly in the battle animaions or on the main map but you can't have everything.

 

[Tanis]

GalCiv2:EU is one of the BEST 4X games out there.

I'd go so far as to say it's the 'Heir Apparent' to MOO2's crown.

 

[Zipa]

GalCiv 2 is a little old now but still an excellent game. Personally I am looking forward to the sequel that they are making.

 

[Spacewolf]

I definitely recommend it, lots of fun, although I find it gets boring faster than civ because the maps don't feel particularly different to each other. Once you've seen one galaxy you've seen them all.

One of the best things about it is designing your own ships. I notice OP has an aquila for an avatar, well you can do some pretty good recreations of Battlefleet Gothic ships in the ship editor. I managed to go from Fury interceptors, up through Cobras, Firestorms, system defense and cargo ships, Light and standard cruisers all the way up to battleships. They don't quite scale to each other properly in the battle animaions or on the main map but you can't have everything.

Sounds like it has quite a robust ship design system then. Take it that you spent quite awhile on that one.

And since quite a few people have brought it up I've never touched a Civ game. Although I have played Alpha Centauri which I think is supposed to be similar.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Sounds like it has quite a robust ship design system then. Take it that you spent quite awhile on that one.

And since quite a few people have brought it up I've never touched a Civ game. Although I have played Alpha Centauri which I think is supposed to be similar.

Yes, it's really good. Get endless universe, it has the dread lords and arnor expansions and has more ship parts. And yes, it took a long time, you can make up ships very quickly if you use their standard parts but otherwise it can take a lot of messing about with little joiny bits, trying to get things to exactly the right size and angle to make the shapes you want.

Civ IV is great, one of the best games of all time IMO, plus it has had an absolute ton of mods made for it over the years, so you get a lot of game time for very little money.

 

[Bad Jim]

You might find this interesting

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/161570/blog/galciv-2-war-report-final-entry/?site=pcg

While the AI seemed rather eccentric, at the end it is revealed that it was behaving quite logically and understanding the game much better than the Civ AI does.

The full strength AI, playing fairly(no production bonuses or penalties) is actually one of the stronger AI settings.

 

[Rolaoi]

I really, really enjoyed it. The game had, I felt, really intuitive gameplay with a lot of depth presented simply so as to not be staggering. I also enjoyed the degree to which you could edit races to the game giving a lot of variety in play style. I would recommend heartily.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Would DEFINITELY reccomend GC2. It's a REALLY fun 4X game.

Make sure you get one of the mods that fixes the tech trees and AI, though. That'll improve your experience a lot.

Also, don't hesitate to make a few of your own custom races to fight against. It can be really fun. (For example, I made Bowser, and Princess Celestia as opponents a lot of the time, and it can be HILAROUS XD)

 

[Jandau]

GalCiv2 with all the expansions is easily one of the best 4X games ever made. It IS the best Space Empire 4X game, nothing else even comes close. It's got a great blend of complexity and depth with a solid user interface that makes it reasonably accessible. Yes, it can feel a bit complicated at first glance, but you quickly pick up what everything means as the game mechanics are fairly intuitive. It's got awesome variety in races, with unique technologies and development paths and there are multiple viable playstyles. It's a gem by any definition and has aged very gracefully. Get it and play it!

 

[veloper]

Take Master of Orion 2, remove all the tactical combat, then replace all the interesting spaceship weapon variety with mostly cosmetic options, so all that's left is a prettier, but dull empire management game and then break even that. That is GC2.

Sometimes I wonder if the new blood enjoys watching paint dry, also.

 

[The Madman]

Take Master of Orion 2, remove all the tactical combat, then replace all the interesting spaceship weapon variety with mostly cosmetic options, so all that's left is a prettier, but dull empire management game and then break even that. That is GC2.

Sometimes I wonder if the new blood enjoys watching paint dry, also.

I disagree, as do the majority of other people in this topic obviously. But then as I recall we've also been through this debate before so I know better than to bother asking why you don't like GalCiv2. Just try not to be so condescending about it, will you?