Moo3 is a shareware now

[Erax]

I can help you with Stars! (yes it has an exclamation in the name). It's sort of like SE IV with no warp points and more realistic planetary conditions. It wasn't moddable Last time I checked. Ship design is veeery similar to SEIV.

You could call Stars! 'SEIV lite'. Or maybe SEIV is Stars! on caffeine pills. I think you'll like it either way.

I haven't tried GalCiv. My games budget is pointed at Starfury right now !

[Loser]

The Civilization games (I and II, but not so much III) are good.

SMAC and its expansion are Grrreat!

Shogun: Total War, Warlord Edition is also a great game, and I think it meets all four Xs. I have heard good things about its sequels, but I waited for MoO3. Then I came back to SE IV, because MoO3 .... well, that's already been covered and we have no need to get Atrocities going again (think about your blood pressure!).

[raynfala]

Originally posted by Atrocities:
Other Games such as FPS:
Tribes (*****en)
Tribes II (Fun but not well supported)
DeuEX (A real good game)
SOF I (Not II as it sucked!)
Blade (Fun)
IGI (Fun)

Oh, okay. If you're going to open the door to FPS-type games, then I'd like to recommend Thief... more specifically, Thief 2, as that's the only one I've played (so far). Somebody at work gave their old, dog-eared copy away to yours truly.

I've never had so much fun not killing anything. To come in guns-a-blazin' is one thing -- to achieve your goal without anybody realizing your were even there is really something you have to experience firsthand.

--Raynfala, fledgling taffer

[Growltigger]

OK, but how does Stars! differ from SEIV then, is it more action, less action? less/more realism or what?

Anyone care to opine on GalCiv?

[Erax]

Less action, at least vs. the AI, which is tough on the defense but not so great on the offense.

Some things are more realistic. Planetary environments and minefields, for example.

Edit : fuel consumption also runs on a more complex model. Any ship can move faster or slower than normal, with corresponding effects on its fuel efficiency. Every engine has its own 'fuel usage curve'.

There are also far fewer tech areas to choose from (negative point, IMO). Like I said, it's SEIV lite.

More edit : Now for a serious question - how many copies has SEIV Gold sold so far ? Is this info public ?

[ June 10, 2003, 17:51: Message edited by: Chief Engineer Erax ]

[cybersol]

Originally posted by Atrocities:
I mean this when I say it, they should fire everyone who was involved with the game and start over. Publish an apology and refund peoples money.

Does that mean I would have to give them back the $2.50 they gave me to take the game?

[Hrothgar]

I like GalCiv, tho not as much as SEIV. It's designed for solo play, so all the development effort that otherwise would have gone into multi-player went into the AI instead. I haven't had time to play much since its release--altho I did play CONSTANTLY as part of the open beta test--and the AI kicks my butt on a regular basis at low difficulty levels. They also have a more detailed diplomatic model, in which, altho you still ultimately know you're playing a computer, the illusion of playing another human is much stronger than in other games.

On the down side, there's no ship design--you research techs to get bigger hulls, and research other techs which upgrade your fleet as a whole. Also, there's no tactical combat--ships or fleets fight when they occupy the same location, with the "action" occurring behind the scenes. But, to be fair, this was the intent--to have the AI take care of the tactical detail so the player can focus on the big picture, and the result is a smooth, easily understood system, unlike MOO3 which had the same stated goal but exectued it incomprehensibly. Planetary development can involve a lot more detail, as there is a vast array of different facilities from which to choose--most of which appear as associated techs are researched--but even here, you can let "Governors" [essentially automated queues] handle the details, and they'll actually do what you tell them to--ulike MOO3's "Ministers."

I disagree with whoever it was on this forum who argued that GalCiv isn't a Space 4x game. It certainly is, merely focused on a higher level than most others. But, the decisions you make in the game have a discernable impact on the course of your civilization, and the variety of victory paths, whether military, cultural, technical, etc., require different approaches to play and are all possible to pursue successfully. One final thing: GalCiv is a sequel to a very popular game for the OS2 operating system, a game which had a highly devoted fan base. From everything I've seen, these fans are quite happy with the new game, unlike the legions of angry MOOers.

[ June 11, 2003, 03:40: Message edited by: Hrothgar ]