Hello everyone! For this week’s Dev Journal, we are going to take a look at the exciting and often overlooked Galactic Challenges of GalCiv IV. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44022615/9ccc0388b6520695d5c62be6e62d6fe2d9ef9cd5.jpg[/img] Galactic Challenges are special Quests that players can start at any time once certain prerequisite conditions have been met. Each Challenge provides optional side objectives that players can attempt to complete for Prestige and other powerful rewards. Each Challenge is unique, and the associated rewards can help accelerate players towards victory! Galactic Challenges are particularly useful for gathering Prestige - a resource that is usually difficult to acquire. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44022615/8227ecb84dcb31a88c51b5c220ebe9547d4b8965.jpg[/img] Galactic Challenges are accessed by clicking the trophy icon in the center of the main screen hotbar. Players will not have access to this screen until after the Cultural Influence technology has been researched. Once unlocked, players will be able to open the Galactic Challenges screen where they can see the current list of available Challenges. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44022615/09a83af7ef0f52e8997023af68e2ed84c6e8d36e.jpg[/img] Each Challenge has a description, a stated reward, and a series of objectives. With this information, players can choose which Challenges they want to undertake. The Challenge “Against the Tide,” for example, describes a crisis where all other Civilizations declare war on the player. The reward for surviving a total of 88 Months/Turns is a large sum of 70 Prestige. While preparing for this Dev Journal, I opted to skip the “Against the Tide” Challenge as my military strength was lacking. Instead, I decided to start both “The Orb of Draginol” and the “Hall of Unity” Challenges as I felt my civilization was equipped to complete their objectives. This brings me to another point: multiple Challenges can be taken simultaneously. Just be mindful of the risks associated and choose your challenges wisely; some Challenges are more dangerous than others. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44022615/f3420a64a19abbe1412b2cfa448acb5e8662229c.jpg[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44022615/0581ef5f26f129b93e031d0ac21cfea1c7f84547.jpg[/img] The initial selection of available Challenges will be limited. More Challenges become available as players progress through the game and unlock various technologies. For your convenience, I’ve compiled a handy chart to help you see the prerequisites for each Challenge: [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44022615/ca9de57e98deeb438b5c7fe3f3ba01423aeee8fd.png[/img] Once underway, progress for each Challenge is tracked via a Quest Display in the upper left-hand corner of the main screen beneath the current Research. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44022615/8fa71089ec3176dd36bc5f7c71948cfcb8ae8412.jpg[/img] This will help you keep track of any ongoing Challenges and their various objectives. Progress can also be tracked within the Galactic Challenges screen which will update as objectives and challenges are complete and new Challenges become available. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44022615/856049a4fd13bb9597e6d21d38d54e75e74d7c23.jpg[/img] As mentioned earlier, Galactic Challenges are an excellent source of Prestige. Prestige is an important resource that directly contributes to achieving a Prestige Victory. To quote the Galactapedia, “Prestige is a measure of a civilization’s status. A civilization with a high enough Prestige will win the game through domination in several areas.” [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44022615/3f1c5a101041649cf06b646c26d1997ef8c6c29d.jpg[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44022615/dd44e86edcffca0d427eb8080752f693ad9ae36c.jpg[/img] A Prestige Victory will usually be achieved when a player’s civilization advances militarily, economically, and technologically without engaging in conquest or cultural battles. Galactic Challenges allow players to more actively pursue this victory condition by earning large amounts of Prestige outside of standard progression. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44022615/40ec54348312dfdb15adc86953aa11c8b74c292c.jpg[/img] I’ve done my best to avoid sharing specifics when discussing Galactic Challenges in this Dev Journal as there are some surprises best saved for players who’ve not yet attempted these trials. In conclusion, Galactic Challenges are more than just side quests; they're your ticket to shaking up the game and gaining an edge over your rivals. So, be bold, play smart, and remember—whatever you do, don’t catch Penultipox!