Stardock has launched Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova Edition into early access today, marking the latest installment in their award-winning space strategy game series. Set in the 24th century, players take on the role of a leader of a spacefaring civilization that has just developed faster-than-light (FTL) travel, guiding their civilization to explore and colonize the known universe.
Supernova Edition introduces cutting-edge AI technology, utilizing OpenAI’s ChatGPT to generate unique civilizations, lore, conversation dialogues, quests, and more based on player input. The game also employs AI trained on decades of Stardock’s alien art to create custom graphics for player-created civilizations. According to Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock, the new additions in Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova bring excitement and innovation to the genre.
The game offers a vast galaxy to explore, interconnected via subspace streams, and provides players with the ability to create unique civilizations by describing their attributes, goals, and ambitions. The AI then generates custom lore, diplomatic dialogues, starship choices, and ambassador images for a one-of-a-kind experience. Dozens of alien civilizations await discovery, while players can also engage in diplomacy, trade, and war.
Replayability is a significant focus in Supernova Edition, with procedurally generated galaxies, a vast library of galactic events, and AI-generated content making each playthrough feel unique and exciting. New features include cultural progression, new combat and planetary invasion systems, galactic sectors, AI-assisted computer opponents, and the integration of ChatGPT and AI art generation.
The game also includes a range of strategic options, such as researching breakthrough technologies, engaging in ship battles using the new starship classes system, formulating government policies, assigning leaders to manage core worlds, and utilizing the Control resource to issue executive orders. Players can even employ Terror Stars, originally constructed by the Dread Lords, to wipe out entire stars and all the planets and ships within their orbit.
Stardock has made Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova more approachable for new players, investing extra time into UI improvements, tutorials, and context-sensitive information. The stand-alone sequel is now available on Steam and Epic, with Epic customers able to upgrade from Galactic Civilizations IV to Supernova Edition at a highly discounted rate. Early access begins today, offering players a chance to explore the most sophisticated strategy game in the series.