Stardock - My one complaint

from Stardock Forums

From a loyal customer,

My one complaint about Stardock is not that they produce dreadful games, because they don't, they produce fantastic games. It is not that there aftercare service is terrible, because it is not, it is second to none. It is not even that there forums are a hive of delinquents, because yet again the members of their forums are some of the nicest people i have had the pleasure to chat to. My complaint is simply this, Stardock for all their greatness are terrible at keeping their customers informed on the status of game releases, primarily updates to said games!

For instance, i give you Galciv 2 2.0, due for release originally in September it was announced the update would be delayed for further additions. Now i like any gamer have no complaints about the inclusion of more structure to an update so please do not get me wrong on that score. However September came and went and then in early October the beta was released. Great! a new update is out and we can all get to grips with it. Help iron out the issues there may be and turn the game into something even better. Now we get to the core of this statement i make! A couple of days after the release of 1.99[b] (26.09.08) there was an announcement (07.10.08) that further betas would be required before the release of 2.0, but since then not one comment or announcement on when the beta may find the light of day has been forthcoming from the keys of the developers.

Now i like anyone know that the devs are probably hard at work perfecting the game for us mere mortals to enjoy for months to come, but surely the gods of the gaming world could put finger to key and speak down to us like Zeus from Mount Olympus and let us know what is going on. One tiny piece of information on the next betas release that we could all flock to like a moth to a flame... But alas this appears not to be!

So my gods of Stardock, I a mere mortal stand here awaiting your thunderbolt to strike me for speaking out against you; but for 30 seconds worth of typing a week could you please keep us better informed as to what is happening with your releases as we don't mind the dates getting pushed back but we sure a toasted toads would like to know this is happening.

 

Many thanks

A loyal and hopeful purchaser of your products.

20,589 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I quite agree with you. I asked this same question several days ago. Where is TOA 2.0!!!

Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

If you hear that a new release is forthcoming, then no more about it, the answer is simple: the devs are too busy working on it to do journals. I don't think we've ever canceled a patch, so this is a pretty solid answer you can rely on :)

And failing all else, it can't hurt to hop on IRC and poke them directly for any tidbits they might drop regarding the soonishness of the next update ;)

Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I can second that the IRC channel is the best place to harass a dev.  Especially if you notice a gameplay bug, it gets to them a lot quicker that way.

 

In a way, I was kinda hoping the reason was they abandoned GC to put more resources on their next game, though that one screenshot was not what I imagined the game to be like.


Was kinda hoping for a regiment system to cut down on unit micromanagement outside of tactical battles.

 

 

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

More updates are good, but I'd rather have the most complete game possible.  As a long-time customer I'll trade silence for quality any day.

(I do feel your pain though!)

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

You might notice that I plague these forums with info as often as I can. On a few occasions I have been wrong and it is sometimes scary to post due to that. However I am working on it as well as several others of creating something like a journal process. Things akin to the Panic Button I write when I can.

Panic Button is on pause as I am going through some of the dated FAQs and updating and replacing. So I am just as guilty of being too busy to let everyone know what I am doing.

Sometimes one of the things that can hold back updates is not knowing if what you have just stated is still going to be true in a few months. Examples would be "Oh we brought in crazy lazer turrets and they are tons of fun!" to then three months later "Lazer turrets break ground clipping and it can't be fixed, turrets are out.". If you really liked the idea of the turrets you might thing we were just playing with your emotions and we don't want to do that. You like our games and we love you for it. The balance is tough at times.

However this has been noted and I will follow up on it for you.

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Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Thank you. As mentioned in my post it is not the fact that the release is delayed time and time again as it matters not. What does matter is the lack of notification regarding the delays leaving us with little to no idea what you guys are up to. At times it is as if all the devs have dropped of the face of the planet all together and we have been left to decide what must be happening in your world.

I know you guys are busy but i also work a full time week 46+ hours but still have to email a weekly report over to my head office on a friday night. Surely somthing of the same could be done but as a post inthe forums to let us know how things are progressing?

Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

the devs are too busy working on it to do journals.

I think the point he is making is that part of "working on it" should be doing journals.

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Alfonse, reply 7

the devs are too busy working on it to do journals.
I think the point he is making is that part of "working on it" should be doing journals.

I know of no companies which try to do journals and keep players informed as much as stardock ... ^_^

Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I know of no companies which try to do journals and keep players informed as much as stardock ...

Try working in an accounting department sometime.  We have daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semiannual and annual reporting processes.  I think the OP's point was, to quote Dr. Evil, "Throw us a frickin' bone here", no matter how small it may be.  Even if it's just, "We're too busy working on the beta to post about the beta."  We have our proverbial hands out...don't leave us hangin'  : )

Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I think the point he is making is that part of "working on it" should be doing journals.

I'm sorry that we're not keeping you informed, but we've got a lot going on here right now and Scott (boogiebac) and I are each doing the work of 3-4 people, and normally we'd be the ones keep you guys informed.  Not to mention how busy Brad is!  As Brad mentioned in another thread, we are looking to hire people, but we actually don't have any room to put them until we finish more of the building. 

The only reason I'm actually on the forums and saw this now is because I'm also answering support e-mails and I need something to do while I'm waiting for files to download from the support page and I'd get too involved if I was coding.

Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

The Winter Blues wind hits hard even here in Quebec!

As for regular and_or_nor_looping_else scheduled Journals about the about of the about when it's about time to determine what about by whomever just so happens to be near almost about *?* -- a solid game (be it in a beta form or finalized for THE usual distributable status) which we all have access to will NEVER be anything else than READY only whenever someone at SD decides it is.

Sure, we (players & customers) *also* hook over at the glimpses & insiders report(s) - but to me, the essential resources & energy must (or should, if and when possible) be used at code level for fast(er_est) productivity and optimal quality reasons.

Anything else (made public through Forums threads!) is sweet icing on the proverbial cake.

In small slices or big chunks of official reveals!

Here two candles for GC -- get ready to light 'hem up, people.

And, make a wish.