When I say “Learn to code” I really mean it because man, ever since Covid hit we have just been behind the eightball on getting things done in a timely way. We need more engineers.
Star Control: Origins on XBOX Series X is in Certification, Galactic Civilizations IV is about to get a major overhaul, Sins of a Solar Empire II just had a technical alpha update and we have a huge new game in development that hasn’t been announced. And this doesn’t even count for the software side that makes things like Start11, Fences, Object Desktop, Multiplicity, etc. We are spread thin.
We promised a GalCiv III v4.5 and we mean it and so here is what we’re working on.
So without further delay here are the changes in GalCiv III v4.5 (now released):
Note: Most of these updates are for the latest expansion: Retribution. It is the ultimate version of GalCiv III and has gone through a lot of improvements since its first release.
- AI’s will now merge with the weakest other civ if they are hopelessly behind after 75 turns.
- Turns before an AI can surrender changed from 100 to 75 but odds of surrendering in a given turn reduced..
- Yor Fusion Matrix improvement pop cap benefit reduced from 2 to 1.
- Yor Anti-Matter Matrix improvement pop cap benefit reduced from 2 to 1.
- Yor Quantum-Matter Matrix improvement pop cap benefit reduced from 4 to 1.
- Earth planet class increased from 12 to 16 (4 additional starting tiles to build on)
- All other starting planets also given +4 starting tiles.
- Yor (Synthetic civs) can now build more population starting turn 1.
- Yor manufacture population now only requires Durantium.
- Yor starting base population cap reduced from 16 to 8.
- All players now also start with a Scout ship to help get exploration moving a bit faster.
- Most starting trade resources on planets require Promethion to upgrade. This was a bit of a newbie trap before where new players could find themselves with several things to start building on their planets that have little near-term benefit.
- Theocracy Government Colony Limit increased from 5 to 50 to make it more attractive.
- Unity Government Colony Limit increased from 7 to 32 to make it more attractive.
- Republic Government Colony Limit increased from 16 to 32 to make it more attractive.
- Emergency Coalition Government Colony Limit increased from 12 to 50 to make it viable
- Empire Government Colony Limit increased from 36 to 72 to make it more attractive.
- Several other government types tweaked slightly.
- Like with planetary Trade Resources, most artifacts found on worlds now require Promethion to upgrade to avoid the newbie trap, new player overload.
- Going over colony limit from government penalty reduced from 25% to 20%.
- Capital World raw production points increased from 3 to 5.
- Capital World raw gross income increased from 10 to 12
- Strategic Command now provides general manufacturing instead of just Military and provide Manufacturing bonuses to adjacent improvements.
- Basic Factory improvement cost increased from 30 to 40 but has been moved up in the tech tree so players get it earlier.
- The Bank…is no longer indestructible.
- Several other banking and financial buildings are no longer indestructible.
- Entertainment Center tech requirement moved from Cultural Exchange to Universal Translator.
- The Mega resort is no longer indestructible.
- However, Paxton’s Emporium IS indestructible now.
- Carriers are more powerful but now require Large Scale Construction tech (moved far back in the tech tree).
- Updated many of the event graphics with new better looking ones.
- AI Trade offers are much, MUCH better.
- So many bug fixes.
- Fixed bug that caused AI to “see” planets the player could see even though it was in that player’s FOW.
- AI much better as handling taxes
- AI much MUCH better at choosing what technology to research which should make it far more effective when at war.
- AI better about offering treaty trades
- AI will abort offering a trade to another player (AI or human) if it determines it’s a really unreasonable trade.
- Crusade: Durantium requirement removed from bigger hull classes to match Retribution.
- Base ship speed increased by +2
- Large hull HP increased from 80 to 100
- Large hull cost increased from 400 to 500.
- All Engine upgrades get +1 more moves (if you are putting on hyperdrive you should get more than 1 extra move)
- Tiny hulls get +1 moves.
- Lower end weapons no longer require a special resource (i.e. particle beams don't require Elerium).
- Root threshold of faction power before surrendering changed from 25% to 20% (AI slightly less likely to surrender).
There’s lot of incidental fixes, tweaks and optimizations in here as well. But we think you will find this update to be a major improvement in pacing, AI behavior and general gameplay.