I thought this would be more complex then GalCiv I

from GalCiv2 Forums
This seems off hand to be a much less complex game then GalCiv 1, Why is this game better then GalCiv I ? I don't know but I was expecting a little more depth not less. Its like this year is the dumbed down versions of Gal Civ and Civ 4. A little better graphics but less game play in both titles. No wonder it appeals to the masses.

Of course this is my initial impression after playing for 2 days. Lets see after a week. But so far to me the Emperor has no clothes.
9,599 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
How do you think it is less complex? That's a very general statement you made without any details to discuss.

Tony
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

I think Jen may be talking about the new Planet Screen, perhaps? Having a planet that only holds 10 improvements is VASTLY scaled down in comparison to GC1's "unlimited" planet space.

However, this change was made to increase the strategy of properly building improvements. In GC1, I wouldn't TOUCH the planetary improvements. I'd have my governor that would build "Soil Enhancement", "Bank", "Factory" and then whatever else was in his queue. No strategy at all.

Now the player is forced to make a choice. Do they want this to be a tech planet, even though it's on the fringes of the empire? Perhaps it should be a cultural planet, with lots of embassies instead. Oh, be wait, there's a manufacturing bonus...do they really want that to go to waste?

Suddenly the player has to make some HARD choices, instead of saying "screw it, i'll just build them all".  Like me

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
I do like the new HardChoices approach. I don't need lots of details and duplication for the sake of it in a game.

Tony
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
I like having limited space on the worlds now. It does pose more of a challenge and it helps you tailor your worlds to do what you need them to do. Running short on cash and can't get any trade routes going because you're EBIL? Just create some worlds that do nothing but create cash. Do you have some fringe planets that are struggling to push your sphere of influence against another empire's? Just put nothing but influence structures on them. I think that GalCiv I was too simplistic because it let you get away with a lot of stuff. You didn't have to really think about anything other than the fact that you had to balance money-making improvements with others that would suck away your "profit" because of their maintenence costs.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
Claiming that Civ IV is less complex than Civ III kind of invalidates your whole post.
Same with GalCiv. The newer ones may seem less complex on the surface but due to increased choices they are in fact a lot more varied. No more "doing everything the same way every time" as it was with Civ III and GalCiv I.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Just the depth of the new combat system alone adds a lot of strategy over the old game.

I just hope they fix the AI so that it doesn't build so many "cannon fodder" ships in the early game that have 0 defense and only 1 attack.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well i've already heard this from some civ fans with civ 4, when the game came out, they played it and were furious because it had changed ("where is pollution!! put it back in the game i want to have my 400 workers cleaning it!!! Omg i cannot do 200 towns anymore!! and so on turning on/off research to gain some extra money, same with production..), saying it had no depth, it was for the stupid masses of people too dumb to play a real strategy game.

But what i see in Galciv 2 (and civ 4) is micromanagement reduction and better presentation of the data to let us do things that matter more easily, analyse the situation, take a decision, make it happen.

In Galciv2 tech tree is so very simple and straightforward you could say its for children, but i think its amazing and the decision of wich path to take isn't easier.

City management seems like a game for the youngest people where you place buildings as if they were toys but the choice and quantity you decide to build has impact since its limited (even more than in galciv 1) and since population is a separate issue now (no need for people to build lots of a type of building) you can build whatever you want wherever you want it (less realistic maybe but freedom of choices).

Strategic map was not a feature i waited for but now i couldn't play without it, in galciv 1 it took an experienced player to see what was going on, now a unexperienced one can see the big picture easily.It really take the world map of civ 4 to a new level, you can actually play it that way... and you will!

And so on (ship design and info windows...)...

Easier to see what's happening (take a look at the big picture as they say ), harder to decide wich path will adapt to the situation.

Some people mistake depth with complexity of gameplay. I think its the decisions we make and not our capacity to multitask that should lead us to victory.