Galactic
Civilizations II: Dread Lords also introduces a new, non-linear
single-player campaign, in addition to the usual “take over the galaxy” sandbox
mode. Following the events in The
Altarian Prophecy, sequel to the original GalCiv,
Dread Lords promises to weave together a series of scenarios featuring the titular
galactic enemies.
One of the best aspects of the Galactic Civilizations
franchise is the hand-in-hand working of the developers and the fanbase. The GalCivII
team is continuing that tradition, as is shown by the open beta format they’ve
used. Anyone who preordered the game had
the opportunity to follow along for the entire beta testing process, adding
praise and criticism where necessary.
And it’s easy to see that the developers actually listen to their fans,
taking feedback from the original GalCiv
and the beta and making a game that players will truly enjoy.
I’ve just scraped the surface of all the new goodies
available in Galactic Civilizations II. Diplomacy models have been tweaked, the
Technology Tree has been revamped and given a slick new interface, and the
galaxy has been filled with many new random events. All in
all, Galactic Civilizations II: Dread
Lords is bound to eat up many, many hours in my near future. Look for its release early in 2006.
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