Chances are that after the little note I dropped in the admins inbox I'm gonna be going to the forum jail for a loooooong time so I guess I better say my bit before he reads it.
Most of us already have this game, some are fanboys, some are just gamers, some are just here to dish out anonymous abuse directed at firaxis, some here just to dish out abuse. Regardless of what has happened it cannot be altered, they cocked up, who cares? They seem to be getting off thier ars*s and sorting it out which is all that matters.
Consider the number of DXdiag files and logs they have to sift through on a daily basis, 8-10 hours a day of reading the same old cr*p, sweating it out over a dodgy keyboard in a draughty office drinking the worlds cheapest, nastiest coffee all just to keep a baying mob like us happy. Have a heart, give them time. If it comes to like 10 patches and still no joy THEN I guess they deserve to get ripped into but as you all fine well know, the test of time is a long, long road with many a corner, bump, twist and turn. Who knows what will happen? What if Civilization 4.1 runs like a dream? What if they make good on the money we have all spent and give us the game we all know it is?
I would lay money that of the THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of people who have flamed, abused, mocked and otherwise badmouthed firaxis, only a few hundred will ever post a "sorry" or a "thank you".
Like it has been said by many men wiser than I, patience.