Elemental sucks

Not the out of memory is the game. Not your system. But Stardock is different then any other company because they are working hard on that game. I know that because i own it and saw the changes. That they still not addressed this bug is frustrating. Yes. But their support is one of the best in the gaming world in my opinion. Dont regret one game i bought from them

But its important to tell those bugs. And i hope they learn from this for the next one.

The game is still tons of fun.

To be honest I could live with out of memory errors and learn to save every turn. To me the biggest problem is everything else. If the AI was great, combat tactical and engaging, game balance perfect, story compelling, the campaign kept you coming back for more, the magic system original and fun, graphics interesting (and really, I don't expect or require  too much from turn based strategy game graphics), then I'd happily live with the out of memory errors...

Unfortuantely, the AI is beyond terrible, combat is not tatical nor engaing, there was no attempt whatsoever to balance the game, the story is a yawner, there is no more to come back to in the campaign, the magic system is the some old tired rehashed magic schools (I know the name of the game is "Elemental" but really... air, earth, fire, and water? - you couldn't come up with anything more original? really?), and the misty watercolor graphics seem intentionally designed to prevent you from ever forming any sort of emotional attachment to your heroes.

I really hope Elemental will onday be a good game. But it it does it will have to be the game comeback of all time. Ever.

"Now I refuse to buy another Stardock game until this one is fixed."

Stardock has pretty much vowed to do this and the fact that they're trying is practically all over these boards. I hope this is of some comfort because as far as gaming companies go, that's fairly admirable in my books.

Well Stardock is only as good as it's last game and this one is horrible. I updated and now it says I can't log on to impulse, I'm logged on to impluse now. Nothing changed on my computer except the update. I emailed them no response. So now I can't even play the game to see if the update is worth the time. This is typical of this game. It was supposed to be the new Master of Magic reborn. Well it doesn't come close. I loved Galactic Civilizations, they really missed the mark on this one. Well I bought the ultimate version of this game hoping it would be good, this will be my last purchase from them, I'm not sure how long they or Impulse will last up against the like of Steam. SO moving forward I have to ask myself if any games I buy electronicly I can only own them as long as the company I buy them from exists. Impulse or Steam who do you think will go under first, especially when Stardock put out this kind of product. No one will just trust their next product.

i just dont understand how the game cant connect to impulse when ya launch it from it... i remember being able to play the game just fine from the initial install from the disk and not having any internet connection setup and it working fine, as soon as i installed the updated version of impulse and connected the laptop to the internet it stoped working and gave me the error... why would that be... maybe impulse is messing up and blocking the game from launching properly? *ponders* i love the games but cant understand this one... i dont have launch issues with any other stardock games.

This has been the most frustrating game I have ever played.  Not only out of memory crashes but crashes all the time once the game gets a little more interactive (battles, etc).  I am only playing tiny worlds as anything else gets way too slow down the road and crashes all the time.  They promised more monsters with this update and instead they took away all the monsters.  Now I encounter none.  What is this?...

I hope one day they can address at least this constant crashing issues.

Pay attention to Fanboys, they are here around and they are very aggressive!

Likewise, I updated and now it tells me "cannot download datafile...".  I'm going to uninstall it and not bother with it anymore.

Asadex,

Says the only person exclaiming and name-calling on the thread...

Interested to know if anyone bought a car in the same state, e.g. not running properly, constantly breaking down, running very slowly, a satnav that didn't know it's arse from it's elbow, would they be encouraged by the dealer it was bought from promising they'd get it working eventualy?

Streetgang073,

Are you going to compare the game to an iron lung next, or maybe a juicy mandarin?

Bizarre comparisons aside, they've done a lot more than simply promise to get it working. So far the forums have looked something like this...

Sidelines: "This game is horrible and full of bugs!"

Stardock apologises and informs their buyers that they are aware of the problems. This act alone is unprecedented in the gaming industry. Furthermore, they promise to work at and polish the game. Again, unprecedented... Stormrise anyone?

Sidelines: "This game is horrible and full of bugs!"

Stardock makes the next expansion (Fallen Enchantress - Which is practically a new game) free for all those who had bought Elemental before a certain time, while mentioning large discounts for those who bought it after.

Sidelines: "This game is horrible and full of bugs!"

Stardock not only works on the bugs and performance but also take into account the suggestions of fans and actually go about implementing new features.

Sidelines: "This game is horrible and full of bugs!"

Stardock informs the community that they are keen on continuing their updates for Elemental, even while they simultaneously work on the game's predecessor. They actually infer that they're treating both as two separate yet full games in their own right. I can't name a single developer that would do this. My favourite developer, Bioware, was probably the last before EA bought them. And even they only did as much under the requirement that the game be insanely popular.

Sidelines: "This game is horrible and full of bugs!"

Not to be rude but I actually hope they're ignoring such disheartening comments at this point.

So what you're saying is, essentially, the game has not improved at all despite Stardocks efforts? Great...

Please don't play dumb... I find it redundant.

geez your reply is an ignore in itself and just as bad as the bug whiners. lets see, 4x rts combat with redundancies... lol ....dont think this genre of gaming is our cup of tea if you can say that:)

I have absolutely no idea what you just said... And you had eleven days to say it too.

You argue for "effort" as if it had some meaning to the end user. It seems some percieve that "effort" is a result in it's own right.

It is not

The "effort" that Stardock puts into the game is entirely transparent to the end user. I am not in the slightest bit interested in the "effort" that I am continually told about.

I am interested solely in result

A game that works. Does not crash, and offers a modicum of gaming challenge.

The game is almost 7 months old, is still beatable (when it stays running long enough) with the simplest of tactics and constantly falls over with the same errors it had on release day across a wide range of systems (5 totally unique systems of my own).

What value is there in "effort" then? None that I can see - I will measure results.

As David F said "the game has not improved despite Stardock's efforts"

So to the end user it is the EFFORTS that are redundant.

What use is effort with little or no result?

I find it very difficult to disagree with Scritty. In many cases, it is the results that do matter. It will be the results that reel in a customer's confidence because a service finally "delivered." It will be results that will change the frequency or perhaps even put an end to the sprouting of endless disdain of the game's sporadic tantrums. And it will be the results that encourage players to finally consider purchasing Elemental despite so much praise otherwise.

It is in failure that effort is commonly commended and not in success. For in success, what effort was put would often be outdone, out-lustered, and quickly forgotten by the magnitude of the achievement attained.

Besides, claiming the very input of "effort" without due "results" is nothing but a reflection of "empty promises". And in this life, that's something we're all too familiar with.

Wonderful oversimplification. The equivalent of a counter would probably sound something like, "LYING IS WRONG," or, "YOU SHOULD BE IN POLITICS." I can see why you look up to David F since you employ a similar, albeit equally annoying, tactic. 

Or rather what the nitwit said that I said. You know, when he OVERSIMPLIFIED my statement.

Honestly, the irony of these replies are losing their charm. It's not even that complex* to see what's wrong with your "counter" and yet, even with a month to consider your reply, you've fallen into the same trap as David F. Can you even tell what this so-called "debate" is over? Because it's beyond annoying to watch you blindly flailing about in order to hit some imagined target, only to end up beating on yourself.

*(Haha, get it? Yeah, I thought not. Or I wouldn't bloody be here... Again!)

LujanD,

No one is oversimplifying anything.  You seem to want to convolute things why?

Effort goes to intent as Result goes to product.  I believe that is all that is being stated. 

Your rhetoric does nothing but imply that sympathy or understanding should be exercised when being critical of the lack of result.  Maybe, maybe not.....I'm not here to say....just to point out that the others are correct in their analysis of your post. 

Because they're bloody chatting to me about a comment that's two months old! Do I want to be poked for the rest of my life on this idiotic topic? Hell no!

I get what he's saying but let me reply in the same tone and words he replied to me, "I'm not interested."

Or maybe that I don't want to be brought into this conversation for several more years. Imagine that?

The fact that you believe I'm criticizing people who bemoan the "lack of result" makes me wonder if you even understand.

Like David F? Excuse me while I eye-roll.

This entire topic started over an oversimplification, which I thought to rectify. There's the joke if you hadn't guessed.