Galactic
Civilizations is a popular, realistic, strategy game
that takes place in outer space. Although it has a
sci-fi-based premise, the dynamics of the game follow
entirely plausible situations governed by human ideologies
and theologies. Known as a 4X game, this means you
are able to complete your campaigns by exploiting
any of the following four elements: Technology; economics;
cultural expansion, and military might. The Altarian
Prophecy adds new life to the original game as an
expansion pack that is virtually guaranteed to give
you your money's worth and more.
In
the Altarian Prophecy, you will still fight the human-like
enemies known as the Altarians but this time you'll
learn more about their origins. There will also be
two new races thrown into the mix, some of which you
can befriend, others which will present a new threat.
The campaign is well paced and presented. It doesn't
follow any specific pattern. Some missions are short
and easy and not necessarily included at the beginning.
The randomness of these missions keeps things fresh.
New
features, aside from the two new races, include new
ships, improved interfaces, the inclusion of rally
points, 10 new Metaverse scenarios and an editor to
customize a game to your specifications. For twenty
bucks you sure get a lot of replay value.
These
new additions don't upset the balance of the original
game. Most of the additions are supplemental. For
instance, the four new ships enhance the ability of
fleet as opposed to introducing new, super battleships.
The Paladin is a capital ship that heals good ships
within its region while the Sovereign adds an extra
boost of defense capabilities. The Vamp and the Wraith
are for the bad guys. You might be able to surmise
by the tone of their names. They interfere with the
defensive capabilities of the good ships.
Foreign
policies, United Planet communications and other stats
are easier to see and access thanks to a more streamlined
interface. Information is the key to winning the campaign
and you'll have everything you need to help you make
the right decision at the touch of a button. Of course,
processing that information is something only you
can do.
Aside
from the 10 new scenarios that take place in the open-ended
Metaverse, an editor allows you to set up scenarios
with various custom features. These can be uploaded
to the game's website where you can also download
other players' edited games. The learning curve is
not very steep. Once you learn the method it's relatively
easy to select everything
you want but it's not just a matter of picking and
choosing at random. If you want to create a great
scenario you have to think ahead to include all variables
that will be affected.
As
an expansion pack, the Altarian Prophecy is a perfect
example of the perfect expansion pack. It doesn't
interfere with the original gameplay; it just expands
on the premise without attempting to turn it into
a sequel.
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