Stardock has rolled out a new update for Galactic Civilizations III, introducing some major AI improvements — something gamers always appreciate. Version 2.8 also makes a bunch of balance adjustments, as well as adding some minor new features. Those who enjoy forming new civilizations in the massive space strategy game will be able to enjoy a more challenging experience.
The studio has taken full advantage of 64-bit computing and multi-core support since more gaming machines are sporting more than four cores. The team developed a "semi-genetic algorithm based AI" that allows the computer to play a little bit more human-like. This is major for AI play since it's easy to combat the system after learning patterns and techniques employed by the scripts.
The new "supreme commander" AI will observe and send priorities for computer-controlled civilizations, which offers some unfamiliarity that comes with playing multiplayer against live opponents. As well as this rather sizeable improvement, the developer also looked at making it easier for players to manage tall and wide empires, allowing them to better compete as smaller, well-run empires.
Finally, work has been done to make the game more approachable for newcomers without sacrificing depth to more experienced veterans. There's a full changelog over on the community forum and if you don't already own the game, Galactic Civilizations III can be purchased on PC for around $30.
