Blog, Jvstin Style

Galactic Civilizations II and Gaming companies which step it up

Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor - A Forum Post by Frogboy

Galactic Civilizations II, IMO, the currently best single player 4x space strategy game in current release, is going to have a second expansion pack, on the heels of their already successful first one.

The announcement of this release got me to thinking about computer game companies in general.

Stardock puts its customers, the players of its game, first.

Let's face it, computer bugs in games are inevitable. Without a standard platform, its impossible for computer game designers to anticipate every potential or even every common configuration of hardware. That, plus the hideous complexity of modern computer games, makes bugs and problems with games a fact of life.

And then there are balancing issues. Nothing can kill the fun of a game than finding a strategy that works against human (or especially) computer opponents most of the time. You either wind up with cheap wins, which lose their luster, or artifically changing your play to avoid the exploit.

Game companies handle these challenges in any number of ways. Some companies release their games and never follow up, or follow up in a desultory fashion. Others release a patch that solves some problems, but still results in diminished gameplay.

Some companies go far beyond this, with built communities, multiple patches to correct problems, listening to player concerns and ideas, and generally giving a damn about their product. Firaxis, makers of the Civilization games, and Stardock, makers of the Galactic Civilization games, are exemplars in this regard.

So, now that I have heard a new expansion pack is in the works for Gal Civ II...an expansion pact which is not just a few new units or a single race, but a full blooded expansion (on the heels of one already), of *course* I am going to buy it, and support a game company who cares.

Wouldn't you?

Posted by Jvstin at October 17, 2007 9:46 AM