Galactic Civilizations 3 update brings expansion improvements to the base game

Galactic Civilizations 3, Stardock’s gargantuan space 4X game, got another update this week, bolstering the base game with some of the Crusade expansion’s UI and design changes, along with general performance and balance tweaks.

Crusade lavished improvements upon Galactic Civilizations 3, and while you’ll still need to shell out for the expansion to see most of them, some important ones have been ported over to the base game.

The UI, from the tech screen to the ship list, has been upgraded, and it now contains the convenient summary tab from Crusade. The way resources work has also been taken from the expansion. Now, resources generate over time, instead of mined resources yielding only a single unit. Crusade’s performance and AI enhancements have also been brought over too.

Even if you’ve already got Crusade, you should notice improved performance, trickier AI opponents and faster turns.

Here are the full patch notes.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.