Oh, Civilization: Beyond Earth [official site], how sad you make me. You work so very hard to make me love you but… well, maybe you’re fundamentally unlovable. The Rising Tide expansion, that was a good try. You became more alien, less like your dad trying to wear a spacesuit, but gosh, you made a pig’s ear of Diplomacy, didn’t you? Bugs and bonkers design decisions queered the pitch.

But maybe it’s not too late. I hear there’s a big new patch intended to address one of your biggest problems; what flowers are you bringing to my door this time?

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Rising Tide [official site] is the first, and some might say much-needed, expansion pack for Beyond Earth, the sci-fi Civilization V spin-off which met a somewhat muted reception. It’s out tomorrow, but I’ve spent the last few days with it. >

It’s so much better. It’s so much worse.

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In our initial preview of Beyond Earth’s Rising Tide expansion [official site], Firaxis were keen to make it clear that the expansion would have a heavier sci-fi focus than the base game. They also spoke about the new diplomacy system, in which you interact with the leaders of opposing factions in hopefully more realistic ways. That’s what has been detailed in not only a new trailer but a full, hour-long livestream that took place yesterday, heralding a free weekend for the base game. Both videos and all the details are below.

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A rising tide lifts all boats, it’s said, and there’s some hope that the watery Rising Tide expansion will lift all of Civilization: Beyond Earth‘s [official site] systems and not simply provide a new shimmering surface for the same old ideas. Find out whether that seems likely via a video demonstrating some of the oceanic mechanics below.

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‘Wait for the expansion’, is what RPS’ feeling about Civilization’s sci-fi spin-off Beyond Earth boiled down to. Well, now that expansion has been announced. Sid Meier’s Civlization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide is due for release ‘this Fall’, and brings water construction and combat, a revamped diplomacy system and two new factions into play. A few days ago, I had a chat with Will Miller and David McDonough, Co-Lead Designers on the turn-based strategy title, about what’s planned, whether Beyond Earth was too conservative both in terms of breaking the Civ template and in its science-fiction, how war shouldn’t be a surprise any more, and whether this is considered redemption. >

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Civilization: Only Very Slightly Beyond Earth, more like. While perfectly serviceable, Firaxis’ sci-fi themed strategy spin-off proved far too reluctant to step out of Civ V’s shadow for my tastes, and I haven’t been at all tempted to go back. Conventional wisdom had it that an add-on might add the verve and variety it needs, but it turns out there’s a 2.0 update planned which may (or may not) get Beyond Earth back into orbit. … [visit site to read more]

Do you worry you’d call Sid Meier “dad”? A half-hour stream over the weekend with the Civfather showing off Sid Meier’s Starships (not anyone else’s) has been saved for posterity under the name ‘Sid Meier shows you how to build a Starship’ and I can’t help but imagine you, dear reader, sitting on his knee. “Can we put cannons there?” you ask. He smiles, a knowing twinkle in his eye, and adds some. He sneaks in a stealth system you didn’t ask for, knowing it’ll help turn this ship into a long-range sniper sort of thing, but you’re happy: you wanted lasers and Daddy Sid added some. This is getting awkward. I’m going to embed the video now. Let’s move on.

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Sid Meier and Firaxis’ new thing, Starships, was announced last week, but all we got to see was a cinematic. Fortunately, Unca Sid did a talk at PAX South a couple of days back, in which he showed off the game proper. Those who could not drag themselves to a sweaty hall in Texas may now be similarly indulged. There are some bits and pieces of Civ in there – perhaps striving for commonality with Beyond Earth, which it shares a setting/fiction with – but primarily it’s about customising spaceships then making ‘em fight.

Meier also tackles the thorny question “how do you put maps in space?” and clarifies that people who call themselves ‘marauders’ don’t tend to be terribly friendly. … [visit site to read more]

Civilization: Beyond Earth does have a demo, but it’s limited to 100 turns – not many to feel how a Civ game ticks. Given lukewarm responses to it, you might want to see more. Here’s your chance: the full game is free for everyone to play on Steam until Sunday evening. Saints Row IV is also running a free trial weekend but surely you already know whether you’d like to be a superpowered scamp flying around cyberspace and punching aliens. Both are on sale too.

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