Galactic Civilizations IV News

I hope by now that you’ve all had a chance to check out both the free v2.2 Ethnology update, which brought in a host of new features (including a greatly improved and better looking user-interface) and the first paid content DLC for Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova: Tales of Centauron.

Frogboy and I have detailed the highlights of the v2.2 update in the past three developer journals, so today we’re going to take a quick look at the Return of the Korath mission included with Tales of Centauron. This DLC added dozens of new Events, new ship components, Executive Orders and Improvements for Core Worlds, and to cap it off and tie it all together the DLC comes with a new Mission featuring a heavily upgraded and even more deadly incarnation of the legendary Korath Clan.



Missions tend to utilize a static, predetermined map instead of the procedurally generated ones typical to a normal game of GalCiv. Aside from making a change to the usual proc-gen maps, these can be a nice way for a player to challenge themselves with different playstyles as they’re getting to know a specific Core Civilization, as they can test their progress through the scenario and measure their performance against previous attempts.

To prevent spoilers, I’ll refrain from posting any shots of the Mission’s map, but we can have a quick look at some of the toys that the Korath get to play with.

This new scenario pits the player, as the dreadful Korath Clan, on crusade to purge the sector around them of six rival civilizations who ain’t gonna know what hit ‘em! Purge is one word for what the Korath Clan do best, and extermination is another. That’s right, these Dread Lord-altered former Drengin don’t take no prisoners, literally.

Where the Drengin are the galaxy’s most terrifying slavers, the Korath Clan seek only to eradicate every other species from the galaxy. Hell, they don’t even see them as species, they’re verminous insects fit only for extermination. As a man named BATTLEMODE, of course, I wholeheartedly approve of this approach!



As the Mission starts, we’re treated to a treatise on the philosophy of extermination by the Korath themselves. Once these excuses are out of the way, the player is free begin the mission and approach the single victory condition of “Extermine the other civilizations” in whatever way they see fit.

The Korath play rather differently to the other Civilizations in Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova, in that they’re not only hyper-focused on war, they’re also hell-bent on eradicating everybody around them, and have the tools to do so. v2.2 Ethnology updated many of the Core Civilization’s to include more thematic (and fun) planetary Improvements, Executive Orders and other mechanics, and the Korath Clan were no exception. Here with the DLC’s contents too, we can see a whole new breed of evil to play with!



In the screenshot above we can not only see the new Volcanic planet biomes added in v2.2, but also one of the Korath Clan’s new unique Improvements, the Battle Thrall Arena. These act like the Entertainment District but give a larger Approval bonus and enhance Military-producing Improvements adjacent to them too.



The new Death Camp improvement is a one-time build Manufacturing oriented Civilization Achievement that also instantly spawns a number of Ruined Torians. These poor wretches have had all the spunk kicked out of them, and as a consequence have no capacity to either complain or reproduce. Zero Approval is a really nice feature for a slave, and since their Growth rate is almost zero too, they’re completely unsuitable for colonizing Core Worlds. They make great slaves though, and excellent colonists for Colonies not intended for upgrading to a Core World.



Remember how I told you the Korath take no prisoners? Meet the Spore Ship, the Korath’s preferred method for taking enemy worlds. This evil weapon will capture an enemy planet in a single turn, and completely eradicate any Citizens living there, leaving only your own Soldier who was transported there as a passenger.

As you can see, the Korath Clan are a force to be reckoned with, and their very presence in a sector should be enough to put every other sentient species on high alert.

We hope you enjoy the Return of the Korath mission! As always, let us know what you think of these new features in the comments section below.

Cheers!

In last week’s dev-journal #38, Frogboy touched on an important change to the way Fleets are handled that we’ve implemented in Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova’s v2.2 “Ethnology” update. Today we’re going to take a closer look at the new Fleet Management user-interface.



v2.2 was an update largely driven by player feedback and managing large fleets, often comprising of dozens of individual ships, wasn’t always the smoothest experience, particularly in the late game when a GalCiv game typically features a map full of units to move and fight with.

Although we do provide a set of Automation tools and Rally Points to allow much of the legwork of building and moving fleets to critical location to be automated, there was still some awkwardness in having to individually select and consolidate groups of ships that weren’t intended for an automated destination. For example, if the player broke down a Fleet into individual ships, they then had to individually select them all one by one in order to move them or reconsolidate them elsewhere into smaller groups, and was a laborious task to say the least.

Now we’ve improved the way that ships can be selected, consolidated and moved with a simple drag and select system akin to those used in modern RTS games.


Hold Shift and drag and drop the green box around the ships or fleets you want to grab, leaving them selected and ready for commands.


These ships or fleets can then be moved as a group towards a destination hex.



In the screenshot above, you’ll see the first three ships that could make it to the destination hex this turn, with the final ship, with no remaining Move points left, set to automatically arrive and join the rest next turn.



Next, we’ve added the Fleet Manager screen itself. Here you’ll be able to select a fleet and then more easily add and remove individual ships located the same hex. Essential information is displayed on the right of the screen, including Logistics allowance, the number of ships and any Abilities that member brings along to affect the fleet as a whole.

And that’s not all: the Fleet UI itself is now organised horizontally and shows more information at a glance, while existing data is better organised and easier to parse.



Firstly, the Class and number of each ships in a class is now visible on the Fleet info box as a series of nifty icons, as shown above in this rather large Drengin battlegroup. Fleet composition becomes increasingly more important as the game progresses and the various Galactic Civilizations begin to field ships with more advanced technology, often requiring a Class-based counter, and players shouldn’t have to dig for this information. So, now you don’t have to!



Next, while we’ve kept a ship and fleet’s Combat Rating score for an at-a-glance overview of how well it is likely to perform in combat, we’ve now separated out its Attack and Defense values into separate indicators, the tooltips for which show a detailed breakdown of what individual ships, components and other modifiers are contributing towards those specific values. These are handled slightly differently for ships and fleets respectively, where ships will show components and with fleets showing individual contributing ship values instead. This was a much requested feature, particular from veterans of the series, who felt these two Attack and Defense values should be available without having to dig for it within existing tooltips.

We hope these new features make conducting fleet operations a lot more fun for you all. Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Stardock Entertainment released its much-anticipated update to its newest space strategy game, Galactic Civilizations IV today.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Dubbed “The Ethnology Update”, this new version focuses on making different civilizations feel more distinct and unique in both cultural and biological ways.

“Galactic Civilizations has always had to walk the fine line between being an open-universe space sandbox game and a narrative driven space strategy game,” said Brad Wardell, Creative Director at Stardock. “The Ethnology update looks at the different biological and cultural traits of different civilizations and makes available unique planetary improvements, starships, events, etc. For instance, what humans would want to do with their worlds is a very different thing than say a race of sentient crystals.”

Because the Ethnology system works based on civilization traits it means that custom civilizations that have these traits will automatically inherit the unique abilities and planet upgrades making the universe more alive.

[h2]The new version also includes: [/h2]

• Revamped UI: Intuitive and Player-Friendly. Responding to valuable player feedback, the update introduces a major UI overhaul. The new main screen UI and Fleet Manager make fleet management more intuitive, enhancing the overall user experience and strategic decision-making.
  
• Custom Civilizations in Multiplayer. The update introduces the ability to use custom civilizations in multiplayer modes, adding a new layer of strategy and personalization to online gameplay.
  
• New Weapon and Defense Components. Ship designers can look forward to an array of new weapon and defense components, allowing for more intricate and interesting ship designs.
  
• Lore-Rich Technology Descriptions. Long descriptions for technologies now provide players with the lore behind each advancement, enriching the game's narrative depth.
  
• New Planet Biomes. Players can now encounter dozens of new biomes across different planet classes, making worlds feel more unique and interesting.
  
• Updated Graphics Engine. The update features an updated graphics engine with a new light source system, offering a substantial visual upgrade over previous editions.
  
• Improved Localization. Localization improvements, especially for Chinese, Russian, German, and French players, ensuring players from around the world can play the version in their native language.
  

[h2]View full changelog here[/h2]













[h2]Also released today: Tales of Centauron, learn more.[/h2]

Stardock released "Tales of Centauron", the eagerly awaited DLC for Galactic Civilizations IV today. Set in the game’s Centauron quadrant of the Milky Way galaxy this DLC introduces an array of new content:

• Lore-Driven Gameplay: Players can delve into events tailored to the unique traits of each civilization. Engaging in these scenarios while leading a specific civilization unlocks a wealth of civilization-specific technologies, planetary upgrades, and starship components. This feature accentuates the distinctiveness of each species, offering a deeper and more personalized gaming experience.
  
• New Campaign Mission - Return of the Korath: This gripping mission places players at the helm of the Korath Clan. Known for their extreme ideologies, even among the infamous Drengin Empire, the Korath represent a darker, more ruthless aspect of galactic politics and power struggles.
  

"In the Galactic Civilizations universe, the Drengin Empire are akin to PG-rated villains. The Korath, however, are on another level of malevolence. Their gameplay would probably get someone demonitized," explains Brad Wardell, Creative Director at Stardock. "Through the Korath, we aim to explore the darker paths a civilization might tread, paths they believe are justifiable."

• Exclusive New Content: The DLC also brings a plethora of unique features, including new executive orders, artifacts, and ship components, enriching the overall gameplay and strategic options.
  

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2671130/Galactic_Civilizations_IV__Tales_of_Centauron/

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/1159/Galactic_Civilizations_IV__Expansion_Pass/













[h2]Also released today: Free v2.2 Ethnology Update, learn more here[/h2]

Since the launch of Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova Edition in mid-October, we've been hard at work, rolling out updates to enhance your gameplay experience. Following the initial post-release patch (v2.01), addressing those last-minute QA touches, we introduced the significant v2.1 update, packed with features already in our pipeline.

But here's where it gets thrilling: Version 2.2 is all about you! This update is a creative blend of your insightful feedback and our vision, transforming your ideas into in-game realities.

[h2]A New Level of Race Distinctiveness and UI Refinement[/h2]
In version 2.2, we're not just amplifying the uniqueness of each race; we're also injecting a hefty dose of user-friendly tweaks based on your usability feedback. Remember, it's only been two months since release, and we're moving at breakneck speed to improve your experience!


[h2]Your Feedback, Our Mission: Addressing UI Annoyances[/h2]
We heard your concerns loud and clear:

• Simplified Access: Reducing the number of clicks to essential information.
  
• Effortless Navigation: Making it easier to find the information you need.
  
• Visibility of Mechanics: Unveiling previously hidden crucial game mechanics.
  

[h2]Spotlight on Improvements: What’s New in Version 2.2[/h2]
Here's a sneak peek at what we've been up to:

Enhanced Visibility: A glance at your treasury now shows per-turn changes, alongside total research, production, and control increases. We're even contemplating adding a culture points tracker.

For comparison, let’s look at version 2.1:




Now let’s look at v2.2 of a similar situation:







Detailed Fleet Insights: Dive deeper into fleet statistics with visible attack, defense, and combat ratings. Plus, we've made room for future stat additions.




Class-Based Ship Recognition: Identifying ship classes within fleets is now a breeze, crucial for the game's evolving combat dynamics. We're moving away from the traditional rock-paper-scissors approach to encourage diverse fleet compositions.




Efficient Fleet Management: Hold down the Shift key, and voila! You can now select and maneuver multiple ships or fleets simultaneously – perfect for strategizing over long distances.






[h2]Just the Beginning: The Future of Galactic Civilizations IV’s UI[/h2]
This update is merely a stepping stone. We have grand plans for the ship designer, shipyards, planet screens, and beyond. In the world of modern strategy gaming, the evolution of UI is an ongoing journey, shaped by your gameplay experiences and feedback.


[h2]We Want to Hear from You![/h2]
We're excited about this direction and hope you are too! Share your thoughts in the comments and let's continue shaping the future of Galactic Civilizations IV together.