We've kept the interface and general game mechanics similar enough to be recognizeable to OS/2 users but expanded the mechanics and game play and multimedia to that of a modern AAA game. We were able to do the kinds of things we weren't able to do on the OS/2 version such as have in game cut scenes, random multi-linked events (random events that are tied together to create a mini-campaign within a given game), etc.

The problem with multiplayer in turn based strategy games is that they don't tend to work out. And worse, each day spent making sure that it plays well on a dial up connection and that cheese tactics aren't too much of a problem and simplifying the game mechanics is a day not being spent on other features of the game such as the computer AI.

When you design a game to be multiplayer, if you want to do it right you have to make certain design choices that keep the game from being as "deep" as you might like. For example, one of the unspoken rules of multiplayer strategy design is that you want to make the game so that you can "take out" weak players relatively early. That is, if you're an expert player and you start playing "some guy" off the net you don't want to spend an hour playing the game only to discover that the other guy has no idea what they're doing. But in order to do that, it means that the game has to be kept relatively simple, that the "build up" time isn't too long. But in GalCiv, we want you to be able to have a game where you put together your strategy over the course of hours rather than minutes and that doesn't work out too well in multiplayer for most people.

There's been such a move to multiplayer over the past few years that it seems developers have not been focusing so much on the single player experience. I think there's a case to be made in a turn based strategy game that providing a stellar single player experience is something many gamers have been looking for.

Seriously, I think the key to a good game AI is for those players to play by the same rules you do. They don't get free money (except at the most extreme levels), they don't just get ships given to them. When I play a strategy game and I take out some crucial building, I want to be assured that I've really hurt that player. Often times I'll play a strategy game and take out a crucial unit or building and not be sure if it really mattered, that the AI won't just conjure up another. In GalCiv, they have to build everything the same way you do.

The other aspect of having an intelligent AI is having it be aware of what's going on. That's where the multithreading really comes into play. The computer players "think" while you are taking your turn. As a result, they can look at things much more in depth than is typical in a strategy game. They can also coordinate units over multiple turns like a human player can. Rather than just throwing units at you mindlessly it coordinates its attacks.

And it's also aware of who is winning and losing in the galaxy. And it'll speak to you appropriately. If you're squashing them like a bug, they'll say so.