CIVILIZATION: BEYOND EARTH

[Grover]

2K Launches CIVILIZATION: BEYOND EARTH in New Trailer, Screens « Nerdist

Whoooooo!

[flere-imsaho]

My initial reaction was to think this was an old news story about Alpha Centauri.

[claphamsa]

nothing about the game though...

[The Jackal]

Interesting, I'm sure I'd end up getting this

[Ben E Lou]

Ugh. I've never been able to get into games that aren't earth (or similar planet) based. We'll see...

[Grover]

Ben, I'm with you. I struggled to get into Galactic Civilizations and its sequel. However, I'm thinking Sid Meier will be able to change my feelings on the space-based civilization games

[Grover]

From Civilization.com

Sid Meier's Civilization®: Beyond Earth™ is a new science-fiction-themed entry into the award-winning Civilization series. Set in the future, global events have destabilized the world leading to a collapse of modern society, a new world order and an uncertain future for humanity. As the human race struggles to recover, the re-developed nations focus their resources on deep space travel to chart a new beginning for mankind.

As part of an expedition sent to find a home beyond Earth, you will write the next chapter for humanity as you lead your people into a new frontier and create a new civilization in space. Explore and colonize an alien planet, research new technologies, amass mighty armies, build incredible Wonders and shape the face of your new world. As you embark on your journey you must make critical decisions. From your choice of sponsor and the make-up of your colony, to the ultimate path you choose for your civilization, every decision opens up new possibilities.

FEATURES

Seed the Adventure: Establish your cultural identity by choosing one of eight different expedition sponsors, each with its own leader and unique gameplay benefits. Assemble your spacecraft, cargo & colonists through a series of choices that directly seed the starting conditions when arriving at the new planet.

Colonize an Alien World: Explore the dangers and benefits of a new planet filled with dangerous terrain, mystical resources, and hostile life forms unlike those of Earth. Build outposts, unearth ancient alien relics, tame new forms of life, develop flourishing cities and establish trade routes to create prosperity for your people.

Technology Web: To reflect progress forward into an uncertain future, technology advancement occurs through a series of nonlinear choices that affect the development of mankind. The technology web is organized around three broad themes, each with a distinct victory condition.

Quest System: Quests are injected with fiction about the planet, and help to guide you through a series of side-missions that will aid in resource collection, unit upgrades, and advancement through the game.

Orbital Layer: Build and deploy advanced military, economic and scientific units that provide strategic offensive, defensive and support capabilities from orbit.

Unit Customization: Unlock different upgrades through the tech web and customize your units to reflect your play style.

Multiplayer: Up to 8 players can compete for dominance of a new alien world.

Mod support: Robust mod support allows you to customize and extend your game experience.

[Blackadar]

Hopefully they emphasize the points that made SMAC a classic. It sounds like it in the write up, but we'll see. SMAC had truly unique personalities and the whole game complimented those - the story, the reading of each tech discovered, the diplomacy and even what they researched - all helped create distinct personalities for the civs. Then by adding in the planet as another "character", the game had a unique feel for a 4X game. The unit editor was also pretty cool, even as air units (needlejets) became severely unbalanced in the late game.

[ISiddiqui]

Unfortunately they won't be able to use the original SMAC personalities, due to EA's ownership of that game. I hope we don't get fake retreads as a result (either use the actual people, which they can't because EA owns that, or do factions completely different).

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Unfortunately they won't be able to use the original SMAC personalities, due to EA's ownership of that game. I hope we don't get fake retreads as a result (either use the actual people, which they can't because EA owns that, or do factions completely different).

I don't know how different you can make the civs - religious, warlike, research, UN, environmental and industrial, they all fell into typical categories that you would expect to see. I'm not sure getting wildly creative with factions adds to the game play since these were easy to understand (whereas things like the tech tree weren't due to it all being futuristic tech). So I'd expect the civs to be based along these lines, with slight tweaks and different voice actors.

[SirFozzie]

There's three playtypes, Purity, Supremacy, and Harmony.

Purity= as a policy.."Murica Fuck Yeah". Does it move? Put guns on it. Can we make it Fly? Do it. This planet is ours and we'll make it another earth. They'll play "big" (ie, small territory, but cities)

Supremacy=Technology got us to this planet, and we'll need technology to keep us moving forward.. so cyborgs brains in a jar for everyone (specialized units that are the best at what they do, but they cost and are very specialized.

Harmony= We'll adjust to our new home, and won't make the mistakes we made on earth (later on ability to genengineer alien species to help out.. play wide.. nimble and wide ranging)

[ISiddiqui]

An article on the new game, plus why it isn't SMAC (or Civ5 for that matter):

Civilization goes Beyond Earth, but not back to Alpha Centauri | PCGamesN

Each faction leader is free to pick from any of the affinities, regardless of whatever their particular strengths are. In this, they are more like traditional Civilization leaders, where they have certain advantages that are adaptable to a variety of different victory paths. These choices, of course, will drive conflict. But it’s not like Alpha Centauri, where Sister Miriam’s religious zealots will almost inevitably run afoul of Provost Zakharov’s nation of scientists.

“We recognize the value in darker and more antagonistic approaches,” said gameplay designer Anton Strenger. “But we took it out of the civs themselves, and we put it into the planet. So when you land on this planet, the planet is very hostile. Your first work in the game is taming that world.”

As an example, Strenger pointed to the Pan Asian Cooperative, and led by a woman named Dao Ming.

“She’s very much this hands-in-the-dirt engineer type that really focuses on production and efficiency,” Strenger said. “So each of the leaders will have their own playstyles and gameplay bonuses. But they also play differently every time. Compared to Alpha Centauri especially, we’re taking less of a strong stance on their play style. ...Dao Ming in one game might go for Purification, but in another game, she might go in a Harmony direction. And she’ll play like a totally different civilization.”

The Purity, Supremacy, and Harmony choices affect the different faction leaders, who seemingly are far less ideological than they were in SMAC.

[ISiddiqui]

A fun, long interview about the game too:

http://www.pcgamer.com/2014/04/12/ci...logy-and-more/

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

A fun, long interview about the game too:

http://www.pcgamer.com/2014/04/12/ci...logy-and-more/

I can't say whether or not the changes will work, but it's a day one buy for me.

[Draft Dodger]

yeah, I'm really really excited for this one.

[Dutch]

Not big into sci-fi but perhaps colonizing a new world might make this interesting. I'll definitely give it a go.

[SackAttack]

I'm in.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

[flere-imsaho]

Pre-alpha review: Preview: Civilization: Beyond Earth is a sim with a slight alien twist | Ars Technica

Lots of great stuff from SMAC being brought into the game.

[Blackadar]

And the Rock Paper Shotgun interview:

Firaxis On How Civ: Beyond Earth Really Isn’t Alpha Centauri | Rock, Paper, Shotgun

[flere-imsaho]

I am hopeful.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Another one.......

My First 40 Turns With Civilization: Beyond Earth

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

E3 2014: 3 Ways Civilization: Beyond Earth is Different From The Start - IGN

[NobodyHere]

Definitely a must buy for me when it goes on sale.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

Definitely a must buy for me when it goes on sale.

Ditto. I can't wait!

[Blackadar]

Day 1 preorder for me. Then again I've been playing Civ since the first one.

[Thomkal]

PC Gamer got a hands-on play of apparantly the full game:

http://www.pcgamer.com/previews/civi...urn-at-a-time/

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

PC Gamer got a hands-on play of apparantly the full game:

http://www.pcgamer.com/previews/civi...urn-at-a-time/

[Thomkal]

Now available for pre-order at Steam and all the usual suspects:

$49.99 and you get a map pack for pre-ordering:

Sid Meier's Civilization | Official Civ Site | 2K

Click on all the menu bars down below to get to your preferred region, platform, etc.

[Blackadar]

I already ordered it from GMG. 409 hours (I'm so ashamed) in Civ V + 25% off = WIN!

[jeff061]

Looking forward to it, but can't in good conscience pre-order.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Done. I only pre-order from one developer. Sid always gets my money on the spot.

[HarryLime]

this should be an insta pre-order for me too..

but with 2k's australia tax pushing the price up to $90, 2k can get stuffed and i will keep my money in my wallet

EDIT : strange.. it is 90 on GMG, but 50 on Steam?

[kcchief19]

Just saw that they have postponed the Mac version. Apparently the Mac and Linux versions are still coming, but the simultaneous release is out the window.

I seriously doubt my desktop PC will be able to handle the game, and not sold on how well Crossover will handle it either. If Steam ensures me that if I buy the PC version I'll have access to the Mac version too (normally the case), I'll give it a go. Otherwise, I'll just have to wait for the Mac version.

Hopefully it won't be too long.

[Thomkal]

Similar to Kcchief, my desktop will not be able to handle this one. It could play Civ V with the Strategic View on though-anyone know if Beyond Earth will have something similar?

[Blackadar]

I'm still really looking forward to this. My PC might chug a bit, but even if I had to buy a new video card I'd get this. It's a CIV after all and I've been buying them Day 1 since Civ 2 (I got Civ 1 about two weeks after release). Can't break the streak now.

The only downside is that Endless Legend has been fulfilling that 4x jones. Between that, AOW3 and Pandora, I might be 4x'd out by the time this is released.

[Thomkal]

9 minute trailer from Firaxis, revealing everything you need to know to play Beyond Earth:

Civilization: Beyond Earth trailer teaches all you need to know - PC Gamer

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

9 minute trailer from Firaxis, revealing everything you need to know to play Beyond Earth:

Civilization: Beyond Earth trailer teaches all you need to know - PC Gamer

Oddly enough, it seems like the whole alien thing makes more sense within the game than the barbarian hordes in the Civ games.

[saldana]

what are the system required and recommended?

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by saldana

what are the system required and recommended?

You can find those here (scroll to the bottom of the page): Pre-purchase Sid Meier's Civilization®: Beyond Earth™ on Steam


As with any Sid Meier's Civ game, I'm greatly looking forward to this. I'd probably be even more excited if Endless Legend wasn't filling that 4x jones so admirably right now. Between the new EL innovations, the huge variance in tile outputs and the vastly different civs that require very different ways of playing, EL seems to have a lot to offer for a good while.

[Coffee Warlord]

Has anyone found information stating yay or nay on custom factions?

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Has anyone found information stating yay or nay on custom factions?

I did read no unit workshop, which may or may not have anything to do with your question

[saldana]

Originally Posted by Blackadar

You can find those here (scroll to the bottom of the page): Pre-purchase Sid Meier's Civilization®: Beyond Earth™ on Steam


As with any Sid Meier's Civ game, I'm greatly looking forward to this. I'd probably be even more excited if Endless Legend wasn't filling that 4x jones so admirably right now. Between the new EL innovations, the huge variance in tile outputs and the vastly different civs that require very different ways of playing, EL seems to have a lot to offer for a good while.

thanks...i fall kinda in the middle...i have been toying with the idea of building a new rig in time for Warlords of Draenor, but the added lure of this may push me to newegg very soon.

[Peregrine]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

I did read no unit workshop, which may or may not have anything to do with your question

seriously no unit workshop? That was one of the key things that made SMAC great - not happy about this.

[Blackadar]

Techs and Virtues Livestream: Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth - Livestream 3: Techs and Virtues - YouTube

[flere-imsaho]

NONONONONO!!!!! I don't need another game to want to play!

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

NONONONONO!!!!! I don't need another game to want to play!

One of us! One of us! One of us! One of us!

simpsons one of us - YouTube

[flere-imsaho]

Oh wait, I just realized I have a Mac, so it'll be later anyway.

Seriously, though, this is starting to look really good.

[mrtourette]

Christ I haven't even picked up Wasteland 2 yet and this is upon us. Interested to find out how the tech web works.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Went ahead and made my pre-purchase for Uncle Sid's game. I never pre-purchase games, but I make an exception for anything Civ.