What would the perfect space empire game be?

Nah, just GalCiv. No tactical combat as it ruins the AI. Only the graphics of this game could have been better.

~SDC~

It would be different for everyone that played it, possibly even changing from one session to the next, but in a way that allowed multiplayer and comparing high scores to still function in a reasonable way.

Seriously, there's not even a single feature that I want the same way every time. MoO2 tactical combat was annoying as heck when you started with 80 doomstars on each side, but I still like playing it every once in a while. MoO3 tactical combat is interesting once in a while when I want to watch weapons going off, Homeworld was impressive, but I just had too many problems finding the ships I wanted, finding the ships I wanted to target, etc. GalCiv combat is great when I want to get back to ruling my empire rather than playing fleet admiral, but sometimes I do feel like playing fleet admiral. Every one of them have advantages and disadvantages.

I sorta wish more of the technologies we research in Galciv had a true phyiscal effect on the world. Like wormhole gates after we develop controlled wormholes, and warp effects when ships move, and stuff like that. I wish that we could see ships in a 3d arena fight on their own, if not tactical combat. The fighting in the game is just not that interesting. I wish planetary invasions could look better too, id love to see some real 3d view of what the invasion is doing.

Yeah, if they took the homeworld engine and fixed the camera so it was equivalent to the overhead view of galciv, that would be pretty sharp. Not as pretty as the original game, but certainly better than the Apple II graphics we're currently playing with.

~SDC~

I believe Hegemonia has something to offer.. Its only good trait: Graphics

Those explosions are so cool, but yeah (I'm not bashing Hege, I love Hege but its a pretty shallow game)

NO TAC COMBAT!!! I hate Tac Combat because when you get good (and you eventually will) You'll win 99% of your battles and makes it like a cheat. ie. Think about starting an RPG with lv 50 characters, in a campaign based for lv 4s.. Not fun, No challenge

~SDC~

Tactical combat ala quake on a starbase type lvl with some reaper bots, omg that would so rock

~SDC~

ya, this game with hegemonias graphics, plus a few additions would simply rock. The only real complaint that I have with the game are the graphics, although the low end graphics are probably the only reason that im able to play it on my crummy 450mhz lol.

Although I'm glad to game's native is 1024x748, I wish it was 32-bit color as well. I have to do some desktop messing to play it windowed.

Tactical combat would be cool, but not in a game like this. There's already tons of info to deal with, but perhaps a different game in the same universe...


~SDC~

Tactical combat? Depends on the game’s goal. If it is to be a Empire game then Tactical anything (from the leaders point of view) is really unrealistic micromanaging (if you where a hive mind I would have no problems with this) Though the time and scale problems are still there (macro managing a Empire over months or years at a turn and then micromanaging a comparatively small tactical fleet battle over a coerce of hours or a day?)

But if we are to have strategic and abstracted battles we also NEED AI commanders that can intelligently handle the job and options to be able to change strategic and in turn Tactical decisions. For example allot of Tile based war games use abstracted numbers for attack and defense but they also tend to have other factors like moral, additional attack and defense number vs certain types of attacks, special abilities, abstracted formations (additional bonuses and penalties vs. attacks and defenses), disposition from aggressive to aloof) etc. etc . . take these with terrain and other factors and you get a complex and enjoyable strategic war (not just battles) this is what I miss in GalCiv.

I would like more diversity of technology, races and abilities. A tall order but has been done in other games. (see SEIV)

Real exploration and interesting finds . . some mundane and some spectacular . . There should be 100s or more allowing the possibility of finding something new in successive game and not just in one game. (this would be also a great way to use fans as a resource.)

A sense of galactic borders. Borders (and resources) are what most wars are about so having them in some sense would be good. It would even be good to have a overlay of what you think is your borders and what others think . . the overlap is contested . .

A way to make most colonies useful. In most games only the very developed colonies are really useful. In some games special resources or other factors can make a colony useful . .but also I would like to see trade within an empire . .Raw materials from outposts or rural farming planets being shipped into the “core” to be processed and some of that in turn shipped back out for expansion. Lose of these “less important” colonies could cripple the core.

More diplomacy so far most diplomacy has been picking items from a menu to ask for things you want. I would like to see a game that made diplomacy with another empire very hard but very rewording if done right. Some things that would help are (translation tech slow in becoming perfect, translation problems – good and bad, cultural differences, prejudices, personalities, exec . . and portrayed dramatically) these have been done in other games . . but it is not very common in these for whatever reason.

Some more real trade between empires and cultures with more possibility for profit and loss. Some smaller empires would be better at exporting raw materials to over developed large empires . .this make the trade vital for both and can be fun to play with to maximize your export and profit while hindering the others (peacefully). Small empires can become very important then . .

Etc. . .

Ps. this is my no means being down on GalCiv . .just answering "what would the perfect space empire game be"