How much time between knowing a game is won, and winning it?

[ShadeAuthority]

4x games are notoriously grindy and boring in the late-game. How much time is there between knowing a game is won, and winning it?

E.g. In Civ games there can be literally hours between becoming the most powerful civ by so far you are 100% sure you'll win, and actually winning.

Are we talking minutes or hours for Shadow Empire?

Thanks,
Shade

[JWW]

I'm not sure that matters, because some players are fine with quitting a game when they know they are going to win, while others fall into the category of enjoying playing it out to the end. The latter group, which includes me, might fall into an OCD category of people who don't like loose ends. I love the feeling of encircling and destroying that last enemy unit, even if it takes another hour or two to do it. So speaking personally, it doesn't matter to me if it is minutes or hours. In fact, I wonder now if SE stops when you reach the percentage control for victory or if you can keep going afterwards, since I haven't reached that point in a game yet. I hope it allows you to continue. But if it gives you a nice victory screen even if there are enemy pieces still on the board, I can live with that.

[lloydster4]

It's really not bad. Victory points are based on % of territory and % of population that you control. Once you have 50 victory points and no other major has more than 25, you win. I did have one game where I was the only major power left, but I still had to knock out 1 more minor to win. That was kind of annoying, but it probably only took me 15 minutes to do it.

One thing that's pretty cool about this game: Majors will tend to absorb each other if you leave them alone. It's pretty common to end up with a very strong late-game rival.

[Tomn]

To be honest, victory is kinda underwhelming anyways. A quick "Hooray you win!" and then you get right back to things. There's not really a compelling reason to play until a game mandated victory if you feel like you're already dominant and are getting bored.

[FAA]

Depends how you play. I got used to my regime and even though I currently have 37 points and the next big power only has 18, and the next one 9, I keep playing - expanding, destroying minors, seeing how much my cities will grow. It’s turn 190 and my regime’s population is already higher than that of the entire planet on turn 1. I reckon it’s still a few days for me before I am done. I purposefully signed peace with a weak major so I wouldn’t defeat him too fast.

[jpwrunyan]

ORIGINAL: Tomn

To be honest, victory is kinda underwhelming anyways. A quick "Hooray you win!" and then you get right back to things. There's not really a compelling reason to play until a game mandated victory if you feel like you're already dominant and are getting bored.

Somewhere along the way strategy game developers stopped putting effort into their victory screens. No score, no history graph, no ranking, nothing. I'm not asking for a cut scene, but I'd like a more terminal feeling upon ending the game. I want a dopamine reward.

For example a set of story screens that change based on how you did at the end that are similar in style to the opening narration would add a lot.

Anyway, off topic.

[KingHalford]

ORIGINAL: jpwrunyan

ORIGINAL: Tomn

To be honest, victory is kinda underwhelming anyways. A quick "Hooray you win!" and then you get right back to things. There's not really a compelling reason to play until a game mandated victory if you feel like you're already dominant and are getting bored.

Somewhere along the way strategy game developers stopped putting effort into their victory screens. No score, no history graph, no ranking, nothing. I'm not asking for a cut scene, but I'd like a more terminal feeling upon ending the game. I want a dopamine reward.

For example a set of story screens that change based on how you did at the end that are similar in style to the opening narration would add a lot.

Anyway, off topic.

This is a good idea, I also think that it would add a whole lot of polish to the game. It might be more work than it sounds, particularly with producing graphics for it.

[eddieballgame]

Per multiplayer, a friend & I have been doing the following.
We use 'Team Viewer' to speak with each other while we play the same 'lastplanetgenerated' file.
We play for a few hours (Small worlds are ideal for this per AI speed) & then compare 'Victory Scores as well as 'QoL' scores.
We feel the combination gives a more detailed picture of our progress or lack there of.
Of course, if one was to win the game outright per the game rules...that would take priority. [:)]