This is NOT a DLC, it is the culmination of GalCiv3, and the vindication of all of us who have held on to what seemed like a lackluster sequel. Crusade makes GalCiv3 a NEW GAME! The difference are striking, and the improvements are dramatic! My review is BUY BUY BUY!

Do not buy GC3 without this DLC, you will not get the full game! Does that sound like a problem? Yes, and no. It does mean you will pay more. However, what you get is not a DLC, it is an old-fashioned expansion, the kind that Civ5 had wherein gameplay really changed in dramatic and good ways. The game is astronomically (heh heh) better for this expansion! I have been highly critical of the DLC for this game before, but this one is so worthwhile, it justifies buying all the others. New players: get the bundle!

Gone is the problem of not having enough factions to fill the galaxy, thanks to a proper crowdsourcing system. Anyone can make a decent civ without knowing .xml! Full civilizations are postable on Steam, and you will only have to go to third-party sites for the really really in-depth civs and (still) mods. Ships and civs can be designed without starting a game. There are some glitches here, but they will be resolved, I am sure.

The new economic system is easy to understand, and there is much less micromanaging of your empire. New players will find it much more simple to play a competitive game early. The new "citizen" system is not the same as the 'great people' in the Civlization series, it is more fun! The resource system is a new model unlike that of the Civ series, and makes more sense. Managing starbases is easier than ever. The new interface makes large empire management easier (I only play big games). There are now more options than the old 'rush out and grab planets' strategy. I am still exploring this aspect of the game, but a lot of thought went into it. Modding support continues, and with the new civilization and fleet design system, everyone can add their creativity to the game in a much more accessible way.

Add to that the support and free added content that you can always expect from Stardock. Yes, I am an unabashed fan of this company: they once did a whole update just so those of us with slower computers could keep up! I have found that requests for improvement on their forum often magically result in improvements to the game. They really do care about your gaming experience!

So, all the fun of GalCiv2, with more customizability, more diverse play strategies, better graphics (of course), and an overall better gameplay experience. I have quibbles, but they are quibbles, not cons. GalCiv3 is finally a mature sequel with Crusade!

Again: BUY BUY BUY!

This is NOT a DLC, it is the culmination of GalCiv3, and the vindication of all of us who have held on to what seemed like a lackluster sequel. Crusade makes GalCiv3 a NEW GAME! The difference are striking, and the improvements are dramatic! My review is BUY BUY BUY! Do not buy GC3 without this DLC, you will not get the full game! Does that sound like a problem? Yes, and no. It does mean you will pay more. However, what you get is not a DLC, it is an old-fashioned expansion, the kind that Civ5 had wherein gameplay really changed in dramatic and good ways. The game is astronomically (heh heh) better for this expansion! I have been highly critical of the DLC for this game before, but this one is so worthwhile, it justifies buying all the others. New players: get the bundle! Gone is the problem of not having enough factions to fill the galaxy, thanks to a proper crowdsourcing system. Anyone can make a decent civ without knowing .xml! Full civilizations are postable on Steam, and you will only have to go to third-party sites for the really really in-depth civs and (still) mods. Ships and civs can be designed without starting a game. There are some glitches here, but they will be resolved, I am sure. The new economic system is easy to understand, and there is much less micromanaging of your empire. New players will find it much more simple to play a competitive game early. The new "citizen" system is not the same as the 'great people' in the Civlization series, it is more fun! The resource system is a new model unlike that of the Civ series, and makes more sense. Managing starbases is easier than ever. The new interface makes large empire management easier (I only play big games). There are now more options than the old 'rush out and grab planets' strategy. I am still exploring this aspect of the game, but a lot of thought went into it. Modding support continues, and with the new civilization and fleet design system, everyone can add their creativity to the game in a much more accessible way. Add to that the support and free added content that you can always expect from Stardock. Yes, I am an unabashed fan of this company: they once did a whole update just so those of us with slower computers could keep up! I have found that requests for improvement on their forum often magically result in improvements to the game. They really do care about your gaming experience! So, all the fun of GalCiv2, with more customizability, more diverse play strategies, better graphics (of course), and an overall better gameplay experience. I have quibbles, but they are quibbles, not cons. GalCiv3 is finally a mature sequel with Crusade! Again: BUY BUY BUY!