CIVILIZATION IV: BEYOND THE SWORD IN STORES, HAS ZOMBIES

This… this may be my last post. It’s here now, and it knows where I am. I’ve tried to fight it, but it knows I’m weak. Before this night is through, only one of us will remain – and I know it will not be me.

I will tell you my story…

Some of you who are about to see the picture I’m about to post will understand, because you may have once been among the affected.

Maybe you’ve only had a small taste and weren’t completely hooked, maybe you’ve spent years fighting it as I have, or maybe you were in remission until this very moment… if that’s the case, I do apologize for what I am about to do…

The rest of you… have no idea. None at all.

Tell them I tried, I truly did, but it comes again… the madness comes again.

Okay, melodrama aside, I do have a few things I want to say about the release of Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword before it completely takes over my life;

1. According to the box, they’ve added 10 new civilizations, 64 new buildings, 11 scenarios, 5 wonders, 6 new technologies, corporations, a new espionage system and expanded trade routes. Sounds pretty nifty to me.
2. One of those new scenarios is something that I can’t wait to play – apparently “Afterworld” is a scenario where it’s you against the zombie uprising. It’s a good thing I’ve got my copy of the Zombie Survival Guide on hand, otherwise it could be over fast.
3. Despite the pedigree the Civilization series has, my local store only got 1-3 copies of the game in – and according to their website, there are no more on the way. While I’m glad I managed to get the last one, it really is sad to see how far the PC game industry has fallen at retail. I mean, this was not your average throwaway PC title.
4. Am I the only one who is bothered when you get that last copy of a game at a store and it’s been opened and used as a display model? Sure, they may have shrink wrapped the contents, but I always wonder if I’m really getting everything that was in the box.

Looking at it, the only real question is whether I try a full game or that Afterworld scenario first. I’m thinking zombies for the win, Chuck.

• Civilization – Official series website
• Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword – Product page at Civilization.com

XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – BAND OF BUGS

This week’s Xbox Live Arcade title is a fresh release from the developers over at NinjaBee. Truth be told, I really don’t know what to expect from Band of Bugs, as the release announcement was pretty much the first time I’d ever even heard of the title. Based on the description of the game and the screenshots I’ve seen, I’m going to guess that Band of Bugs is going to be a turn based strategy game along the lines of Final Fantasy Tactics. It’s because I have no clue what to really expect from this one that I’m definitely suggesting you download and try the demo before you decide to purchase anything.

Title: Band of Bugs
Developer: NinjaBee
Publisher: NinjaBee
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 6/20/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Maal is an unhappy bug who needs structure and a purpose in his life, so he joins the royal army under the tutelage of the battle-hardened mantis warrior Tiernan. Now, he must begin his quest to save the Queen and the kingdom. NinjaBee’s Band of Bugs puts you in Maal’s shoes … er, footpads, and sets you in the middle of a fast-playing, accessible, tactical strategy game designed specifically for Xbox LIVE® Arcade. This turn-based tactics game expands the genre by providing a unique Level Editor, allowing gamers to create levels and play them online with friends.

• Tasty tactics: One of the few turn-based tactics games available, Band of Bugs provides gameplay deep enough to be satisfying to established fans of the genre, but friendly enough to appeal to all types of casual gamers.
• Multiple game modes: The game includes a story-based campaign and stand-alone missions as well as several unique multiplayer modes:  Elimination, Escape, and Capture.
• Create your own levels: The game has fifty levels, but also features a Level Editor allowing you to design custom scenarios and play them solo or over Xbox LIVE with your friends." – Xbox.com

As for last week’s Live Arcade release, I picked up Prince of Persia Classic, and while it certainly is a fun title, I can’t deny that there is a certain level of frustration attached to the title. All too often I’ll find myself dying due to the sensitivity of the controls and in a game that already features very frequent deaths, anything that adds to the total can be extremely unwelcome. I won’t go as far as saying that it ruins the game, but I will say that it’s something prospective purchasers should be aware of. It’s one of those games that I’d normally call a rental, but since we’re talking the Live Arcade here, it’s a take it or leave it situation. My advice is this – if you’re a big fan of 2D platformers and don’t mind a little frustration mixed in with your fun, then grab it. If you’re the type of person who either gets frustrated easily or isn’t a huge fan of retro style gameplay, you’ll probably want to give it a pass.

2K GAMES ANNOUNCES 2ND EXPANSION FOR CIVILIZATION IV

If you follow this site regularly, then you’re probably well aware that I’ve battled a Civilization addiction for a good portion of my adult life. While of late, I’ve managed to avoid getting overly drawn into the game, it’s still with some trepidation that I pass along the news that "Beyond the Sword", the second expansion for Civilization IV has just been announced by 2K Games;

"Civilization is close to our hearts here at Firaxis and we’re excited to up the ante on the series once again with what we consider to be our best expansion pack ever,” said Steve Martin, president of Firaxis Games. “Fan requests and a constant stream of new ideas motivate our team to continue delivering more and better gameplay for our premier series. Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is a must-have expansion for every Civ® fan.” Key features include:

• Expanded Epic Game: Firaxis Games delivers a massive increase in new units, buildings, and technologies to the epic game with additional focus on the late-game time periods.
• New Game Scenarios: The expansion will deliver 12 new scenarios, many containing themes never before included in the Civilization series, custom designed by the team at Firaxis and select members of the Civ Fan Community.
• New Civilizations: The expansion pack includes ten new civilizations, such as Portugal, Babylon and Netherlands and their associated unique units and buildings.
• More Civilization Leaders: Sixteen new leaders including leaders for the ten new civilizations, as well as additional leaders for existing civilizations.
• Corporations: A new gameplay feature that allows players to create corporations and spread them throughout the world. Each corporation provides benefits in exchange for certain resources.
• Espionage: Now available much earlier in the game, this expanded feature offers players many new ways to spy on opponents, stir citizen unrest and defend their government’s secrets.
• Events: New random events such as natural disasters, pleas for help, or demands from their citizens will challenge players to overcome obstacles in order for their civilizations to prosper.
• New Wonders: Five new wonders await discovery including the Statue of Zeus, Cristo Redentor, Shwedagon Paya, the Mausoleum of Maussollos, and the Moai Statues.
• Expanded Space Victory: Winning the race to Alpha Centauri will now require more strategic planning and tactical decision making.
• Apostolic Palace: The United Nations will become available earlier in the game, providing a way for players to win a diplomatic victory earlier. New resolutions will also be added which will expand the available diplomatic options.
• Advanced Starts: A major fan request, this new feature will enable players to “buy” components of a custom-tailored empire and begin play in the later part of the game, allowing them to experience many of the new features of the expansion pack in a shorter amount of time.
• Enhanced AI: The AI has received many enhancements, making it tougher to beat on the higher difficulty levels. The ways in which the AI will attempt to achieve victory have also been expanded." – Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword press release

Is it just me, or is everyone else recovering from Civ-addiction feeling a little twitch in one of their eyes?

• 2K Announces Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword Expansion Pack – Official press release
• Civilization.com – Official series site
• Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword – Official product page

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.