Free Download: Dark Avatar Slimline DVD Cover

Helping make your game shelf prettier

https://www.galciv2.com/downloads/Dark_Avatar_Slimline_final.pdf
from GalCiv2 Forums
Some of you who purchased Dark Avatar opted to have a CD shipped to you as well as having the game available for digital distribution via Stardock Central.  For those who have the physical media and want something cool to stick on your games shelf, I'd like to offer you the slimline DVD case cover designed by Paul Boyer.

This cover was used in the media kits we sent to gaming sites and magazines looking to preview and review Dark Avatar.  So now you can print this out, slide it into a slimline case you might have sitting around, and for a few brief moments dream about the fabulous life of a game journalist!

The cover file is a PDF and weighs in at 8mb.  You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your system to view the file.

23,579 views 24 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well at the expense of getting really hammered i'd like to say,

Bit late don't you think!!

This is exactly what i wanted when buying DA, i was happy downloading and waiting for the disc in the mail, but then i learned there would be no box for DA just the disc in a jewel case. Being anal i like having the box on my shelf, and the DA "posters" you were displaying on the site looked really cool. So after double checking that there indeed would not be a retail box shipped out, i bought the Gold Edition, even though i have the DL Collector's Edition . At least this way i had a box to keep the disc safe and it would add to my collection on the shelf.

Now this is released, and the extra $20us or so extra that i payed just to have a box doesn't really make sense anymore.

How about refunding me the difference from Gold to the stand alone DA disc?

This is a first, till now i have had nothing but praise for the way Stardock conducts itself, but this information could have been released earlier and save us nerds who like nice pretty boxes twenty bucks.

Needless to say i don't really expect a refund but this is really dissapointing.

Hammer away.......

Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I like the case, Good work!

Going to print it out =o)
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I found at full size (not using Adobe Reader to shrink-to-fit) that it fit pretty well in a standard DVD case (and was too big for a slimline). Your mileage may vary.

-HM
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Any suggestions on what type of paper would work best for this? Since I don't have a printer I need to do it up at school, and I don't want needless trips/costs.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
A standard DVD slip is 10 3/4" by 7 1/4". So you'll probably need to just print it on standard 8 1/2" x 11" and trim it.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Any chance on offering a slimline case with this label already in there for people that opt to have the CD mailed to them, even if there is a small extra charge?

I haven't bought Dark Avatar yet, and the uncertainty of a box, etc. was one of the reasons. I already bought (two) copies of the original collector's edition.

Having an option to have the slimline with this label in it already delivered would pretty much cinch the deal for me to buy Dark Avatar.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Well at the expense of getting really hammered i'd like to say,

Bit late don't you think!!

This is exactly what i wanted when buying DA, i was happy downloading and waiting for the disc in the mail, but then i learned there would be no box for DA just the disc in a jewel case. Being anal i like having the box on my shelf, and the DA "posters" you were displaying on the site looked really cool. So after double checking that there indeed would not be a retail box shipped out, i bought the Gold Edition, even though i have the DL Collector's Edition . At least this way i had a box to keep the disc safe and it would add to my collection on the shelf.

Now this is released, and the extra $20us or so extra that i payed just to have a box doesn't really make sense anymore.

How about refunding me the difference from Gold to the stand alone DA disc?

This is a first, till now i have had nothing but praise for the way Stardock conducts itself, but this information could have been released earlier and save us nerds who like nice pretty boxes twenty bucks.

Needless to say i don't really expect a refund but this is really dissapointing.

Hammer away.......




I thought you got a rebate with the gold edition if you already owned DL such that it ended up being the same price. Regardless, if you paid $20 extra just to get a box you got exactly what you paid for, I don't see a problem. DA didn't come in a case, incidentally, just a paper sleeve. Considering it cost nothing but shipping and handling to get a physical copy, I can't complain.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Well, considering all the advertisements and the media on the sites clearly show a Dark Avatar box, I will complain, as my CD arrived a few days ago.

I do feel misled by this.

There was no info anywhere to state that we would only get a CD in a sleeve.

Box image + CD = boxed CD. Thats basic human understanding.

You clearly have a pack shot of a box.

If I'd have known, I would have ordered the boxed version with GC 2.




Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Well, considering all the advertisements and the media on the sites clearly show a Dark Avatar box, I will complain, as my CD arrived a few days ago.

I do feel misled by this.

There was no info anywhere to state that we would only get a CD in a sleeve.

Box image + CD = boxed CD. Thats basic human understanding.

You clearly have a pack shot of a box.

If I'd have known, I would have ordered the boxed version with GC 2.


My CD arrived today and I have to agree with Sevenhertz.

Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I am very sad and almost upset to just have received a CD, no box.. where is the manual?? very disapointed, I feel fooled
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Look guys, I would've liked to get a manual and a box too. But the fact is that nowhere did Stardock say that was what we were going to get. It's stated as "Download + CD" (actually, back when I preordered this last summer, it said "Galactic Civilizations II - Dark Avatar [CD Pre]"). You got exactly what they said you were going to get.

And for that matter, they didn't even overcharge to get the disc to us. It was $5, it says right on my shipping envelope that it cost $4.05 to ship, and I imagine the envelope itself plus the price to put a picture on the CD cost at least 95 cents. So you more or less got the disc for free.

Brad is working on making a hard copy manual available to us, and they gave us something to use as a cover in a DVD case. So really, they're doing a pretty good job here - just short of what is ideal. But in life you learn what battles are the right ones to fight (and this, my friends, is not one of them).

-HM
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I must ask one thing:
What is better? A CD Backup in a sleeve which would cost less, letting more money being able to use for game delvelopments, or a full case, manual, etc. which would of costed more?
Remember, the company thbat makes these games are small, and as they have pointed out: Shops would take down Galactic Civilizations II for Dark Avatar - not letting gamers that may want to play Dark Avatar play, because they also need Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords.
They gave you an Adobe download of the manual, they've given you a slim-line cover, and the disk for more or less free (as stated by Hollow Man) - what more do you want?
So they could let you buy a box with the CD, cover, etc, for a little bit more, but they decided to let you buy it more cheaply.
Don't whine, be glad what you are given. It's good stuff.
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I do not agree, I saw a box when ordering, and all I get i a cd.. i could have burned it myself. I'm a fan, I want fan stuff, a nice box, a nice manual to read in the toilets etc.

I am really disapointed
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I couldn't wait for Best Buy to get DA in stock... but when I saw it was a "gold" edition I was really mad. Now I see there is absolutely no plans for a retail box version of the add-on? I can wait for the gold edition to drop to bargain bin price before I'll buy.

Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I do feel misled by this.

There was no info anywhere to state that we would only get a CD in a sleeve.

Box image + CD = boxed CD. Thats basic human understanding.

You clearly have a pack shot of a box.


I completely agree. I also was expecting boxed CD. But, This is the least of the problems I`m having with this expansion at this point.
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
So they could let you buy a box with the CD, cover, etc, for a little bit more, but they decided to let you buy it more cheaply.
Don't whine, be glad what you are given. It's good stuff.


I don`t consider $40 cdn CHEAP for an expansion by any means. I can buy a current fully packaged PC game for less then that. I bought it direct because I didn`t think I could get the BOXED expansion set at retail. Although I`ll consider myself lucky if I even receive the CD in a Sleeve.
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I couldn't wait for Best Buy to get DA in stock... but when I saw it was a "gold" edition I was really mad. Now I see there is absolutely no plans for a retail box version of the add-on? I can wait for the gold edition to drop to bargain bin price before I'll buy.


GC2 Gold contains a $10 mail-in-rebate for owners of the retail version of GC2, so if you already have that you can get it for the approximately same price after rebate as it would cost to buy the download-only version of DA direct. Even better, Circuit City has GC2:Gold for $27.99 today (and all this past week), so if you can get to one today you could get that price and *still* use the rebate.

As a small company we can't easily get two different boxes on shelves at once. This is why there is GC2:Gold at retail and not only DA, so that those who don't have the game already can still get the original.
Reply #19 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
"As a small company we can't easily get two different boxes on shelves at once"

Sure, but then you had a very bad communication with visitors on your site, only the expansion was available at start with a picture of a boxed version.

Thanks for the tip about Circuit City but you have to understand that not all GC fans are from the USA. On the Circuit City site, the gold edition is at 39.99 and moreover they ship only in the USA.

It's sad that people that always supported you since years (galciv 1 for me) by buying your games as soon as they are avaiable, feel like being abandoned or becoming second class customers like now. :/
Reply #20 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
To add insult to injury, after spending the extra cash on the Gold Edition, it finally came in the mail the other day (I'm in Australia) and it wasn't even packaged securely.

There was no bubble wrap to protect the box, and as a result it is torn and damaged. And on top Stardock will not pay to have the item sent back to them. It is at my cost they say! They will replace the item itself but i foot the postage bill.

They even go so far as to say because i live in Australia i should expect some damage to the product! What did i pay handling for when all i got was shipping. All this from a company i had come to respect over the last 18 months. Why would i expect a second box to arrive safely when they couldn't do it right the first time?

Sorry to say Stardock, you really dropped the ball on this issue.

But in life you learn what battles are the right ones to fight (and this, my friends, is not one of them).


Quite true. The customer service i received was rather lacking in any imaginative excuses and it was obvious they plainly just did not care. May answer to all this, i will support this site and this game, but i won't be purchasing another Stardock product until this facet of their game has been lifted.

Reply #21 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I will say that I definitely do not like it when a company doesn't pack a product well for shipment.

-HM
Reply #22 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I am very sad and almost upset to just have received a CD, no box.. where is the manual?? very disapointed, I feel fooled

Likewise here, one of the reasons I ordered the CD and paid the extra price instead of just paying for the download was that I thought I would at the very least get a manual with it; but I was also expecting it in a box and not the vanila envelope postmarked from Cincinatti Ohio.

Reply #23 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I too was expecting an actual box. I just checked my email records for both GalCiv II and GalCiv II: DA

Product Name : Galactic Civilizations II [CD] (Pre-Order)
Product Name : Galactic Civilizations II - Dark Avatar [CD]

I received box, manual etc for GalCiv 2, but only the CD for GalCiv 2:DA.

I was rather shocked to have only received the CD. I can understand the reason behind it but I think Stardock should INFORMED us. In future, if the *PHYSICAL* item isn't shipped - Stardock should indicate it in the sales description to avoid confusion. I think the fans here are upset because it was misleading.
Reply #24 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I can understand the reason behind it


Yep, they were trying to save money, and that I can understand likewise; *but* if they should not put money ahead of fan loyalty!