Galactic Civilization 2 Borrowed Element

Vitrugo · Apr 7, 2013

So it apears that a new gameplay mechanic for the new Brave New World expansion is borrowed from Galactic Civilizations 2;

The way the new Caravans seems to work are very similar to how Freighters work in GalCiv 2; You create a revenue generating trade route using a unit, connecting 2 cities.

SamBC · Apr 7, 2013

And? There's nothing new under the sun.

TheMarshmallowBear · Apr 7, 2013

I don't think Galactic Civ 2 is the only game that uses that feature, I think Total War also has something like that.

And even if it did borrow it? So what?

I think International Trading Routes are an awesome feature that was really demanded.

AriochIV · Apr 7, 2013

Shocking! Because, as we know, GalCiv didn't borrow ANY features from Master of Orion or Civilization or Empire...

Cicero63 · Apr 7, 2013

The caravans that we see now in this game are very similar if not exactly the same thing as the caravans that appear in Civilization Revolution

Louis XXIV · Apr 7, 2013

They're not all that dissimilar to Civ2 except for the automation.

PhilBowles · Apr 7, 2013

TheKingOfBigOz said:
I don't think Galactic Civ 2

That's actually a fairly recent addition to Total War (with Empire, I think), and you only need units to set up international trade routes with powers that aren't represented in the game.

But no, Gal Civ was not the first game to use this mechanic. Caravans were required to create trade routes in Civ 1; they were just phased out in later editions. Civ IV's Great Merchant trade routes worked in the same way from recollection; that's a newer game than Gal Civ 2, but it seems more likely the designers looked to the older Civ games for inspiration before they looked at Master of Orion clones.

playshogi · Apr 7, 2013

Rise of Nations, which pre-dates Civ THREE, had trade units that would go back and forth automatically.

Aristos · Apr 8, 2013

Borrowing GOOD ideas is the way to go. Kudos for that. Now, stripping a game of almost every single good and working idea that has been proven by the true test of time, THAT is bad.

poom3619 · Apr 8, 2013

I personally want U.N. in BNW to looks like GalCiv2 U.P. At least it might have some popup of it's own.

Louis XXIV · Apr 8, 2013

playshogi said:
Rise of Nations, which pre-dates Civ THREE, had trade units that would go back and forth automatically.

Well, it was also a real time strategy game, so it would be a nightmare to have to manually move them while also deal with everything else at the same time.

Browd · Apr 8, 2013

playshogi said:
Rise of Nations, which pre-dates Civ THREE, had trade units that would go back and forth automatically.

As did the old Caesar PC game (1994?).

snipperrabbit!! · Apr 8, 2013

IIRC Call to Power had trade lines too !

PhilBowles · Apr 8, 2013

playshogi said:
Rise of Nations, which pre-dates Civ THREE, had trade units that would go back and forth automatically.

That was however an RTS, and that's not very dissimilar from Age of Empires' trade routes with outposts along the route that could be destroyed - also predating Civ 3.

Ashbery76 · Apr 9, 2013

Galciv2 borrowed it from Rome Total War. I recall the lead from Stardock himself saying it.

Biologist · Apr 9, 2013

Ashbery76 said:
Galciv2 borrowed it from Rome Total War. I recall the lead from Stardock himself saying it.

Interesting. I don't recall having to build dedicated trade units in Rome TW, or travel to trade ports as in Empire TW. Was Stardock referring to just the automated trade routes (with merchant sprites walking along the trade routes)?

PhilBowles · Apr 9, 2013

Biologist said:
Interesting. I don't recall having to build dedicated trade units in Rome TW, or travel to trade ports as in Empire TW. Was Stardock referring to just the automated trade routes (with merchant sprites walking along the trade routes)?

I don't think Rome even had that since it didn't have trade routes except by sea; as with Medieval it had merchants who sat on resources to farm income.

Ashbery76 · Apr 10, 2013

PhilBowles said:
I don't think Rome even had that since it didn't have trade routes except by sea; as with Medieval it had merchants who sat on resources to farm income.

The moving trade ships was inspired by Rome and not the setting up..

Loaf Warden · Apr 10, 2013

So it turns out there is more than one game dealing with cooperation and rivalry between different nations who have in some way incorporated the idea of having units that conduct trade. Oh noes! Everyone is plagiarizing everyone!

Seriously, why is this important? Or interesting? The original Civilization had Caravan units, and that came out in bleeding 1991. Who cares?

PhilBowles · Apr 10, 2013

Ashbery76 said:
The moving trade ships was inspired by Rome and not the setting up..

Sure, but I was under the impression that (not having played it but based on testimony here) that Gal Civ II had automated trade units - i.e. units that, much like those in BNW, you create, send to a destination, and which then move back and forth while being susceptible to attack (or, a recent analogy from a space 4x title, Distant Worlds - although there trade itself is automated but the units carrying it out can be destroyed if not protected). None of that was the case in Rome; those moving ship graphics were just that, a graphical representation of the trade route. The "units" couldn't be attacked or destroyed. You could sit on a trade route and raid it, but you could do the same in Civ games with trade connected by roads.

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