Time limted demo: classic strategic blunder by Ironclad/Stardock

Yeah you're right.

What they should of done is taken out 75% of the tech tree and units instead of a time limitation.

[/it's sad i have to add this [/SARCASM] tag, because some people actually won't get that that was sarcasm.]

Spoiler: you did. What do you want, two planets?

I disagree, it wasn't a mistake. The maps were chosen such that they could be completed within 90 minutes - atleast after you learned the game and definately if you played on fast speed. It's only the random medium map that i doubt you can finish, it was only added to give people an idea of what a larger map might look like.

Funny, then why are you complaining? If you didn't desire to play the game longer, why create this pointless topic? Hmmm.....

Actually in about 10 to 15 min I know if I am going to like a game or not. And 90 min of one will definately make me either want to go get it, or I know it's not something I want to mess with.

AND this gives me a chance to have one of my friends to download it and take a look at what I have been telling him about and trying to get him into !

So all in all I have to say good idea guys ! Thanks for the browbeating tool I can use to get a few friends playing !

Be well and safe all !
Overlord Sigurd

I'm glad they put out a time limited demo instead of taking out units/tech etc.

One of my favorite game demos was the original Grand Theft Auto I demo back in 1997 (?ish). The game was limited to a mind numbing 5 minutes, but you had one of the full cities from the original game. I was able to play many different areas of the game (missions, just running around, etc) within each five minute session, but what made me want to buy the game was that I couldn't complete them *all* within the same session. (Plus, I only had one city out of the three...).

90 minutes per game in sins would be enough for me to figure out if I liked the game, and as the game isn't dumbed down, each time I'd play I could play with new features, ship combos, or technologies.

People here are not getting it: IT'S NOT ABOUT FINISHING A MAP IN 90 MIN!!
It's about the PERCEPTION that you can finish it.

The goal of this demo: Create desire to buy this game.
Most people, especially strategy gamers, will not start a (demo) game AT ALL if they know upfront that they will be kicked out at some arbitrary point, loosing all there build-up efforts without knowing upfront if they have the time to put them into play. So, if people will not start the demo in the first place, you cannot create a desire to buy the game, whether you can finish a map in 90 min or not.

I think we are getting it. And don't speak for others like that.

I for one would hate playing a game knowing I would get kicked off in 90 minutes, but it's not a game, it's a demo. Demo's aren't meant to provide you with a little free version of the game. They're supposed to show you the game so you want, or don't want, to buy it... preferably want.

I don't really see what else you want out of a demo...

They should buy it if they want to finish it.


This demo is MUCH more free than many i've seen.

Most demos limit the tech tree/units, and ones that do the time limit instead usually have he time limit at 30 minutes not a whole 90.

And it's 90 PER GAME. cmonnn.

In that case you are aiming for people who must be very interested from the beginning. I, personally, would not even start a demo if there wouldn't be something of reward for finishing in it

I don't agree, demos should just give you an idea of how the game works, I have not played a demo that ever let me accomplish anything, and I kind of prefer it that way.

and if you're going to complain about a demo, complain about the heavenly sword demo lol.

You must have really hated the Bioshock demo then(they barely put 30 min worth of content in it). Ironclad put more than enough content in the Sins demo to spark interest and demostrate the mechanics of the game without giving away a big chunk of the game for free.

90 min per game is not the point, its about the arbitrary kick out that will ruin the experience.

Being kicked-out without acomplishing something will frustrate most people and will prevent them from playing at all, that's the point

This is exactly the point: I played the Bioshock demo and you could not get beyond some level, even if it took you 3 hours to get there. This is fine because I will not get kicked out in the middle of something like this demo does.

Okay.. So they should of instead kicked you out when you accomplished building a capital ship?

You can do that within the first few minutes of the game
They have to put a limit somewhere, or else you could play on randomly generated medium maps all day long without actually buying the game. Like others have said the demo serves its purposes in seeing if the person will like the game enough to purchase it.

Another useful and interesting forum topic.

That was my point..

THe guy is asking to have a free game with no limitation

I am I the only one who sees the irony in this topic!?......Wait, no I'm not.

Time limitation is just a horrible mechanism for a demo, especially as there are much better alternatives for playing limitation.

People can live with limited functionality because that's what they expect from a demo. This is not the case however with time limitation.
I just would never start a time limited demo for the reasons above and I know for sure that I'm not the only one that feels that way. That's why this was not a smart decision.

So because one single possible customer (whom claims to know other possible customers) is dissatisfied with a game demo (which is really meant to showcase the game and its mechanics, not let you beat it) its a bad choice? I'm sorry, doesn't work that way.

While I agree that I don't neccesarily like time limitation, Stardock/Ironclad did a great job on this demo, including all they did, you can find lots of demos that cut out a bunch of stuff AND are time limited.

Also, you never really accomplish anything from a game besides entertainment, which I'm pretty sure you can achieve in 90 min.  

Someone please LOCK this pointless, meaningless diatribe of a flame-bait post.

Any of you guys ever play the Civ 4 demo? Remember how it was limited to x number of turns per match? The Sins demo is going for the same idea, and I think it's a fine way to limit potential players. time:RTS::turns:TBS

I personaly dont see what the big deal is with giving the demo player 1 small map,1v1v1 locked teams, Unlimited time, fleet cap is set at 1k.

That would be near perfect for a demo. People could sit down and relax and enjoy the demo one,twice, three times. Then after they start getting bored of the same encounters they can go out and buy the real game. 90 minutes for me personaly isnt enough time to get to know the game when it comes to RTS'es. Luckly for me I jsut went out and bought the game cus i new it would be great. This game doesnt need a demo for people to know that.

No one agrees with you.

Everyone is sure you are just whining because you wanted a free game.