Originally posted by: aCynic2
Originally posted by: xboxist
Originally posted by: aCynic2
I'm seriously in love with Galactic Civilizations II: The Dread Lords Gold Edition.
The base game CG2 : DL is $20. The Gold edition sells for about $45 MSRP, but significantly less on newegg and includes the Dark Avatar expansion.
If I wanted to try this, how would you recommend I go about it? Buy and install both, and start playing the expansion? Or is the expansion just like additional campaigns and you "play it via the base game"?
The expansion adds a mining factor to the game and some super abilities and other things, on top of a new campaign. I would say, get the Gold Edition, start with DL (Dread Lords) to get the hang of it because alot of people have trouble the economic side of the strategy. They go bankrupt expanding to fast into space, or not growing their population, manufacturing and markets. I've also gone bankrupt trying to grow too fast. Once you get that down, go to DA (Dark Avatar) and try that.
Don't worry too much about deficit spending in the early months. It's expected.
Also, another key factor to learning the game: learn to design your own ships because sometimes you won't get some of the stock ones until later and you'll need heavier ships ASAP to keep from getting thugged by the other cultures.
The game is designed to be modded, like NWN in a way. Some have made Star Trek, Star Wars and Babylon 5 mods to the ships.
The game is also designed to be as flexible as possible. You could play a tyrant, an ambassador of unity, a wheeler/dealer, a shrewed entrapeneur, tech advancing civ...and the difficulty control affects the intelligence of the AI players, not the damage or production factors. You may find you're buddy with someone who is doing well and protecting you decently, then get screwed over when you get too powerful.
I've had pretty much the good guys all gang up on me when I did too much conquering. I've had minor races say "considering your history, I think I'm next, so I'm declaring war on you." I've seen the tables reversed, where it's one of the AIs that is getting too powerful and conquering, so all the other AIs gang up on it and call on me to join in.
I've had one race try to thug me, "your military is inadequate to defend you. Give us 1000bp and we'll make sure you aren't invaded...by us" and after I told him to get bent, he declared war. I beat him back to his home world with the help of another race and he sues for peace, I agree and don't have my ships back across the border when he starts thuggin' on me again. After I finally beat him into submission, he suurenders to someone else not even involved in the war.
It's been a way cool ride in this game.
Gamespot gave it a 9.0 and called it Hall of Fame quality.
It's graphics aren't ground breaking, but it is cool to zoom in on a planet and see the ships orbiting it. What is most admired about it is the depth of thinking required and the AI.
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