GalCiv IV: Supernova Dev Journal #5 - The Planets are Liars

Published on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 By Frogboy In GalCiv IV Dev Journals

As you know, in GalCiv IV core worlds are the backbone of your civilization. But not all planets are created equal. This is communicated in two ways:

First, by the raw planetary inputs (minerals, tech, food, wealth, culture) and

Second, by the types of tiles that the planet has on it.

Unfortunately, in GalCiv IV, the two don't reflect on each other. They're disconnected. What I mean is that you could have a planet with a high tech raw resource input and have no tiles that promote research related improvements.

Worse, you could have a planet with very little in mineral inputs that has a host of tile perks that give a percentage boost to manufacturing.

This system is frustrating and maddening.

In an upcoming update to GalCiv IV, as part of our work on "GalCiv IV: Supernova," we are revisiting the whole thing.

With our new system, the input resources are tied more closely to the types of tiles that are on a planet. This means that players will have a clearer understanding of the benefits and limitations of each planet, allowing them to make more informed decisions about how to develop them. For example, if a planet has a large number of mineral-rich tiles, then investing in mineral improvements will yield a much greater benefit than investing in research improvements. A planet filled with manufacturing bonus will always have a reasonable number of mineral inputs.

We have also put a great deal of effort into ensuring that the new system is both balanced and nuanced. While we want players to have a clearer understanding of the benefits and limitations of each planet, we also want to ensure that there is still room for creativity and experimentation. This means that while certain improvements will be more effective on certain types of tiles, there will still be opportunities for players to find unique and effective solutions.

Another key benefit of the new system is that it will help to create more distinct and varied planets. With the input resources more closely tied to the types of tiles, each planet will have its own unique strengths and weaknesses. This means that players will need to think carefully about how they develop each planet, rather than simply applying a one-size-fits-all approach.

With any luck, we'll have this change available this spring.

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Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova Dev Journals