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The terrors of terraforming.

Pandora: First Contact Gold Edition is now available, DRM-free on GOG.com with a 69% launch discount until December 26.
Power struggles, greed, and misguided ideas have left Earth in tatters. Now Pandora is to be the incubator of humanity's last hope for prosperity. And yet, giant monsters and hostile flora prove to be quite the challenge for the factions, as they struggle tame the land, develop new technologies, strike uneasy alliances, and utilize all their 4X strategies, one turn at a time.

Check out the rest of the Slitherine Ltd. space epics which arrived together with this at GOG.com.

Watch the trailer.
Post edited December 05, 2017 by maladr0Id
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YaroslavUSSR: What is the game's version? I bought it on Matrix but they never bothered to update it to the latest version (currently 1.6.7). Instead of releasing the latest offline patch they suggest to use the autoupdater.
Changelog file inside a game directory is stating version as 1.6.7 with last entry timestamped as being from June 2016 (and clearly DLC is included, since it even labeled 'Pandora: Eclipse of Nashira', not 'Pandora: First Contact')
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YaroslavUSSR: What is the game's version? I bought it on Matrix but they never bothered to update it to the latest version (currently 1.6.7). Instead of releasing the latest offline patch they suggest to use the autoupdater.
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Mr_GeO: Changelog file inside a game directory is stating version as 1.6.7 with last entry timestamped as being from June 2016 (and clearly DLC is included, since it even labeled 'Pandora: Eclipse of Nashira', not 'Pandora: First Contact')
Thank you!
As for AI and bad views. I have been playing Pandora since the release and I like it so much more than CivBE. I haven't seen good AI in Civ-like games for too long to be squeamish. It has very nice graphics, very low system requirements, fast and easy gameplay. Sure it lacks the depth of SMAC. I think only Bryan Reynolds is able to repeat the success of its own SMAC. The creators of CivBE were not able.
I've played through it before and it's a better Alpha Centauri clone than Civilization: Beyond Earth.

The computer is very aggressive and the game is heavily combat oriented though.
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Zandolf: it's RTS. nm.
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IainMcNeil: No it is a turn based 4X game. Why do people keep thinking it is RTS?
Sorry to dive in like that but huuuuuge thanks for bringing these gems in here, sir!
Finally got Distant Worlds and better yet: drm-free! :P
Keep 'em coming!!!
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Zandolf: it's RTS. nm.
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IainMcNeil: No it is a turn based 4X game. Why do people keep thinking it is RTS?
Sorry, that's what I saw when I checked it on your site. I will not post again on GOG. sorry to upset you.
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IainMcNeil: No it is a turn based 4X game. Why do people keep thinking it is RTS?
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victorchopin: Sorry to dive in like that but huuuuuge thanks for bringing these gems in here, sir!
Finally got Distant Worlds and better yet: drm-free! :P
Keep 'em coming!!!
Sorry you felt the need to apologize for me.
Post edited December 06, 2017 by Zandolf
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IainMcNeil: No it is a turn based 4X game. Why do people keep thinking it is RTS?
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Zandolf: Sorry, that's what I saw when I checked it on your site. I will not post again on GOG. sorry to upset you.
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victorchopin: Sorry to dive in like that but huuuuuge thanks for bringing these gems in here, sir!
Finally got Distant Worlds and better yet: drm-free! :P
Keep 'em coming!!!
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Zandolf: Sorry you felt the need to apologize for me.
In all (let's say) "sorriness" in sorry, too. And I'm not even Canadian! :P
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Mr_GeO: Bought it, tried it.
Unfortunately, the game seems to be at the same pitiful state as the Steam release. DLC (btw, thank you GoG for not going into full scrooge mode and selling it separately) ironed out some of the worst technical issues, but main problems with AI and gameplay are not fixed. AI is still just spaming hundreds of high tier units out of thin air and researching technologies without a need of required money, resources or even a labour force. Aliens are still much more aggressive (and stronger) towards human player. AI attitude is a still roller coaster without any logic or reason behind it.

Well, I've got it pretty cheap (nice discount GoG, thank you), but being a sucker for 4x civ'esque games (especially sci-fi themed) I hoped that it has improved since 2013. Sadly, it does not.
Have you posted a review?
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YaroslavUSSR: I think only Bryan Reynolds is able to repeat the success of its own SMAC. The creators of CivBE were not able.
Indeed. Also, SMAC had a solid story behind: it drew heavily from Frank Herbert's The Jesus Incident. The player sees a story unfolding and taking shape according to the path the civilization takes. That was lacking in CivBE. On the other hand, Endless Legend captured a bit of that feeling, with unfolding stories and original factions. It seems that a powerful narrative may do wonders for a strategy game.
Wow, this game is getting bad press for the AI :)
Not saying it isn't for a reason.
I've been studying the AI behaviour a bit - I'm starting to assume that the AI factions, especially that one that keeps talking about divine gods and such, tend to get really angry if you expand too quickly.
I played for a while on hard difficulty, and expanded very slowly, and didn't have too much trouble with the aggressions of the other factions, though in the end things went bad. Then played four sessions on normal difficulty with heavy emphasis on starting new colonies, and I always, and very quickly, got into trouble with the same Divine Ascension faction.
It's kinda tough to find a balance with expanding and building the first colony. But personally I love the challenge - this is exactly the best successor for Alpha Centauri. Endless Legend was awesome, but kind of a different thing.
But maybe I'm just nuts :)
Post edited December 07, 2017 by superstande