4661

This thread is also a good place to discuss the shit that surrounds the game, including Brad’s mea culpa - something we’d have to put in the other thread had this one been locked.

If you don’t like this thread, guys, then ignore it. We’re keeping it all in one place after all.

4662

I can’t! It’s like a horrific roadside accident! I just! Can’t! Turn! Away!

4663

Joystiq is reporting even worse news for Stardock:

Joystiq has been informed by a source that this is only the first round of layoffs at Stardock and that the final count will be about 20 people. We’ve also been told the “games team itself is/was only 15 people big,” so the layoffs will affect others at the company and outside contract workers. Survivors of the cuts will allegedly include the game’s producer, art lead, and two lead developers. The source claims, “All of the posts [Wardell] has made in our public forums about how the games team is funded by our commercial software development and that Elemental was not rushed out the door for monetary reasons is a lie. These people are getting laid off due to poor sales and Stardock’s inability to pay back the capital investors that funded Elemental’s development.”

4664

I hate to make my first post on this forum something so trite, but…

If I bought Elemental from Amazon, am I still able to return it to Stardock for a refund?

4665

Have you opened/installed it yet?

4666

Survivors of the cuts will allegedly include the game’s producer, art lead, and two lead developers.

“I’m sorry you are having to be laid off, Mat, but it’s the only way that the guys responsible for this fiasco can keep their jobs.”

4667

It’s not like the sole owner of the company can fire himself.

4668

There are no capital investors to Elemental.

4669

Wait, Stardock had outside investment for Elemental? I thought all game development was funded by non-game income? Also, what’s the statement that preorders paid for the game now supposed to mean?

4670

brad lied/mislead/misquote/misdirection/deceive?? maybe that’s why he is back from vacation because he run out of money for mojitos.

4671

Doesn’t have to be a lie. Pre-orders could have paid off the game at release but when sales dried up the projected revenue stream that was needed to keep people employed disappeared.

4672


4673

And how do you know, anyway?

4674

You mean all the new people that just registered to join the smack talk?

4675

I was wondering that myself.

James Johnson, I just double-checked and according to Amazon’s return policy you can get 100% if you haven’t opened the game, 50% if it’s been opened. If you’ve tied the license key to your Impulse account, you probably shouldn’t try returning it.

4676

Quite unfortunately, yes.

I just remember something about Stardock accepting returns whether you bought from them or not. I think it was regarding the Political Machine.

4677

Brad has been active on the Stardock forums today, addressing certain player questions. Here are excerpts:

And this is in response to a Joystiq article linked by a forum member:

4678

Let me know what you find out. I’d be surprised if Stardock did that.

4679

Wow, ok, so I’ve had some time with the game now, and I have to say; this is quite the smear job.

Stability: I’ve had some crashes, but it is certainly no worse than many AAA games people gush all over. Oblivion, Fallout 3, Dragon Age, the list could go on, all had stability problems well after launch that were at least as bad or worse than what I’ve seen with Elemental. Granted, I didn’t start playing with it till 1.06, but the game has only been released for a week and a half.

Game mechanics: Beyond what tweak and polish the game needs, the ideas are good and the game will get better as support continues, if Brad is to be trusted. But I don’t see any reason not to. Track record on past Stardock games speak volumes here.

Documentation:
This is weak and needs improvement, especially for those who need handholding.

UI:
It’s not non functional, but still, see Documentation.

Campaign:
Weaksauce. They shouldn’t have even bothered with this. As it stands, the scripted events can be a bit buggy, which kills immersion.

Multiplayer:
Lack of multiplayer at launch shouldn’t be a deal breaker, I think one should learn how to play the game before they get their ass handed to them in multiplayer anyway.

Presentation:
The graphics are actually a unique look that I enjoy. Smaller units on the tactical battlefield could use some size increase so they don’t blend in with the background. But overall, I like it.

Summary:
I don’t get the “OMGz!!1 The game isn’t what I thought it was going to be like, can I haz refunds please!?!” Especially from those who haven’t even opened the game yet. I have bought far worse games than this, and if that is indeed the lowest score Gamespot has ever put out, they are being heavily influenced by the current internet outrage.

And, do other companies even give refunds for releasing shitty games? I have a few on my shelf that I would like my money back for. For instance, Silent Hunter V, a game that was released full of bugs and introduced the new UBI DRM. It was months to get the one and only patch for that game that still has major bugs in core mechanics, and UBI has since all but abandoned that game.

At least with Elemental, I’m confident there will be support for it to fix what isn’t up to snuff, unless of course this whole fiasco causes Stardock to go belly up. I’m sure that’s what many of you want anyway, so carry on.

4680

This has repeatedly been the difference between peoples opinions: those who judge the game for what it IS (even with current patches), and those who judge it based on potential (guranteed or not). This conceptual divide leads to many of the crazy diametrically opposed view points.

While I haven’t purchased the game, I have spent a few hours with it on a friend’s comp: there’s no game there (yet). By weight of content alone (e.g., variety in units, magic, strategies, etc), other 4X’s like MoM, MOO, Civ, GalCiv, AoM, etc. had 10-20 times the raw content of what’s in this game.

There may be enough of a framework there to build a good game on, but it ain’t there now. Ultimately, if you believe this is all a “smear job” you have to ask yourself why Brad is in on it too. Is he simply being a good martyr and going along?

EDIT: Personally, I’d give it a 6/10, with 1.06 patching. The 4/10 is well-deserved for the launch version, though I understand that the GS review was playing a patched version.