Rock Paper Shotgun review of BERT

[omniclast]

In a nutshell, it feels more unique and alien, but the diplo system is tragically unfinished and needs a lot of work to be playable. The issues extend beyond War Score to AIs refusing to make agreements for unknown reasons and declaring war at strange times. Evidently the AI's diplomatic behaviour is even more nonsensical and non-transparent from before.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/08/beyond-earth-rising-tide-review/

The worst bit: "[W]hen allied with two civs who go to war with each other, I swiftly found myself at war with both civs. It didn’t happen immediately or consistently – one would instantly turn on me, and the other a few moments later, declaring their outrage at my violent ways. Then everyone else gradually joined in too. I ended up in horrific loops of conflict with people who were supposed to be my allies, constant domino effects triggering as their allies – also my allies – turned on me. (And no-one helping me, of course). I’d eventually make it back to Co-operating or Allied status, only for them to declare war again moments later. I think the fact my Fear rating was maxing out as I raised an army to defend myself only deepened their hatred of me, but the only way I found out of it was to, eventually, totally obliterate the two Civs who’d originally declared war on each other, which presumably was the Gordian knot at the centre of all this mutually-confused destruction."

 

[Maximus_Light]

That quote sounds terrible but hilarious in hindsight.

 

[PhilBowles]

Looks like there's nothing here to drag me in - water cities, same as land cities. Didn't like it in Alien Crossfire, doubt I'll like it here however nice the cosmetics. The diplomacy changes sound dreadful in principle even if the practical issues the reviewer flags are resolved. And no meaningful interaction with aliens is disappointing if not unexpected - that was the major area where the game could have diverged from a Civ clone in interesting ways (sea cities? Sure, but Earth has sea and underwater resources - still doesn't really distinguish RT from a 'future tech' Earth).

EDIT: The PC Gamer synopsis (one can hardly call it a review - it just briefly outlines the new features and says "not good enough" about each) reminds me of the new artifact system. Since this seems among the more interesting changes - along with hybrid affinities - it's a shame RPS didn't touch on it, or go into any kind of detail about what hybrid affinities actually entail beyond the essentially cosmetic changes that were the first affinity trio.