Which Pre-Order is A Better Choice?

If you order here you get the Tech Tree map too... plus you can preload and download the game so you can play it while you wait for your CDs to arrive in the mail.

In short, ordering it here is the best way of going about it. You get the maximum amount of extras and support that way.

Just curious- does stardock get more money if you pre-order to them instead of going through a distributor? I believe so, but there may be some contractese. If I'm paying money- I want the people responsible to get it, not some middleman. Maybe it's just the anti-corporate in me speaking.

I believe so. First, you're paying $5 extra, second, it all goes to Stardock instead of to the retailer middlemen.

Well I can't say for 100% certainty that Stardock and the folks there will get all $44.95.. but at least I know they aren't paying three other people before them for putting the game out.

They just pay more upfront for larger bandwith at their end, and that's an expense that can be moderated and could easily be considered truly just an expense. Like electricity to keep the lights on. And going directly to them, means they don't have anyone else (with the direct download) sticking their hands into the pie, of the PREORDER that I Pay directly to them for.

So yes, buying direclty from them is like buying directly from your favorite chef. And your server. They make it and deliver it to you. You eat it and pay them directly so that way no one else sticks their hands into your pocket. It's something like tipping. You server was awesome? Give him a great tip.

So yeah I'm down with paying Stardock directly. And I recommend it to other folks who can download safely. Do it and be happy. These guys are now currently number one in my developers book. (Netdevil is #2 ... Auto Assault.)

Thanks Brad, AND Team!

According to the FAQ Link, all purchases in the US are the Collector's Edition. So the product you get will be the same, only difference is who you prefer to puchase from thats all.

Stardock replaced Timegate (for KAG- then again, they're probably going to be a one-hit wonder studio I think after how badly Kohan II bombed, with good reason) in my case. I'd love to see Stardock and Timegate work together on a new Kohan game as the fantasy project , but that will never happen.

I was going to wait to buy the game from EBGames or Best Buy until I realized and read that Stardock might see a bit more of a profit if I purchased GalCiv2 from them directly. I just bought the game from them a few hours ago and am happy to support them with my purchase!

Them allowing me to read through the manual due to the pre-load didn't hurt my decision either.

So, some of you are saying that if you pre-order either place you will still get the additional ship components as part of the deal?

Can this truly be confirmed?

Thanks

From the "GETTING THE GAME FAQ HERE!!!" thread https://www.galciv2.com/Forums.aspx?ForumID=162&AID=100213

Q: If I pre-order at will I get the Collector' Edition? A: In North America, as far as we know, ALL pre-orders are being fulfilled with the Collector's Edition. Walmart, EB, and Gamestop explicitly mention it on their sites for instance.

Q: Do I have to pre-order to get the collector's edition? A: Somewhat. Direct CD orders will be fulfilled with the collector's edition until we run out of stock which should last for a couple months at least.

Thank you very much

So, some of you are saying that if you pre-order either place you will still get the additional ship components as part of the deal? Can this truly be confirmed?

This confuses the heck out of me, too, so it may require a SD answer to set it properly straight, but my understanding is this:

- EVERYONE who buys the game, preorder or not, will have access to the Bonus Pack that will be published on Release Day. The contents of this are largely unknown at this point, but have been rumoured to be ship components, visual upgrades to the game, etc. This is SD's way of saying "thank you" for buying the game, rather than using copy protection to try to penalize piracy. Honey vs vinegar and all that.

- everyone who PREORDERS, whereever they do it from, will receive the downloadable preorder goodies, which the Preorder link on this website describes as "extra content: Additional ship components, the Galactic Civilizations Desktop and more."

- everyone who preorders the RETAIL CD (either through Stardock or through another retail outlet) will get the above, plus a couple other physical goodies ("a fold-out tech tree and other goodies", again, from the Preorder link on this site). This makes sense, since it's impossible to download a fold-out tech tree (or a printed manual or whatnot, since it's a bulky physical object, and not just data).

So preordering a retail box/CD will get you slightly more than preordering the direct download, which in turn will get you slightly more than just buying the game withou preordering, which in turn gets you slightly more than pirating the game. All in all, a somewhat convoluted but very rewarding system, I think.

- Ash

I vauguely remember someone posting that it's equially helpful to Stardock to buy from a retailer. The theory was that, while preorders from retailers don't result in as much per-unit profit for Stardock, the increased pre-release interest results in more top-shelf position, more shelf space and first page banner ads that a lesser game wouldn't get. The additional exposure will result in more units sold to people who have not tried 4X or may have not even heard of GalCiv at all. You'd be surprised how much an eye-catching package in a 'premium' spot on a shelf can move a product.

So, I bought from EB games. I will have to wait until early March for my package to arrive, but I hope that I've contributed in some small way to support a truly worthy developer.

Personally, I just want to know what these extra components are. Are they going to provide any significant advantage? Are they pure fluff? Are they the same components that would be in the Bonus Pack? (My understanding is that the bonus pack would have different additional components than the pre-order additional components).

I pre-ordered from Stardock to get the download, and get the extras, and hopefully put a few more bucks in their pocket.

What I would like to know though, are a few more details as to what the extra components we will get with the pre-order are. (already pre-downloaded the game through Stardock, so now it's just waiting for the days to tick by)

The extra ship components are pure fluff. They do nothing except change the way the ship looks.

The extra ship components are pure fluff. They do nothing except change the way the ship looks.

So, you are saying the extra components are really nothing more then bits and pieces to add on to your ship for looks only?
Nothing added to really change the way it behaves, or any real outworking that would give an advantage over an opponent?

I guess I am still a bit in the dark on this one.

Getting through Stardock is the clear winner for me, although that might be because I've had HORRIBLE experiences with Amazon, EBgames and about a dozen online retailers.

I mean what is the point of pre-ordering a game online, watching the on-line site push back the release date, running down to Best Buy and picking it up for less than on-line, and getting home to cancel the 'Pre-order' before it even has a shipping date?

So, you are saying the extra components are really nothing more then bits and pieces to add on to your ship for looks only? Nothing added to really change the way it behaves, or any real outworking that would give an advantage over an opponent? I guess I am still a bit in the dark on this one.

When you build a ship in the game you design how it looks using components that you can manipulate in 3D. These components are only for the look of the ship and do not take up space on the ship like a weapon or engine does, so they are just there to customize your ship. If you don't preorder you get a certain set of components, while if you preorder you get the default set and an additional set of components.

if you preorder you get the default set and an additional set of components.

Is this true if I pre-order at EB Games? Makes me wonder why they would not list something like Additional Ship Components that could get people to order the game possibly.

Is this true if I pre-order at EB Games? Makes me wonder why they would not list something like Additional Ship Components that could get people to order the game possibly.

Yes, if you order from EB Games it should be the collectors edition (I remember reading somewhere that all US pre-orders are Collectors editions till they run out or something along those lines) and thus will have the extra ship components.

Ask for them not using it as a selling point ... umm .... bad marketing department?

I am still not clear if there is a difference between the pre-order bonus in-game content and the "buy it the day of" or "buy it a week later" in-game bonus content. Pre-order has additional physical content (fold out tech tree) but is the in-game content all the same?

Put simply: how many in-game bonus content packages are there?

OK, one more thing to add to the confusion... :o)

If I order through Wal-Mart.com will I get the pre-order items? It does not list anything about getting any bonus material what-so-ever.

Can someone definitively answer this for me, please?

I am not sure if links are allowed so if not just it out of the post, please. He is a link to Wal-Mart and the Galactic Civilizations game. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4307241

Links are allowed, as long as they don't contain an underscore character.

Wal-Mart definitely does have the Collector's Edition.

Links are allowed, as long as they don't contain an underscore character.

I noticed that, so I cut it out of the post!

@ PJ, If I go and order from Wal-Mart I will FOR SURE get all extra content?

I didn't see it in the stickied FAQ, but I KNOW I've seen Frogboy say that Wal-Mart would only be carrying the Collector's Edition box. Also, they're planning on keeping track of the serial numbers of all the copies that go out in the first run, so if people don't get the collector's edition they'll be able to give out the extra content based on that. They've said they're going to give the extra content to everyone who pre-orders the game, and I'm pretty sure you can trust them to make it so.

So, you are saying the extra components are really nothing more then bits and pieces to add on to your ship for looks only? Nothing added to really change the way it behaves, or any real outworking that would give an advantage over an opponent? I guess I am still a bit in the dark on this one.

Everything I have heard and read around here indicates that, whatever ends up being included in the various bonus sets (which has not been definitely announced - it's only been hinted at), none of it will provide an advantage in gameplay. Cosmetic ship components, pretty explosion graphics, etc... lots of things might be included. But I'm pretty sure Stardock will be very careful not to include anything that would make the game "easier" for people that preordered.

Come next Tuesday, non-preordered folks would scream bloody murder at even the slightest hint that those who preordered were getting a leg up on beating the AI because of it (and thus, getting a leg up on Metaverse scores, too ).

- Ash