Stardock becomming greedy?? I have been playing computer games since I was a wee lad for well over 10 years, and I have never seen as much dedication to a game following its release (giving you those updates for free).

Case in point. I love the recent game Supreme Commander, but the customer service with Gas Powered Games isn't near what Stardock's is. For one thing, the damn game won't auto-patch correctly. Of course, to play it online, you must have the latest version. I went to a forum where a dev with Supreme Commander basically posted a huge list of steps to perform to get auto-patching to work. It was rediculous!! I practically needed to attend colledge level courses on computer programming to figure it out. In this auto-patch thread, one angry customer basically said what I was thinking. The dev responded that the "idiot customer" should take some computer programming courses or just shut up as he has no idea how difficult these glitches are to fix.

Needless to say, that really, really turned me off to Supreme Commander's Gas Powered Games company. A few times I would send tech support some questions and MAYBE A WEEK LATER MAYBE they would get back to me with some stupid comment to restart and re-install. No duh!!

The few times I have contacted Star Dock's tech support staff, they send me e-mail replies that day. Not bad for a company who at the time (I am sure you have grown now, right?) was really small, certainly smaller staff size than the staff who made Supreme Commander.

OMG!!! That Terror Star blowing up the sun image on the Gamespot article is so becomming my destop background!

I really, really hope for that. Im sick of that I need to kill ALL population if I want to conquer other planet.

Missed the "sneak preview" section the first time, but yeah the Ground Combat really does need some updating. The man saying its like lunch boxes fighting each other got it totally right, terrible is the word to descibe the GC2/DA ground combat graphics. Good that something is going to be doned about it.

This is excellent news, I'm new to GalCiv, just recently got DL + DA and it's a great game, can't wait !

Will try it too, looks like it worked.

Kryo please answer my questions please.
"Updated Planetary Invasions"
Does this means that there will be a difference between civils and military? If not, what does it mean?

Crispy crickets and crackerjacks! Come on, guys! I was just able to tear myself away from DA, and I got the Beta for SoaSE, then the new Civ IV expansion came out, now Bioshock. Just when I think I'm going to get a breather, you through this out there right in the gap before Gears of War is supposed to come out. This isn't fair! I have to work you know, people!

Couple questions (Kyro?): Can we opt to get a box shipped with a paper game manual this time if we pre-order and desire digital download? I would be willing to pay extra shipping costs to have the box and a paper manual.

I imagine Terror Stars will be unGodly expensive and at the very end of the tech tree! Is there anyway you guys can post a movie of what the star blowing up animation will look like? Will the resulting debree be asteroid belts you can mine??

Also, will planetary invasion animation be updated? (Please, please, please no more atari soldiers, crane tanks, and happy meal death tanks!!) What exactly is planned for updates to planatary invasions???

Now... I don't suppose we could...................

design our own Terror Stars................... with the same ship "lego pieces" and what not.............

Now that would just be too good to be true.............

Sounds great so far!

Only thing I'd like to see would be a function for all those useless Class 0 worlds that pop up. Maybe you could have a tech that enables Space Miners to build gas platforms in gas Class 0 worlds, as well as a tech that enables them to build mines or "sub-colonies" on rocky Class 0 worlds.

They could also find a way to add in nebulas.

Beautiful surprise! I clearly preorder it right away (I remember with DA we could download it quite before the official release - YEAH !)

I already brain about the unique techs and weapons for each civ and about the new fleet strategy tools...



...ah, because you are familiar with it? I don't know what it is. In the preview it's saying something about a star system which destroys nearby systems...we will find out early enough.

Thank you STARDOCK !

Sounds good but...
If this is just a "more everything" (with exception unique techs) i don't know if it's worth buying. Especially when price's bit high for the ex-pak. Game prices are ridiclous these days though .
And will this ex-pak do same as DA? "Better graphics" (i didn't really see any difference) wich will make the game unplayable and memory problems and i (we) must wait half a year to get these fixed?
And of course: Krynn. Will they finally have their place in the campaign? If not, what's the point of this race?
Larger galaxies? Probaly unplayable if your PC ain't cutting-edge eh?

will we finally get more lego block style ship components? Like blocks, cubes, ball, ramps etc.

Okey! JUST AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

Im longing for the expansionpack! It will be so VERY great to have all races unique things, such as technologies, planetary improvements and weapons! I long for it so VERY much!

Don't know. It's sad, but a lot of the stuff in the preview was new to me too



I can't say but I would suggest waiting for further details to come out, or contacting sales@stardock.com about that.

Eh, editing post not possible?
Anyway, continuing my previous post:
.... Okay, i really forgot what i was going to say.

Well, suggestions then:
Real diplmacy. Not trading. Real Diplomacy. Period.

What about "ecumenopolis"(or something like that) planets? Planets which surface is covered with city (I.E. Coruscant from SW) Could explained so that an ancient race (Arnor?) had once used this planet. Requires tech to be colonized, tech would help civ to understand the planet-city and this way use it to their advantage.

Artificial planets? From HHGG ofc
Ringwordls? Dunno how these ideas fit to GalCiV universe though.

Space Combat is a bit stupid right now. I mean, ships shoot each other, no matter what's their angle. Weapons can face only one direction, still they shoot somewhere else. Also, Projectiles look really lame. And missiles.

Can we have options to remove survey ships from start? Those are really annoying and Eye of Galaxy(?) wonder (that which gave survey to all vessels) is useless.. except points.

How about a ship editor to main menu so we wouldn't need to star a game just to make ships.

Total surprise! Terror Stars you say? Fascinating.

---

Terror Stars certainly sound interesting, and I remember playing with them in Gal Civ 1 - but honestly, besides there Coolness Factor - I never did understand their strategic significance.


I am intrigued with the Ground Combat enhancement. Also, I hope we can assign these new custom techs to our brand new custom enemies.


Dano

Can't wait to see this

Costly???? You buy a $50 game and if it is good, it can last you years. I don't think there is anything else as fun and addicting that could last you a year on $50. Crap, $50 is like maybe 2 weeks of driving my car. (that gets 36 miles to the gallon) Or, $50 is just using my cell phone for a month. Or a one day trip to an amusement park. Video games, esp. ones as well made as Gal Civ 2 are an excellent deal when you consider the fun you get out of them.

excellent idea.



I will second this.

Thanks for the laugh. I remember paying 40-50 dollars for C-64 games over 20 years ago. Even Atari 2600 games at first was around $30.

yeah, that's too funny. frankly, i don't even think about spending $40 for something like this. i can pretty easily spend more on a decent meal. it helps to have a full-time income, of course.

I really dont like the Solar System destroyers. Please tell me there will be some sort of balance factor.

Looks good.

However, since you guys are now further distinguishing the races, why not go ahead and distinguish between population of one species as opposed to another species and have that factor into invasions? I really think that is one of the biggest things still missing from this game.

Oh and maybe even distinguish between military and general population (although I think it's unlikely that will happen).

Hmm i thought that prices were 5-10€ or so lower a few years back... or maybe it's just Euro that makes prices feel high, after Finnish Mark(ka).
And i'm only 17 so i don't know anything about prices twenty years ago or how much keeping car cost.

Suggestions again:
How about tooltips? Keep the cursor over a button or some info field for few seconds and get an explanation. I don't really need 'em, newbies might like.