OT's CivBE release party thread

[Lonestar]

Go check out the CivBE demogame. Kuciwalker's running it.

The what now?

It's good to see you back

Thanks, we'll see how long I stick around this time. Work is kinda...dicey.

[Sava]

I just want stacks of doom back. Give me my cavalry, artillery, and infantry rock-paper-scissors.

no

[Nikolai]

I just want stacks of doom back. Give me my cavalry, artillery, and infantry rock-paper-scissors.

God, no.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

So...late-game hover artillery is kinda awesome.

[Lonestar]

Honestly, I'm not too pleased with how orbitals turned out. As soon as you put one up you should have had a total revelation of the map. I also feel as if the chance was missed with being able to put spy satellites aloft as well.

Also, we can put giant solar collectors up into space but not orbital, manned battlestations that can maneuver?

[Guynemer]

So...late-game hover artillery is kinda awesome.

Yeah, I discovered that last night when KP asked me to go to war with Polystalia as I was finishing up whatever it is that is the Purity special victory. Having successfully beaten back a Polystrasian sneak attack early on in the game, I was happy to oblige.

Holy crap, I took three Polystrasian cities in two turns, and could have eliminated them in two more turns if I hadn't finished settling the Earthican refugees.

Pan-Asian Cooperative is pretty goddamned badass. The increased worker speed is quite lovely. As close to SMAC-Gaians are there is in BE.

Having played three games so far (Franco-Iberian Harmony, ARC Supremacy, Pan-Asian Purity), I can say I am enjoying it, but it definitely could use some improvement. Trade routes are way too overpowered and plentiful for the degree of micromanagement they require. Some sponsors seem too weak (I've yet to see Brasilia settle more than three cities, and they get run the **** over constantly). The aliens should scale up more; they can be a handful early game, but by mid to late game they are just a nuisance, nothing like the holy terror of late-game mindworms and sealurks. The UI is a little too obtuse in places, and just plain missing things in other places.

I am greatly looking forward to the inevitable SMAC leaders mod, if only so I can once again curbstomp that chuckle**** Miriam.

[Guynemer]

Honestly, I'm not too pleased with how orbitals turned out. As soon as you put one up you should have had a total revelation of the map. I also feel as if the chance was missed with being able to put spy satellites aloft as well.

Also, we can put giant solar collectors up into space but not orbital, manned battlestations that can maneuver?

Well, game balance probably rules out maneuverable orbitals. But, there are battle focused satellites, both for passive buffs and actual offensive satellites to bombard enemies (don't put them too near enemy cities, though; they can one shot them). There are counter-spy satellites, but you are right, a satellite that RAISES intrigue level of cities would be quite welcome.

[Lonestar]

I mean, you should be able to flat out use them to watch enemy troop movements as well.

[Guynemer]

You can; plop a miasma repulsor or generator over someone else's territory, and you'll see the land under it.

[Lonestar]

Yeah, I thought you'd say that/ But only if it's near your border, right? You can't see the interior areas? I thought that there was a limit to how far away you could put up a orbital.

[Proteus_MST]

Honestly, I'm not too pleased with how orbitals turned out. As soon as you put one up you should have had a total revelation of the map. I also feel as if the chance was missed with being able to put spy satellites aloft as well.

...

True ...
even if we overlook that one normally should assume that colonists landing from a mothership orbiting a planet should have basic knowledge about the planets surface from the beginning on and assume that the Fog of war at the beginning was absolutely necessary for gameplay purposes,
it doesn´t make sense that there obviously is no late game technology (and building/project) (like a GPS Sat Net) that reveals the whole map

[Lonestar]

Hell, since apparently it's multiple starships that arrived(as opposed to SMAC where it was one ship that broke apart), I don't know why they wouldn't have a orbital component for use.

[self biased]

the voice talent is nice, but i find myself really missing the SMAX style quotes, where the faction leaders would speak when **** got built or techs discovered.

[Guynemer]

Yeah, I thought you'd say that/ But only if it's near your border, right? You can't see the interior areas? I thought that there was a limit to how far away you could put up a orbital.

Different techs/decisions/improvements can increase your orbital range considerably, easily reaching enemy territory, so long as there is a space to fit your satellite into.

the voice talent is nice, but i find myself really missing the SMAX style quotes, where the faction leaders would speak when **** got built or techs discovered.

There is a mod that puts SMAC quotes into the game in place of the BE quotes, so long as you have the original SMAC sound files.

[self biased]

i honestly give less than a **** about SMAX quotes in BE. I want the characters of BE reading their own ****.