Galactic Civilization III 1.8 Update (Release 6/14)

Hello!  

The 1.8 update is nearly here.  We taken some time to improve the stability of multiplayer, as well as introduced some new game features including asteroid mining and ship leveling.  

Overview

Asteroid Mining
You can now mine Asteroids for riches! Click on any Asteroid within your ZOC and spend some credits to start building an Asteroid Mining Base. Once the Base is complete, it will send Raw Production to the planet of your choice (you can re-assign the destination planet of course). However, these Asteroid Bases are fragile and easily destroyed by an enemy attack.

Ship Leveling
All ships now improve over time for winning battles and surveying anomalies. Most ships will gain additional HP as they level up. Mercenary Ships will additionally improve based on their existing abilities.

Improved Multiplayer
We've completely reworked the game's movement and event system to greatly reduce the number of desyncs and improve the stability of multiplayer.

Uncolonized Planet List
We've added a great new feature that lists out planets you've discovered but haven't colonized yet. This will help you expand your empire faster.

Star Information Window
You can now click on a star to see colonizable worlds within that solar system. Rename your stars to organize your empire or after your favorite Sci-Fi series.

 

Change Log

Note: Adding startup commands to a desktop shortcut not longer works.  To add startup commands, please edit the games "Launch Options" in Steam.  


Asteroid Mining

  • Asteroids within your ZOC can be mined. Each Mining base costs 500 credits and takes 3 turns to build. 
  • Mined Asteroids will provide a raw production bonus to the nearest planet. The bonus is reduced by distance. You can reassign the receiving planet. 
  • If the ZOC changes, the Mining Base will be automatically flipped.
  • Mining Base can be attacked and blown up by enemy fleets.
  • Mined Asteroid map icons are tinted to their faction's color.
  • Colonies can be decommissioned for scorched earth tactics
  • You can rename Mining Bases by clicking on their name in the context panel
  • Asteriod Mining Bases do not require a starbase.
  • Note: The Asteroid Mining feature will require starting a new game.

Star Information Window

  • You can now click on a star to see colonizable worlds within that solar system. 
  • Clicking on one of the planets will select it on the strategic map.
  • Click on a star's name to rename it.

Uncolonized Planet List
The Colonies list now has two sections: Colonized and Uncolonized Planets. Uncolonized Planets lists out the planets you've discovered but haven't colonized yet.
Both sections are collapsible and are independently sorted.

Ship Leveling

  • Ships gain experience through winning battles and surveying anomalies. This experience translates into a ship level. 
  • Ships gain additional HP as they level up. 
  • Mercenary ships gain additional bonuses.

Improved Multiplayer experience
Refactored movement and events systems to reduce the number of stuck turns and desyncs during multiplayer. These changes should have no gameplay effects.
Increased the movement speed of ships only in multiplayer.

Gameplay

  • Diplomacy Statistic bonus increased from 2 to 3
  • Conquest Victory Goal is not active until after turn and the player has a reasonable military 
  • Easy target modifier now takes trade routes into effect and reduces the impact accordingly if the player is trading with them
  • Ships In ZOC diplomatic modifier takes into account how many ships are in the ZOC . If it's just 1, it tends to let that slide.
  • Added recommended player counts to each galaxy size. When you choose a galaxy size, you can choose to automatically add the recommended number of players to the game.
  • Specialized techs now have star icon next to them to make them stand out relative to normal techs
  • Updated Durantium Refinery and Thulium Data Archive to do Flat points.
  • Added new Promethion Reserve improvement that provides credits per turn.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed a potential issue when setting a destination for a fleet that can move and immediately hitting 'end turn'
  • Iconian Defenders will no longer respawn after being attacked by a faction with the "Scavenge" ability. 
  • Prevented a crash if a mod tries to reference a missing sound file 
  • Right-aligned the values for the lobby details section to account for differences in length of the titles for various languages.
  • Planets can be renamed again
  • The Lobby Window was being hidden unnecessarily when clicking the Invite Friends button. It now stays visible in the background.
  • Fixed various places where long names (planet, shipyard, or starbase) would break out of their frames.
  • Fixed issue that prevented allies from using the "declare war on" offer during trade.
  • Fixed crashes caused by canceling a starbase modules.
  • Fixing an issue where canceling mining starbase modules on a starbase with claimed resources caused the starbase to remove the queued modules incorrectly.
  • Fixing a tooltip where it would say you can't build you because the module is claimed by another starbase, when in fact it was claimed by the current starbase and the warning is in error.
  • Fixed typos in the description for the "Precious Metals" planet feature
  • Logistics now shown with decimal values. Previously, value was being rounded in the UI and which in some cases, made it appear that a fleet had room for another ship. 
  • Re-implemented the round robin colonization event mechanism to be simpler and also functional. This should fix problems with colony events not firing after the list is exhausted.
193,507 views 34 replies
Reply #1 Top

Uncolonized Planet List
We've added a great new feature that lists out planets you've discovered but haven't colonized yet. This will help you expand your empire faster.


=====


Is it my birthday today?  No?  But I got a present anyway!!! :D :D :D


(next up - same featrue for planets colonized by other factions :p :p :p)

Reply #2 Top

Rename stars as well?  Ah, HELL YEAH!!!!

Reply #3 Top

Still no administration? Tall vs. wide empires? XO

(Thanks otherwise)

Reply #4 Top

1st 1.8 game report. Lot's of welcome little ui bits. Asteroids working so far.

 

wish list:

planet class/distance sort for (un)colonized planets list would be nice.

 

bugs/wierd:

constructors are not entering bases after base creation (again)

the planet list occasionally flashes (like it's updating/redrawing) every second. Not constant behavior

loading a game after an auto-save crashes the client ofter, but not consistantly.

XP gain for fleeting overrunning text box. 

Non-survey ships getting xp for surveying when in fleet. Intended?

Can explorer type ships get xp?

 

Huge map with 12 major/all minors. Turns are getting absurdly long. 2+mins. Previously(1.7) long turns were 20-30 secs on intense/insane maps.

Reply #5 Top

Quoting jvdouglass, reply 4

bugs/wierd:

constructors are not entering bases after base creation (again)

? I don't see this happening in my games

Quoting jvdouglass, reply 4

Can explorer type ships get xp?

Only if you put them in a fleet and either survey of fight with that fleet

Reply #6 Top

What a nice surprise! Some very good quality of life additions here. 

Reply #7 Top

Quoting jvdouglass, reply 4

1st 1.8 game report. Lot's of welcome little ui bits. Asteroids working so far.

 

wish list:

planet class/distance sort for (un)colonized planets list would be nice.

 

bugs/wierd:

constructors are not entering bases after base creation (again)

the planet list occasionally flashes (like it's updating/redrawing) every second. Not constant behavior

loading a game after an auto-save crashes the client ofter, but not consistantly.

XP gain for fleeting overrunning text box. 

Non-survey ships getting xp for surveying when in fleet. Intended?

Can explorer type ships get xp?

 

Huge map with 12 major/all minors. Turns are getting absurdly long. 2+mins. Previously(1.7) long turns were 20-30 secs on intense/insane maps.

 

1.  Constructors: I'm not sure I understand what you are describing.  Can you give some more details?

2.  Flashing list: We'll look into that.  Does it happen on the same turn you have colonized a world?  Do you have a lot of worlds?

3.  When you say "client" do you mean in multiplayer?  

4.  What is your Resolution / UI scale?

5.  Yes this is intentional but we may change it if it gets exploited

6.  Do you mean scouts?  The only way for them to gain xp is if they are fleeted during a battle or surveying an anonymity.

Reply #8 Top

Pshaw, to add my 2 cents here...Turn times feel like they are taking a bit longer. I am not sure what is running in the background. I am playing with 18 majors in Insane and early on in the game (around 53 turns) the turn timer is taking unusually long. Not sure if this cannot be helped. 

 

When you have a two module constructor and you build a star base, the extra module will not be 'in' the new starbase and you have to move in and out to enter it. 

Reply #9 Top

was there new campaign files added in 1.8 i found a reference in one of the xmls

Reply #11 Top

Quoting brokenwolf023, reply 10

There also seems to be an issue with CTD when you try to go to the Main Menu within the game.

I have done this a bunch with no problem, But it has always been within the first few turns (if that makes a difference)

Reply #12 Top

Quoting pshaw, reply 7

1.  Constructors: I'm not sure I understand what you are describing.  Can you give some more details?

multipoint constructors. Previously the left over constructor would enter the base. Currently it just stacks with the base.

Quoting pshaw, reply 7


2.  Flashing list: We'll look into that.  Does it happen on the same turn you have colonized a world?  Do you have a lot of worlds?

When it was happening I had about 10 worlds with 20ish in the uncolonized list. Fairly early in game.

Quoting pshaw, reply 7

3.  When you say "client" do you mean in multiplayer?  

Inside the game as opposed to the main menu.

Quoting pshaw, reply 7

4.  What is your Resolution / UI scale?

1920x1080 res, default scale (never changed)


Reply #13 Top

Quoting jvdouglass, reply 12

multipoint constructors. Previously the left over constructor would enter the base. Currently it just stacks with the base.

I can confirm this "bug"

+1 Loading…
Reply #14 Top

Quoting a0152570, reply 13


Quoting jvdouglass,

multipoint constructors. Previously the left over constructor would enter the base. Currently it just stacks with the base.



I can confirm this "bug"

 

^^^^ Three times a charm its happening here as well as terrible turn times now.

Reply #15 Top

The (mega?) event which spawns class 25 worlds does odd things to the planet list. Most appeared in the list  above my colonies. Only 1 appeared in the proper spot in the uncolonized list.

 

 

+1 Loading…
Reply #16 Top

Quoting brokenwolf023, reply 10

There also seems to be an issue with CTD when you try to go to the Main Menu within the game.

^^^ This also has happened. 

Reply #17 Top

I've read through the patch notes but I don't understand what was changed for diplomacy. The description of the update mentioned that there were improvmements to it. Can anyone explain some of them?

Reply #18 Top

Not able to initiate diplomacy with other players (in multiplayer, 20 turns in) is that as intended?  We are able to by clicking on another player and navigating over to us in the trade screen, however, not by clicking on that player and trying to "speak to" it's grayed out.

Reply #19 Top

Quoting Larsenex, reply 16


Quoting brokenwolf023,

There also seems to be an issue with CTD when you try to go to the Main Menu within the game.



^^^ This also has happened. 

Do you have  repro on this?  I have exiting to main menu repeatedly with different setups and haven't seen this happen yet.

Reply #20 Top

Quoting Seilore, reply 18

Not able to initiate diplomacy with other players (in multiplayer, 20 turns in) is that as intended?  We are able to by clicking on another player and navigating over to us in the trade screen, however, not by clicking on that player and trying to "speak to" it's grayed out.

Seilore, 
We'll look into it. 

Reply #21 Top

Quoting pshaw, reply 19

Do you have repro on this? I have exiting to main menu repeatedly with different setups and haven't seen this happen yet.

Yes, Just now. Once was a ctd after selecting my ideology about 10 turns in. Then upon starting again, I clicked to go back to the main menu 3 times and it crashed once. I did not have this issue before 1.8.

Reply #22 Top

I've noticed that when a Precursor Anomaly is successfully researched ONLY the survey ship gets XP. not the entire fleet.  Is this intentional or an oversight?

XP for all anomalies except precursor ones is defined like this:

<Triggers>
<OnEvent>OnArriveAtAnomaly</OnEvent>
<Target>
<TargetType>Ship</TargetType>
<TriggerGroupTargetType>AllShipsInFleet</TriggerGroupTargetType>
</Target>
<Lifetime>Instant</Lifetime>
<Modifier>
<EffectType>ExpPoints</EffectType>
<BonusType>Flat</BonusType>
<Value>5</Value>
</Modifier>
</Triggers>

 

XP for precursor ones it is:

<Triggers>
<OnEvent>OnArriveAtAnomaly</OnEvent>
<Target>
<TargetType>Ship</TargetType>
</Target>
<Lifetime>Instant</Lifetime>
<Modifier>
<EffectType>ExpPoints</EffectType>
<Target>
<TargetType>Ship</TargetType>
</Target>
<BonusType>Flat</BonusType>
<Value>5</Value>
</Modifier>
</Triggers>

with the bolded and highlighted bit added.

Seems a little odd as Precursor Anomalies are the ones who need fleets supporting them the most. ;)

Reply #23 Top

Quoting jvdouglass, reply 12

Quoting pshaw,
reply 7


2. Flashing list: We'll look into that. Does it happen on the same turn you have colonized a world? Do you have a lot of worlds?

When it was happening I had about 10 worlds with 20ish in the uncolonized list. Fairly early in game.

I saw this in my current game.  I had not colonized a world for a while.  The list was not flashing, then started flashing when I scrolled far enough down the planet list.  I did have the same planet listed twice in the uncolonized planet list.  When I saved the game and reloaded the save, the problem flashing was gone.  The planet that was listed twice was now listed once.  I did get some video showing the list flashing and not flashing, depending on how far it was scrolled.

I submitted the video, saves and more information on Ticket #DSJ-285-50593.

Reply #24 Top

Quoting Seilore, reply 18

Not able to initiate diplomacy with other players (in multiplayer, 20 turns in) is that as intended?  We are able to by clicking on another player and navigating over to us in the trade screen, however, not by clicking on that player and trying to "speak to" it's grayed out.

I don't think we'll be able to fix this before release but we'll make sure it get fixed soon after.  Any other problems in MP?

Reply #25 Top

Quoting pshaw, reply 24

I don't think we'll be able to fix this before release but we'll make sure it get fixed soon after.  Any other problems in MP?

That was the only thing we've noticed besides the text color bleeding which is minor...