[GCiv] Hola! Introductions

[Berrie]

Hi Brad,

I'm eagerly waiting to get my hands on a copy of GalCiv II, because the release date has been postponed to an unknown date here in Belgium =>
Have you any idea of a release date for Europe?

By the way great website and support for the game. Especially the game examples have me convinced to buy the game. Heck, I still haven't played the game and I already registrated to a forum to discuss the game.

 

[Supa]

Following Berrie's question, I would like to know if there are multiple localized versions for Europe or, like Civ-IV, it is the same package with a language choice ?

 

[HULKsmash]

Hi Brad,

While searching for the release date in Europe, I would like to know the release date in Singapore and the Far East in general. THANKS!

 

[a5ehren]

Picked it up this weekend, and I just finished my first game tonight - definately had the "one more turn" syndrome! Now it's time to move up the difficulty ladder

 

[Masquerouge]

Hi Brad,

I'm really glad to see that what seems to me to be the right approach as far as video games are concerned is actually rewarded.

You guys are actually very active in the communities, and you really pay attention to what these communities have to say. I mean, you've already released two updates !

I heard of galciv2 through word of mouth, and I too am now spreading the good news to everybody around me. I would like to see your dedication rewarded, and the fact that the game is actually excellent sure doesn't hurt

My belief is that if computer games wants to remain competitive vs console games, they will have to focus on things not available on a console, and that is communities, mods and upgrades. Civ4 took the same approach, by releasing the SDK for instance. And among the most successfull PC games of last year are those with a very active modding scene : Half-life 2 for instance.

So keep up the good job

 

[Draginol]

Hi guys. Unfortunately I don't know retail availability in other countries.

You can always purchase it directly from Galciv2.com and have the box shipped to you and download the game to play it immediately.

 

[Draginol]

Hi Brad,

I'm really glad to see that what seems to me to be the right approach as far as video games are concerned is actually rewarded.

You guys are actually very active in the communities, and you really pay attention to what these communities have to say. I mean, you've already released two updates !

I heard of galciv2 through word of mouth, and I too am now spreading the good news to everybody around me. I would like to see your dedication rewarded, and the fact that the game is actually excellent sure doesn't hurt

My belief is that if computer games wants to remain competitive vs console games, they will have to focus on things not available on a console, and that is communities, mods and upgrades. Civ4 took the same approach, by releasing the SDK for instance. And among the most successfull PC games of last year are those with a very active modding scene : Half-life 2 for instance.

So keep up the good job

I'm convinced that word of mouth is a lot stronger than any sort of "marketing" campaign.

In our case, we're just a bunch of gamers who happen to make games. I bet that we're really not doing anything much differently than many of the other people in this forum.

That is, if you guys were to get together and start making games, how would you do it?

As a gamer, the things that really drive me nuts are:

1) Being treated like a criminal. I don't like paying $50 for a game and then having to keep the CD in the drive or whatever. My office is a disaster, I don't want to have to keep track of CDs.

2) Buggy games. While GalCiv II has humbled me a bit on that (doing a 3D game that works 100% on everyone's system was probably a bit naive on our part to think there'd be no issues). But I don't like paying for a game and then waiting MONTHS to get a fix.

Item #2 required some effort -- we had to be both the developer and publisher to make item #2 happen. We'd never be able to release updates when we felt like it if there were another layer (i.e. a publisher) involved.

3) Developers talking to gamers. Lots of people have good ideas. In fact, Thunderfall gave us a killer good idea -- letting users craete their own custom races and then being able to select previously created custom races as opponents. That's going to go in at some point. We'd never thought of it.

So really, it's just about doing the same kinds of things you guys would do. We just happen to be in the position of putting these ideas to the test.

In a couple weeks, the sales stats will get published and can you imagine if GalCiv is up on those charts? An indie game with a dev team of less than 10 people? It won't be a good day for the developers of copy protection software.

 

[Supa]

An indie game with a dev team of less than 10 people?

Judging by the screenshoots and the reviews, it's already positively astonishing !

 

[Bilas]

Hi Brad!

Great to see game developers talking and explaining their products with the consumers. My question has to do with the modding capabilities of Galactic Civilization 2. Civ4 is very mod friendly and they will soon release there SDK so we can take modding one step further. Can you explain a lttle on GalCiv2 modding capabilities.

Thanks for your time and for a great game!!

Bilas

 

[p dandy]

Hi Brad,

I just wanted to let you know that, besides my interest in the genre itself, one of the main reasons I'm buying GalCiv2 is because of Stardock's commitment to customer satisfaction. I've never seen a game company with this level of interaction. Keep up the good work.

 

[Sub]

3) Developers talking to gamers. Lots of people have good ideas. In fact, Thunderfall gave us a killer good idea -- letting users craete their own custom races and then being able to select previously created custom races as opponents. That's going to go in at some point. We'd never thought of it.

So really, it's just about doing the same kinds of things you guys would do. We just happen to be in the position of putting these ideas to the test.

That actually is a really great idea and I'm surprised you guys are going to implement it into a future patch. Kudos to you.

Anyway, I'll be getting my copy later today. Can't wait to try it out.

 

[Sadan01]

Hi Brad. I have been extremely impressed with the quality, Stardock's support and patching schedule for both GalCiv1 and 2 (I don't have '2 yet but will purchase next week - but have been lurking your forums for the past week or so) and you (and Stardock) really are a credit to the gaming industry. And the game is just fun!

Unfortunately, without going on a , we as gamers, in my opinion, do not see enough support out there from publishers for games, which include no or little feedback, no patching, and "pass-the-buck" technical support. It seems, from my point of view (and quite bluntly), that most publishers are about the money and the units sold and the customer be damned. So it is refreshing to see a developer/publisher that is going in the opposite direction - providing a real and tangible service to the customer.

Even though any company from any industry is out there to make money, you and Stardock haven't forgotten the things that make customers loyal (outlined those above). In addition, (and I have to be careful as I don't want a warning or ban), I applaud Stardock's decision regarding copy protection. It is nice to be treated like a customer, and not looked at as being a criminal due to having Nero installed on your PC (for example). The biggest bonus with this strategy is that I don't need that pesky CDROM/DVD in the drive to play. Additionally, I believe based on the figures or statements I have seen/read, that it is possible to sell more units if copy protection is not included on the media. This does tend to disprove what we have all been told by other sources regarding units sold upon release. Besides, there are other methods of protection instead of something intrusive. This is just my 2 cents...

Thankyou once again for visiting these forums

- Sadan01

P.S. I don't know if it is just my machine but the GalCiv2 website does not seem to be Firefox-friendly

Edit: Everything stated above is my opinion only. Mods, please edit my post if you feel certain parts offend the forum rules.

 

[Drakan]

Hola Draginol.

I've had to order my GCII from the US because I just cannot wait ´till the 15th of May to be released in Spain. I harassed a few spanish gameshop employees untill I actually found out the release date for it in Spain.

Un saludo desde España,

Drakan

 

[Lars_Domus]

Hi Brad,

I was too busy waiting for and then playing CivIV to pay much attention to the development of GalCiv2, but I always had the intention of at least trying it out once it was released. However, when it finally was released and I found out it had no copy protection, I immediately rushed to the store to pick up a copy (only to find out the shipment was somehow delayed and that I had to wait a couple of days). Even if the game, against all my expectations, would turn out to be less than spectacular I wanted to support this kind of respect for paying customers. For that reason alone I hope GalCiv2 becomes a smashing economic success.

I am also very pleased to see the developers taking an active interest in the community, even outside the official forums.

That said, the game itself is nothing short of a masterpiece. I'm still at the learning stage, but I'm very excited about the hightened focus of the non-military aspects of running an empire (as opposed to, for example, MoO2).
I also love the way you haven't been shy about borrowing from other established TBS series, such as MoO and Civ, and still come out with something that feels quite unique. On top of that, the game ran smoothly and stable out of the box on both computers I've tried it on (and one is a laptop that doesn't meet the minimum requirements!) I already love this game, and I know I will be playing it for years to come.

Thank you, and all the rest of the creative and gifted people at Stardock!

 

[Draginol]

Glad you like it.

We're gamers ourselves, we'd be hanging out on various forums regardless. lol.

 

[Birdjaguar]

@Draginol: Gee, my review copy hasn't arrived yet. Do I need to resend my address to you?

In Galactic Civ we command a race,
Build cool ships and fly in space;
Hopes and dreams to the stars are bound,
Ever outward 'til new homes are found;
Empire builders everyone,
We breed and blast until the job is done.

 

[oldStatesman]

Hi Brad -

I just wanted to say thank you for your stance on Copy Protection - it really is nice to be treated as a customer and not a thief. I just purchased your game - not just for that reason, but it was a huge part of my decision. You have come up with a 21st century solution to the issue - and not applied an outdated business model to a 21st century problem.

I am one of the many who have just not been able to get the flagship game on this site to run properly - and I really need a pastime for relaxation. I have read the reviews, and the gamesites, and the forums, and have decided on trying your effort.

After downloading and reading the manual and going through the tutorials, I don't think I'll be disappointed. Thanks again, and I look forward to seeing you around in this forum.

 

[Desert Fox]

Interesting a Civilization series site is now supporting a totally different kind of genre! What made you switch to supporting this style of game Thunderfall? The fame the game has now or what? Real curious is all

 

[Biggles]

Since I bought GC2 I have not touched Civ4.

Maybe Thunderfall is the same?
Just won't admit it? grin.

 

[Draginol]

Since I bought GC2 I have not touched Civ4.

Maybe Thunderfall is the same?
Just won't admit it? grin.

I have. I love Civ 4. Between it and Oblivion I don't have much free time.. Er I mean OTHER free time.