I'm also old fashion. Will buying it only, if it is available as retail version,
in stores or better via amazon.

Axel Kane - I had the same problem too. When I pre ordered w/CD tonite It put 2 copies into my cart. I went into the "store" and was then able to correct the quantity to 1. I also emailed [email protected].

Frogboy made his case for online distribution very well. Stardock figured the cost of the expansion should be $30 USD. Basically retail adds $10 to the cost of the product. So if it went retail then they could only budget work based on $20 for dev time plus $10 for retail costs. What features would have been lost? The story generator, spying, the asteroids and planetary changes. Get the point. On-line means they can now spend that extra 10 bucks on dev time and give us more features. Sounds like a good plan to me, thanks Stardock.

I like being able to pre order and buy online. It is fast and easy when done right and it is just as safe as buying in a store, if not safer. Thats right I said that, safer, and I mean that (I did just preorder tonite on line). Credit Card info is just as vulernable at a brick and mortar location and maybe it is even riskier. Who knows what the kid at the counter could do with my info after I leave.

I use to work for an e-commerce company and cc safety was never an issue because it was set up right, people never saw it and cc info was stored on encrypted non networked computers. People like having something to hold in their hands, so people like stores. But if you buy something off the "back of a truck" do you really think you can return your purchase if you dont like it? If you don't trust a physical store will you buy something there if it looks like a fly by night operation? The same thing is true online.

There are shady websites out there, just as there are shady real world stores, either way you must always use caution. However, there are plenty of websites and companies that are just as respectable and trust worthy as a Best Buy, Wal-Mart or Game Stop. If you believe the site is trustworthy and handles the transaction in a proper manner, it is as safe as walking into one of those stores. So if you believe that Stardock runs an honest store, you should feel just as safe as if you bought it in person, without the hassle of driving to a store and wasting gas, etc. But now you don't have too, because you did it online and now you can get back to beating the pants off the Drengin! And isn't that what we all want... to beat the Drengin into a bloody pulp?

I have to sspeak for a lot of people who are getting left behind i do not have access to a high speed connection and can not get to one on a regular biaes so that leaves me with going to a store i wish you people would take that into account  

For the most part, IT SUCKS!!!! I would rather just go to the store and get it. I live in the boonies and downloading the addon will take more than a month if I'm lucky because the best I can get is a very unstable 28k that dropps off every 20 minutes and THAT REALLY SUCKS!!!

The fact that you offer the CD at least redeems StarDock a bit, but it still annoyes me that I can't just pick it up on my way home from work.

Will I buy it? I don't know. First, I have to get passed the part that SUCKS!!! And let me tell you, a lot of stuff SUCKS!!! I SUCK, you SUCK, he SUCKS, she SUCKS, we all SUCK, everthing SUCKS!!!!

Well, yes, you might get the impression that I'm just a little madd about having to order this online but I think it is completely warrented because this game doesn't SUCK.

I'm just glad that the CD is still available because if it was strictly download only then I would never be able to get it. And that would really SUCK!!!

Oh, and by the way, I can't vote either and that SUCKS!!!

Cyclonus and all other European members....

If this release works the same as all of Stardocks other releases then they will happily send out boxed versions to us, although you will of course incur a larger delivery charge.

empath73, using swear words never makes a point stronger. Quite the contrary.

And isn't that what we all want... to beat the Drengin into a bloody pulp?

Not so fast! What about those that like to beat the pesky good civilizations into a bloody pulp as the Drengins.

WHY? How big DL will be?

I don't think I can get Dark Avatar now. I have no means of buying online. Bad move, Stardock.

Do you know anyone with a credit card who you can give 25 bucks to...?

Empath, seems like it's your connection that sucks, not downloading. Hardly Stardock's fault your ISP isn't so good...

PS Broadband is great! hah!

BTW there's one part about buying online that is important to me now:

All the money goes to Stardock. So all the money I spend contributes towards them deciding to make GalCiv3.

So all the money I spend contributes towards them deciding to make GalCiv3.

From what Frogboy is saying, its virtually 100% certain that there will be a GC3.      

It looks like Stardock would love to start making GC3 NOW, they have so many ideas for new features which can only go into GC3 not a expansion.

But because of accepted practice of the gaming industry, economics, retail, business model, not enough developers etc, etc... they can not do it for 3 years. So GC3 should be out 2009 - 2010.

Until then its expansions, which r limited by the GC2 original game design.

I see this as some gentle arm-twisting on the part of Stardock. We are entering the first phase of the inevitable "our way or the highway" mentality that ends in STEAM.

I would much prefer buying a boxed game in the store. Overseas shipping costs a fortune, if you're buying product one at a time. At least a mortar and bricks store will eat some of that cost. And it's not like I live in Upper Volta, I live in Vancouver Canada, continuously voted one of the top three cities in the world to live in. Getting something shipped to me, though, I might as well be living in Ugluktuk. Apart from shipping and handling costs, I'm also going to have to pay Customs duties if the thing gets shipped, despite the fact that the product is already paid for.

That, and to buy the game, do we have to install Stardock Central? I've been trying to avoid doing that.

I don't think I can answer the poll, as it doesn't have options I would choose:

- Not sure
- I will knuckle under and buy the game, despite the fact that I don't want to download it.

If anything, this news is making me seriously rethink ordering this game, or at least how I will order this game. I'd rather be playing the game than contributing to this nonsense.

I dont need a store, buying online is fine.
And I have already preordered it a few weeks ago, after purchasing GalCiv2.

But I hope you can add multiplayer to the next addon.

I see this as some gentle arm-twisting on the part of Stardock. We are entering the first phase of the inevitable "our way or the highway" mentality that ends in STEAM.

We don't have anything against retail sales, it's just that (for various reasons described in Brad's latest post) it is a massive pain getting product to retail as opposed to selling it online. Since we want to make the meatiest expansion we can, direct-sale only helps us considerably because it means the majority of the price goes straight back into the development budget, instead of only a tiny sliver.

Retail still has its place, and we will still be getting major releases there as appropriate; retail greatly increases product awareness and reach, which are also very important factors. Direct-sale only distribution works a lot better for an expansion, since people already have the original game and are thus more likely to be aware of what we're working on without the need for an additional retail presence.

I guess I will buy it , but the question is for how much ?
It depends on the features, if just another story it should not worth more then $7-10 .
Anyway it should not exceed $20 price.

Until then its expansions

Same argument applies. If they're netting $23 from my online pre-order of DA rather than $8 or $12 from a store sale, then my money is buying me twice the "votes" in favour of more work being done on the game I enjoy. Cost to me is the same.

To Kyro: our money is supposed to ease your pain! If I pay enough for a game, I shouldn't have to be lectured on the parts of the gaming business you guys find distasteful. On the other hand, if you guys force us to dance to your drummer too much, we'll go away and find other games to buy -- maybe not on the scale of Starforce, but on the other hand, who is happy with how that turned out?

I still don't see how I can avoid where if I want a boxed copy, that it's going to cost me more in customs and shipping than it would to buy the thing in a store, including the cost of headache medications for your marketing department. I also don't see how this kind of conversation is going to do any good in a forum -- my feeling is if you really want to explain this to me on a one to one basis, please give me an e-mail I can contact, and we can continue in a less volatile environment.

Please, if possible, the biggest sticking point I have is the one I'd like Stardock to address, and that is if Stardock Central is going to be a requirement to get the download.

You guys know I would prefer a boxed copy, but the economics of that are now against both the Stardock and the Twelvefield organizations. I can live with purchasing the downloaded game only -- it's not the best option, and what is bugging me here is that I've grown accustomed to Stardock offering plenty of good options. If the Stardock Central software is to be required to get the download, then there's no options left at all, and we're into the arm-twisting again, aren't we?

 

. If the Stardock Central software is to be required to get the download, then there's no options left at all, and we're into the arm-twisting again, aren't we?

Well, SDC is the only way to download the game. So it is a requirement for being able to get DA electronically. But you don't need SDC or to be connected to Stardock servers to play DA once you have installed it.

I still don't see how I can avoid where if I want a boxed copy, that it's going to cost me more in customs and shipping than it would to buy the thing in a store,

It is unavoidable: DA will be available only through Stardock channel.

BTW, since you have mentionned the availability of options, let me explain you my case: I live in France and  GC2 was first available in France in July 2006, and it was buggy. The retail price in France is 50 Euros. At 1.25 dollars for 1 euro, I let you do the calculation to see where my best interests are

More, being member of totalgaming.net, the price for CG2 is 5 token which translates into 35 $ since you buy 10 token for 70$. And I was able to participate at the various beta tests in 2005. And I have already preorder DA for 3 token which translates into 21$.

I should also mention that GC1 was available in France but not the AP extension. But since the patches for the french version haven't followed the various patches from Stardock and I have bought the french version, I end up downloading the english version of GC1.

In short, for me who live in France, SDC is the most covenient way to get Stardock games in their latest versions

Predictions:

The 2nd GC2 expansion will get a boxed release as a different title, similar to many other game companies. Those who get DA will get a small discount. The MP included in this will get them some new buys. Really, I can only see MP as a feature that would add customers, so SD is making the right business decision here. DA is more "preaching to the converted" I expect about 70% of people who have GC2 to buy this.
Civ 3 did the same thing- they didn't get workable MP until their 2nd XP. You only release a retail version if you're going to get new customers. None of the features in DA I can see attracting new customers. They're great features, and I'll enjoy most of them (I did pre-order), but it's not the sort of stuff that would make someone buy the game.


Another prediction on the 2nd XP if they include MP (which I think they will after Society is complete and running smoothly- so thinking this time next year)- that's when gameplay mods will occur- as the things that are most effecting in GC2 will come to the forefront.

GC2, given how they've designed the graphics and AI- will age a hell of a lot better then GC1 did- so they can make expansion packs for a long time if they wish. I'm not expecting a GC3 to begin until 2010.

I want to know, if DA will be multilingual, so I can play it in german? That would make my dicision easier, if I will buy it via SDC.

The Proplem is, i also don't have a credit card, and most people in europe in know of don't have one either. Where i live, credit cards are just not the best way to pay something and so most people just don't have one.

I tried paypal once, put they told me i would need a credit card to use paypal.... great... *rolls with eyes* for what do i need paypal then.....

So it seems like i cant buy the expansion then. mhmm But will it be available in german anyway?

I see this as some gentle arm-twisting on the part of Stardock. We are entering the first phase of the inevitable "our way or the highway" mentality that ends in STEAM.

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. Exactly why I won't be buying it online.

And no matter what Brad says direct sales will kill 1/3rd of your sales for us who only deal in cash.

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. Exactly why I won't be buying it online. And no matter what Brad says direct sales will kill 1/3rd of your sales for us who only deal in cash.

It's a choice each person has to make for themselves...

I too would rather pay via Money Order or Check. Is there no provision for this type of sale?

I want to know, if DA will be multilingual, so I can play it in german? That would make my dicision easier, if I will buy it via SDC.

Well, I don't think that DA will be in german (or in french):

1. currently, SDC doesn't update the foreign files for GC2
2. Localization were made by Paradox for the retail version in Europe.

But you could always to a non official localization in german. Freecry maintains a non official french version for GC2 since May 2006 (before GC2 was available in France )