1. Galactic Civilizations IV
  2. News

Galactic Civilizations IV News

Video Dev Blog #6 - What Kind of Civilization Are You?

The Galactic Civilizations series is known for its rich tapestry of civilizations, each with its own lore and gameplay mechanics that create a symphony of diversity in the intergalactic arena. These civilizations are more than just backstories; they're the driving forces behind the epic narratives that unfold in the game. In this article, we'll delve into the intricate mechanics that define civilizations in Galactic Civilizations and explore how they shape your playstyle and strategies when facing off against various rivals in the game.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Mechanics Focus

At the heart of every civilization in Galactic Civilizations are a multitude of components that determine their identity and capabilities. These elements work in harmony to inform your playstyle and provide unique challenges, ensuring that each playthrough unfolds as a distinct narrative.

Civilization Abilities. Each civilization boasts two unique Civilization Abilities that confer powerful gameplay effects. These can range from improved population growth to the ability to enslave your own citizens for a manufacturing boost.

Cultural Focus. Cultural Focus provides a significant discount on the Culture Points required to purchase traits from a specified Ideology, allowing you to tailor your civilization's cultural development to your advantage.

Biology. The physical makeup of your civilization, including the conditions required for growth and reproduction, is defined by its biology.

Behavior Attributes. Two behavior attributes specify how the AI will play the civilization in-game, adding depth to their strategic decisions.

Civilization Traits. Civilization Traits further shape a civilization's gameplay by bestowing bonuses or penalties in key areas. For instance, a trait like "Fast +2" grants ships an extra two hexes of movement per turn, providing a significant advantage.

Species Traits. Each species of civilians within a civilization possesses its own unique traits and abilities, such as high intelligence or the ability to lay eggs inside civilians of other species for additional resources.

Factions. Each civilization has a selection of four different factions. Assigning skilled leaders to these factions provides powerful modifiers to manufacturing, gross income, research, and more, adding a layer of strategic depth to the game.

Civilization Policies. Certain civilization policies can be unlocked through research and cultural progression, granting powerful civilization-wide bonuses that can be customized to suit your strategy.


Introducing the Civilizations

Now, let's meet the diverse cast of civilizations that make up the galactic stage. Each civilization plays a vital role in shaping the narrative of your game, and their strengths and weaknesses can dramatically alter your approach to victory.

Manti Cluster
The Manti Cluster excels in rapid growth, favoring ocean worlds and utilizing their Traditionalism Cultural Focus to mitigate approval penalties on less suitable planets. Their paranoid and warrior traits make them formidable in defense, and their versatile faction choices allow for both peaceful and forceful approaches. Currently, they occupy the northern region of the map, with potential allies to the south.

Yor Singularity
Positioned in the southern portion of the map, the Yor Singularity has secured ample Durantium resources, enabling rapid expansion and advanced starbase development. However, they face financial challenges, making stabilizing their economy a priority. With clever research capabilities, they can field high-tech fleets and must strategically navigate their war with the Cosmic Contaminant and the Corporate Sector.

Corporate Sector
The Corporate Sector focuses on accumulating credits and boasts a strong economy. Positioned in a mid-sector location, they face threats from multiple fronts. To survive, they must rebuild their fleets, establish trade with the Manti Cluster, and possibly form alliances to combat the Yor and the Cosmic Contaminant.

Cosmic Contaminant
The Cosmic Contaminant, with adaptable and radiated abilities, possess a diverse range of potential planets for expansion. As ammonia-based beings, they thrive on polluted worlds but face initial weaknesses. Their fast trait and aggressive behavior make them formidable competitors. They must choose their targets wisely and expand rapidly to secure victory.



In Galactic Civilizations, every civilization brings a unique set of tools and playstyles to the table, determined by their diverse traits, abilities, and mechanics. As you explore the randomly generated maps populated by these civilizations, you'll find yourself immersed in a dynamic, ever-evolving narrative where each decision you make shapes the course of history. So, what kind of civilization are you? The answer lies in your choices and strategies as you navigate the intricate tapestry of Galactic Civilizations.

Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova Edition Launches October 19

The latest entry in our award-winning space turn-based strategy game, Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova Edition, will launch on October 19, 2023


[h2]The release will coincide with Stardock’s 30-year anniversary. [/h2]


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


Beginning shortly after humanity has discovered faster-than-light travel, Galactic Civilizations puts the player in the role of leader of a united world looking to expand their civilization into the galaxy. As leader, you must decide what technologies your scientists focus on, what policies your government enacts and what your foreign policy with alien species will be.

“Supernova is, by far, the biggest expansion Stardock has ever made,” said Brad Wardell, founder of Stardock who returned to the design chair for Supernova. “It doesn’t just add a lot of new content but transforms the gameplay in ways not seen in a 4X game before.”

Amongst the new innovations in Supernova is AlienGPT, a technology that allows players to describe their own custom civilization and then uses generative AI to create it. Other new features include the Civilization Vault, Cultural Progression, a story-driven campaign, several new canon alien civilizations, a new starship designer, a new battle system and much more.

[h2]Add to Wishlist:[/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1357210/Galactic_Civilizations_IV_Supernova


[h2]Screenshots:[/h2]













GalCiv IV: Supernova Dev Journal - A Galaxy for Everyone

Greetings!
We are coming to the finish line for GalCiv IV: Supernova!

Our once reasonable scope has, of course, exploded over the Summer as we got our hands into making this the best space 4X game we've ever made!

The next major BETA update, 1.90 will be focusing on making the game more appealing to a much wider group of people.

Galactapedia






This feature is expected to expand significantly in the coming weeks. We're excited about its potential and are hopeful to integrate capabilities allowing modders to add their own entries.


Modding

Speaking of modders...







We are gearing up to unveil the GalCiv Workshop. It will start by supporting uploads of civs and ships.



Design your ship, hit a button, and upload. The same goes for your custom civilizations. Moreover, in various places, you'll have the option to pick from a range of ships. In beta 1.9, we're interested in your feedback on where additional integration points could be located.

Stay tuned for updates on code modding!

GalCiv IV: Video Dev Blog #5 - AlienGPT

Greetings, fellow gamers and intergalactic strategists! Today, we delve into the fascinating world of Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova, where we explore the cutting-edge addition to the game, AlienGPT. This groundbreaking feature, developed by Stardock, leverages the power of GPT technology to redefine the way we create custom civilizations in this iconic space 4X gaming series.

In this blog post, we'll take you on a journey through the exciting universe of Galactic Civilizations, highlighting the evolution of custom civilization creation and the game-changing impact of AlienGPT.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Custom Civilization Creation: A Diverse Universe of Playstyles[/h2]
The Galactic Civilizations series has always been known for its ability to cater to a wide spectrum of gamers. Whether you're a meticulous min-maxer or a laid-back sandbox enthusiast, this game series has something for everyone. Since Galactic Civilizations II, players have had the opportunity to craft their unique civilizations to bring their gaming fantasies to life.

Core factions like the Terran Alliance, the formidable Drengin, and the iconic Yor have always adhered to the same set of game mechanics available to players when designing custom civilizations. This seamless integration between core and custom civilizations has been a hallmark of the series. However, crafting custom civilizations traditionally involved manual efforts, from writing background stories to selecting pre-generated images that match your vision.

This approach also had its drawbacks, as creating new core civilizations required significant resources in terms of writing, art assets, and game balancing. Stardock recognized the need for innovation.

[h2]AlienGPT: A Glimpse into the Future[/h2]
Enter AlienGPT, a revolutionary addition to Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova. GPT, short for "Generative Pre-trained Transformer," is a remarkable language model developed by OpenAI. It's capable of generating natural language text based on user prompts and can provide responses that are remarkably human-like.

Stardock saw an opportunity to harness this technology to enhance their games. AlienGPT was born, and it brings with it the potential to transform the gaming landscape. This technology can generate text content for various elements of gameplay, including civilization overviews, lore, in-game events, and diplomatic conversations. It's a game-changer, offering unprecedented levels of creativity and uniqueness in gameplay.

[h2]What AlienGPT Adds to the Game[/h2]
AlienGPT seamlessly integrates into Stardock's cloud-based metagaming technology, Tachyon. With a single prompt, the background and lore of a civilization can be generated. Pre-generated images of aliens are then presented to players to represent their newly created civilization. These images, crafted by Stardock's in-house artists, ensure a diverse range of visuals that align with the player's vision.

If AlienGPT encounters a prompt that it can't fulfill with existing images, it prompts Stardock's development team to create suitable assets for future use. This dynamic collaboration between AI and human creativity ensures a continually evolving gaming experience.

[h2]Let's Make a Custom Civilization[/h2]
To illustrate how AlienGPT works, let's dive into creating a custom civilization. Imagine you're in the mood for a war-focused gameplay experience with a touch of wild fun. You enter a prompt like "ancient dinosaurs that found advanced alien technology, fused with it, and became a race of war-hungry, cybernetic feudal lizard-knights." You also select various attributes like Biology, Cultural Affinity, and Behaviors, which not only influence civilization generation but also have in-game effects.

The result is a rich and detailed Startup Screen for your civilization, complete with a slogan, description, strengths, and weaknesses. Of course, you can edit these details to fine-tune your creation. AlienGPT then helps you choose a leader portrait, giving life to your new civilization.

From there, you can further customize your civilization's logo, map theme, theme tune, abilities, citizens, commander ships, and traits. With a touch of imagination and the power of AlienGPT, you've created a unique race of spacefaring dino-knights ready to conquer the galaxy.

[h2]Enhancing the Gaming Experience[/h2]
With AlienGPT and Tachyon, Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova introduces AI tools that significantly expand the volume of personalized, high-quality content. This translates into a more diverse range of gameplay options, deeper immersion in the game's universe, and enhanced replayability.

As we wrap up, we invite you to embark on this exciting journey of custom civilization creation with AlienGPT. Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in the 4X strategy gaming genre. Thank you for joining us in exploring this remarkable advancement in gaming technology, and as always, happy gaming!

v1.8 Early Access Update - Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova

Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova Edition, currently in early access, gets a major beta update.






[h2]View the full changelog here[/h2]

[h2]Version 1.8 adds hundreds of new changes, improvements, fixes and new content including:[/h2]
  • New Major Civilizations: The Cosmic Contaminate and The Seeing.
  • Multiplayer (competitive and cooperative).
  • Major combat system update: Ships automatically use weapons on the main map from a distance.
  • Major starbase update: Military starbases protect areas with deadly weapon fire at nearby enemies.
  • Major AI revamp making it far better both at its planetary management and war fighting capabilities.
  • Major UI improvements such as being able to minimize events (click off the event window) to check on other things.
  • Balance update on influence: Players (and AI) can send military ships in orbit to slow down cultural takeovers.
  • Major memory improvements, especially on larger maps.
  • Bigger maps.
  • Tons of new story-driven events.
  • Legacy Crisis events: Events that spawn classic GalCiv civs (like the Thalan, Slyne, Xendar, Snathi and others).
  • Tons of new ship components for the AI and players to design into their ships.
  • Revamp of planetary citizens: Population matters a lot more.
  • Major performance improvements (like 25X faster) turn times.
  • Lots of quality of life improvements (sensor buoys, put ships on standby.
  • Visual polish pass across the entire game.
  • Tons of minor bug fixes.
  • Lots of crash fixes.
  • Much much more!


[h2]View the full changelog here[/h2]