So has Firaxis given up on BE?

[Acken]

To be honest there's also the theme. Historical stuff usually has more appeal, people relate to it easily, than completely unknown sci-fi.

I mean this is only anecdotal but my girlfriend that plays civ5 casually was bored after an hour of civBE and said mostly "it's ugly and I have no idea what all this stuff is, I find civ5 more cute with little swordmen, workers and cows". Icons of the UI certainly doesn't help too.

 

[Lexicus]

Civ 5, players on steam 4 months after release: 39,677
Civ BE, players on steam 4 months after release: 3,536

Even if your point is that Civ 5 was also in a bad state at this point in its life, the playerbase certainly wasn't. How do you explain that?

Well, I suppose I can't. This is a good point, there's no getting around it.

I still would not rule out further work on BE but I suppose this is a good reason to doubt there will be as much work as I would like to see. But, ultimately, if things don't turn out the way I want I just won't ever buy the game.

To be honest there's also the theme. Historical stuff usually has more appeal, people relate to it easily, than completely unknown sci-fi.

I mean this is only anecdotal but my girlfriend that plays civ5 casually was bored after an hour of civBE and said mostly "it's ugly and I have no idea what all this stuff is, I find civ5 more cute with little swordmen, workers and cows". Icons of the UI certainly doesn't help too.

This has definitely been part of the reason I have not purchased BE. I enjoy SciFi generally but BE's setting just doesn't compel me much, certainly nowhere near as much as the core series' historical setting.

 

[wayneb64]

As a hard core Civ player I was very turned off by the Alien landscape and unfamiliar units, but I have gotten used to it and I am enjoying playing. There certainly are aspects I will miss, but I think I will end up going back to Civ V sooner than later, but not yet.

 

[GravityGames]

Actually, and I know I'm going to get a LOT of hate for this, but I actually like Beyond Earth better than VANILLA Civ 5. Time will tell how much of that like is "new game smell", and time will tell how my opinion changes when I get the expansions (which I plan to do), but right now, I have 91 hours of BE time clocked in (granted, it's a bit distorted due to the fact that I've been modding) and about 31 hours of Civ 5 time. There are things I love and hate about both, but so far I prefer BE. I've yet to try Civ 3 or 4, but I own both of them due to that insanely awesome Steam deal last month, but so far my thoughts are "Civ 5 and BE are good, but I just like Civ 1 better for some reason and I don't know why." (For those who don't know, I literally just found out that Civilization actually got sequels during that huge deal/BE free weekend, if you can't tell, I've been a console gamer for most of my life, and that's pretty much only switched around because I'm an indie dev now...)

As for Firaxis giving up on them, I don't think they have YET, like has already been said, we've probably got at least one more update due to Starships. As for other things, I'm hopeful that a new update, DLC or expansion (preferably update) will fix some of the more major problems like nothing but tectonic scanner option being viable, etc. and ESPECIALLY the lack of personality and appeal of the sponsors. Maybe it's because I'm still a low level player, but that's the biggest problem IMHO. Playing as China in Civ 5 feels rewarding and awesome, while playing as Pan-Asia in BE is...eh...okay I guess. Just okay. That's why I simply can't play BE without mods, nearly every custom sponsor has way more personality than all of the default sponsors combined.

 

[legalizefreedom]

Civ 5, players on steam 4 months after release: 39,677
Civ BE, players on steam 4 months after release: 3,536

Even if your point is that Civ 5 was also in a bad state at this point in its life, the playerbase certainly wasn't. How do you explain that?

If they are like me they are patient enough to wait until the game is fleshed out a bit more before spending a lot of time with it. Check the numbers after the next patch drops.

 

[FXS_MisterKevin]

Nope

http://www.civilization.com/en/news...civilization-beyond-earth-winter-2015-update/

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Let the anti-BE people eat their words! Firaxis definitely still cares about BE!!! The upcoming patch looks amazing!

 

[Ryika]

I wonder how many trade routes they mean when they're talking about "all others". ^^

But yeah, looks quite nice, some interesting bonuses on those Wonders. Unfortunately they don't change anything about the "rush to victory" that begins half-way through the game. I'd actually say that's the biggest issue for me.

 

[JokerJace]

Let the anti-BE people eat their words! Firaxis definitely still cares about BE!!! The upcoming patch looks amazing!

Does it now!? The most unambiguously abhorent wonders have been fixed, some are still completely useless and not 'wonderful' by any means. So they still need to be reworked, along with most other things. Maybe in 4 months we get another shot at the wonders and another try to fix trade routes and maybe some rework of the leaders, techweb and virtues this time. And if that works out perfectly well, the game is still nothing compared to CiV. So yeah... wow!!! Let me eat my words! What an overwhelming support from firaxis. I bet we wouldn't even get this patch if not for the cross platform stuff. (which is mostly annoying account management)

 

[Gort]

Some of those wonders look really weak still. Ectogenesis Pod - one of the few that used to be worth building - is now going to be worth about four food. In total.

Cynosure is going to be worth about five science.

Many look a lot better, though. The question is, should the game not have released with the wonders being worthwhile?

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Does it now!? The most unambiguously abhorent wonders have been fixed, some are still completely useless and not 'wonderful' by any means. So they still need to be reworked, along with most other things. Maybe in 4 months we get another shot at the wonders and another try to fix trade routes and maybe some rework of the leaders, techweb and virtues this time. And if that works out perfectly well, the game is still nothing compared to CiV. So yeah... wow!!! Let me eat my words! What an overwhelming support from firaxis. I bet we wouldn't even get this patch if not for the cross platform stuff.

You may not like the details of the patch, you may think it does not go far enough, you may think Firaxis is too slow. But you cannot deny that the answer to the thread's opening question, "has firaxis given up on BE?" is a resounding NO since Firaxis is releasing another patch and planning more future updates.

 

[Gorbles]

Amen to that. Looks like this thread has been conclusively answered. I wouldn't think this would be the last patch either, considering they're laying the groundwork for future connectivity.

 

[JokerJace]

I still think they just wanted to avoid the awkwardness of releasing a patch for Starship support without fixing one or wo things along the way. But we will see what happens next.

 

[Bandobras Took]

Does it now!?

Yes. But the changes are probably targeted more towards those who did enjoy the unpatched game than those who still don't like it.

 

[Gorbles]

I still think they just wanted to avoid the awkwardness of releasing a patch for Starship support without fixing one or wo things along the way. But we will see what happens next.

I think the patch notes comprehensively put to rest your repeated attempts at downplaying their competency.

The patch consists of significantly more than just "one or two things". The naysayers have been proven wrong. Be happy that the game is getting support, or move onto another game.

 

[JokerJace]

I think the patch notes comprehensively put to rest your repeated attempts at downplaying their competency.

are you kidding me?! The quality / frequency ratio of their patching proves everything I was ever saying and worrying about.

The naysayers have been proven wrong.

Let's just agree that we have different standards. Obviously.

Be happy that the game is getting support, or move onto another game.

Not moving on since this game has potential and I still hope they care to unfurl it. My decision anyway. Just as whether I'm happy with the quality and quantity of their support. Thank you.

 

[s0nny80y]

A WorldArtSProject is preferable to BE, like an egg inject of the head.

 

[Gorbles]

@JokerJace:

The naysayers were saying there wasn't going to be a patch. I'm not saying that's what you were saying; everyone has a different set of opinions about and criticisms of the game.

The comment on patch notes was to disprove (factually) your statement of them fixing "one or two things". They seem to be putting out a patch a quarter, which is reasonable to me, at least in terms of regularity. Whether that keeps up remains to be seen.

 

[Acken]

A patch was a given. I still don't see why it takes that long for wonders and then you'll wait another 3 months for specialists I guess. And by fall 2015 you may have a pass on tile improvement. But to be honest this isn't a CivBE problem, it's a Firaxis one. It took years to fix some glaring Civ5 balance issues and then some are still left. I guess it's better than nothing.

I'm still doubtful of an expansion.

I wonder what they mean for trade routes the patch isn't very clear.

 

[Agent327]

I think the patch notes comprehensively put to rest your repeated attempts at downplaying their competency.

The patch consists of significantly more than just "one or two things". The naysayers have been proven wrong. Be happy that the game is getting support, or move onto another game.

No offense, but this second patch looks like another major overhaul, addressing issues which could have been fleshed out easily with proper playtesting prior to original release. Now, will it improve sales? Doubtful.