Galactic Civilizations is a breath of fresh air in the gaming world. The graphics are semi-legacy, completely entrancing, and the interface is logically laid out and easy to learn. Do****entation could use some improvement, the included manual leaves much to be desired; but after experimenting with the game for a while only two pages of the manual are really necessary, the key stroke commands page and the page of planet classifications. Remarkably enough, the game will run out of the box without the CDROM in the drive. StarDock feels that registration online and membership in the "Metaverse" of the game is worth the price of the game and that is what they are really charging for. Those who pay instantly get a Bonus Disk upgrade that provides new game options, ships, and multimedia. The game will continue to develop with player input guiding the process throughout at least the next year. Also, the AI will be able to grow smarter each time it is connected to the Metaverse because it will learn from combined player experience. Eventually the game will grow in functionality as well, right now the player must play the human race versus the aliens, but with the customization features this is not much of a disadvantage. If you liked Master of Orion 2, you will probably like this game even though it is quite different in style and concept. It already well deserves the 9.6 score that I have given it. With another year of player-guided development it will be a perfect 10.0 in my book.
I played GC endlessly when it came out. Very addictive! There is a steep learning curve in this game, which can only partly be compensated by starting off with weak enemies. When you play against weak foes, you will... Read Full Review
While not as relationship serveringly addictive as Alpha Centaurai, Master of Orion 2, or Civilization, Galactic civilization sure comes close. I'll break it down short and then give the long review at the end. Gamepl... Read Full Review
