Playing Intrigue, great job Stardock, things obviously not 100% yet (governments could be sorted better, more options etc and another hand up in the air for the "Ideology Makes No Sense and Being Greedy And Picking All 3 Has No Huge Consequences I Can See" crew, that's my True Biggest Gripe) but really, really liking it.
Except: And I've complained about this with the UP. I find it weird/borderline annoying that GNN tells me 5 planets I don't even know exist are in the Top 5 for Food Output etc. Can GNN be newtered so it only bothers to tell you information about planets you already know about?
Admittedly, that is a smaller problem than this:
My setup is Galaxy Huge, Tight Clusters, Stars Common, Planets Abundant, Colonizable Planets Abundant, 9 Opponents Random.
As I've said previously: Get on the Diplomacy Screen, look at the U.P tab and viola! There are your "Random" races listed with their percentages of power. I've always thought your Diplomacy Screen should only show you information about Races you've met. For example, Turn 3 I meet the Drengin. I should only be told by my Diplomacy Screen that the Drengin exist and their percentage of influence against mine. That seems "realistic" as for all you know, the Drengin may just have killed every-damn-body else and you're the last ones to kill. Until you find the 3rd race etc. Obviously, of course, if you set a 9 opponent game you're entitled to see all those 9, or at least not have them killed off before Turn 1, but you see my point: knowledge should be gained, not magically on-screen for you. If you, on Turn 3, look at the Diplomacy Screen and see the Drengin, YOR and some custom-made Evil As Hell Race, let's face it, you might just start again. Rather than finding the YOR on Turn 40 by which time you've got enough influence, money, etc that you might just be able to get along with those weirdos and the Evil As Hell Race you find on Turn 47, too.
Small potatoes! you might say, well I say the complaints about the Combat Viewer and how Battles are presented are small potatoes to me...
Obviously Stardock seems to have two lists:
"Improvements/Things Galactic Civilizations III Needs" - things any 4X game should have and if the game does have those, Stardock will be looking to improve them.
"Improvements/Things We Want Galactic Civilizations III To Have - "It's my game, I want this" developer dreams and plans, basically.
Not expecting my complaint ranks that highly, but if you don't ask you don't get...
Oh, and I'd also like, heck, as a Founder I'm entitled to, 3 Precursor 20+ Level planets within 5 moves of my home planet. Is that really too much to ask? 