At any given point in time, there is liable to be only one "master" file that can be used to update to new content without the SDC. Initially, that'll be the BonusPak download (about 7MB).

A few weeks or a couple of months down the road, when the Expansion Pak is ready, what's most likely is that update will become the one "master" file that you can get standalone. We're not keen on requiring you to get multiple files to have all the new goodies.

I live near Montréal, Québec and I haven't been able to find a store in my area that will have the game anytime soon, so I'm seriously considering downloading it.

I don't have a high speed internet connection, only the 56k dial-up modem. Does anybody have any idea how long the download might take?

Also, I presume the price is in US$, what are the taxes and are they any other charges?

It can be done. But...

The main part of Galciv is in excess of 83MB. That may take over 5hrs to download. The Multimedia is over 366MB which would take over 21hrs to download.

This all assumes you have an excelent connection that can keep your downloading at 5kbytes/sec (about 40kbaud/sec). Other factors can increase the time.

Also, SDC keeps track of what files it has already downloaded. SDC will resume with the file after the last one successfully downloaded.

When I downloaded the first Gamma level on a D/L (I got a DSL right after that) I downloaded the main body overnight one night then proceded to download the MM the next night. It took three nights to download the MM because each time it lost the connection, with the last attempt taking just an hour or two the next day.

It took a lot of patience on my part, but I finally got it all and felt it was well worth it.

If you think the CD is in the mail, you could find that you have received the CD before you finnish the complete D/L on a dialup, so perhaps it would be better just to wait on the CD.

I just checked with Stardock and here is what happens if you d/l the base game and install the Multimedia from the CD: The CD install overlays the downloaded install and returns your installed level to the CD level. Then using SDC to download 7MB of upgrades and bonus pack will bring you back up to the current level.

From what I have seen posted before (IIRC) the price is in US$ and the only taxes Stardock collects is for MI residents.

~SDC~

Thank you for the excellent information, much appreciated.

My download connection usually maintains itself around
3kbytes/sec so I'm going to follow your advice and wait for the CD to install the Multimedia. Sounds like the best way to go for me.

Most retailers are listing the price at $39.99. Why is the downloadable more expensive? Shouldn't it be cheaper since the downloadable does not come with any print materials?? :notsure:

I'd like to buy the game at retail to get the printed manual, but I'd also need to download the game, because my CD drive is broke. What are my options?

You can buy the game at EB or wherever, then just come here, download SDCentral, put in the serial # from the back of your CD case, and download it.

Thanks for the answer, Frogboy.

One more time I have to commend you on behalf of the internettically impaired. The way you are being responisive to user requests is just unique in this industry. Kudos.

Sorry. Thanks to Nakor as well!

Sorry to double-post this but I am curious what batch utility i am supposed to use to convert the file names from the archived version to the fully functional version (of the core and multimedia portions)

SDC under the software button. Right click over the name of the product and you will get a menu that includes the archive options, which includes archiving the product (e.g., Galciv core) archiving the product and extra files (I assume this means, for example, Galciv core, multimedia, bonus pack, etc. if you have downloaded them), or restore existing (i.e., unarchive what was archived).

~SDC~

Woo Hoo! Downloaded a couple hours ago and I am just waiting for the day to end!!! LOL

Still waiting for the game to show up here in Denmark.. (:(
But rumors here say that the retail version, will have bonuspack out of the box is that true ?? Kinda wondering cos due to my connection Ive always had problems with games who wanted to use an in-game updater...

Regards...

Frogboy said "You can buy the game at EB or wherever, then just come here, download SDCentral, put in the serial # from the back of your CD case, and download it."

I bought the game retail, installed, then installed SDC. I pulled up the register dialog and my serial had already been entered, which was fine. However, SDC complains that it's an invalid serial number. The dialog mentions copy/pasting from the purchase email, so I figured that registration was only necessary for internet orders. But it sounds like that's not true and my serial number is just bogus. If I really do have to register in order to get updates, perhaps that dialog should be modified to say "from email or back of CD"

Anyway, the game installed fine with the serial, but I don't see the 1.01a update. Is this user-error or bug?

~SDC~

Oops, forgot to add... To forestall the obvious question, I was entering the serial for GalCiv, _not_ for drengin.net.

~SDC~

Ugh... sorry for the triple post. But I went back and was clicking around the registration dialog (wondering why sometimes the button said "Register" and sometimes "Update") and this time the serial worked.

There is 0 chance that I was mistyping it earlier, but at least it works now! I'm sure you'll get other repro cases

~SDC~

I bought the game at a store basically just to get a paper manual. If anybody else is thinking along these lines, don't bother. Compared to manuals for Civ or Neverwinter nights, this thing is more of a pamphlet. I did know it was exactly the same as the online version, but I thought there would at least be a tech tree poster. Oh well.

Anyway, here's my question. I love the fact that you allow the user to purchase and download the game online. Do your distributors/publishers make the same out of money per unit with both purchasing options? If they don't, would we actually be supporting downloadable games more by purchasing at the store? The logic being that the online purchases, which are not profitable to them, spur enough store sales to make it worth it to them to allow non-profiting downloadable version. Or do they make the same either way, and this is a stupid question?

ok, i bought the game at retail, installed it, went to the galciv.com website, registered my product/serial #, downloaded & installed sdcentral. sdc says i have v1.0.00 installed, but there is no option to update it. i can, however, "update" the multimedia, download the bonus pack, windowed version & the pdf manual.

what am i doing wrong here? and why is there no adequate documentation on what i should be doing right?

~SDC~

Hey Brad, any answer on the Serial Number question I asked earlier? Someone in the "Does anyone in Australia have the game yet?" is asking if someone could burn him a copy. Obviously, burning people a copy is a no-no if the serial number is attached to the archive, so this is a fairly important question!

~SDC~

if any of you have played SC$(simcity 4) it also has a brochure for a manual prettymuch forcing you to buy a strategy guide. personaly i dont have game yet unfortinately do to avalability in my area but am hopeing to get it soon..

:notsure: Alright, this is my first message on this board but here's a go....
I'm Canadian, I'm not sure if that's what the problem is, but for some reason I've not been able to find the Galactic Civilization game anywhere. My question is...is it released in Canada yet or are all the stores around me on crack?

Dan

(:( Is my question not good enough to be answered... I would normally do better but I haven't been able to buy the game (except for online). It sounds like a fun game

~SDC~

You only waited 2 hours and 11 minutes. I've been waiting 2 weeks now. Get in line.

I think it's meant to be available in Canada now. Try the "Availability in Europe and elsewhere" thread, it has info for other countries too.

~SDC~

Bonus Pack question:
Now that I have the game I saw via SDC that the current BP is 1.0.004.
Since I haven't been on the board for a while let me ask if there have been BPs 1.0.001-1.0.003 and if so, are those included in BP 1.0.004?
If not, how do I get them.

I would like to buy this game so that I have access to the updates and such. But, I would rather just download it than bother buying the game IRL. On the other hand, I don't see why I have to pay 44.95 for a downloaded copy. I can get the game cheaper than that from the store. I am buying direct from the company, and the only thing it costs them is some bandwidth. A great way to profit. But, why is Stardock trying to rip me off? Lower the price!