HOW TO GET INTO THE SINS OF A SOLAR EMPIRE BETA TEST

The folks over at Stardock & Ironclad Games have announced that anyone who pre-orders their upcoming space RTS game, Sins of a Solar Empire, through the TotalGaming.net store will be given access to the initial beta test of the game starting on March 27th;

"Sins of a Solar Empire represents the birth of the RT4X genre, seamlessly blending spectacular tactical combat with grand-scale space strategy. Players must conquer worlds, engage in diplomacy and trade with other civilizations, and use the resources at their disposal to enhance their economy, develop new technology and increase military power. They must then test their mettle on a 3D tactical battlefield, where their ships will fight it out in stunning visual glory."

“We’re thrilled to finally give loyal Stardock and Ironclad fans the opportunity to experience Sins of a Solar Empire themselves” said Brian Clair, Director of Games Publishing for Stardock Entertainment. “Their input and gameplay feedback will ultimately help us deliver an incredibly fun, balanced and stable game later this year.” – Sins of a Solar Empire press release

The initial test will only contain one playable civilization and will not support multiplayer modes, but for those out there who have been breathlessly awaiting this one, I’m quite sure that any taste of Sins will be more than welcome.

I originally planned on pre-ordering this one this weekend to take full advantage of the offer, but those PC issues I mentioned yesterday have basically eaten up my entertainment money for the next week or two, so I guess I’ll just have to wait a bit longer to fool around with this one. If you do happen to pre-order the game, feel free to let me know what you think of the beta – inquiring minds want to know!

• Sins of a Solar Empire Beta Plans Unveiled – Sins of a Solar Empire forums
• Sins of a Solar Empire – Official site

BRAD WARDELL TALKS GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II: DARK AVATAR

Stardock founder Brad Wardell took some time out to talk to Firing Squad about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II, Dark Avatar.

The interview itself covers a wide range of subjects ranging from Stardock’s now famous stance on copy protection, the unexpected huge mainstream success of Galactic Civilizations II, Playing the expansion campaign from the side of “the bad guys”, the digital only distribution plan for Dark Avatar and Stardock’s upcoming mmog. Wardell managed to sum up all of what Dark Avatar will be about in one paragraph;

“One of our big goals for this expansion pack is to do things a bit differently than one usually sees with expansion packs. It’s not about adding some new units and the like; it’s about really taking the gameplay to the next level. We want to introduce enough new gameplay concepts that will greatly extend the game’s lifespan for players. To put it another way, I didn’t want to have to wait for a sequel or something to get this stuff in; some of the features are really exciting. Being able to design your opponents, for instance, seems so obvious in hindsight that there was no way we were going to wait until some future sequel to do that; it’s too compelling. Hopefully gamers will feel the same way.” -Brad Wardell, President & CEO, Stardock

As for when we can all expect to get our grubby hands on Dark Avatar, Wardell stated that Stardock hopes to have Dark Avatar ready by this holiday season, and that his task of coding the AI will begin once he’s finished working on v1.3 of the GalCiv2. I, for one, can hardly wait.

Check out the full text of the interview here and our previous coverage of Dark Avatar here. While you’re at it, you better start working on your Drengin snarl of contempt – it’s looking kind of weak.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II EXPANSION Q&A

Gamespot took the time to talk with Brad Wardell of Stardock about the upcoming expansion to Galactic Civilizations II and what players can expect to see in Dark Avatar. According to Wardell, the campaign mode revolves around the splintering of the evil Drengin Empire into 2 factions. One wants to conquer the galaxy as usual, while the other wishes to exterminate all other life.

Wardell stated that while the campaign mode is relatively short and mainly serves to get players comfortable with the game, he reiterated that at least one race will be wiped out in the campaign and as a result will not be returning for future games in the series. He also touched on several new features that will be introduced including worlds that can only be settled by specific races as well as the addition of resource generating tiles, such as asteroid fields, near planets;

We wanted to give players some additional things to consider when conquering a star system or planet. Right now, it’s all about how good the planet is. In Dark Avatar, we want players to also consider what resources might be near that planet. Asteroid fields will let players construct bases on them, which can provide resources to the closest colonized planet. Some asteroids will be special and hence be another thing that players will fight over. -Brad Wardell

Finally, Wardell also stated that due to the costs involved in getting a retail product onto shelves, Dark Avatar will only be available via digital distribution. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m just not a fan of downloaded content – I like to have something I paid for be a physical object I can hold – which is also one of my complaints about Xbox Live Arcade. Sure, you own it and can re-download it whenever you want, but what happens if the company goes out of business or stops supporting the product? Hopefully an option to burn the download to disc will be made available as well. You can check out the full Gamespot Q&A session on Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II UPDATED

Stardock has released v1.2 of Galactic Civilizations II, and the update is a big one feature wise. As per the official Gal Civ 2 website;

“Owners of Galactic Civilizations II can now get the latest update to the award-winning strategy game.

Galactic Civilizations II v1.2 has a TON of new features, enhancements, tweaks and fixes based on player feedback.

There are hundreds of changes to the new version, some of the highlights include:

• A myriad of user interface enhancements. Basically we listened to what users wanted improved in the game’s UI and made dozens of updates to the various screens to make managing your intersellar empire and fleet much easier.
• A new combat system. Previously the combat system overwhelmingly favored the attacker to the point that there was little reason to focus on defenses on a ship.  The new system has ships attacking at the same time.
• Updated Computer AI.  The AI has been further enhanced to provide not just a challenge at higher levels but to play more intelligently at all levels.  As a reminder, at difficulty levels lower than “tough” (AI set to “intelligent”) the computer players are actually penalized in resources.
• A Modding User interface.  Players can now create their own mods more easily and users can easily select between them.
• Stardock also has provided a very detailed example mod that includes an alternative game interface, an alternative set of aliens to play against, an alternative tech tree, and more.  Total conversion mods should be very easy to do with the new system.

On top of those changes include hundreds of minor tweaks. To get an idea of the scope, THIS LIST is only a partial list of changes we made to the game from v1.11 to v1.2.

Galactic Civilizations II should be at most retail outlets in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.  You can also purchase it directly on-line from here and download the game immediately while waiting for your box (or you can select download only). 

The update is available through Stardock Central or as a stand-alone download.  Players will need their serial #s to register the game before playing.“– Galactic Civilizations 2 website

STARDOCK ANNOUNCES GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II FULL EXPANSION

Following the results of a customer poll, Stardock has announced that they feel there isn’t enough support to release a planned starship pack mini-expansion for Galactic Civilizations II, but that they will be incorporating new ship designs into a just announced full expansion pack for the game, which will hit stores by the end of 2006.

The expansion pack, which will have my preorder money just as soon as it’s available, will feature 2 new races, a new campaign mode and the hint that 2 races will not survive to see Galactic Civilizations III. Check out all the available details over at Stardock’s Galactic Civilizations II forum here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II UPDATED

Stardock has released v1.2 (beta) of Galactic Civilizations II, and the update is a big one feature wise. As per the official Gal Civ 2 website;

“There is a pretty significant list of changes (see the link below) of what’s in there.  Everything from a modified battle system, updated AI, user interface enhancements, as well as support for modding with the starts of our example mod.” – Galactic Civilizations 2 website

While it is a beta update, and may have some “rough edges”, the full list of updates will probably be more than enough to make you load up Stardock Central and get your fix before the full version of the patch. Check out the full v1.2b1 change log here.

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II UPDATED

Galactic Civilizations II has been updated to version 1.11.029. Load up Stardock Central and go get the update now. As per Stardock, here are the changes in v1.11;

“As previously mentioned, while most people were happy with 1.1, the performance improvements and other features we added ate up memory that not all users had available which in turn cased out of memory and other problems for those users.

Rather than simply remove the caching and other performance boosts, we re-engineered saved games and did intensive profiling to optimize things. So v1.11 should be faster AND use less memory than 1.1.

We also made some AI tweaks and other gameplay tweaks.” – Galactic Civilizations II website

Click here for the full change log. Stardock also advised that the upcoming v1.2 will be all about easing the mod process for the game.

Galactic Civilizations II – The game Master of Orion III should have been

Now then, I picked up GalCiv II after hearing all the good press from places like Penny Arcade, Gamespot and the like, and I’ve got to say, they hype wasn’t far off. GalCiv II is certainly the game Master of Orion III should have been. Beyond some small gripes I have with the gameplay elements and ship construction, the game certainly is a masterpiece.

Another thing that has endeared the game to me is the fact that you don’t need to have the disc in the drice to play. Call me the laziest person on earth, but a lot of times I just don’t feel like trying to find where I put a specific game disc. Stardock feels that the reputation of their games and the ability for legitimate users to download free content is all the copy protection they need, and I for one thank them for it. It’s nice to be treated like a customer instead of a criminal sometimes.

So go fire up Stardock Central, load patch v1.1 and get moving!

GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II V1.1 PATCH RELEASED

Okay, so I was too busy playing Galactic Civilizations II this last week to notice that Stardock released the complete v1.1 patch on the 25th. If you’ve got GalCiv II, log into Stardock Central to get it. See the GalCiv II website for the change log.