Space 4x Games

Parvini · Post by **Parvini** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 14:23

Over the years there have been many 4x games set in space. The earliest I can think of is Utopia (1991), a sort of space Sim City. However, this game didn't go far enough towards moving the action from the ground to space.

Marter of Orion (1993) Some say the daddy of them all. I think the original MOO suffers from some poor AI and ugly graphics. I tad overrated in my humble opinion.

Master of Orion 2 (1996) An imporovement over the orginal for me - I like the way you can get to see the colonies and the different races. The range of options is great too but again, I'd have to say the AI lets this down chronically.

Imperium Gallactica (1997) -Check the Wikipedia entry here - I have always thought this a fanatstic game. It's like 3 games in one - you get the turn based Civ stuff on the space map, the close Sim City style building on the colonies AND a bit of Command and Conquer style RTS action whenever you invade/ are invaded (there are also Starcraft style RTS space battles too!). For once, a game that tries to do everything and pulls it off, just about it - it doesn't falter under its hybridity.

Sid Meier's Alpha Centuri (1999) Civ in space, a classic but doesn't do enough for me - it doesn't do nearly as much as Imperium Gallactica - but what it does it does better than any other game in the genre. Also - the best tech tree of all time.

Imperium Gallactica 2 (2000) Take a great game (Imperium Gallactica 1) spruce it up with better graphics and better AI... and then RUIN IT with a stupid compulsory story (which restarts you if you don't fulfill its idiotic missions) and a complete lack of sandbox mode - CURSE YOU Digital Reality, for ruining what could have been the best game in this genre of all time... you blew it!

Master of Orion 3 (2003) An abysmal game, an example of how macro-management and streamlining don't necessarily equal more fun - I had the feeling the game was playing by itself... what is the point?

Galactic Civilizations (2003) Originally intended to be Imperium Gallactica 3, they changed the name at the nth hour to start a new series. It is OK but I think lacks what made the IG games good - the hybridity. In those games, you clicked on a planet it used to take you down to the planet, you could see its surface, build things on it. Now that is abstracted to a simple list. And that's the problem - everything is abstracted... combat, building... EVERYTHING. This is more of MOO3 syndrome only with micro-management included. You just don't get the FEEL of being on a planet, of exploring distant worlds. Disappointing though, for once, great AI.

Galactic Civilizations 2 (2005) i haven't played this yet but from the reviewsI can't see how it has changed significently from the first one.

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Ok. So what I want from you is which 4x Space game you consider the best and WHY... If I have forgotton one above do mention the game and link it here too to fill us all in on it.

I personally am deeply dissatisfied with this genre... All I want is Imperium Gallactica 1 with good graphics and better AI but no-one gives it to me, the developers go off in unwanted directions. I want a game to deliver on all fronts in the way that IG1 attempts to, but such a game doesn't seem to exist - if it does, do tell me about it.

Maturin · Post by **Maturin** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:47

I can't contribute very much, but as far as I heard, most people that played galactic civilizations 2 say, that it even beats master of orion 2, although GC2 doesn't offer multiplay.

And you could perhaps mention Reunion, but I'm not so sure if it really fits the exact genre you're talking about.

Eric · Post by **Eric** » Mon May 01, 2006 11:34

Hmm... I've played all those games....

I'd tend to go with Master of Orion as a sentimental fave... cheating AI and all. It continues to define the 4X genre. It's one of the few old Dos games I still play. (The AI cheats and so do I...

).

However, it does lack in certain areas which MOO2 made up for.... I really liked the planetary system setup, one star with orbiting planets and the additional of lost colonies (and other 'goody huts').

However I really didn't like the way combat was dealt with in MOO2... the idea may have had some promise: the need for 'command points' which limited your fleet size but the limitations weren't tight enough... and it resulted in 100 'Doom Stars' pounding the crud out of each other - combat which took forever to play out.

Imperium Gallactica is a great game for the reasons you mentioned and I'd agree with your comments about IG2... but Galactic Civilizations (1 or 2) really didn't do it for me... I found them tedious and boring... firing up 2 and it was the damn same as 1. Waste of money and time.

Less said about MOO3 the better. A steaming pile of something comes to mind....

Alpha Centuri - the thinking mans game that one. Civ2 in space. *Gurgles with joy* I suppose the one thing I liked about this game was that your activities on 'Planet' resulted in very real and terrifying actions with Mind Worm attacks. Bit red though....

Cheers,

Eric

Parvini · Post by **Parvini** » Mon May 01, 2006 16:31

Hi Eric, and welcome to my humble corner of this site

I've heard good things about Galacictc Civ 2 - doesn't it change ANYTHING from Gal Civ 1??

It seems from the screen shots that there is land combat again, and also that you can see the surface of the planets. This was a major thing for me with Gal Civ and MOO3, that you COULDN'T see the planets so that all planets essentially had the same "feel"... it sucked some of the life out of exploring a "universe" to me.

Not sure if I'll be getting GC2 any time soon but I'd be interested to hear a little more detail on it.

SGSW · Post by **SGSW** » Tue May 02, 2006 1:02

I don't have time now to go in detail, so I will edit this later

I just wanted to say that I played Galactic Civilasations 1 and I am playing the Demo of 2 and I find they are interesting ganes, maybe not to the point of buying them but to go played them at a friend's house or borrow them (but then I am also a cheapstake so don't mind me)

Anyway it's a good game, with many different ways to win or lose a game, the AI is challenging and adapts to your strategy, reacting accordingly and very difficult at higher levels and it requires a fairly high level of strategy unless you're a veteran playing on the easiest levels.

The morla alignment also gives a great deal of choice, since it impacts not only your tech tree and skills, but mainly your diplomatic options (Good races rarely ally with evil ones)

The main differences between 1 and 2 are the followings IMO

1- In the 1st game you could select the moral alignment of your race and of your oponnents (ie: You could choose to play with a Pure Evil Humans angainst 5 Pure Good opponents)

2- In the second you can select different races (but not cusatomise the moral alignment of each one) and you have a campaign with what seems to be a very good story (can't check as I haven't played the full game yet)

Eric · Post by **Eric** » Tue May 02, 2006 8:00

I realy should have mentioned I didn't mind GC1 instead of just lumping it with GC2.... I personally found that GC2 did not add anything substantial to this game series... the graphics looked a little prettier and the sudden relization that this seemed the same game turned me off it at that point.

It's also worth noting the Space Empires (III & IV) series... many of the 'features' in these mainstream 4X games appeared in this title some time ago.

GC2 is a game I will play purhaps later in greater detail. A 1.5Mbit ADSL connection and a bit-torrent client means I have plenty of games to demo......

BlueDEvil · Post by **BlueDEvil** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 6:22

I like Imperium Galactica because it gives you a new option as the pass the chapter and that makes learning the game so much easier. Too bad there isn't any other game modes for it. Sequel was ok. Never try Nexus the jupiter incident, suppose to be make by the IG programmers.

I have been playing space empire since part 2. It is the only game I know you can actually play without moving your mouse because they have advisors for every aspect of the game. If micromanagement is a damn problem, then this game is for you. The problem with most 4X games is when your empire gets too large, the game loses the fun factor. Stuff like colonizing and defending can be fully control by advisors. If enemy ship enter your system, your advisor will send ships to intercept it. They have upgrade the graphics for part 5, but haven't try it yet.

Ohter notable 4X games like Pax Imperia, Reach for the Stars, Fragile Allegiance and Stars! I find Maelstrom an interesting space game, more adventure than 4X, but you have to research for tech, mine for income, espionage, do missions, build your fleets, engage enemy fleets, hire personnels