4X Game Discussion Thread

[Rayfer]

Really good discussion about Settlers

But what about the case where you start in a location, but you can see your proverbial Garden of Eden just a few hexes away? Civilization is a game of hundreds of turns, yes, but it's also a game of building success upon success. If you don't settle right away, on turn 1, and begin your empire, are you putting yourself at a permanent disadvantage?
http://www.firaxis.com/?/S=55fff2663071e55ce70d02738eb55ea7e0c62acc/blog/single/do-you-ever-move-your-settler


I tend to go with the idea that if I see a starting location significantly better than my current location I'll move it it's a turn or two distance away.  Nothing is more annoying in a 4X game when you decide to settle and your explorer unit uncovers a resource rich starting location a turn or two away.

In my current Fallen Enchantress campaign I might be FUBARed because my starting location is tucked between two mountain ranges.  Great defensive position, but there are hardly any resources within 10 turns worth of movement.  Bad, bad, bad.

It's decisions like these that make these games great. And the consequences of those early decisions can take many, many turns to become apparent. Do you then keep at it or throw up your hands and start over.  I tend to go the second route.

[Bison]

It depends.  Unless I'm attempting a really high difficulty level (which isn't too often to be honest), I'll give it a long go.  Generally at lower difficulty levels, bad starts are more easily forgiven.  What I find is that I'll walk into a turns on end, knock out, drag out war over a specific type of resource.  This is especially true mid to late game when hidden resources are uncovered or room to expand it basically gone.

[OJsDad]

I think the 4x genre has been stagnant for years now.  As some of you have pointed out, so many of the offers are just regurgitation's of each other.  I've never really gotten into Civ IV, and I don't think I've picked up Civ V as they seemed, to me, to take a step backwards.  I someone else said, I thought Call To Power was a much better game. 

One thing I still wish would be included in a 4x game is an economy like in Victoria.  You need raw materials to build basic items.  You need basic items to more advanced items.  With a model like this, it would help expand the trade and diplomacy.  Do you trade to someone that your not on good terms with raw materials or goods they need to fight a war, or do you withhold those items to try and weaken them for later. 

[OJsDad]

I *liked* the passive tech research of Distant Worlds in that game's original form. Apparently, lots of players couldn't handle the novelty and insisted on standard tech trees, and the devs duly complied. I wish Distant Worlds would translate it's incredibly cool 'autonomous private economy' idea to technology as well -- where tech research would not be 'state directed' but there could be independent firms working on different things that you have no control over.

I actually liked DW's passive tech research as well.  Would very much have liked an option to have retained that when the expansions were released. 

I don't remember the original tech model in DW.  I'll have to find the manual and look it up.

[Bison]

I think my favorite style of tech tree is found in sword of the stars.  Randomized trees and cultural specific techs is really a great concept and changes strategies in a nice subtle manner.

[Bison]

Which reminds me I should get SotS and GalCiv 2 on steam since I had dealing with the old impulse system now that GameStop has completely jacked it up.

[Nefaro]

I think my favorite style of tech tree is found in sword of the stars.  Randomized trees and cultural specific techs is really a great concept and changes strategies in a nice subtle manner.

This.

Each faction should have different techs and different play styles.  Adding randomized tech tree content makes each game feel further stylized.

[Sparhawk]

I've put over 200 hours into SOTS II the last couple of months. For some reason it draws me in better than SOTS did and really captured my imagination. First and foremost in a 4x game the tech tree system must suit me for me to play for very long, its part of the flavor of 4x's that keeps me playing. SOTS II does this with flying colors as did the original game. A tech tree should be large and diverse while maintaining a mystery about what is to come. I love the tech tree in DW yet there is no mystery for me as I race through to get the ship builds I desire.

[Martok]

Armada 2526 Supernova (I just picked up the Gold Edition on Steam as well -- it was on sale, and I'll admit I like the convenience) and Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes are the two 4x titles that most have their hooks in me right now.  One major aspect both games share is that they really force you to make difficult choices -- you can't build everything in a town/colony, you can't research everything, your heroes can't acquire every skill/spell/etc.  I realize some people find that sort of thing frustrating (they hate being limited in their games anymore than is strictly necessary), but I really enjoy it. 

Distant Worlds and Age of Wonders 3 still beckon as well, but I suspect Armada and FE:LH will keep their grip on me for some time to come yet. 

[MetalDog]

You should be getting home Sunday mornings around the time we start MP Age of Wonders, Martok.  Want in?

[Martok]

You should be getting home Sunday mornings around the time we start MP Age of Wonders, Martok.  Want in?

Well I can't say I'm not tempted. 


Thing is, though, I'm not much of a competitive player per se.  I generally don't like going around trying to conquer half the map -- unless that's the play-style favored by my chosen character/faction (and I don't choose those types very often) -- I more like to just "play Empire" in my own little corner of the world.  I've always been more of a PvE than  PvP guy. 

Given that, I tend to not fit in well with MP matches (except for the rare occasions where the other players are like myself).  I would almost certainly be little more than a speed bump for most of you guys.  (Against MD, I suspect I wouldn't even be that much...)  :-[ 

[MetalDog]

Don't sell your self short, my friend.  My reputation is inflated by my opponents.  I much prefer an Empire building style rather than a Conquer the world style.  It's why I keep losing at Civ IV on Monarch.  I have come to believe that you have to always be at war or always preparing for it and I like to build World Wonders and spread my religion, etc.