GalCivII and expansions: Worth it?

[SandMonkey]

i just read some reviews for GalCivII: Endless Universe which is a bundle of the two expansion packs. I played the original GalCiv and liked it quite a bit. I'm also a seasoned Civilization player, but I've gotten away from playing TBS in the last couple of years. I never got around to picking up GalCivII, but it looks to be vastly improved over the original. Can anyone recommend where to start with this game? There is a bundle pack of GalCivII and both expansions here for $60 USD.

So here's my question: Do you feel that it is 1) A game worth spending the ridiculous amount of time it will take to play, and 2) worth the money to buy all of them at once, or should i start with Dread Lords and work my way up?

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

being a bit bored/annoyed by colonization i just saw on local store
- galciv II for 10 €
- endless universe (the box says standalone version) 30 €

now im curious
1. is that endless universe box really galciv plus both expansions or do i miss something out?

2. can anyone tell a bit about those expansions?

thanks

[Island Dog]

The Endless Universe edition is a bundle of Dark Avatar and Twilight of the Arnor.

You can find more info at the FAQ page.

http://forums.galciv2.com/328047

1) What is GC2: Endless Universe?

GC2EU is a standalone retail bundle of the Dark Avatar and Twilight of the Arnor expansions. GC2: Dread Lords is neither included nor required. GC2EU is also translated into a number of languages for the areas that Kalypso covers.

2) The box/press release seems to imply there is new content?

There is no additional content in GC2EU beyond that already present in DA and TA. So if you have already purchased DA and TA direct, you do not need to get GC2EU unless you want a second copy of the game or the translations.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

the link seems broken but thanks for the answer. if i see this right (never played galciv2 before nor read anything about it) this will give me the vanilla game plus 2 out of at least 3 add ons?

[Island Dog]

Link fixed.

[MasterDave]

Gal Civ II is much better with the expansion packs

To answer the original question, I bought the two X pacs from Impulse ($24.99 each, ouch) to add to Gal Civ II. I played the original Gal Civ II when it came out, and liked it ok, but the game is much better with the two expansion packs.

What I like most is that each race has a different set of unique techs that actually makes playing each race feel like a different experience. Also, the unique techs and expanded abilities makes fighting each race a new experience too (e.g. the Korath taking over six of my planets unexpectedly and instantly with Spore ships was a nasty surprise). There are also a huge number of random events that happen with the expansions, and I am still seeing new ones after playing five complete games start to finish.

One of my gripes with GalCiv and GalCiv II was that every game had the same old tech tree, and playing every race was pretty much the same experieince. The unique techs and their significant effects on game progress help alleviate that and make each game a fresher expereince. I have been playing it a lot for about a month now, and really enjoying it (I only played GalCiv I and II vanilla for about two weeks before I got bored).

[PLATO]

I agree totally with MasterDave (especially that part about watching the Koratrh...Spore ships really are a nasty little bit of proprietary tech!)

[Ben Kenobi]

Interesting! I'll take a look at the expansions.

[crampon]

I totally agree with u.