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Frogboy
Frogboy
Join Date 03/2001
+2422 sdemperor

Twilight of the Arnor Beta 4C this week!

The editors start to arrive

January 28, 2008 12:51:23 PM from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums

This week we're going to release Beta 4C of GalCiv II: Twilight of the Arnor. It's the first beta with some AI updates and will include one of the editors. 

We've been wanting to include the editors but have been afraid they might end up on some torrent site. So we'll be releasing one of the editors and as long as we don't find them on torrent sites, we'll keep adding more editors to the beta.

The Thalan will finally get finished off this week. Totally my fault on that as I've been busy working on Sins of a Solar Empire. I can honestly say, Sins is an awesome game. Its development really stands out from any project I've worked on where Stardock and Ironclad really teamed up on the game design elements so that the final result has the best of the best in it (I'm not aware of any other cases where the publisher and the developer worked so closely together on the game design elements).

I'm going to be working to tweak up the economics some more as well so keep posting on the forums of what you'd like to see and we'll work what we can in for this week.

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Frogboy
e-stab
Join Date 05/2003
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Reply #1 January 28, 2008 1:28:54 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
This week we're going to release Beta 4C of GalCiv II: Twilight of the Arnor. It's the first beta with some AI updates and will include one of the editors.

Good news!

But - who needs Sins when you can have GC2:DA:TA?
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Frogboy
Cauldyth
Join Date 07/2004
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Reply #2 January 28, 2008 1:50:47 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
Woo! I actually won my first game of TA on Tough last night, playing as the Thalans. I can't wait to see what they're like when they're complete.

It's funny, everyone says the Thalans play so much differently than the other races. I've been away from GC2 for so long that I have no idea how to play "normal" races, and I've found the Thalans to be the easiest for me to wrap my head around. I guess sometimes ignorance is the best policy.
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Frogboy
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Reply #3 January 28, 2008 2:10:41 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
Good deal! Can't wait.
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Frogboy
NKDietrich
Join Date 11/2006
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Reply #4 January 28, 2008 2:33:55 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums

We've been wanting to include the editors but have been afraid they might end up on some torrent site. So we'll be releasing one of the editors and as long as we don't find them on torrent sites, we'll keep adding more editors to the beta.




So if the editor shows up on some torrent site, the other editors won't get beta tested? I don't understand the reasoning there. What are your thoughts?
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Frogboy
Luckmann
Join Date 04/2006
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Reply #5 January 28, 2008 7:03:04 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
you'd like to see and we'll work what we can in for this week.

That if some complete numbnut shares it as a torrent, they've forfieted the right to have more freebies.
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Frogboy
Emperor_Seth
Join Date 10/2007
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Reply #6 January 28, 2008 7:55:40 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
What editor is it?
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Frogboy
Starstriker1
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Reply #7 January 28, 2008 8:03:15 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
I'm probably being thick here, but what is lost by one of the editors finding its way onto a torrent? It's not like the game itself was being distributed, and it's no use without TA in hand as well.
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Frogboy
Phaedyme
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Reply #8 January 28, 2008 8:56:27 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
That depends. If you can use the editor to create DL and DA mods, then it does have some use.
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Frogboy
Starstriker1
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Reply #9 January 28, 2008 9:12:36 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
It's still seems fairly irrelevant, in my eyes... I mean, what's the difference between it leaking now and leaking when the game is released?
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Frogboy
Ryan Zec
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Reply #10 January 28, 2008 9:37:23 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
I would have to agree with starstriker1 about the editor, they are basically saying they are more afraid of the editor being on torrent than the game itself. I mean if i had a game and a game editor for it, it would be fine if it got released on torrent as long as it did not get associated with a virus because that is just free bandwidth for my "free" editor.
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Frogboy
doogles
Join Date 10/2003
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Reply #11 January 29, 2008 12:34:40 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
I'm also baffled here. Frogboy, the game, the editor, and everything under the sun will eventually make it to torrent sites, *period*. I don't see how you can think otherwise. And I don't see how it's valuable to refuse to let us test the other editors just because of the actions of the few f***-ups out there.

Piracy is something to work against, yes, but it's also something you have to accept if you want to continue making such excellent games (instead of sinking your time into futile projects to try and prevent piracy). You guys provide an amazing value to the consumer - you make pirates feel bad about stealing your game because your company is so customer-oriented. But all the same, you won't stop (or even slow) piracy by making any kind of threat or ultimatum.
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Frogboy
Luckmann
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Reply #12 January 29, 2008 4:02:13 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums

I would have to agree with starstriker1 about the editor, they are basically saying they are more afraid of the editor being on torrent than the game itself. I mean if i had a game and a game editor for it, it would be fine if it got released on torrent as long as it did not get associated with a virus because that is just free bandwidth for my "free" editor.
First of all, no they're not. Stardock have never condoned that -anything- they make should be released to torrent networks. However, they've already made a commitment to supply the patch to us, the pre-orderers (even though I'm waiting for the next patch, first).

The editors, however, is a perk. It's a bonus and can be withheld all the way until release, if they see fit. Thus, they can make this demand, wheras they can't make the same demand regarding the beta.

So yeah, bottom line: Don't spread the editors, numbnuts (and no, I'm not calling pirates numbnuts, I'm calling numbnuts numbnuts, numbnuts)
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Frogboy
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Reply #13 January 29, 2008 7:26:47 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
We've been wanting to include the editors but have been afraid they might end up on some torrent site. So we'll be releasing one of the editors and as long as we don't find them on torrent sites, we'll keep adding more editors to the beta.



I Don't think that is a good idea. Anything with a certain popularity will eventually make its way into a torrent, a declaration like this won't make a bit of a difference there. If you do this, you'll basically go down the same road as other software companies who use restrictive copy protection to "react" to piracy, that is, deliberately lower the quality of a product because of filesharing. Just my opinion here, but I rather doubt your paying customers will appreciate this, since it has the ring of collective punishment. Up to now, Stardock has been a shining example in the treatment of its customers, and it would be a shame to make deviations from that course
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Frogboy
DeicidE
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Reply #14 January 29, 2008 7:39:57 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
That depends. If you can use the editor to create DL and DA mods, then it does have some use.


I think anyone that is looking to mod the game will have pre-paid for TA anyway. If they are ready release 'em so we can test 'em.

Could SD not just put some quick validation to check if a few \Twilight\*.* files exist?

If it's just the one, please let it be the map editor.
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Frogboy
Wydmer
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Reply #15 January 29, 2008 8:48:36 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
My memory is that we were told the editors would way until the full version was released. Getting an editor in Beta is a gift to me. If Stardock wants to say no more gifts if anyone does what we don't want then thats cool.
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Frogboy
Loupdinour
Join Date 11/2006
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Reply #16 January 29, 2008 9:11:49 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums

That depends. If you can use the editor to create DL and DA mods, then it does have some use.


I think anyone that is looking to mod the game will have pre-paid for TA anyway. If they are ready release 'em so we can test 'em.

Could SD not just put some quick validation to check if a few \Twilight\*.* files exist?

If it's just the one, please let it be the map editor.


I agree. Although a small percentile of people dislike SDC for getting their programs, couldn't it be installed from there to circumvent any piracy issues?

Hrm a Thalan update. Hopefully it's something to deter the Pink Blob of Doom strat lol.

*edit*
Oh, will custom races be released in this beta as well?
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Frogboy
MyViewsAndMuse
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Reply #17 January 29, 2008 10:04:20 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
Looking forward to the next beta release! GalCiv2 is such a fun game. "Sins" might be okay but for me RTS never has the depth and feel of a real good TBS.
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Frogboy
Sole Soul
Join Date 12/2007
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Reply #18 January 29, 2008 12:12:06 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
This is why we can't have nice things.

Only those who have pre-ordered will have access to the editor. Barring a Stardock leak (which I find highly unlikely), the only way for pirates to get a hold of it is for A) one of the pre-orderers to give it to them, or for them to get it off of a pre-orderer's computer. The latter can be done one of two ways-either you know someone who uses your computer and ganks it off of there, or someone drops a trojan on you and goes from there.

If you just keep your system clean and don't let people use it for extended periods of time unsupervised, any of the above scenarios are unlikely to happen.

Except for A), in which case, don't be a numbnut, numbnut.

Just my 2bc.
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Frogboy
Stanley Tarrant
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Reply #19 January 29, 2008 12:25:24 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
I love the music to Sins of a Solar empire, particularly the main menu music. I will probably have both SINS and Galciv2 open at the same time just to listen to SINS music while palying galciv.
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Frogboy
MyViewsAndMuse
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Reply #20 January 29, 2008 1:51:20 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
I posted a incorrect statement about Sins so I have removed it. I did see the g4 movie, looks good. I assume there will be a demo so I can try that.

Thanks

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Frogboy
Achronous
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Reply #21 January 29, 2008 3:13:24 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums


Excellent! Good work! Nice to see some movement again on Galciv! So I guess this is the Preview Release you promised us before the end of the month, eh? That's goooood

Can't wait to see the finished Thalan. They did seem a bit unfinished. Are they supposed not to get any of the Influence techs (I can't remember the Preview Post) or is it part of the upcoming patch?

so keep posting on the forums of what you'd like to see and we'll work what we can in for this week.


Well, since you ask, but probably won't be able to finish it for this week, I'd love to see some differentiation in the Starbases across the different races. It's a pity having the ships different but all the starbases looking the same (bar the colour of course...). I hate having to click on them to see who owns it, becase fraknly the colour doesn't help and the logo plates/plaques are barely visible!

Oh and don't forget the invasion screen


Thanks and can't wait for this! Should be something to look forward to the end of the week!

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Frogboy
crow_t_robot
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Reply #22 January 29, 2008 4:41:49 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
I'd like to see the 20,000bc issue gone. It can crash an economy if you are strained already.
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Frogboy
The Watcher
Join Date 11/2005
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Reply #23 January 29, 2008 5:31:12 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
Looking forward to the update

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Frogboy
Sir_On_The_Edge
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Reply #24 January 29, 2008 6:31:40 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
I'd like to hear the official reason for them not wanting it torrented. Seems strange to me.
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Frogboy
stykman22
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Reply #25 January 29, 2008 7:07:29 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
Sorry for being a dope, but what may I ask is a torrent site? I've heard of bit torrent software, but what is a torrent site?
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