GalCiv III beta pushed to late Summer

from JoeUser Forums

Copy of Iconian_Cargo_Ship_01I’ve got some good news and some bad news.

The good news is that GalCiv III is moving along on schedule.  The bad news is that we’ve decided to change the feature requirements necessary for GalCiv III to be considered a “beta”.

Originally, we were going to release the beta in May/June and have it not include combat/diplomacy/etc.  However, we’ve determined that we’re better off continuing with the Alpha series until some of those features enter into the game which isn’t scheduled until late Summer.

So the Founder’s Elite Edition will continue to see some big updates in the coming weeks (there’s a pretty huge update scheduled for the end of this month) but the beta version has been pushed.

100,679 views 38 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Cool, I can still get in on the Alpha!

Reply #2 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Cheers for the heads up.

 

Well actually im thrilled. Means my founder got worth more  :D

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Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Thanks for the heads up. It's just a label. ;) Looking forward to this next pretty huge update coming out in the next week or so.

Reply #4 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Avatar137, reply 3

 It's just a label..

 

Tell it to the non-elite founders  ;)

Reply #5 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Indeed as a founder there is no bad news here and I can see the point of waiting until you are more feature complete before the beta. Looking forward to the next update.

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I think this is probably for the best, I completely agree that more of the basic mechanics should be in before a wider audience hits the beta, thanks for letting us know. Looking forward to future updates.

Reply #8 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Excited for this update you speak of!  :D

Reply #9 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

To be honest, this is best. I was seriously wondering how Stardock was going to have something "Playable" in a week.  The current game isn't a game yet.

  I'd like to think that it doesn't go beta until it's about 90% feature complete. Not that the features can't be changed, but I think the Beta folks will be much happier with a game that has virtually all aspects of the "final" game already in place, even if there's significant tweaking to be done yet.

 

And, besides, us Founders like the ability to steer things a little longer without the Great Unwashed Masses that are the Beta people clogging up the airwaves.

How Elitist of me. :-)

Reply #10 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I think this is good  news. I think you would receive a better reception with these other features included vs. absent.

Are you adding more races before the beta or with the beta will these races be included?

Reply #11 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Personally I always thought the alpha time window was a bit too short.

I also think it makes a bit more sense, given that the Steam hub is STILL being invaded by every troll with a soap box decrying Early Access and the price. I'm sure tehy'd love nothign more than to see the beta drop and say "see they're lying to you the game is totally incomplete, thieves, scam artists, valve needs to pull this game!"

Timelines are good an all. But in the end you have to do what's best for the game. If that means moving the timeline, then that's a better decision than to blindly stick to it.

Reply #12 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Thanks 4 the INFO!!

 

Nasty!

Reply #13 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

This is for the best.  Even more than Elemental, I want Gal Civ 3 to be the best EVOLVED and FUN Space Empire game to ever have been designed.  Just based on some of the elements I've observed from playing I'm sort of scratching my head at some choices.

 

 

 

Reply #14 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Yeah, it's undoubtably for the best. Good decission.

Reply #15 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Very much looking forward to that update. :) I think, beta should already contain all features but it may still be a bit buggy, right? Alpha may also leave out some features. I think it's ok to stick to the alpha a little longer to make sure, all features are included the way that you all like and without any compromises to be made. :thumbsup:

Reply #16 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting satoru1, reply 11
Personally I always thought the alpha time window was a bit too short.

Same here. So it's not a problem for me that the beta got pushed back.

Reply #17 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Like many of the others have said, I think this is the right decision.  I always thought the original Alpha schedule was too aggressive.  Very much looking forward to the next update!

Reply #18 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting satoru1, reply 11
[...] I also think it makes a bit more sense, given that the Steam hub is STILL being invaded by every troll with a soap box decrying Early Access and the price. I'm sure tehy'd love nothign more than to see the beta drop and say "see they're lying to you the game is totally incomplete, thieves, scam artists, valve needs to pull this game!"

Timelines are good an all. But in the end you have to do what's best for the game. If that means moving the timeline, then that's a better decision than to blindly stick to it.

My thoughts exactly. The whiners don't get it and they're not about to.

"But I've been a hard-core fan for years!" Sure you have.

Reply #19 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

No problem, I do not play computer games during the summertime. So I can wait until the beta release is ready :)

Reply #20 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Gaunathor, reply 16


Quoting satoru1, reply 11Personally I always thought the alpha time window was a bit too short.

Same here. So it's not a problem for me that the beta got pushed back.

 

Same here.

Happy that we have the game for us some more time, before the masses spam the forums...

Reply #21 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Fine by me. I'm taking a decidedly relaxed interest in GalCiv3. I got so amped up for Elemental that there was no way it could've met my anticipation. Take your time. :)

Reply #22 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I understand the delay and believe it'll be good for the eventual beta.  However, I think the longer the Founders Elite Edition is available (and it's all that's available), the more Stardock will be hated on Steam by those who see you as evil money grubbers.  Personally, I don't give a toss about most of the vermin like that who frequent the Steam forums, except that I want as many people to get into Galciv3 as possible and they are all potential customers.  Worse, their venom is viral, and I'd hate to see Stardock get a bad rap and end up paying for it later on.

Reply #23 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Alas, I have neither the $ available nor the hardware to partake as a Founder right now :( .  Maybe later on during the summer...

I can endure the delay...

But I really wish there was more civilization info and related "fluff" for us non-Founders to keep us interested during the wait.  I mostly lurk to see what's new.  The DATABANKS have been rather stagnant lately -- how about some more background and teasers?  Thalans?  Iconians?  Some minor races?  Any new races/civilizations beyond the Iridium Consortium?  I still enjoy GC2 and I'm an enthusiastic race modder, so I am chomping at the bit for more teasers/tentative material.

Reply #24 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Wetballs, reply 22

I understand the delay and believe it'll be good for the eventual beta.  However, I think the longer the Founders Elite Edition is available (and it's all that's available), the more Stardock will be hated on Steam by those who see you as evil money grubbers.  Personally, I don't give a toss about most of the vermin like that who frequent the Steam forums, except that I want as many people to get into Galciv3 as possible and they are all potential customers.  Worse, their venom is viral, and I'd hate to see Stardock get a bad rap and end up paying for it later on.

 

I feel that any accommodation to the Steam whiners is somewhere between negotiating with terrorists and selling your soul to the Devil on the list of very bad ideas.

 

I highly encourage Stardock to keep doing exactly the right thing with GalCiv 3.  It did seem that the Alpha had a short schedule, but then again it was amazing how well things worked at the very start.  So, I am not at all surprised or dismayed that there are schedule changes.  Make it better and make it prettier.  I am playing GalCiv 2 and waiting with both eagerness and patience.  Well, eagerness more than patience, I admit.

 

 

Reply #25 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Yea, in the "old" days we would have called our June milestone a "beta".  But times have changed. A lot of players are less technical and yet more vocal at the same time.

I've actually seen posts where people compare the graphics of the *alpha* of GalCiv III ti GalCiv II: Twilight of the Arnor.