Elemental all-purpose thread

Dejin · 2010-08-20T23:16:11.000Z

ckessel:

I’m told I can only say anything tangible about the game on Stardock’s special non-public forum (like, say, a bug report), but because I violated the NDA I’m locked out of the forum. So even if I found something worth noting, I can’t.

I wish the damn thing hadn’t shown up as available until the 24th. I’d turned off “pre-release” on Impulse specifically so I’d only see Elemental when it was actually released. The only reason I ended up mistakenly violating the NDA is because the stupid thing showed up as no longer pre-release. I don’t know if I got it by accident or it was some sort of favor to early beta users, but it ended up backfiring and putting a bit of a damper on the release for me.

I don’t see how they can hold a paying customer, as opposed to a reviewer to an NDA. Did you sign an NDA? Even the Beta didn’t have an NDA that I’m aware of, and you aren’t playing the Beta anymore.

Obviously reviewers receive copies under certain rules, but those don’t apply to you if you were just a paying customer that happened to get their game activated because of some hole in the Stardock system.

Anyway, I don’t want to cause any problems for Brad and company since they do good work, but this just seems rather odd.

Jorn_Weines · 2010-08-21T01:02:52.000Z

I started up Beta 4 just now, thinking I’d play around with it one last time before the released version arrives. And what happens? I get a “Major Update Available” popup in game…that doesn’t work. STOP TAUNTING ME STARDOCK!

I’ll happily forgive this transgression if you activate the registrations for those of us who preordered 11/4/2008 ;)

Sten_Friberg · 2010-08-21T14:38:06.000Z

So… what about the book?

I got it preordered as well, but I haven’t heard anything from the bookstore.
Any word on when it will be available?

KevinC · 2010-08-21T14:39:45.000Z

Thought it was supposed to be a simultaneous release with the game, so the 24th would be my guess.

arakyd · 2010-08-21T14:53:51.000Z

ckessel:

One, those aren’t TBS games.

One of them is. If you don’t like Populous, Alpha Centauri also had deformable terrain.

ckessel:

Two, you can’t possibly know about what’s been done better since Elemental hasn’t been released.

Do I know for a fact that Crusader Kings has a better succession system? No. Can I be pretty confident? Yeah, I think so. I could be wrong, and if I am I’m sure I’ll hear about it. I think it’s a really interesting mechanic, and I’d love nothing more than to play a game that explores it even more than Crusader Kings did.

ckessel:

In your turn based strategy game? I think I understand the problem now…

That I’m not sure quests are a great fit in a 4x game? That I’m not really interested in more games using an MMO-esque “we expect you to play for years while we string out bland and repetitive content” model? Because that’s what I was saying, in a sort of supposed-to-be-funny-but-probably-doesn’t-translate way.

I guess I’m just killing time until the demo comes out. I want to like Elemental. I wish Stardock was making the game I want to play, because no one else is.

ckessel · 2010-08-21T15:35:17.000Z

arakyd:

That I’m not sure quests are a great fit in a 4x game?

My statement was in response to your “First Person, Story lines, Co-op” statement. Very, very clearly quoted. And you bring up quests as a rebuttal?

You’re just trolling me at this point.

Island_Dog · 2010-08-21T16:24:17.000Z

Sten Friberg:

So… what about the book?

I got it preordered as well, but I haven’t heard anything from the bookstore.
Any word on when it will be available?

Yes, the book is due to be released on the 24th as well. If it is delivered on release day is going to be up to where it was ordered from?

:)

lordkosc · 2010-08-21T16:26:58.000Z

Sten Friberg:

So… what about the book?

I got it preordered as well, but I haven’t heard anything from the bookstore.
Any word on when it will be available?

Amazon notified me my BOOK shipped today.

KevinC · 2010-08-21T16:53:17.000Z

ckessel:

My statement was in response to your “First Person, Story lines, Co-op” statement. Very, very clearly quoted. And you bring up quests as a rebuttal?

You’re just trolling me at this point.

He’s just been trolling since the start of the thread.

Taranis · 2010-08-21T17:02:48.000Z

I just finished building and installing software on my new PC and the Elemental beta is missing from my available games in Impulse. I have show pre-release games checked. Is this right, do we lose access to the beta before the release? I just want to make sure that when the game is released early to the beta testers I can download it.

KevinC · 2010-08-21T17:09:52.000Z

That’s right, Taranis, beta is closed and no longer available. You’ll be able to download teh game on monday.

Nephrinn · 2010-08-21T17:33:52.000Z

We could be getting it as early as Sunday unless Brad messed up and thought “tomorrow” was Monday. I guess waiting an extra day is nothing if it isn’t, except for those people with the twitching problems. :P

inactive_user · 2010-08-21T17:46:52.000Z

I should write up a review of the book. Maybe on the plane tomorrow, since I finished it two nights ago. Stupid long trips need more than one book, sigh.

Short version: Congrats Brad on writing a totally solid popcorny fantasy adventure that gave me a decent feeling for the Elemental world.

Calling the world itself Elemental is…um…not what I would have done though ;)

Angrycoder · 2010-08-21T18:16:54.000Z

arakyd:

One of them is. If you don’t like Populous, Alpha Centauri also had deformable terrain.

Neither crusader kings nor populous are turn based. You are just talking out of your ass at this point, not that anything said previously was even remotely credible or useful towards the discussion.

Alex_Hopkinson · 2010-08-21T18:19:45.000Z

Has anyone mentioned Populous yet?

Disconnected · 2010-08-21T18:32:08.000Z

Adam B:

Calling the world itself Elemental is…um…not what I would have done though ;)

Why not?

Matthew_Gallant · 2010-08-21T18:50:14.000Z

It’s an adjective.

Nephrinn · 2010-08-21T19:35:01.000Z

from Frogboy
We are getting reports that the street date for Elemental has been broken. This is one of the downsides of being an indie, we lack sufficient retail clout to get retailers to take our street dates seriously apparently (same thing happened for Demigod).

As a result, we plan to make Elemental available to beta testers TOMORROW (Sunday) as well to pre-order customers ASAP (either tomorrow or first thing Monday).

However, because I have to re-task the IT team to do this, I’m going to have to have us delay the multiplayer server availability until later this week - Tuesday - the original release date - or Wednesday in all likelihood). It won’t affect the single player, campaign, or modding.

I guess we’re getting it Sunday after all. :D

inactive_user · 2010-08-21T19:37:58.000Z

Matthew Gallant:

It’s an adjective.

Thanks.

Morberis · 2010-08-21T19:43:12.000Z

Good to hear the news, even though I’m disappointed that they broke the street date again. Didn’t they do that before for another Stardock published game?

I guess their loss is my gain.

Not that I don’t like you I’m just trying to partay.