Combat Stats and Tooltips in Ashes of the Singularity II Wishlist Ashes II This week's dev journal dives into something that doesn't always get a lot of attention: the numbers behind how units actually fight. We walk through the tooltip changes we've made and what they reveal about weapon behavior, range, and damage in ways that aren't always obvious just from watching a battle. [read more]
5/20/2026 By wasabi_md in Ashes Dev Journals
Greetings! Today I want to talk about what the Empire government actually does in the upcoming Federations & Empires expansion. I'm getting ahead of myself. So let me first walk through the idea of the new expansion, possibly the biggest we've ever done. In Galactic Civilizations IV: Federations & Empires, we are introducing governments. But really, we are using governments as an excuse to redo a lot of how the game is played without making people mad at us for changing the game so ... [read more]
5/14/2026 By Frogboy in GalCiv IV Dev Journals
New Orbitals in Ashes of the Singularity II Wishlist Ashes II Two new orbitals are coming to Ashes of the Singularity II. The EM Blast stuns enemy tanks and Titans while leaving your infantry standing, and the Nano Mesh Barrier throws a temporary shield on any friendly units to help them survive a bad engagement. [read more]
5/13/2026 By wasabi_md in Ashes Dev Journals
Tech trees are one of those parts of a strategy game that look obvious from the outside and turn out, every single time, to be one of the hardest things to get right. Game designers have been struggling with how to present technology research to the player since the early 90s, and three decades in, nobody has really solved it. There are good answers, there are interesting answers, and there are answers that work for one game and fall apart in another. There is no settled answer. As part of ... [read more]
5/7/2026 By Frogboy in GalCiv IV Dev Journals
Treasures of the Magi, a New DLC for Elemental: Reforged New expansion adds monsters, treasures, items, and quests drawn from the lost age of the Magi, launching May 21, 2026. Wishlist Treasures of the Magi | Get Elemental: Reforged Stardock Entertainment today announced Treasures of the Magi, a new DLC for the fantasy turn-based strategy game Elemental: Reforged. The expansion is priced at $8.99 and adds new monsters, new treasures and items, and a new set of quest... [read more]
5/7/2026 By wasabi_md in Elemental News
Part 2 Video Blog v1.6 UI Horizons Update for Sins of a Solar Empire II Play Sins II Now In this video developer journal we show off some of the new gameplay features added in v1.6 "UI Horizons", including all new active abilities for static defense Military Structures. [read more]
5/7/2026 By BATTLEMODE in Sins Dev Journals
Hotkey Changes in Ashes of the Singularity II Wishlist Now This video covers a restructured building system with dedicated hotkey rows for army buildings (QWER), resource buildings (ASDF), and defense buildings (ZXC), alongside a reworked unit recruitment screen that follows the same organizational logic, placing basic units on QWER, advanced units on ASDF, and air units across ZX through V. The consistent layout is designed to help players build muscle memory quickly while managing large... [read more]
5/6/2026 By wasabi_md in Ashes Dev Journals
Federations & Empires Expansion - the largest governance overhaul in the series' history replaces a linear upgrade path with forms of government Each with its own screens, resources, and political mechanics, releasing on June 11, 2026 Buy Galactic Civilizations IV | Add Federations & Empires to your Steam Wishlist Stardock today announced Galactic Civilizations IV: Federations & Empires , a new expansion that introduces interstellar governments to the stud... [read more]
5/6/2026 By redskittlesonly in GalCiv News
Part 1 Video Blog v1.6 UI Horizons Update for Sins of a Solar Empire II Play Sins II Now In this video developer journal for Sins of a Solar Empire II, we're taking a look at the new and improved front-end user-interface added in the v1.6 "UI Horizons" update. We also show off the new hand-crafted leader portraits, a ship viewer tool, and some new ship color customization options. [read more]
4/30/2026 By BATTLEMODE in Sins Dev Journals
The UI Horizons v1.6 Update is Now Available UI overhaul, in-game map editor, new defensive platform abilities and more arrive in the v1.6 Update Play Sins II Now (Part 2 Coming Soon!) Front-End UI Overhaul The entire front-end UI has been rebuilt from the ground up. The new layout surfaces more information at a glance, cuts dead space, and brings a cleaner visual style throughout. A new Faction Selection screen gives you a breakdown of each faction's identity... [read more]
4/30/2026 By wasabi_md in Sins of a Solar Empire News
Orbitals in Ashes of the Singularity II Wishlist Now Orbitals are active use abilities designed to boost your economy, drop in new units or cause catastrophic damage to enemy armies and turn the tide of a battle you might otherwise lose. We've made some changes to the way some of our Orbital abilities work. Firstly, some of the larger direct damage Orbitals now cause Friendly Fire damage, meaning you need to be careful where you place them if you're to avoid damaging your own forces. ... [read more]
4/29/2026 By BATTLEMODE in Ashes Dev Journals
Strategy games are all about the opening move. Galactic Civilizations is no exception. In RTS games we call it “Build Order”. Back in the day, I played some of these RTS games “professionally”. Today, being old, I can’t even get out of Diamond 1 in StarCraft 2. But it is build order that keeps me at least Diamond. Knowing what to do when. One of the things I like about Galactic Civilizations, something that we hope to continue evolving, is making sure players have multiple interesting f... [read more]
4/29/2026 By Frogboy in GalCiv IV Dev Journals
Tune in for the Ashes of the Singularity II Livestream Event Mark your calendars | Wishlist Now Get an exclusive look at Ashes of the Singularity II, the sequel to the massive-scale RTS. Watch the devs play through two popular biomes, the frozen Ice Moon, Europa, and the volcanic planet, Artemis. 📅 Tuesday, May 5th at 1:00 PM EST 📍Location: Ashes of the Singularity II Steam Page In this massive RTS game, command vast armies fighting fo... [read more]
4/28/2026 By redskittlesonly in Ashes of the Singularity News
Elemental: Reforged v1.03 is Now Available Changelog below | Get Elemental: Reforged Stardock has released v1.03 for Elemental: Reforged, a maintenance patch that corrects a long-standing issue with Fire magic, resolves a handful of crashes that were surfacing in longer campaigns, and tightens a range of tooltip and quest text. The most significant change is a fix to Fire spell damage scaling. Several Fire items and abilities had not been behaving as their descriptions im... [read more]
4/23/2026 By redskittlesonly in Elemental News
Our resident UI guru Paul Kiesling will be giving us part one of a two-part series on this UI revamp below: With this month's update comes a functional refresh of our front-end UI. We have spent the last several months really digging into the UI to improve the user experience and feel. We have moved away from the holographic stylization and towards a more hardened TEC feel, with emphasis on readability and organization. We went through every menu and intentionally lined up all of the univer... [read more]
4/22/2026 By Unikraken in Sins Dev Journals
In this video developer journal for Galactic Civilizations IV, BATTLEMODE shows off some of the new UI quality of life and Adaptive AI features added in our recent v3.3 update. For more information on this update, check out Frogboy's developer journal here . [read more]
4/22/2026 By BATTLEMODE in GalCiv IV Dev Journals
The Substrate Showcase Part 2 Wishlist Now Ashes of the Singularity II, the sequel to the massive-scale RTS, takes you to a world in the near future where three factions are fighting for the fate of the solar system: the United Earth Forces (UEF), the Post-Human Coalition (PHC), and the AI Substrate. Whether you're interested in the single-player campaign, multiplayer, or skirmish matches, the faction you fight for is in your hands. The Substrate are the children of Haalee, a rogue a... [read more]
4/22/2026 By wasabi_md in Ashes Dev Journals
Army Cohesion in Ashes of the Singularity II Wishlist Now A major update to our pathfinding in Ashes II is now playable! Armies will now coordinate with all units within the army, attempting to move and arrive at destinations as a cohesive whole. We’re calling this technology ‘army cohesion’, and it’s a key tool in allowing players the freedom to create mixed-unit armies without having to micromanage their movement across long stretches of the maps. [read more]
4/17/2026 By Oxide_BrettN in Ashes Dev Journals
Battle forecasts, expanded modding tools, and stability fixes View the full changelog | Get Elemental: Reforged Now The biggest addition is a new battle forecast system. The pre-battle screen now shows a predicted outcome before you commit to a fight, ranging from Crushing Victory down to Likely Defeat, color-coded green to red. If your champions are at risk of falling, it tells you. Modding support has been expanded. All game data can now be replaced by internal name, ... [read more]
4/16/2026 By redskittlesonly in Elemental News
Galactic Civilizations IV v3.3 Now Available Buy now on Steam | Epic Games Store | galciv4.com This update brings a new AI system, a streamlined faction creator, faster controls, and a long list of gameplay, balance, and stability fixes driven by community feedback. Adaptive AI The biggest addition in v3.3. Adaptive AI is a new gameplay option that gives struggling AI factions gradual bonuses to stay competitive. The bonuses fade as they ca... [read more]
4/15/2026 By redskittlesonly in GalCiv News
The Problem Nobody Talks About 4X games have a UI problem and it's getting worse. Not because designers are getting lazier. It's because the games keep getting deeper. Every year we add more systems, more resources, more decisions per turn. And the interface has to present all of that without making you feel like you're working air traffic control. I've been making 4X games since 1993. The original Galactic Civilizations on OS/2 had maybe 15 screens total. GalCiv IV has... I actually don... [read more]
4/15/2026 By Frogboy in GalCiv IV Dev Journals
Substrate Mechanics in Ashes of the Singularity II Wishlist Now The Substrate faction has some unique mechanics in Ashes of the Singularity II. In this video dev journal, we’ll explore their Shield and Drone mechanics, discussing how they work and how they impact the gameplay for the faction. [read more]
4/8/2026 By Oxide_BrettN in Ashes Dev Journals
v1.51 "Hunt fer Booty" Update Avast yer scurvy scallywags! The "Hunt fer Booty" update dropped at the start of March and it's time to take a look at what Sins of a Solar Empire II looks like with *proper* Pirates in the game. Bounties can now be placed on the heads of your rivals, Pirates have their own brand new Capital Ship, Minor Factions exhibit new Raiding behavior and two new Advent Minor factions enter the game too. We've reworked the Civilian Structure Capture system, and made a s... [read more]
4/2/2026 By wasabi_md in Sins Dev Journals
Pathfinding Updates in Ashes of the Singularity II Wishlist Now Pathfinding is a tricky subject in RTS games, and especially if you’re trying to allow for maps that are more than just mostly flat spaces. In this dev journal, we’ll explore some of the updates we’ve implemented since Steam Next Fest to the pathfinding. We’ve been working on keeping units from clumping up, improving traffic control through tight spaces, and giving bigger units the priority to shov... [read more]
4/1/2026 By wasabi_md in Ashes Dev Journals
Elemental: Reforged v1.01 - AI Improvements, Balance Tuning, Stability Fixes v1.01 is now available. This update focuses on AI decision-making, balance adjustments, performance and stability fixes, and a long list of bug and text corrections reported by the community since launch. Get it Now | Full Changelog Smarter Non-Cheating AI The AI settles cities more intelligently and no longer picks barren tiles. Spell usage and outpost construction decisions have... [read more]
3/30/2026 By redskittlesonly in Elemental News
The Substrate Are Here The third and final faction has arrived in Ashes of the Singularity II Wishlist Ashes II here If you've been following Ashes of the Singularity II, you've already seen the Post-Human Coalition and the United Earth Forces go at it. Today, the war gets a lot more complicated. The Substrate are in the game. For veterans of Escalation, the Substrate need no introduction. Haalee, the world's first true artificial intelligence, and her children have been a fan-f... [read more]
3/26/2026 By redskittlesonly in Ashes of the Singularity News
Region Power Wishlist Ashes II Now Region Power replaces our previous Region Slot system, giving players more flexibility, with additional upgrades providing more specialization. Each building has a unique power cost, and different regions generate different amounts of power. Do you play it safe and upgrade your backline regions, or upgrade your frontline for more pressure? [read more]
3/25/2026 By Oxide_BrettN in Ashes Dev Journals
Army Formation and Creation Updates Wishlist Ashes II Now Building on player feedback from our Steam Next Fest demo showcase of Ashes of the Singularity II, Armies will now organize themselves into a formation: close range damage dealers and meat shields form the front line while less well armored, longer ranged snipers and artillery will form the back ranks. And now, an Army's facing can also be quickly adjusted to properly face oncoming threats. These new features allow increased co... [read more]
3/18/2026 By Oxide_BrettN in Ashes Dev Journals
v2.1 Opt-In Update Now Available A new national crafting system, 27 culture traits, religious verses, and more Get Ara: History Untold Now | View the Changelog The v2.1 opt-in build is now available on Steam. This update brings a new national crafting system, 27 culture traits, new religious verses, and a handful of balance and stability improvements. National Crafting Policy System Managing crafting across a growing empire just got a lot ... [read more]
3/18/2026 By redskittlesonly in Ara: History Untold News
Elemental: Reforged, the Remastered 4X Strategy RPG is Now Available Features three campaigns, dynasty system, deep crafting, and hundreds of new quests, characters, and dungeons Buy with the Launch Discount A unique mix of 4X Strategy and RPG gameplay is now available as Stardock Entertainment has officially released Elemental: Reforged . To celebrate the release of this passionately crafted and expanded remaster of Stardock’s most ambitious title, players... [read more]
3/17/2026 By redskittlesonly in Stardock Entertainment Announcements
Post-Human Coalition Showcase Pt. 2 Wishlist Ashes II Now Ashes of the Singularity II, the sequel to the massive-scale RTS, takes you to a world in the near future where three factions are fighting for the fate of the solar system: the United Earth Forces (UEF), the Post-Human Coalition (PHC), and the AI Substrate. Whether you're interested in the single-player campaign, multiplayer, or skirmish matches, the faction you fight for is in your hands. Joining the fight against the United... [read more]
3/12/2026 By wasabi_md in Ashes Dev Journals
v3.2 Update Now Available AI diplomacy, early-game pacing, and gameplay balance improvements across the base game and Tales of the Terran Alliance DLC. Get GalCiv IV Now | Full changelog below The v3.2 update addresses some of the most common community feedback. AI civilizations are now better about when and how often they contact you diplomatically, and they make smarter decisions about when to surrender rather than giving up prematurely. Early-game pacing gets a no... [read more]
3/11/2026 By redskittlesonly in GalCiv News
Join us for our Elemental: Reforged Livestream Event Save the Date | Wishlist Now Join us as we play through the campaigns and quests of the remastered 4X strategy RPG, Elemental: Reforged! 📅 Tuesday, March 17th at 1:00 PM EST 📍Location: Elemental: Reforged Steam Page What to Expect A world of unique characters: Players can design their own units with desired visual customization and attributes, recruit champions, equip gear and watch them develo... [read more]
3/10/2026 By wasabi_md in Elemental News
Beta 3C "The Menagerie Update" for Elemental: Reforged is now available Wishlist or Join Early Access New and Upgraded Monster Lairs Monster lairs now feature greater variety with new creature types including Ghouls, Bone Hounds, Feral Slaves, Embers, Prowlers, and Herglings. Lairs also drop more loot, with specific monster types tending to drop specific types of rewards and crafting ingredients. Guardian monsters will no longer wander away from their lairs. New Tutori... [read more]
3/6/2026 By redskittlesonly in Elemental News
What's Next After Steam Next Fest Wishlist Ashes II Now Ashes of the Singularity II landed in the top 50 most played demos during Steam Next Fest, and the demo is still available through March 16 . In this video, I open up what we call a "zoo map" for the United Earth Forces faction, it's a development tool that lays out every unit and building for a faction in one place so we can review them all at a glance. I talk a bit about how we use these internally and what's still co... [read more]
3/5/2026 By Oxide_BrettN in Ashes Dev Journals
The 'Hunt fer Booty' v1.51 update is now available New pirate capital ship, bounty system, minor faction raids, and more arrive in the v1.51 update Play Sins II Now New Unit: Pirate Galleon Capital Ship The Pirates have a new flagship. The Galleon is a playable capital ship with four unique abilities, bringing some new tactical options to the table. Bounty System A new Bounty Office in the Markets window lets players spend resources and exotics to put a p... [read more]
3/5/2026 By redskittlesonly in Sins of a Solar Empire News
In our last dev journal , we introduced the Pirate Galleon and hinted at unsubstantiated reports of these fearsome vessels roaming the phaselanes and attacking planets. We advised that a wise admiral should be prepared for anything. Consider this your preparation. The Pirate Incursion is a new game event in which a Pirate Galleon will actively target a player's territory, stage a forward operating position on their border, and launch escalating waves of Pirate raiders against their pl... [read more]
3/4/2026 By Unikraken in Sins Dev Journals
Ashes of the Singularity II was one of the most played demos during Steam Next Fest! We're extending the demo play period through March 16 at 1:00 PM ET . Play the Demo What's in the Demo Two fully playable factions . The United Earth Forces bring numbers, durability, and relentless ground power. The Post-Human Coalition abandoned flesh for advanced tech, fielding smaller armies that hit harder and cost more. They play completely differently. Multiplayer for up to 8 players . Ful... [read more]
3/2/2026 By redskittlesonly in Ashes of the Singularity News
Beta 3B: The Prelude Campaign Arrives A new campaign, new sovereigns, smarter AI, and faster performance land in Elemental: Reforged's latest update Join Early Access | Wishlist Elemental The Beta 3b update for Elemental: Reforged is now available. Here's what's new. The Prelude Campaign The final campaign, Prelude, is now playable. This joins the existing Fallen Enchantress and Legendary Heroes campaigns, rounding out the campaign lineup ahead of launch. Ne... [read more]
2/26/2026 By redskittlesonly in Elemental News
United Earth Forces Showcase Pt. 2 Play the Free Demo | Wishlist Now This is the second in a two part series showcasing the forces available to the United Earth Forces in Ashes of the Singularity II . From deadly fighter jets to enormous armored dreadnaughts, the UEF fight for the sake of all humanity. [read more]
2/25/2026 By wasabi_md in Ashes Dev Journals
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