Crafting a custom civilization is a fantastic way to explore diverse playstyles and unique Ability combinations. Whether you're blending elements from your two favorite civilizations, bringing a beloved sci-fi faction to life, or inventing something entirely original, custom civilizations offer endless possibilities.
To get started, select "New Game" from the main menu and choose "Custom Civilization" from the list of available options. This will take you to the civilization creation screen, where the real fun begins.
The journey starts in the Biology tab, where you can infuse your custom civilization with personality and flair. Here, you can name your civilization, select a portrait for its leader, determine the Species of its Citizens, and more. Each of these elements is customizable, and you can even add new images by placing them in the appropriate folder.
To streamline this process, GalCiv IV features AlienGPT, a handy tool that automatically fills in entries based on a brief description. Any text or settings generated by AlienGPT can be easily adjusted to suit your vision.
The Biology tab also offers options with significant gameplay impact:
- Cultural Focus: Raises cultural awareness of the chosen ideology, offering discounts for cultural Traits within that ideology's tree. (Refer to Dev Journal #70)
- Species: Each Species boasts unique strengths and weaknesses that can dramatically influence your civilization's playstyle. (Refer to Dev Journal #64)
- Personality: Dictates the behavior of your civilization when controlled by AI.
With the Biology tab complete, it's time to move to the Abilities tab, where you have the most control over your civilization's strengths and weaknesses.
Every civilization has a "budget" of three Trait Points to allocate to civilization Traits. These Traits can have positive or negative effects, depending on how you distribute the points. Positive Traits cost Trait Points, while negative Traits provide additional points to spend. Bonuses provided by traits will generally be modifiers to various global stats like Income, Research, or Control.
Next up are Civilization Abilities, which are akin to Traits but with broader, more powerful effects. Unlike Traits, civilizations are limited to two abilities. Selecting the right combination of Traits and abilities is crucial for crafting a civilization that aligns with your playstyle.
For inspiration, consider existing civilizations like the Corporate Sector. Focused on economics and trade, they maximize the Rich Trait and possess the Traders and Wealthy Abilities, granting bonus trade routes, a wealth of credits, and boosts to gross income and ship range.
Additionally, you can customize the map, interface, and music themes from this tab, allowing you to tailor your civilization's aesthetic.
Commander Ships are formidable vessels with unique special abilities that can be game-changers at any stage. Choose a fleet that complements your playstyle or compensates for your weaknesses. Combat-oriented commander ships, for instance, can bolster defenses for pacifist civilizations that might otherwise be vulnerable targets.
The final settings in the Abilities Tab concern your civilization's Homeworld. When selecting your Homeworld, consider the Species of your Citizens, as different Species thrive on different planets. Aquatic or Mer Species, for example, benefit from an Oceanic Homeworld.
With that, we proceed to the final step of civilization creation in the Fleets tab!
On the left side of the Fleets tab, you can customize the style, colors, textures, and materials of your civilization's fleets. For a comprehensive list of each default civilization's color-texture-material settings, check out my Journal on the Ship Designer, Dev Journal #71.
On the right side of the Fleets tab, you can assign different ship templates to each ship class. The same customization applies to your civilization's Starbases, allowing you to mix and match ship and Starbase templates to your heart's content.
Once everything is set, hit save and embark on your new adventure!
Before diving into gameplay, consider sharing your creation with the community by uploading your civilization to the Steam Workshop. Our community is full of talented civilization and ship designers whose creations may offer the perfect additions to your next game.
With each new civilization crafted, the roster of potential avatars and adversaries expands. Soon, your games will be populated with a diverse array of unfamiliar faces, each bringing fresh challenges and opportunities.
