#Civilization beyond earth background series

Embracing one Affinity over another dictates how humanity perseveres in its new home. These three paths are called Affinities, and are, respectively: Purity, Harmony, and Supremacy.

#Civilization beyond earth background series

Through a series of research decisions, you can choose to conquer this alien life, merge with it to become one with the planet’s existing life, or transcend to another, new form of life using cybernetic enhancements. You will also find yourself battling alien lifeforms. For a more in-depth idea of what this looks like, check out Apolyton’s interactive tech web. Some Wonders are necessary for certain victories.

(Personally I find it more fun to attempt to coexist with my neighbors, but other players may make it their goal to wipe them off the map.) Meanwhile, you will make scientific advancements via a tech web, cultural progressions, and build “Wonders,” many of which can be built only once-i.e., if another civilization has already staked its claim, that Wonder will be unavailable. For instance, leaders might ask you to help defend their borders from an enemy in return for a later favor. This can be accomplished through trade agreements, war, espionage, and diplomacy. The goal is to expand your territory, survive, and negotiate with other civilizations. This is particularly true in multiplayer (although in single player you can set the turn speed at the beginning of the game to speed up the process a bit).Īn example of a meeting between civilizations. The same goes for the other “players,” which can make for a very long wait between turns. Civilization is turn-based, and the more units you have, the longer your turns will take. As in previous games, you will set down on a hexagonal grid with various natural resources scattered around and begin building out your city. You may also choose a difficulty level (there are six), the type of colonists you’ll be bringing along, and your spaceship’s capabilities. An expedition sponsor (such as the Pan Asian Cooperative or People’s African Union) takes the place of the historical empire in the previous games. You begin by setting up your game, choosing a map, and deciding how many other settlements will be sharing the world. (The opening sequence of the game is genuinely moving, told from the perspective of a young girl who must leave her father behind.) The updated graphics are a pleasant bonus.Īnyone who has played previous iterations of Civilization will find Beyond Earth’s gameplay basically identical. Rather, you’ve embarked on a mission to settle a new homeworld after leaving an inhospitable Earth.

You are no longer starting in prehistory. There is also, of course, a new look and feel to the game. Instead of building the Great Pyramids or sending a shuttle to the moon, you build an Ectogenesis Pod and a Holon Chamber. The only fundamental difference lies in the naming of things instead of oil refineries, you create Xenomass Wells. Beyond Earth is based on those same economic rules, and indeed follows basically the same format as previous iterations of Civilization. Sure, some of the history was unrealistic (Gandhi was aggressively militaristic, and Cleopatra and Columbus could make trade agreements with one another), but the basics were there. I was given an exciting introduction into Earth’s history of civilizations and a set of economic rules to work with that helped my young self get some grasp on why leaders make some of the decisions they do. I grew up playing the Civilization series, with its pseudo-historical war, economics, and diplomacy. Civilization: Beyond Earth is both familiar and completely new.