Can't wait to take it out for a spin!!

OMG!

Thats the greates news that year. Its awesome and makes me happy!

Cant wait for it!!! ))

Yes, to all of these....  Thanks

Forgotten, Do you use the invasion tactics in game? If a planet has say 20 legions on it and you have 25 you need to both compare the invasion strength of your troops vrs theirs and also soften up the planet using either tidal or core detonation. Both of those are assured of a win in most cases. 

I use tidal and still take horrific legion losses which is fine invading is tough work but what I don’t care for is my empire with ridiculous amounts of cash and the majority of other resources isn’t able to produce enough legions. Which is why I’d love a black market or overpriced mission things that you simply would not use unless it is obvious you are going to win. Like maybe a market that is 7 or 8 times the cost of the regular market or 10 times. Or a mission that takes as much production as building 5 stocked capital ships and takes some resources as well.

Also the bar is like 85% to 90% in my favor and I still lose my 25 legions against their 7 legions.

This depends on the number of factions and map size and tech pacing however, yes the colony rush for my games extend to between 75-125, then dead time follows as I'm building up my planets and starting to get basic technology to allow me to build ships that can actually do some damage

"Also the bar is like 85% to 90% in my favor and I still lose my 25 legions against their 7 legions."  This can happen if you don't put all of the legions on 1 hex so they attack together.  If you spread the  legions out, they seem to attack separately for some reason. :/

This is a long standing bug since invasions were first introduced.

If you click "auto-resolve", you lose even with overwhelming odds most of the time.

If you manage the invasion yourself and place all legions on one hex, fight goes well.

The end result is that invasions are not an "interesting decision" and should either be removed or made interesting.

This is fantastic news! I can’t wait. The only issue I have is that I was gearing up to start a new big campaign in the new year and I might have to delay a tad to dive into the new content.

Keep up the great work Stardock!

I'll keep my eye pealed and ear open.

The invasion process is good. I really like it. 

Gal Civ is an empire management game, not a tactical combat one. While I'd like a bit more Xcom type choices in the invasion process I know that this game is an Empire building game and not a tactical combat one.  Using planetary bombardment should and always win you combat or at least remove 70% of troops unless the target took immunity to bombardment. You are trading planetary quality for removal of those pesky inhabitants! 

"Tech tree overhaul.  This will only be in the expansion because if it were put into the base game a lot of people would get upset I suspect.  There are a lot of new techs but most of the "specialist" techs are being removed.  Why? They're just not very interesting.  A 10% bump in something is enough enough to justify the clickity click click of the tech.  Every tech should have meat to it.  "

I know a lot of people read the above and focus on everything except the part that I bolded because people see what they want to see.  I, however, know how things really end up turning out.  And how I think it's going to turn out is that we'll end up with a feature removed with nothing substantial added in return.

I ask that you reconsider the removal of choices from the tech tree for the following reasons:

1) They're the only choices in the tech tree.  If you're unhappy with the bonuses, then change the bonuses, but don't remove the choice.  I think everyone can find at least one or two possible choices in each one that they want, so I don't see the problem.  Personally, I'd like to see more of them, not less -- and I'd find it strange if others didn't think so as well.  These little choices can have a large impact in gameplay, depending on how you approach them (short term vs long term rewards, see points #2 and #3 below).

2) Their existance affects diplomacy/trade.  When I see a star next to a tech, I immediately check it out because I probably want it, and then I change gears for a moment to make a good trade.  That's the fun part of trading.  It also affects how much effort I put into making an AI like me, and I do research (see below point #3).

3) It affects gameplay.  But before trading for one of these specializations, I make sure to at least start researching one of the alternatives -- that way I can get both, and that makes me super excited!  It feels good to get multiple specializations through trade because that's the only way to get more than one!  But this isn't always an easy choice to make (researching in an otherwise non-optimal way in order to get a secondary benefit),  and because it's not an easy choice it adds to gameplay.  Furthermore, you'd have to delay the choice as long as possible to increase the likelihood of this payoff (delayed gratification, it's a thing) -- sometimes I can and sometimes I can't.  I thought this was brilliant balancing, to incentivise researching things you otherwise wouldn't!  So, what, are you now saying this all just a happy accident?

I hope these 3 reasons why at least help you see things from a player's perspective on how removing gameplay features makes us feel about your game.  It makes me sad.

I think choices in the tech tree are brilliantly done.  They could not be done better, unless you had more of them -- which is the opposite of what you intend to do.  Mindblowing.  There are so many low hanging fruit to improve the user experience, and you chose this why?

Happy New Year!

*. STARGATES !!! to travel VAST DISTANCES - could use the black holes

* MINEFIELDS & MINES !!!  different results based on tech

**. MINELAYERS and MINESWEEPERS modules !!!

*. MORE POWERFUL STARBASES that AUTOMATICALLY ATTACK NEARBY SHIPS !!

*. Hire GAUNTLET and HOREMVORE...

*. REPEAT UNTIL BUTTON !!! PLEASE !!

*. DEFENSE ON SHIPS MATTERS MORE !!

*. IMPROVE LATE GAME NOT MIDDLE !!

*. PLANET POPULATION FIGHTS BACK !!

*AI BUILDS CARRIERS !!!  skillfully

*KAMAKAZEE !! attacks turning ship into a weapon

*. BLACK HOLE BOMB !! sucks ships in after detonation , destroys all in close range

*. AI attack better (not sacrifice transports )  stuck on planets with large fleets that just stay there forever especially if it was going to a planet you beat ...

*. AI clueless on government and gov't ships.

*. AI SACRIFICE scientists FOR ADVANCED TECH !!

*. AI plays SCORCHED EARTH !!

*. Commonwealth loyal and defends itself

*. AI SHOULD not chase DECOYS !!

*. AI USES GIFTED SHIPS and does not attack YOU with them !!

*. AI designs BETTER SHIPS !!

*. CHEAPER UPGRADES for SHIPS !

*. MINOR RACES CAN BECOME MAJOR RACES !!!

*. MINORS actually PLAY !!!

* FOOD is TRADEABLE

*. MORE MEGA EVENTS !!

*. MORE MONEY TO START

*ALLOW THE PLAYERS TO ELECT WINNER WHEN ITS IN THE BAG !!