This is it. This is the post that I hope will jumpstart not only the Forums, but also the Metaverse and every gamers interest in Galactic Civilizations II. Please take the time to read it entirely - I can guarantee that most of you will find your passion for GalCiv2 renewed with a great vigor.

I have been thinking lately about the current state of the GalCiv2 universe. My deduction is this: the forums are neglected and are not as full of life as they have been in the past. The Metaverse, once a great source of fun and excitement for gamers, is now in shambles, with hardly anyone ever posting a game to it anymore. 95% of all MV empires are unused and abandoned. Finally, the passion and love for Galactic Civilizations II has died down. It used to be that every day every hour, there would be dozens of posts, and dozens of games being logged into the MV. Those were the days when we all took pride in this game and in this site.

Unfortunately, those days seem to have passed us by. People are moving on to different games and getting bored with GalCiv2. They have forgotten what an incredible accomplishment this game is and what an awesome, creative, helpful, and enjoyable tool the GalCiv2 forums are. They have forgotten how great it felt to hit the "Submit" button after finishing a Metaverse game. The point of this post is to attempt to renew the passion and love for this great game in the hearts of all of its fans and supporters.

I am by far not the best, most experienced, or most well-known player of this game. I am a relatively new player with alot to learn. But I believe I excel in one thing that many of the most experienced players are lacking in: Passion for the game. Take a moment and think about what it felt like when you played your first ever game of Galactic Civilizations. Yes, for many of you, that was a VERY long time ago, but still try. Remember your feeling of immense excitement when you first saw this website. It was bustling with avid gamers and there were countless numbers of players and posts, not to mention links that took you all over the site. How great was it to join (or make) your first Metaverse Empire? It had to feel pretty good, right? Remember those great times - they weren't that long ago.

Stardock achieved so much with this incredible game. I cannot begin to give them enough credit. They succeeded in creating a game that finally let you "go to the stars." They created not one, not two, but twelve (!!!) different alien races, each of which had its own unique history and purpose in the galaxy. Don't forget that Stardock also managed in creating possibly the most intelligent AI in the entire gaming world. If you were about to play you're first game, and you thought to yourself, "Well, I had better ramp the difficulty up to 'Suicidal' since the normal settings are probably too easy." I'm going to bet that you learned your lesson VERY quickly on why you couldn't have that mindset with this game.

Remember the first time that you ever went to the forums. You took a quick look around and you were able to deduce that this is one dedicated, helpful, and creative group of gamers. You saw post after post where a veteran gamer would be helping out a beginner with a question that was extraordinarily simple, yet seemed so hard for that person at the time. You probably had some of those beginner questions yourself, too. No matter how simple the question, however, the veterans would never fail to give all the help that they could. Friendships that you never thought were possible just because of a game were formed through the forums. New ideas for how to make the next expansion were formulated, and people even began to come up with their own creative versions of the game called Mods.

Remember the first time you ever joined or created an MV empire. You were suddenly part of a great group of friends. You were immersed in empire to empire rivalries. Yet, no matter how big the rivalry; no matter what empire you were on; you guys were all one big group of friends, united by a single game.

Unfortunately, those "glory" days seem to have passed us by. I believe, however, that they can come back. That's what I'm trying to do - bring them back. So what if there are no new expansions for GalCiv2. In a couple years GalCiv3 is going to come out, AND GalCiv2 New Frontiers is going to be created even sooner then that, so don't worry. But in the meantime - make a Mod, or, if you can't, find someone who knows how and ask them to join you in creating a Mod. Unite your ideas with his or her skills, and create your own version of the game. The options for what you can create are endless. If you don't want to create a Mod, and you're just looking for a new way to play the game, just go to the library and download one of the hundreds of Mods available. It's easy, and they're free.

If you are playing a game of GalCiv2, and you think that you're current game is extra-special, then create an AAR (After Action Report) and post it in its respective site. Share your experiences with others and let them enjoy your game as much as you did. Don't forget to include screenshots!

Be a part of the Metaverse. This is an incredible achievement made by Stardock. It is a fantastic way to make new friends and be a part of something different. Try and make the top ten, dominate the galaxy, or just play to play. You can make your own empire, get all of your friends to join, and corsair through the galaxy, battling other empires for that coveted 1st Place medal. You can even create and post your own background story and ship style for your empire. None of the default ships seem to fit your race? Make a Mod of them yourself, or have someone in your empire do it for you. The MV is an incredible part of GalCiv2.

Now here is my list of things that you can do to make this website thrive again:

1. Make a character and join or create an empire for the MV - you'll have great fun and you'll make great friends. I know that I have.
2. Be active in the forums. Put up some posts and replies that contribute to creating friendships and helping new players become veterans. Help create your competition!
3. Veteran players, remember this: You guys were all new players at one point or another. Remember that no matter how many times you have answered a certain question, it won't take forever to answer it once more. You'll build up some new friends, and maybe get some Karma while you're at it.
4. Everyone - if you thought that a certain person was kind, helpful, or just a decent and interesting person - don't forget to give them the Karma that they deserve. Just click the thumbs-up underneath their post/reply and give them a nice thank-you.
5. Make Mods if you can or if you know someone that can and is willing to. They restore your interest in the game, along with anyone else who likes your Mod.
6. Be kind and respectful in your posts and replies - don't swear or flame someone or make fun of them. That is simply cruel and is not helpful at all to any of the points that I have made.

Since I am fairly certain that this post is taking up quite a bit of your time and space, I'm going to wrap it up with one final note.

This game is incredible and all of its fans are incredible people, too. You guys were smart enough to recognize a good game and get it. Good for you. Now make the experience that you get from this game even more incredible by being active on this website. This is the make or break moment for this game. All of you guys hold the future of this game and this website and this incredible group of friends in your hands. Please make this future one to remember.

Finally, any comments and replies that you guys have would be greatly appreciated. I hope to see many more active users on this website in the future to come. I am also going to include a list of different threads that I have made on the GalCiv2 forums concerning the various "Jumpstart" projects of mine. Thanks you very much for bearing with me throughout this long post. And yes - I know what you're thinking. This guy is the absolute King of Long-Winded Posts. Best Regards now and forever.

~ Cypher ~

List of Threads for "Project Jumpstart"

• The Mod Development and Exchange Center
• The Metaverse Recruiting Center
• The War Room