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GalCiv Expansion Pack Preview Thread

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GalCiv Expansion Pack Preview Thread

from Stardock Forums

The free expansion pack is coming along pretty well. I thought I'd give you a head's up on some of the stuff that's already working internally:

1) Rally points. These rally points are like nothing you've seen before. They're quite powerful. Includes a way for managing them, hot keys to quickly send ships to them, and can be clicked on and managed like a quasi fleet. It's very cool.

2) Hyperlinks. If you right click on various things, it'll take you to more pertinent information. Example, in the trade screen, right click on a ship and it will bring up a new screen showing where that sihp is located as well as if it's in a fleet.

3) The Tech navigator will let you go through the technology tree and see what does what.

4) A bunch of new anomalies that visually look quite stunning.

5) The star graphics have been all replaced with ones that are bigger and nicer looking.

6) You can lock the sliders in the domestic policy screen.

That's just off the top of my head here at 1am on a Friday night/Sat morning. The team has put in a bunch of other stuff that I know I'm forgetting. But in a couple weeks when the beta shows up on Drengin.net, you'll be surprised at just how many new screens and such there are.

So that we're clear on the schedule:

June: The beta of it will show up on Drengin.net. Drengin.net is our full gaming network that includes The Corporate Machine, LightWeight Ninja, Stellar Frontier and of course GalCiv. The Political Machine should show up relatively soon on it as well. You can upgrade to Drengin.net for $30.

Late Summer: Finished and released. The released version will be available for free to all registered GalCiv players.

The above things I mention (feature wise) are the things that we have done already. Between now and the end of summer a lot of other goodies will show up. I know I have a bunch of events and AI updates I plan to work on when I get ready and the team has other stuff in mind as well.

19,359 views 87 replies
Reply #76 from Stardock Forums Top
I do beta testing for other companies and always has been free, and I have found quite a few bugs.
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The silly thing here is if you don't buy beta you get the final product free. Thats just plain weird.
Reply #77 from Stardock Forums Top
Guys, it's this simple:

Stardock has created a special niche product for those people who are willing to pay for special features. Call it a fan club, call it a guild, call it whatever you wish, but for $30, you get greater access to Stardock products and upcoming releases. Part of this package is that you have the ability to beta-test Galciv releases before they go public. But you are not *paying* to purchase the right to play the beta release. It's more like with your extra access you have the ability to test out the beta if you want. And, of course, you get to play all Stardock's releases for the next year after you pay.

So please, stop thinking that for $30 you can buy the beta of the expansion, but get the full version for free. That simply is not the case!
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #78 from Stardock Forums Top
wow, i had no idea this would create such a fuss. i was mearly whining cuz that's what we do best. ;)

i think each side has posted his/her view ad nauseam. the stardock people can do what they wish at this point. if they have been keeping abreast, perhaps they can glean something from all this. hell, they can raise their children as they see fit. all in all, it's no big deal. no hard feelings either. i mean, come on, what am i doing here... really? i'm trying to get my hands on the much-anticipated expansion pack. oh well, maybe tomorrow i'll go OUTSIDE and see what's been going on out there. i hear there's a real bright sun and something called "sky". i'm told it's kind of like one of those suns in that game. you know the one... it's got spaceships and stuff. it's kinda, well, i forget. ;)
Reply #79 from Stardock Forums Top
Guys, it's this simple:Stardock has created a special niche product for those people who are willing to pay for special features. Call it a fan club, call it a guild, call it whatever you wish, but for $30, you get greater access to Stardock products and upcoming releases. Part of this package is that you have the ability to beta-test Galciv releases before they go public. But you are not *paying* to purchase the right to play the beta release. It's more like with your extra access you have the ability to test out the beta if you want. And, of course, you get to play all Stardock's releases for the next year after you pay. So please, stop thinking that for $30 you can buy the beta of the expansion, but get the full version for free. That simply is not the case!
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Thats not what I mean what I mean is giving the beta to a bunch of people (many of whom won't want use it) but not to many people who don't want the rest of Drengin but would be glad to help test the beta and find bugs etc. is a poor marketing descision

P.S. No offense stardock I love your game and this is the only thing I haven't thought was well done.
Reply #80 from Stardock Forums Top
Is the beta out? I can't find a place to download it from on the Stardock central, and I have paid for Drengin.

All I see is GC 1.05.071, the bonus pack, multimedia and the PDF Manual. Am I missing something?

~SDC~
Reply #81 from Stardock Forums Top
It's up now. Make sure you have clicked 'Show Pre-release Versions' under view in stardock

~SDC~
Reply #82 from Stardock Forums Top
Until it's in Oxford's dictionary, there's no such word. And just so you know, gems like d'oh are in Oxford.

~SDC~
Reply #84 from Stardock Forums Top
They are not charging the money for the beta, they are charging it for Drengin.net.

They just so happen to be releasing it early as a special perk to Drengin.net users. I could make an analogy involving the special stuff in magazines bought off the news stand as opposed to from magazines obtained via subscription, but I'm too lazy ;P.

~SDC~
Reply #85 from Stardock Forums Top
They are not charging the money for the beta, they are charging it for Drengin.net
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Thats not the problem read my post (79) and you'll see what I mean
Reply #86 from Stardock Forums Top
Geeze, I don't know why people complain. Heck, I had to pay 10 bucks for the Star Wars beta, and I don't get jack squat! Well, I did get to suffer through all the crashes and weirdness, and report all the bugs. LOL

Just wait for the *free* expansion if you don't want to pay, simple.

fleabitfox
Reply #87 from Stardock Forums Top
Thats not what I mean what I mean is giving the beta to a bunch of people (many of whom won't want use it) but not to many people who don't want the rest of Drengin but would be glad to help test the beta and find bugs etc. is a poor marketing descision
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I'd that their decision has resulted in getting people to pay 30 bux to be a ginnea pig when they can wait till later and have the final product free. They are having mucho success at it. The subscriptions are rolling in. I'd say that is the measure of an excellent rather than a poor marketing decision.