I have to say that I agree 100% with post.
Yes I see many die hard fans to defend their fav game and yes I'm one of them too but.. let's all be honest either you like or you hate GC3 it's true that it's the same recipe only improved.
It's not like a new game but rather the next version of it like Photoshop the same just better with some new extras.
GC1 was great, Gc2 was amazing especially with later expansions but even then the game was a bit old fashioned limited, tiled planets, terrible terrain maps, some "special" resources around the map, no tactical combat yet older strategy games such as the best of all time Master of Orion 2 had it.
It's strategy game not focused on tactical combats especially when you might have lots of them on a huge map but it could have it in a limited fashion and the option for auto resolve if you want to make it quick.
Flying in zig-zag is really ugly remembers me some very very old games of the past!
Worst thing for me in GC2 was the planets which are more like small bases in space rather real planets that you can build many cities and terraform them later and I mean see them changing from barren worlds to earthlike one rather terraforming a sector which you can build just one building.
I did not expect it the same recipe to be introduced in GC3 I was surprised because it so 2000 or even older concept.
They made it 64bit but it seems they don't want to risk making big changes. Because a recipe works does not mean people will always love it at some point they want something else and when they find it they will abandon the old one.
Yes its been told many times GC is not MOO2 and it does not have to be but it had to change, there are other games older or new ones much simpler yet they have some much better implementations such a 3D map in Sword of Stars.
I have been always playing strategy games I never liked the first person shooting games but I always adored their amazing graphics and I was dissapointed that no strategy game comes even close. In 2014 I expected more from a 64bit game of course I know the memory limitations, map sizes and difference from first person shooters but a new level of graphics would be much appreciated. Sadly it's focused more in game mechanics rather appearance.
Interface also is very bulky much better and lighter than GC2 but still not cool. Someone would expect a sleeker design today.
I believe that I will play GC3 for the next 1-2 years but not as much as GC2 because it's the same just better and I'm looking for something more today.
