A sleeker UI. I'd like to see a design that you are expecting (or a reference to another game with which you have in mind for UI)? (I'm not defending the current UI, but I'm curious about the UI you'd expect to see.) Something similar to Beyond Earth?

The flying zigzag can be distracting, but this problem arises from the hex based map. Making the ships fly in a smoother motion also would indicate that they are not entering each hex. So, how would one determine which hex should be used if the movement is not fully complete in one turn. Say a 3 turn trip. Would we expect a non-zigzag motion to each of the end turn movement places and would this cause unnecessary zigzag in itself, when the full motion would look better otherwise? Say the shipyard that moves 1 per turn, and you want to move it 10 hexes... would a zigzag motion be appropriate here? Again I'm not defending the zigzag motion, but I would like to hear about a better solution to the problem. Because maybe if we come up with a good solution we can get rid of it.

The tactical combat is being worked on. They say it won't be like gratuitous space battles and it won't be simple auto-resolve. There is a middle point in between and they have been very mum on how tactical is going to work. I'd like more info on this... but it doesn't appear we are going to get it anytime soon.

I would like to see the planets being a little more dynamic with more cities, but then that would be a mini-game in an already large game. I would have liked to see multiple cities arise on the planet and be a little less abstract, but the current system keeps it simple.

I also don't find that changing a working old concept to be a bad thing. Somethings can be improved, but there has to be a good reason to improve or change the concept. Change for the sake of it needs to be different somehow is not a good way to approach things. I'm all for change in the game, I supported the off world shipbuilding, it adds a great strategic layer to the game, but other things I don't think would work well, like a Simcity type game-play for planets.

I'd like to see more solutions and what they need to change and how they should change it and why they should change it. I find that far more helpful in the game design. This doesn't mean I don't agree with things you are saying, its just I don't see a viable solution and therefore default to keep the system the same.

I have a idea:

I want to a modd where lights and civilization only spawn on useable tiles to simulate cities when looking at a planet, and when viewing the planet.

Tiles would have a city like background when viewing it. And once a improvement is made on a tile that improvement is shown most on the tile, with the traditional picture of the improvement on the tile shown as being faded or not at all. (apart from a a tool tip)

But just doing the first paragraph and showing multiple buildings on a tile to visually support the improvement will substantially help with this problem.

I'm surprised I came up with this great idea and didn't make one joke.

DARCA

Many people said the same thing about tropico 4, comparing it to 3 saying it was similar. Looking at 5 saying it was the same as 4... But never comparing 3 to 5. And always saying how three was so much different than 5. Barking dogs.

I must say with with all this new stuff I don't believe its galciv2.1 but actually galciv3:

1. Better espionage.

2. Space combat overhaul (not full tactical sadly).

3. Diplomacy.

4. Colonization and map features make this very distinguishable from galciv2.

5. Graphics.

6. Ideology.

7. The way everything is calculated from production to morale.

8. The ship designer.

9. Ground combat overhaul.

10. Multiplayer!

and there's likely more stuff I haven't thought of.

I've said so much smart unfunny stuff, I feel like a different person.

DARCA

Yeah that kind of UI would be cooler.

The zig zag motion they talked about it in one of the dev streams and they had difficulties along these lines.

For the cities on the planet, I would like to see them, but I don't think it would be practical.

If I can see more cities and have the planet slowly terraform would be awesome. Maybe they can get that out for a DLC, as that might take a lot of manpower to accomplish.

In general, I like all these ideas, including the ones from Matopicus. Not sure if the Stardock dev team is large enough to incorporate these ideas in the given time frame (that plays a big role in development). But I hope to see some changes to the look of the buildings on the planets. The icons are nice, but a 3d popup icon might look neater. Even if it is a fake 3d icon (like a diorama). I wouldn't mind even seeing lights travelling across the planet between these buildings (sort of like roads). But I'm not going to expect it from the game.

Quoting DARCA1213,

reply 78

I have a idea:

I want to a modd where lights and civilization only spawn on useable tiles to simulate cities when looking at a planet, and when viewing the planet.

Tiles would have a city like background when viewing it. And once a improvement is made on a tile that improvement is shown most on the tile, with the traditional picture of the improvement on the tile shown as being faded or not at all. (apart from a a tool tip)

But just doing the first paragraph and showing multiple buildings on a tile to visually support the improvement will substantially help with this problem.

I'm surprised I came up with this great idea and didn't make one joke.

 

DARCA

Hmmm, it does bug me that a planet has only an industrial, research, farm, etc. per tile on it. It would be cool to have a city as a base build (per tile instead of farm, factory,etc) and specialize those cities to be factory, research, farm, etc. with improvements. So each had similarities (houses, shops, etc.) but each was unique as a blend of improvements (New York is economic, DC is influence, San Fran is research, etc.) So that each tile isn't absolutely all one thing, but a blend of each. The base tile may start with say +2 food +1 production, no research. You build a factory on that tile, you get -1 food +1 production. You build a farm tile, you get +3 food, .5 production, .1 research (throwing numbers around). Anyway, as you build more of something, it takes away from something else. Each tile will eventually specialize, but while building them, they give a little of everything on the way. So there is more balance in growing a 4 tile planet than all one or another tile improvement. Also there is more balance while filling out at 16 tile planet when first starting out.

Darca, you are my muse   I think we are thinking on the same lines, but since we are both nuts, it is hard to tell.