Sins of a Solar Empire for its time. It is a very good introduction to the genre itself (for both new space or new 4X players in general).

you missed out Imperium Galatica --How could you forget it? O well Imperium Galatica 2- Alliances is probably the best space 4x strategy game ive ever played.

Scopeh wrote:
you missed out Imperium Galatica --How could you forget it? O well Imperium Galatica 2- Alliances is probably the best space 4x strategy game ive ever played.

I could only fit ten on the poll and had to make a choice. I played Ascendency more than Imperium Galactica 2 I think, and played both SE4 and Stars more than both of them. I think I got a bit fed up with the ground assault it was a bit long winded in IG2.

Endless Space and Master of Orion 2 for me. I still play MOO sometimes and it is a irreplaceable game for me.

Played a lot of Space Empires V too, but the ground combat was a major disappointment for me.

Ascendancy!

I am a little confused. The topic says "Best 4X game ever?" and the poll says "What are/were your best scifi games you ever played?". This isn't really the same thing.

For the best 4x game ever, Endless Space come first for me, very close to Galactic Civ 2. And this (maybe) need an update when Legend of Pegasus will be release.

For best scifi games : Eve Online, X3, Tabula Rasa, Planetside, Darkstar One, Mass Effect, Nexus : The Jupiter Incident, Starcraft, Total Annihilation, and much more.

I've put more time into AI War than any similar game, although there is some debate as to weather its true 4x or not.

EVE, of course...

In reply to the poll, not the title (4x games) cuz it's not the same genre

Best game ever? Not even close. In the current state i would give it 5.5/10 . This game has good graphics every other aspect is a disappointment.



1. Research tree. Pretty bland and boring couple of basic technology then +level . Compare it to MOO2. So many different techs there not just +level to existing.

2. UI. Very clanky and laggy . Sometimes i need to click 2 or even 3 times to get my ships moving.

3. AI. Braindead. Absolutely. Provides challenge only because of insane bonuses even on normal. Remove them and he will not leave home system. Compare it to GC2 what a gem it was.

4. Diplomacy. Not existing because of #3.

5. Trading system. Something so primitive i even do not know how to describe it. Remember GC2 how important and fun there it was.

6. The economy is pretty straight forward. Just build +dust buildings everywhere.

7. Ship design. A huge step back. Remember SOTS or MOO2.

8. Pirates. The worst implementation i ever saw. Compare it to SINS.

9. Espionage not implemented.

10. Starbases not implemented.

11. Space combat. Manual mode takes too much time. I mean load/process/unload takes more time than actual gameplay time. Not bad idea but the implementation is terrible.

12. Universe wonders is not implemented. It is not necessary but i very appreciate wonders aspect in civ like games.

13. Influence zone. Something confusing and useless. Not possible to compete with AI due to insane bonus on higher difficulties.



Some good ideas:

1. Heroes. The implementation is satisfying.

2. Star system design. Just something different.

3. Space combat. It can be good if not so slow. So far i just use auto resolve. manual battles take to much time to load and process.

4. Faction design good enough.

5. Resources. The idea it is kinda good but i dont have feeling of importance to get them. Like i had in GC2 with starbases. Wars were started just because of certain resources.

6. Terraforming. Good one.

7. Special techs. Good idea bad design. it is just couple of them and they kinda meaningless.



Overall game lacks depth. It has every aspect of a 4x game but these are very stripped. Maybe with time it will become better but so far GC2, MOO2, SOTS, SMAC are much more superior.



I feel lack of strategy in this game. Like only one rational way to play this game is to secure as much as possible territory in the beginning than proceed steamroll opponents and every other victory type goes from conquest victory. If you fail with conquest you pretty much fail the game. You can say that is about every 4x game and will be right. But dont you want to see something new for a change, do you? Like CIV5 for example it is more about resources than territory and in civ5 you have real choice of different tactics to archive your kind of victory.



BTW there was 4x title called "Remember tomorrow'. Wasn't so bad.

Moo2, Alpha Centauri and Ascendency. Great games, many options and amazing immersion.

Endless Space is a good game, i like it, but at the moment it's not even close to some of the best X4s

The only way people didn't pick moo2 and SMAC are if they didn't play them.



Pax imperia? really?

Endless space, because its the only 4x I have played!

Had to vote Alpha Centauri. It just brings back so many memories. Solid gameplay, great diplomatic system (particularly for a game of that age) and a kind-of creepy story to go with it. Not many games kept me in front of the computer for so long... Maybe Diablo (first one), Morrowind and Rome: Total War...

(Other) would be Ascendancy it's an old classic that I played endless hours lol

For me it's a tie between Alpha Centauri, GalCiv 2 and Master of Orion 2. Endless has a lot of potential. Give it a year or so and it may surpass the aforementioned.

I only consider turn-based for this since I'm not really into real time games like sins. I bought sins but didn't care for it as much. I also would not consider Alpha Centuri for this because even though it's sci-fi it's not really a conquer the galaxy type game like the rest, it's more like sci-fi civ.



For space, I'd have to go with a tie between MOO2 and GalCiv2, just because it's been years since I've played MOO2 and GC2 is more recent and something I still play now and then. Of the space 4x I've played, those are the 2 that I've played to death.



ES is a fun game but I haven't played it enough yet to know if it fits in the/my list of all time greats. There is definitely a lot to like about the game.



I doubt there will ever be another MOO game, which is shame, but it's doubtful at this point that anyone could do it justice. So my current space 4x dream is for Stardock to stop trying to make Elemental not suck and to get to making a GalCiv 3 - I think they have a lot of room to improve and grow GalCiv from an already solid base.

There might be a GalCiv 3 after Elemental. Don't give up hope.

Voqar wrote:
I doubt there will ever be another MOO game, which is shame, but it's doubtful at this point that anyone could do it justice. So my current space 4x dream is for Stardock to stop trying to make Elemental not suck and to get to making a GalCiv 3 - I think they have a lot of room to improve and grow GalCiv from an already solid base.

I dont think Stardock have what it takes to make a great game - certainly GC2 was not my cup of tea at all. I do think Amplitude have what it takes to make a great game though, given a few more months I think ES has the potential to surpass the other great 4x games. They are the only developer Ive seen for a long time that has that potential - ie the knack to know instinctively what makes good gameplay and what can be left out. There are/have been very few developers around like that - in fact I would say probably Bullfrog, Microprose, Braben/Bell and Bohemia Interactive are the only people I can think of over the whole of gaming history who know what its all about ie making truly fantastic games.

nats wrote:
...in fact I would say probably Bullfrog, Microprose, Braben/Bell and Bohemia Interactive are the only people I can think of over the whole of gaming history who know what its all about ie making truly fantastic games.

Hearing somebody mention Bullfrog still brings tears to my eyes.

Rest in peace Bullfrog. Very fond memories of Dunkeon Keeper, Gene Wars (yes, I loved it) and Syndicate Wars back in the 90's.

Possibly Distant Worlds with all expansions, I was sorry to not see it in the poll