More 4x gaming: Endless Space

[Nefaro]

The first free add-on has been released...

http://www.spacesector.com/blog/2012/10/endless-space-add-on-rise-of-the-automatons-on-steam/

According to the publisher the most important features of this free add-on #1 are:
•  Addition of the new Automatons custom faction
•  GUI changes such as a new Trade Route panel and updated Empire Management screen
•  Upgraded and updated diplomacy and alliance options
•  Improved hero management
•  Improved AI
•  Fixes, amendments and changes

Apparently, your current game saves will not be compatible with this new version to come out today. So, make sure to stop Steam's auto-update feature if you plan to finish your current game :)

OOooo!

Those added features look to be more beefy than what the earlier list mentioned.

[RooksBailey]

And even more gaming news today!

ICEBERG INTERACTIVE ANNOUNCES ENDLESS SPACE: DISHARMONY EXPANSION PACK COMING THIS SUMMER

New Faction, Weapon Systems, Fighters, and Bombers Add Infinite Dimensions to Endless Space

Haarlem, The Netherlands – May 28, 2013 — Videogame publisher Iceberg Interactive announced today Endless Space: Disharmony, the first full Expansion Pack for the popular 4X game Endless Space, will be coming to Steam this summer for $9.99. After four free DLC packs, Endless Space: Disharmony displays Amplitude Studios' ongoing commitment to enhancing the wildly successful 4X space strategy game Endless Space, since its critically-acclaimed release last summer.

Endless Space: Disharmony brings a brand new experience to Endless Space players by debuting a new faction called "The Harmony." Battles have never been so intense with the addition of fighters and bombers, battle formations, a new targeting system, a redesigned weapon system and enhanced invasion mechanics. The AI opponents will be significantly more unpredictable with the implementation of the new 'Adaptive Multi-Agenda Artificial Intelligence System.'

"We're lucky to have a motivated team and even luckier to have such an incredible community," commented Mathieu Girard, CEO of Amplitude Studios. "Our expansion pack has been designed based on player requests and community G2G votes, and we hope that it fulfills – or surpasses – their expectations."

Endless Space: Disharmony Game Features:

    A brand new Faction called "The Harmony" with the main objective to ANNIHILATE DUST!
    New fighters and bomber units that will completely change the shape of combat, especially with the new Battle Formation and Targeting systems
    A complete rework of the Ship Design Interface giving an improved Weapon System that includes family types for modules (short, medium and long range)
    New invasion mechanics have been added: prepare the population for bombardments, sieges and land invasions
    Expect to face a real challenge when playing against AI opponents with the new Adaptive Multi-Agent Artificial Intelligence System (AMAS)
    Other additions and features voted or requested by the community include:
    ​    Four new heroes (Games2Gether)
        A new option to disable exchange of technologies, as a request from the Multiplayer community
        New Rally Points feature for newly built ships to reduce micromanagement

Endless Space: Disharmony will be available both as DLC and as retail this summer for $9.99.

The price is nice, too.  :)  I hope we get this sooner rather than later in the summer.

[GDS_Starfury]

while I know Im beating a dead horse here it just seems like somethings not quite right visually.

[RooksBailey]

while I know Im beating a dead horse here it just seems like somethings not quite right visually.

How do you mean?

[Anguille]

Looks like i am going to buy this next year when i install my new computer. I like the new features in the addon.

[Huw the Poo]

I'm in for this.  Geek and I have been playing some multiplayer and we're utterly absorbed, it's fantastic.  It's causing me to miss out on a great deal of sleep!

[Nefaro]

I believe the new "Disharmony" expansion just came out, methinks.  There was a big download for ES going when I just logged in.

FYI. CYA. FINGA.

[Tpek]

Purchasing and downloading :)

[bbmike]

Yeah, I have to buy this expansion. One thing I remember not liking about Endless Space is the fact there are no empire borders shown when you zoom out. In fact, there is very little information when you zoom out. Hopefully that's been changed in this update.

[RooksBailey]

What's the verdict?  Strangely, right after the expansion went up on Steam, the game's website and forums crashed.  I haven't been able to get any news on it other than a few Facebook postings, one of which said there were a great many bugs.  I've been holding off buying it until I hear otherwise.

BTW:  Amplitude has a new G2G poll which asks:  "If Amplitude was to make another 4X strategy game, which aspect would you like to see more developed in that game?"

This seems to suggest to me that the development cycle for ES is now over.  That would be a big disappointment to me because I think there is still a lot that could be done with ES.

[mikeck]

Odd, I have been on amplitudes forums several times this evening. There seems to be a few bugs but nothing earth shattering. People seem to like the fighters a lot.

[mikeck]

I was just on and the forum seems fine, several posts over last few hours. Anyway, seems like the normal amount of bugs and such for a new DLC. There is not a lot of forum activity but then again, this was released with little fanfare and its not exactly a mainstream game anyway. I might give it a shot now

[RooksBailey]

Yeah, I just checked the forums and it looks like they are back online.  Not a lot of posts, though, but again that could be due to this afternoon's outage. 

Well, if anyone gets it, let me know what you think.  I am curious.

[Nefaro]

Yeah, I have to buy this expansion. One thing I remember not liking about Endless Space is the fact there are no empire borders shown when you zoom out. In fact, there is very little information when you zoom out. Hopefully that's been changed in this update.

I recall there being a colored 'influence' zone around planets you control, for some time now.   :o

Did that come in a patch after release or something?  It's certainly not new.

[bbmike]

Yeah, I have to buy this expansion. One thing I remember not liking about Endless Space is the fact there are no empire borders shown when you zoom out. In fact, there is very little information when you zoom out. Hopefully that's been changed in this update.

I recall there being a colored 'influence' zone around planets you control, for some time now.   :o

Did that come in a patch after release or something?  It's certainly not new.

When you zoom in closer to the systems you do see a 'influence color' around your systems and their names. When you zoom all the way out all you see on the map are just stars and nothing else. No names, no color, no nothing. And it's still like that after this expansion. After my 1st hour with this expansion I'm really not seeing a lot of new changes. I'll give it some more time though.