I'm pleased with the Alpha 3 update: there are some minor issues (https://forums.galciv3.com/455484 has a good list already), but in general, the new planetary interface looks good.
Compared to GalCiv 2, I already like adjacent boni (making planetary development fun again) and starports. Both features feel like "how it should be".
Feeding a starport from multiple planets sure is great fo giant ships. I'm not sure about building a fleet of tiny peckers, though: if my production is a multiple of the cost, will multiple ships be built in one turn? (Or is that maybe a bad idea?)
---
For me personally there are a few (minor) immersion issues with the starports:
First, since construction is now obviously in space, and resources can be distributed freeely between ground and orbit, I can't stop thinking of the cost of launching all that stuff into space. (it could be said "it's included in the production cost", yet it feels missing from lore / tech tree / assignment)
Second, the "0..100" slider between planet and ship construction feels "socially overpowered". For sure an underdeveloped planet might have an issue with diverting all resources to build colony ships. I could imagine repercussions for extreme settings (e.g. diminishing returns, or affecting happiness), or progressively unlocking settings through research.
I do hope combat gets a makeover (compared to GalCiv 2). Rocket/bullet/laser are uninspiringly symmetric, and the differences between them always felt too little to count. Maybe I didn't grok it, but it was always "look at the first enemy ship, research the respective tech lines and hope the enemy doesn't switch". The improvements also seem pretty linear, the main strategic choice is "breadth vs. depth". After all these years, that's not good enough anymore.
You need a user account to post here. sorry couldn't resist.
there is diminishing returns for planets that send production to shipyards more then 7 hexes away. This is the only repercussion i know off.
Presumably a star faring civilization has over come the economic problems of sending stuff into space.
"Extreme settings" as you call them aren't in the game, you cannot set a planet into a self harming state, other then starvation but that is only for well developed planets, not underdeveloped planets. There are some ideology buildings that have some malusses if you build them, but it would be cool to be able to set a planet to overdrive/unsustainable production. where you get say 1.2 production per population instead of the usual 1, but at some cost to planet quality or population.
Combat is changing but how much remains to be seen, it is still beams/guns/missiles and shields/armor/ecm, but range, ship speed, accuracy etc now presumably play a role as well, but how much nobody knows yet. THere is also weapon augments like bypass shields or drain shield, but still way early to say anything meaningful on it.
Your title is confusing considering your user name. I though it was going to a bitchy nit pick post, but I am pleased to say I was wrong.
You make good points so I'm giving you karma.
DARCA
Here's hoping the combat makeover will be on par with the others: a rather minor change with big impact. I don't mind the three weapon types, it's just their interaction was (or appeared to be) lacking in GalCiv1+2.
As for the rest: as said, it's just something I keep thinking about, and which in turn kicks down my immersion. It's not a problem gameplay-wise, just something that feels unadressed in the lore (and made obvious through the star ports).
that account is probably from another game where I had to make an account just to play, something that can make me a bit... itchy. And the title was chosen because "first thoughts" was already posted - I'm not a native speaker, so I didn't register the rejective connotation of "having second thoughts".
The others?
The other "changes/makeovers"? At least, that's how I read it.
Yup.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:
Sign in or Create Account
