Slitherine

My first impressions of the release candidate are favorable, the game is significantly more polished than the beta was several months ago, nice work! You've done a nice job introducing the game and providing a new player with helpful guidance and tips via popup and mouse-over information. The visual impact of the game has improved and improvements to the UI are significant.

I feel the game is compelling in the early stages, however once the planet is fully explored the game loses much of it's draw. One issue I've seen over several games is that there are seldom events that trigger change, both from a global and diplomatic standpoint. As a result, if the player takes measures to nurture solid diplomatic relations there is little to change the flow of the game without the player making a choice to do so and the game becomes boring as a result. In reality rulers die or are deposed by internal strife, tensions with other nations are strained due to outside influences or events, even natural disasters can often create tension between nations (Fukashima anyone?) I, for one, would welcome a greater element of unknown in the game so it didn't feel like things were running on autopilot. As the game stands now if I don't intentionally force conflict, I can pretty much avoid it at will.

My problem as well..great foundation but mid and late game got no meat. I had figured the casus belli would be provided by faction depth/events but no motivation so far.

+1

All 3 of my games so far has had me on clear path to victory before the mechanised era - and these are my first three games ever, on normal difficulty. I have been so clearly the winner in all 3 games that I havent been bothered to actually win due to the micromanagement involved and the fact that it is a foregone conclusion.

In my latest game, I conquered my neighbour, have completely colonized my continent with all fungus removed and no native life remaining. I have 15 cities which approximate the total AI presence across all factions and everyone is happy with me. The effort it would take to win just doesnt seem worth it.

Really needs some work on the mid/late game.