[fixed] anomaly exploit

version 1.0D.006

from GalCiv2 Forums
This was fixed in 1.0D1.007

I'm using windows XP pro, running the game full screen (or sometimes windowed) at 1024x768 resolution, same as my desktop which is set at 32 bit color.
Running gal civ 2 ver 1.0D.006 from stardock.

Exploit 1:
When sending a survey ship to an anomaly, the little area at the bottom of the screen tells you what the anomoly will have before you visit it. Examples are MONEY05, TRADE, DIPLOMACY, etc. IMHO, you should not know what the anomaly is before you survey it. At the begining of the game you could just click on all anomalies and goto the ones that you know are best first.
Here's an example.
http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/6111/anomalyexploit0wt.jpg

Mini map Issue #2 (non exploit):
The mini map shows enemy territory boundaries before revealed by fog, and you can estimate his starting position.

Edit: I'm convinced that the ability to see stars (at start) and planets (after stellar cartography) is reasonable and was designed that way. My bad. The final point about the enemy locations is probably also functioning as design since a dev posted here and didn't mention that it was an issue. Please disregard my long and misinformed reply #3 below, the forum gives me an error when I try to edit it
I am curious to know if the AI can see this same info on the mini map.
15,120 views 15 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
you need star cartography to see the stars and planets, otherwise, just the stars.

the anomaly info, i suspect is debug info left over from the beta.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
the first thing I haven't noticed, but for the second thing, you are supposed to see stars on the minimap. also, I think seeing borders on the minimap was on purpose so you wouldn't have to explore the entire map to know everyone's borders
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
aye #2 i mean cant you look up in teh sky and see the stars?
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yeah, but are you supposed to see which planets are colonizable, and which have not been yet? (notice the two planets I circled in the screenshot).
In other words, without exploring the map, I know that I need a total of 4 colony ships to colonize all availible planets in the galaxy, I know EXACTLY where to send those 4 colony ships, and if I rush to invest in troop transports, I know exactly where to send them all to the single enemy planet. ALL without exploring a single parsec.

In other words, it makes the fog of war useless except for concealing ships and starbases (and you can't click on the enemy planet for detailed information on it, although you know exactly where it is)

If the purpose of the fog of war is not to conceal colonizable planets, then why not show them all on the map as well? Why not show the borders on the map at begining?

I like the idea of exploring an unexplored galaxy to find out what I can colonize and where the differant stuff is. If this is indeed the way the minimap is intended to operate, I'd like an option to turn this feature off.

Also this brings up another point, does the AI know all this too? Does he know exactly where to go to colonize planets without any exploration? Does he know exactly where my planets are without exploration?

Edit: Perhaps its only showing the stars on the mini map and its coincidance that in that particluar map every star seemed to have a colonizable planet. This would be reasonable. I think that as the previous poster mentioned, you can see the light from the stars.
But that still leaves knowing exactly where the enemy is, and does the AI know this about me as well?
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
you are supposed to see planets on the minimap and which are colonzable after researching that one tech that comes before sensors.... stellar mapping or something
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
Hmm. I was playing a game last night and I didn't see planets until I researched a certain tech, and then I saw them. Until then i just knew there were stars, but not what planets were there, let alone if I could colonize them (in fact, I didn't colonize anything but another planet in my home system all game - M1 of campaign).

Don't know about the borders, I don't think I had that on.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
What you circled on the minimap in your screenshot are the stars. You can't see the planets around them without exploring. There could actually be as many as 16 planets in the galaxy (4 stars X about 4 planets each.) You still have to explore around the stars to determine how usable the surrounding planets are.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, haven't played the game yet.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
The above user is correct. What you circled are stars, you have no idea how many usable planets there are around those stars, and playing on a bigger map you'd still need to explore quite a bit to find which solar systems are any good. On your sample map there are 4 stars so that in and of itself takes some surprise out of it.
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
Hehe, just replace it with Experiance.
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
What about resources? As in you can't build your own base after you blow one up on a resource ?
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
E£xploit 2 isn't an exploit, it's so that you're not going into the galaxy completely blind. Also to be realistic, stars are pretty noticable, so it would be unrealistic to NOT know where they are.

Exploit 1 I hadn't noticed, and seems a genuine bug.
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
Regarding the anomaly exploit, enjoy it while it lasts because it'll be gone in the next release.
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
Exploit one got discussed in the Beta, they're aware of it and plan on fixing it. Exploit two is working as designed, including the influence boundaries.
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
I have mixed feelings on the whole star/planet visibility thing. I can see reasons why you should be able to know that stuff...but it does kinda somewhat take one of the X's (exploration) out of 4X.
Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top
What about resources? As in you can't build your own base after you blow one up on a resource ?

Theres a differant thread about that already with a bunch of replies. I'm pretty sure they know about that one, it can be fixed temporarily by exiting game and starting and loading your game again.