GalCiv II: v1.3 Beta 3 Change log

Lots of stuff..

Published on August 29, 2006 By Draginol In GalCiv Journals

We're almost done with 1.3 but we have a new beta that should be available on Stardock Central to all users of Galactic Civilizations II.

Here is what is new in beta 3 over beta 2A.

************************************************************
Changes for v1.3 Beta 3:
************************************************************

+ Changed some of the planetary improvement values and costs

+ Tweaked some of the values in starbase modules

+ made entry field selection show up

+ added tech report to trade screen

+ Tweaked text and dialog in teh campaign and in some scenarios

+ fixed save games not showing up in save game window if there were other files with the same extension.

+ Custom window sizes work now

+ fixed error where mod subfolders PlanetDescriptions and TerrainColorScheme didn't work

+ fixed error where Terrain query images + ship component thumbnails did not show up even if they were in the correct mod subfolder

+ Tweaked the minimap where it didn't draw all of the ZOC

+ fixed destination cursors not being visible after loading save game

+ added checks to make sure that dead civs are ignored in the UP

+ Added strings for moralists event

+ fixed typo in Singularity Driver IV's name

+ Removed redunant use of short civ name in battle messages in GNN

+ changed FindShipInSensorRange to use a predicate function

+ Sentry/Guard should work better now

+ Made it so that clicking on a ship will not cancel guard/sentry

+ changed it so that the ship list does not do a full update so often (should help move times)

+ added option to not prompt to pay cost of a module if you have enough money in your treasury

+ Changed missing turn button if a rallypoint is on an uninhabitable or uncolonized planet

+ fixed bug where there was a 1 turn delay before ships would calc a new path after swapping rallypoint destinations from the governor

+ fixed bug with trade screen where dialogs did not hide when switching civs

+ fixed government bonus strings so that they now show the bonuses as implemented.

+ updated ship designs that wasn't using correct ranges

+ Re-did UI so that where clicking on the minimap couldn't accidently click on the find or turn buttons

+ Updated calculation of alliance victory status string

+ tweaked locale code so that it doesn't change so much, which should fix some performance issues and some crashes. Have verification that display and entry of German characters is working, but would like confirmation from other languages also.

+ Changed auto-attack behavior; When a ship is set on auto-attack, it will attempt to find a nearby ship belonging to a civ it is at war with. If it can't find a ship that is not hidden by fow, it will cancel auto-attack to avoid causing the missing turn button bug. To avoid slowdown, it does not attempt to pick the 'best' target, it just picks the first valid target it finds.

+ added additional debug messages to activation code

+ Updated screen on OpponentWnd where the civ name was not using the displayname field.

+ made rallypoint wnd sort rallypoint names alphabetically

+ Terran Alliance should now start with the correct intelligence

+ Addressed playability issue where the last non-custom race you played would be loaded when going to customize the custom race (You may get this the first time before you load the correct custom race config or clear the LastRace string under CustomRace in the Prefs.ini file)

+ Changed Ctrl+B where hitting CTRL+N when playing a Custom Race started a new game using the default Custom Race config

+ Fixed bug where planet quality and number of tiles did not match after choosing Neutral alignment

+ Updated Invasion behavior to avoid invading a planet with a planetary bonus multiple times would cause more tiles to become available every invasion

+ Added tool tip on planet screen

+ Fixed bug where info icons would appear jumbled together at the top of the screen if there were too many. Now, new icons will fall as soon as the existing icons have been cleared.

+ Improved the graphics management system for better compatibility

+ Dead Civs no longer show up with voting power. We realize not counting dead people in voting makes game less realistic... JK.

+ Fixed "Specialized Ships" stat on Foreign Stats/Military page to show correct number of ships

+ Tweaked where starport icons on planets on main map were not updated after using the Civ Manager Governor to change what starports were building

+ Changed behavior where first turn after loading a saved game would show a dip in the manufacturing history graph

+ Updated Combat viewer to change where ship icons in combat viewer did not show the correct amount of damage if the civ had HP bonuses

+ Fixed an API that made the AI like you more than they should

+ Syncronized relations code that caused the AI and Human player relations to be out of sync

+ Hooked planet data to economic engine. Where planet data wasn't refreshing after changing spending sliders

+ Updated UI structs where intelligences were reset without updating difficulty level if you went back to a previous screen

+ Made decomission of planetary improvements never take more than 1 turn.

+ added code to make sure that decomission 'improvements' can't be built on empty or non-functional tiles

+ Our system now suppports tab keysin entry fields

+ added dialog to warn if you're using an invalid race config when playing a metaverse game

+ fixed bug where starting a new game after having started/loaded a game and left the ship list open causes a crash or empty game screen

+ added code to delete shipcfgs from My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\ships (or metaverse\ships) folder that do not have an xml file. This will help keep the folder clean and cut down on save game sizes (and time to save/load)

+ rallypoints will no longer show up in the stacked ship context area, since they now show up in the context area in the bottom left corner of the main screen interface

+ Fixed bug where sometimes, after an alt-tab, freighter ships would not appear to be the correct size.

+ Fixed bug where planet quality penalties were applied in the case of an invasion that ended in a draw

+ fixed crash on foreign report if no race has any ships

+ fixed bug that didn't read in modded conversations or flavor text

+ fixed bug where last custom race wasn't loaded

+ Tweaked it so that tooltips will now show up for the lower row of ships in the Ships in Orbit

+ fixed it so that if you select a ship in the Ships In Orbit area, it will deselect the previous one, even if it's in another row.

+ SizeMods now use only the base capacity of the hull, not the max capacity (the capacity after miniturization is applied)

+ Made changes to font manager to fix the slow-down on foreign language systems.

+ Added option to disable city lights on the dark side of planets

+ fleet upgrade overlays always update properly

UPDATE: 1.3 BETA 3X

+ Tweaked ship weapons/defenses

+ Tweaked more planetary improvements

+ Fixed an infinite loop caused by Beta 3.

+ Changed the way planetary invasions penalties work when a draw (extremely rare)

Comments (Page 2)

Moosetek13

on Aug 30, 2006

And just to let Cari know, the minimap repaint issue I have been having a problem with still happens. This first game with beta 3 it happened much sooner than usual.

I can clear it up totally by restricting the game to a single cpu core.

Wolfgang76

on Aug 30, 2006

Frogboy, could you please do something about industrial output. Manufacturing Centre isn't what I would call a upgrade.
And please take a look at the weapons and defences while you are at it.

Yeah, I got to admit that one has bugged me for some time. Doesnt seem to hinder the game lot but its darn odd to get advancements that are not advancements.

MarshallONeil

on Aug 30, 2006

So, wait - the top-level farm now only produces 7 food and the top-level morale building only gives 2/3 of its original morale bonus? (Since the two really top-level farms are not in the game.)

??

Are you trying to prevent people from having high-population planets? I don't get it.

Mumblefratz

on Aug 30, 2006

+ Fixed bug where planet quality and number of tiles did not match after choosing Neutral alignment

The question I have is how was this fixed. Is the reported PQ merely adjusted down to match the number of tiles or do you now actually get the tiles that someone who was either good or evil would have been able to improve or terraform?

Nasarog

on Aug 30, 2006

Whoa.

6 farm techs? there only used to be 3. Does it mean that there are more structures now?

ignuss

on Aug 30, 2006

There are still only three. You get the first building in the beginning and the last two aren't currently in the game.

pdesrivieres@yahoo.com

on Aug 30, 2006

With that big increase (300 to 500) in the cost of the NLC, we need the advanced factories fixed.

I avoid building/upgrading to Manufacturing Centers as long as possible but eventually I need advanced factory techs in order to further build up my mining resources. The AI on the other hand will race to the advanced factories, thus slowing down its planetary build up. In fact the AI will terraform to unlock new tiles on its planets without factories and with many empty tiles!!! The AI should build a factory first on each planet and it should not terraform until all free tiles are used up!

In v1.2 the output of the Manufacturing Centers and Industrial Sectors was reduced.
Enhanced Factory 10, 100 (Output, Cost)
Manufacturing Center 11, 200
Industrial Sector 16, 400
I suggest:
Manufacturing Center 14, 200
Industrial Sector 20, 400
that way the output increases by about 40% and cost by 100% for each upgrade.

ignuss

on Aug 30, 2006

Please, Frogboy. If you don't want to do it for us, do it for the AI:s

I also don't understand why you made the economic buildings cheaper to build. If anything, they should IMO be more expensive.
The most advanced morale building costs 400. The most advanced factory costs 400. The most advanced research facility costs 250. The most advanced economic building costs 120.
I would like to see the economic buildings slightly more expensive and the morale buildings slightly cheaper.

Anyway, the research facilitys have IMO a very good increase in both cost and production:
0: cost 40, prod 6
1: cost 60, prod 8
2: cost 100, prod 10
3: cost 150, prod 12
4: cost 200, prod 16
5: cost 250, prod 18

I think that the NLC was hit a little to hard with the nerf-stick though. Maybe 400 in cost instead of 500?

SrGalen

on Aug 30, 2006

+ Dead Civs no longer show up with voting power. We realize not counting dead people in voting makes game less realistic... JK.

Only if you're from Chicago

Interesting changes - will make it harder to get & support/keep happy good size planet pops (not to mention potential invasion troop impacts), as well as make it tougher to get to critical mass on the economy (will have to use more tiles). Definately raises the importantance of getting the high PQ worlds and bonus tiles.

Glad to see the common perception of how miniturization should work has prevailed.

Nasarog

on Aug 30, 2006

I am still playing this game six months after the fact.... these updates keep making it better.

gallagher118

on Aug 30, 2006

Maybe in another 6 months the game will be done. (where it should have been when they sold it to us.)

I think that's the only reason I keep playing, I'm hoping that the game will reach it's true potential someday.

The way the AI plays is the way a smart person might play the 1st few times they play the game. They don't appreciate what works and what doesn't. Maybe these balances will help, although it doesn't look like there where any revisions to ship building style/preferences.

Maybe by nerfing the economy that a good player tends to build, the AI's deficencies won't be as obvious. Don't mean to bash, but balancing the game should have been a priority a long time ago.

Xan

on Aug 30, 2006

Maybe in another 6 months the game will be done. (where it should have been when they sold it to us.)

Oh please. What an asanine thing to say. Of course the gamew was done. You're penalizing them for providing outstanding support? Name a game in the same genre as GalCiv 2 that came out anywhere near as solid as this.

It's guys like you that suck the fun out of things for everyone else.

These updates have helped make the game stay fun and fresh for me and I appreciate their hard work.

kryo

on Aug 30, 2006

1.3b3x Planet Improvements

+ Initial Colony
Maintenance raised from 12 to 14

+ Civilization Capitol
Morale bonus raised from 5 to 10
Prestige bonus raised from 25 to 30
Food raised from 10 to 12

+ Basic Factory
Industry lowered from 7 to 6

+ Factory
Industry lowered form 9 to 8

+ Enhanced Factory
Industry lowered from 11 to 10

+ Manufacturing Center
Cost lowered from 200 to 150

+ Industrial Sector
Maintenance raised from 4 to 5

1.3b3x Ship Components

+ Droid Sentries
Size raised from 3 to 4

+ Droid Sentries III
Absorption rasied from 6 to 7

+ Railgun MK VI removed

+ Graviton Driver IV
Size raised from 4 to 5

+ Quantum Driver
Size lowered from 8 to 7

+ Qauntum Driver II (sic)
Size lowered from 7 to 6

+ Quantum Driver III
Size lowered from 6 to 5

+ HD Spike Driver
Damage increased from 4 to 5

+ HD Spike Driver II
Damage increased from 4 to 5

+ HD Spike Driver III
Damage increased from 4 to 5

+ HD Spike Driver IV
Damage increased from 5 to 6

+ Phasors IV
Size lowered from 7 to 6

+ Phasors V
Size lowered from 6 to 5

+ Phasors VI
Size lowered from 7 to 6

+ Phasors VII
Size lowered from 6 to 5

+ Subspace Blaster
Damage raised from 6 to 8
Cost raised from 60 to 100

smjjames

on Aug 30, 2006

so they finally adjusted the weapons stuff and I guess they lowered the industry slightly to match the way other stuff has been nerfed.

Looks like the economy is going to be harder on the players at first.

Kalin

on Aug 31, 2006

Nah, nerfing these buildings doesn't do anything because it hurts both the player and the AI. IMHO, it hurts the AI even more because there's even less room for little errors now, because every building is a bit more important. All I know is, with my current test game, I'm still destroying the AI economy wise (and that's at 2+ from intelligent - whatever it is called now). The changes haven't done anything to slow me down, but the AI seems a bit weaker than normal... maybe that's just me though.

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