More Twilight Improvements

...Than you can shake something at.

from JoeUser Forums


Another fun week of Improvement creation! While I'm enjoying myself, making these race specific improvements is really starting to take it's creative toll on me. For GalCiv3 I'm going to fight for Improvements that are real-time 3D models and an 'Improvement Editor' where it's easy to crank them out (plus it'd open the door for more custom-created improvements).

But enough looking forward....let's dig through the past two weeks and see some new Twilight stuff!!!

(Starting at the upper left corner, going clockwise...)

Black Market: A fun way for Evil nations to bolster their planets economy.

Industrial Cluster: Thalans grow their factories. With a small seed, some building supplies, and a pinch of love, this mid-game improvement can adjust itself help the Thalans in multiple ways.

Flesh Incinerator: Yes, I know it looks like a BBQ grill, but what better way to combust the poor, sick, and useless than with a amped up foreman (that, may I add, it cuts fat in half)?

Diplomatic Brain Trust: I really just wanted an excuste to have an improvement that looked similar to a capitol building, but this Terran-specific wonder will boost their diplomatic ability.

Healing Pools: While under the rule of their Drengin overlords, one of the few pleasures Torian slavelings discovered was resting their whip-weary bodies in the non-lethal cooling pools of the Factories they worked in (unless they got caught....then it wasn't relaxing....cause they'd be dead). This practice became part of their culture, so Morale buildings for the Torians tend to reflect their hotspring-loving ways. The 'Healing Pools' is the first in this line of improvements.

So there's your sneak-peak at some of the improvements you'll be building on your planets once Twilight falls (ooh...going to have to send that Tagline over to marketing)!!!!!!! I hope they got you excited - but if not, here's a few more exclamaction points to seal the deal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a fun weekend with 1.8a...cya on Thursday for Twilight: Beta 1!
103,613 views 74 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Fascinating...you're really doing fantastically well at coming up with improvements that are unique to each race. I can very easily look at each of these and say "That's Terran" or "That's Korath Clan" and so on. Splendid job. Splendid.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Those look great, and look like great fun to make! Love the industrial cluster. I could make that stuff all day.(/envy).

WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Couple of ideas:

1) These buildings should work differently for each civilization. That way, if captured- each race would get something different from it. Unsure if that would be too complicated- and it runs into custom race issues. It would keep in line with the RPG-ish aspect of GalCiv, which since there is no MP should be emphasized.

2) The concepts in DA, specifically Espionage and Extreme Planets, should be made into options

Espionage: give a choice of DL or DA style
Extreme Planets: Maybe a slider for them as well?

Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
A stupid question , but I'll ask anyway. Can these buldings be improved, and will the improved buildings look different?
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The Healing Pool will be, presumably, as will the Industrial Cluster...I don't know about the other buildings.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

These buildings should work differently for each civilization.

I know we have morality and race prereqs for Imps now, but having per-race stats may get a bit messy (we're already going to have ALOT of data to balance with the new TechTrees). What modders could do (and we may have some special techs that do this) is have Improvements that have to be upgraded from pre-existing Imps that they can't use.

For example, lets say your the Terrans, and you've landed on a Yor planet filled with 'Electrolyte Gardens'. Since these are basicially how the robotic civilians 'eat', humans have no use for the improvements. However, you could (and we may) have Technologies that allow Bioforms to convert these energy gardens into special power plants, or factories, or something cool that gives an extra incentive for taking over a specific world.

Again, we'll see what time allows

The concepts in DA, specifically Espionage and Extreme Planets, should be made into options

I'll pass this along, but Espionage is getting an overhaul in 2.0 to streamline it (making it more like Dreadlords). An option to toggle the style is probably out of the question.

An option for Extreme Planets, however, should be fairly straightforward. I'll pass the request along.

Can these buldings be improved, and will the improved buildings look different?

Yeah, almost everything above (and two of the buildings in my previous journal: https://forums.galciv2.com/?forumid=164&aid=163764#1323567) are part of a chain. Just like 'Factory' leads to 'Advanced Factory' leads to 'Industrial Sector' in DA and Dreadlords, most of the Twilight improvements are in a similar chain (ex. Slave Pits -> Slave Mines -> Internment Rig -> Devil's Forge).

 

 

 

 

Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top


I'll pass this along, but Espionage is getting an overhaul in 2.0 to streamline it (making it more like Dreadlords).


Yay! Ding Dong the witch is dead!

*dances a jig*


I'll bet you weren't supposed to say that though Now there will be controversy...

Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
How will the new espionage system work? And how will the Krynn super ability work?
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I'm sure Brad will drop more details as we determine the best changes to make (read: once Twilight is done and we can re-focus on 2.0)

We'll definatly keep players in the loop so you guys can help come up with the cleanest possible solution.

Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
So wait...there's going to be a GC2v2.0? Isn't that technically GalCiv3 ? And isn't TotA really more like GC 2.5, since its going to play fundamentally differently with all the different tech trees?

I dunno...I think you guys are flirting with some sort of temporal anomoly here. You'll destroy us all.


BTW, I just re read your first post, and think it would be incredibly cool to have planetary improvements that are real time models. Fight on! Fiiiiiight!
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
no, galciv2v2 would be galciv4!
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
No, GalCiv2v2 would be multiplayer. GalCiv2 V2 will be a rocket with copies of GalCiv2 attached, allowing some English people with slow interwebs to get their hands on it. (I don't think we have anyone here who is personally offended by that, but I recognize that they could be and apologize for it...but, for the sake of some humor, I exercise my right to free speech and refuse to remove it for the moment. If someone of significance asks (meaning basically anyone who isn't just saying "hey dude, that's mean" but is rather saying why they are offended or why the message should be removed) I will edit it out). GalCiv2 2.0, on the other hand, will be an insanely kick-ass patch released some time a few months after TA is released.
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
No. Galactic Civilizations II 2.0 would be Galactic Civilizations II 2.0

After they get through 1.8b and 1.9b it will just kind of slosh over into 2.0. Kind of like Y2K, without (hopefully) any big crashes.
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Technically it should probably be 1.10, but that'd get confusing with 1.1, etc.
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Technically it should probably be 1.10, but that'd get confusing with 1.1, etc.


You could be like Startrek and have Galactic Civilizations 1.9.1.2.3.4.32

Now that would confuse some people!  
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

What we want to do is after Twilight of the Arnor, go back and update the base game as well as Dark Avatar to version 2.0.

It may be a long time before we do a GalCiv III so we want to make sure GalCiv II is left in a state that lets it stand the test of time.

I know one of the updates in 2.0 would be to allow people to assign espionage agents to a civilization rather than a planet so that they can collect info and such without being at risk of being nullified (more like the Dread Lords espionage).

Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top


I know one of the updates in 2.0 would be to allow people to assign espionage agents to a civilization rather than a planet so that they can collect info and such without being at risk of being nullified (more like the Dread Lords espionage).


I think that's a great idea, and don't think it can happen soon enough (assuming you don't stop doing "free updates" after this weekend). And let Boogie have his real time models...that would be sweet. Lots of modding potential! You could even then have a neat little planet screen where you could pan around and see the improvements in real time. Oooh...you could have a "globe" view where you could rotate the planet in 3d and see the improvements on the planet! Oh! And dynamic lighting for the improvements, so the inductrial cluster bathed all the stuff around it in a nice green glow...Oooh, and another thing...
Reply #19 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Glad to see those changes.

As for the extreme planets- what I'd suggest is a game option for frequency of planets.

None, Few, Some, Many, Most - which would determine what percentage of planets would require extreme tech.

Really glad to see espionage being fixed.
Reply #20 from GalCiv2 Forums Top


I know one of the updates in 2.0 would be to allow people to assign espionage agents to a civilization rather than a planet so that they can collect info and such without being at risk of being nullified (more like the Dread Lords espionage).


I think that's a great idea, and don't think it can happen soon enough (assuming you don't stop doing "free updates" after this weekend). And let Boogie have his real time models...that would be sweet. Lots of modding potential! You could even then have a neat little planet screen where you could pan around and see the improvements in real time. Oooh...you could have a "globe" view where you could rotate the planet in 3d and see the improvements on the planet! Oh! And dynamic lighting for the improvements, so the inductrial cluster bathed all the stuff around it in a nice green glow...Oooh, and another thing...


My processor just screamed in pain     
Reply #21 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
What modders could do (and we may have some special techs that do this) is have Improvements that have to be upgraded from pre-existing Imps that they can't use.

For example, lets say your the Terrans, and you've landed on a Yor planet filled with 'Electrolyte Gardens'. Since these are basicially how the robotic civilians 'eat', humans have no use for the improvements. However, you could (and we may) have Technologies that allow Bioforms to convert these energy gardens into special power plants, or factories, or something cool that gives an extra incentive for taking over a specific world.


Very cool, I can see modders getting a lot of use out of such a feature.

I know one of the updates in 2.0 would be to allow people to assign espionage agents to a civilization rather than a planet so that they can collect info and such without being at risk of being nullified (more like the Dread Lords espionage).


Exactly the kind of thing I've wanted.

Now, is there any chance we might see changes to what information a player knows about other Civs based on their Information level? Like exact ship attack/defense/etc stats only known to someone with at least Low or Medium, or needing at least Low Info level to be able to see and place agents on planets?
Reply #22 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Brad i would love to see the espionage changed to that form Would it be at all possible like esteemed 'thehandofzarquon' said to have your knowledge of an AI's ship contents only become viewable once you reach a certain espionage level? This would be in more keeping with the game as you would then have to invest in spies to find out who has what in their ships.

Just a bit of wishful thinking on my part
Reply #23 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I know one of the updates in 2.0 would be to allow people to assign espionage agents to a civilization rather than a planet so that they can collect info and such without being at risk of being nullified (more like the Dread Lords espionage).
[Commander] [Former Top 25] [5 Game Winner] [Custom]


Great! That alone is worth the upgrade money for me.
Reply #24 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Brad i would love to see the espionage changed to that form Would it be at all possible like esteemed 'thehandofzarquon' said to have your knowledge of an AI's ship contents only become viewable once you reach a certain espionage level? This would be in more keeping with the game as you would then have to invest in spies to find out who has what in their ships.

Just a bit of wishful thinking on my part


I've been asking for the same thing for the last year, and would definitely love to see this, to give espionage in the game a much clearer value, but I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, or ask for anything else "for free", or make Brad any angrier than he is at us already.

But yeah, this would be great. We should really stop hijacking Boogie's thread though. Make sure you give a token acknowledgement of his neat new improvements with your comments
Reply #25 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
As for the extreme planets- what I'd suggest is a game option for frequency of planets.

None, Few, Some, Many, Most - which would determine what percentage of planets would require extreme tech.


On top of that you could have extreme planets linked to a certain star type. Right now yellow stars are running the scene, and purple stars have the major planets. All of the other stars out there are just flufff with ne real purpose, so why not give each certain star a certain planet type. And if you have any left over stars without extreme planets, make those stars have a lot of asteroids.