Wow that sounds awesome actually. ES had a kind of abstract nature in the way you managed your own empire, but this would be totally different.

I just came across this article http://www.jeuxvideo.com/preview/438112/endless-space-2-un-4x-plus-chronophage-que-jamais-gamescom.htm and by power of google translate, I have found more confirmation of laws and outside events influencing your population. As an added detail, they mention that the effect of outside events is not necessarily empire-wide. So having only one system of a large empire border the cravers is not going to immediately turn all of our pacifist-bacteria into warmongers, but only worry that system at first.



Also, the screenshots actually hide a whole album of more, previously unseen screenshots.

One of them confirms drones moving without star lanes and uncovering a fog of war to detect systems, though it also shows a string heading off into the unknown.

There are a few shots of the system overview with the planets neatly lined up, but also the two screenshots (including the one mentioned before) showing that this time around planets and moons will be rendered on the strategy map.

Then there are the combat screenshots. Sadly, they tell us nothing about the combat mechanics, though the size of the ring seen in one screenshot may indicate that the battlefields will be a little less haphazard in their placement of planets.

Stellaris is indeed looking good given they can easily make the best of Hearts of Iron series and the like over to this space series.

But just as others put it: competition is good for consumer and propels market / technology forward.

ES series has a lot of hills to climb given it beat the rivals back in 2012 by a mile, it was the benchmark to beat.



Amplified Reality thing is a good idea none the less, it would be rather useful on a console version of the game IMO, I would like to see more info display in a second screen given they are now far more easy to setup.

Approval stuff should be key to a more complex universe given anything tip towards one extreme is a bad idea, a total military empire would not last long: Just look at the big empire on earth, a total commercial empire also not great... balancing is key! PLayer should be allow to manage these at higher level difficulty where too much at one thing would initiate revolt, rebellion etc, a foreign policy and domestic policy is required to run a real empire but having said that, the more complex reality reflecting rules the less mass appeal it would become, all thanks to the handle game addicted half baked player base out there...

echo2361 wrote:
Not for me. I am a proud member of both those target demographics. I'll happily pay for both games if they turn out to be high quality titles though, so no real need for the companies to be worrying about competition. Best that they just focus on making their products the best possible games they can.

Seconded

Adventurer_Blitz wrote:
If Stellaris is anything like other Paradox titles it is likely to be a complex game strategy game, however ES2 seems like a standard 4x game with some novel features, kind of a different target demographic though.

Not for me. I am a proud member of both those target demographics. I'll happily pay for both games if they turn out to be high quality titles though, so no real need for the companies to be worrying about competition. Best that they just focus on making their products the best possible games they can.

If Stellaris is anything like other Paradox titles it is likely to be a complex game strategy game, however ES2 seems like a standard 4x game with some novel features, kind of a different target demographic though.

Cravers will likely be treated like SOTS Zuul.



Either the hive mind becomes reasonable, or we work the Craver slaves to death in the camps for the GLORY OF THE UNITED EMPIRE! PRAISE THE EMPEROR!

There will be politics? Well, that sounds very promising. And we now also have the similarly promising Stellaris from Paradox... boy, this will be a good competition!

I am intrigued, but not that much more i have to say.

Endless Space pretty much ruined it's singleplayer game with the AI Fleet-Spam combined with the retreat ability.

Endless Legend was a lot better and i am looking forward to what Amplitude will do with Endless Space.

But ES 2 is also not releasing in the same Environment ES released in. 4X-Space Games are pretty common these days and they will have to go against Stellaris of Paradox, which i think will be pretty hard to do. I hope Amplitude does well with ES 2, but they won't have an easy task.

Thanks to the Gamescom the first hard facts are trickling in.



Here a french article about ES2s new features (Thanks Google Translate)

http://www.press-start.be/2015/08/gc15-endless-space-2/



Multi Racial Population

Each Empire will consist out of multiple races, the ones you started with and the minors you assimilated (maybe also the ones you conquer, but that is unconfirmed). Each of those will have different needs and desires so it gets harder to keep them all happy. That is important because of...



Government

Every 40 turns a new leader will be elected (unknown if there are other styles of government besides democratic) and depending on the makeup of the parliament based on the election and the political platform of each party there are different policies that can be passed which affect science and production



Battle Plan

You can now make Battle Plans before the combat starts. That includes plotting the course of each ship group (or capital ship) on a 2D plane and assigning targets. Once the planning is done the battle runs automatically and can't be influenced. So it is a bit like Gratuitous Space Battles



Amplified Reality

Amplified Reality which we have seen in the trailer is actually in the game. By pressing space the orange overlay pops in and displays more information.



More immersion/narrative

The Narrative impacts the game a lot stronger but no details were mentioned.



Influence is in the game

I have seen the purple star resource symbol



Jiheu:Lane and Free movement

Movement will be lane based, but some ships like probes can move freely



IGN/Spacetroll GC video:Exploration with fire and forget probes

You do not automatically uncover planets connected to a star lane, you have to send probes out from your planets. Those probes are send out in a straight line from your planet and uncover everything they pass by till their maximum range is reached.



Jiheuynamic shifts in approval

Approval is based on the prevalence of the 8 different kinds of ideologies in the empire (Sophonts for example have a high science ideology. Having a multi race empire makes things more complicated as more ideologies mix) and how much in tune the actions you take are with that ideology (like building a lot of war ships). Outside events can alter the prevalence of ideologies (for example, being next to Carvers makes your population more fearful and increases militarism).

So, somes features of ES2 according to clubic (french):

-Population are "more or less" close to 8 ideologies: Pacisfism, Militarism, Research,... (maybe economist, industrialist, constructor?).

-Population are influenced by external events and player actions (like building combat ship).

-It seems that if you act against the will of the people it could lead to dissenssion (something like "People are worried about the hostility of a neighbour and you decide to encourage pacifist")

-It seems that you can have an autocratic regime but maybe our (loyal?) citizen will disagree with that.



So from these informations, maybe I think we will be able to create an insurrection in a ennemy system (spy?) (sabotage?).

The political and multi ratial parts are getting my attention.



Ideally the way you get that population should vary andhave consequences in the long term. In EL, pacifying through help/bribe/force gave you the same thing in the end. If I'm using force, freedom or fervor to keep my allies I'd like it to be lasting choices. (you could spurn rebellion in opposing factions by helping minorities for instance) Oh and have least some notion of compatibility : sure my nice Sophons will greet those slave traders sociopaths, they won't cause us some issue, will they?

Great thread idea, hopefully others'll contribute!

Multi Racial Population

is certainly a great correct step forward, it should consist many minor fractions and allow them to expand themselves but also has event of conflict randomly generated (we don't always agree with each other). Each player can play in their own set style as minor races be given bonus by their attributes: some are smarter in science research, other are better builders, better fighters, better traders, some more royal etc etc. Player can generated a true mix culture balance approach or a lean on research, lean on weapons etc approach for forming their empire.

Governments

There should be more forms of governments player can take empire towards but has a long term planning thing like EL. Different major empire race would have benefit on a select form of government: Say Humans for one leader Dictatorship lol, one race for superior own racial dictatorship etc etc...



Battle Plans

Even it is like Gratuitous Space Battles, is still a correct step forward given I see no reason for a dumb down Homeworld drag on, it would be real fun making a fleet like GSB to counter enemy designs (given community feature in GSB 1 can be repeat here)

Elections are faction based? The Cravers being democrats is not going to happen.

Gamekult(french also) report on their video that we will have probes in order to discover the galaxy. They will move freely without line restriction according to the video.

According to gamekult, developpers work on the grid system in order to open it also. (don t know if it is only for the probes or the fleets)



For the government, if you have frontiers with a go-to-war race (cravens) it will increase the vote for a militarist government. So it seems that some races will provoke fear into the hearth of our citizen.



I hope to have xenophobic race or malus. I don t go in a bus where sophons have a seat

Well, if it's like that, day one early access for me, without a doubt. It seems really promising. Need more informations Amplitude, merci d'avance !