(INSIDERS BUILD ONLY) v2.96 Update Changelog type 2
Published on Friday, April 11, 2025 By
As we approach the 2.96 release, we are focused on addressing gameplay bugs, quality of life improvements, and DLC updates.
Patch Activation Instructions
To enable the patch, please follow these steps:
- Select Galactic Civilizations IV from your Steam Library list.
- Right-click and select Properties.
- Select the BETAS tab.
- From the dropdown, select Insider and click Close. (If you don't see this option, restart Steam.)
- Steam should pull down the changed files. If you ever want to return, do the same as above but select default.
Please note: The opt-in (Insider Build) is an early preview of the next update, and you might experience bugs or other issues.
Key Features
- Gameplay Bug Fixes: Resolved issues related to techs, leader recruitment, wealth anomalies, civilization traits, and abilities.
- Quality of Life Improvements: Enhanced UI, clarified confusing text, improved camera scrolling, and updated default map settings.
- DLC Updates: Gameplay and UI improvements for the Tales of the Arnor and Megastructures DLCs.
v2.96 Changelog (April 10th, 2025)
AlienGPT
- Added AlienGPT 2.0
- Alien images are cached as part of the install.
- Added the ability to browse through all alien images.
- AlienGPT is now smarter, enhancing writing and image selection.
Auto for Ships
- Auto survey now correctly identifies surveyable anomalies.
- Auto mine now correctly identifies asteroid fields.
Custom Civ
- Fixed an issue where Custom Civilizations with Random citizens don’t maintain the random citizen if used in multiple games.
Missions
- Fixed a bug during The Opportunity Mission where players were unable to scan the Navigator's planet.
Ships
- Ship designs with the Precursor Particle Beam will no longer become locked and unable to build.
- Fixed a bug where freighter ships could occupy the same tiles as planets.
- If you redesign an existing ship and change its class, it will now properly remove the old class’s ability.
UI
- Resized the Alterian citizen role UI.
- Added Approval Icon for Lagoon Tiles.
War
- If a player is in a permanent war with another civilization, players cannot speak, trade, or end the war.
v2.96 Changelog (March 31st, 2025)
Gameplay
- Advanced ship design mode is now on by default.
- Fixed Capital City not increasing population correctly.
- Anomalies that give wealth have reduced turns to survey and are more likely to occur.
- Artifact anomaly turns to survey reduced from 8 to 5.
- Minister of Justice crime reduction benefit doubled.
- Gave ship sensor range a minimum of 1.
- Removed duplicate Egalitarian Awareness buff from Radiated Ability.
- Fixed Farmer Civilization Trait to give the correct Farmer Bonus.
- Shipyards after an invasion will now display correct build times instead of N/A.
- Prevented players from offering more credits than they own in a trade.
Leaders
- Leadership recruiting is given higher priority by AI to utilize factions more effectively.
- Increased odds that a new leader will show up each turn by 20%.
- Fixed a bug where leadership recruitment cost was negative.
Techs
- Beacon reconstruction lab adjacency bonus for tech increased from 1 to 3.
- Added Tech requirements for Commercial Starliner and Orbital Destination Resort.
- Fixed The Opportunity Mission Logistics Tech Tree to appear correctly.
Map Settings
- Default map settings changed from Binary to Singular Sectors.
- Default map settings changed from Medium to Small map size.
- Default map settings changed from starting near another civ to starting further away.
Misc
- Fixed stuck camera scrolling issues.
- Sped up scrolling in and out of the map with the mouse wheel.
Text
- Added missing "(We are at War)" text to Korath war declaration.
- Added missing descriptions for resource tooltips.
- Fixed loading screen tooltip to say, “You can rebind useful hotkeys in the Key Bindings section of the Options menu."
- Corrected probe tooltip to say “Ignored by pirates, space monsters, and precursor sentinels.”
- Added clarifying text onto Techs that unlock Galactic Challenges.
- Fixed tutorial pop-up to explain Executive Orders and Control.
UI
- Fleet/Ship context panel now shows combat rating and related stats first.
- Tweaked the planet window to give more space for the planet improvements list.
- Fixed the scientist tech tree tooltip to show the correct information.
- Fixed the “Customize your Civilization” screen from disappearing after clicking back and forth between the Civilization Select Screen.
- Prevented abilities in the “Customize your Civilization” screen from duplicating when changing them.
- Updated Defeat Video with new music and scene.
- Fixed a bug where you could take a Leader out of the Leaders screen.
- The Pause Menu no longer opens when the Automation screen is open.
Tales of the Arnor DLC
Gameplay
- Fixed Citizen Stat effects for Systemic Processing Overload event.
- Fixed effect for The Nexus of Computation Event.
- Fixed and Buffed Supply Attrition Bonus for Prime of Colony Oversight.
- Increased Supply Attrition Bonus for Prime of Colony Oversight from -0.1% to -0.5% per point of resolve.
- Removed Liberate option from the Tales of the Arnor Missions.
- Fixed a bug where if you locate a minor Civilization before you locate the Iconians, the objective to locate the Iconians is completed.
Tech Tree
- Cybernetic ability techs don't show up in the tech tree for synthetic Civilizations.
- Added Urbanite techs to the Nyx Tech Tree.
- Added Exotic World Colonization to the Nyx Tech Tree.
- Holometric Culture Vistas unlocks Entertainers for the Nyx.
Localization
- Fixed Polish localization issues.
Multiplayer
- When a player joins a multiplayer game and owns Tales of the Arnor DLC, they do not need to exit and reenter the lobby to see the Nyx as a Civilization option.
UI
- Added clarifying text that Synthetic races do not have access to the Cybernetic Ability and tech tree unlocks.
- Updated Computational Core description to indicate that it needs to be built before certain Improvements and Districts.
- Fixed incorrect text for Lost Weapon Jammer anomaly event.
- Fixed bug where the Free Will tech does not show up in the Tech Library.
Megastructures DLC
Stellar Nexus
- Fixed Blue Nexus: Quantum Mirror intelligence buffs.
UI
- Added new icons to represent Megastructures in the tech tree.