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Big Fat Pictures and Day 0 reporting

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Big Fat Pictures and Day 0 reporting

from JoeUser Forums

Finally getting to actually PLAY the game some.  I’ve got a huge list of tweaks already for the day 0 build.

I play at really high resolution so this is what my screens looked like:

2010-08-14_2025

In this game, I’m slowly wearing Kraxis down.  Which means I’m unhappy because it means I need to do more AI work. Bear in mind, when I play I play at normal where the AI gets the same resources. If I wanted to get creamed, I’d just push up the difficulty but I want the AI to be very intelligent at normal.

2010-08-14_2032

This screenshot is full of win.   The beta group pushed hard for special abilities for units and they got their way (the fire giant has 3 actually).  This is something we plan to expand on over the next few months a lot (don’t worry, these things will be free updates).

We’re just incredibly excited about how things have turned out. Though, like all the other games we’ve done, we have a long list of things we want to add and improve on over the next several months. Though, for now, we’re going to stick with polishing so that we can hear what our customers want first before we commit to anything specific.

Availability

Now, one thing I think I can say (and I’m not promising this because all things are ultimately decided by the IT gods) but it is our plan to make the “gold” version of the game available a bit early to those in the beta and those who pre-order will also likely get it a bit early.   We hope to start pre-loading Elemental onto machines early to mid next week to reduce strain.

At retail, Walmart, Best Buy, Gamestop, EB, etc. should all have it in strong supply. Just make sure you update to the day 0 version (via Impulse) because you will need the day 0 version to play multiplayer or do the mod tools stuff not to mention we’ll have a ton of new stuff in it as well. The download should be pretty small though.

What’s next

Well, for this week, I plan to have fun working on the AI and making some more quests. How much will make it into the day 0 version is hard to say.  The writing team at Random House and us have been brainstorming lots of new quests we can put into the game and I really want the AI to play “in character” (no snarky dialog like in GalCiv).

151,544 views 84 replies
Reply #51 from Elemental Forums Top

Frogboy, 

I know the few posts I've made of you have been very critical and lacking in platitudes, but I really do love you guys at Stardock and everything you do. Your development ethics and the processes you use are simply amazing, and I'm honored to have been a part of the Elemental beta. Expect me to stick with you guys for quite a while.

Platitudes aside (because I really do find them difficult), let's see if the team can meet all of the challenges still remaining from the beta, and make Elemental not just a good game made memorable by mods, but a memorable one in its own right.

Best regards, 

Paradoxical

Reply #52 from Elemental Forums Top

Also, as in that picture with the elemental (this has been mentioned earlier), spelling mistakes in the final (day 0 or no) will not be tolerated!  #:(

Love you guys, 

Paradoxical

WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #54 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Paradoxical, reply 51
...but I really do love you guys at Stardock and everything you do. Your development ethics and the processes you use are simply amazing [...]. Expect me to stick with you guys for quite a while.

You probably said it better than I could. So.. QFT :-)
(had to skip the beta part though :-()

And thumbs up for possibility of early distribution. To be honest, waiting for release day isn't exactly among my strengths. Especially in case of games I consider exceptionally good.

Reply #55 from Elemental Forums Top

are russian version of game  compatible this updates ?

if I buy a Russian version, whether it is compatible with day 0 update?

Reply #56 from Elemental Forums Top

Yes, please keep the snarky dialog out of the game. I can't speak for others, but for me, it destroys the atmosphere.

Reply #57 from Elemental Forums Top

frogboy, I REALLY would like to have elemental BEFORE the 21st here in australia, as the country is going to WASTE an entire day forcing everybody to go in a local POLE and punch it on the 21st, and elemental would be the perfect de-stressor after the pole punching.

personally in the pole punching I always try to destroy the pole, but so far I have not succeded.

harpo

 

Reply #58 from Elemental Forums Top

Thanks for the update Brad!

Too bad the land looks very boring and not like a magical land at all...  :'(

Reply #59 from Elemental Forums Top

Land looks boring? I think it looks great compared to some of the shots from the earlier betas. Sorry if it sounds fanboi'ish, but I love the look of the terrain and mapset. ... perhaps I'm just too oldschool.

Reply #60 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 17

Quoting AllegroMonkey, reply 5 

Wow that's fantastic! Even a chance at playing a bit earlier in the coming week is exciting. Will the day 0 build be a major tweek from the current gold version, or a small bump?

MAJOR.  Think Beta 2 to Beta 3 level changes.

Wait, this might be a good thing for us with Impulse... but what about those who buy the game without an internet connection? And what about those of us who buy the retail for preservation for the future (if, in 10 years time I wish to fire the game up again)? They will essentially end up with 2/3rds of a game out of the box?

Or does it say clearly on the box that Impulse and an internet connection is required? (If not, what happens if a reviewer misses the day 0 patch?)

Reply #61 from Elemental Forums Top

Virtually all games these days have internet updates after the gold version.  I guess, if it is possible, you could get a friend with a decent internet connection to download the latest version via Impulse Anywhere, have them Archive the copy and a copy of the latest version of Impulse, and send or give it to you.  Not sure if it matters who downloads the archive in the first place.

Unfortunately virtually all games have updated versions via internet in some way after the gold version is made.  Guys, do you know what eobet could do to make sure he has the latest version without accessing the internet with an own account?

Best regards,
Steven. 

Reply #62 from Elemental Forums Top

We’re just incredibly excited about how things have turned out. Though, like all the other games we’ve done, we have a long list of things we want to add and improve on over the next several months. Though, for now, we’re going to stick with polishing so that we can hear what our customers want first before we commit to anything specific.

What’s next

Well, for this week, I plan to have fun working on the AI and making some more quests. How much will make it into the day 0 version is hard to say.  The writing team at Random House and us have been brainstorming lots of new quests we can put into the game and I really want the AI to play “in character” (no snarky dialog like in GalCiv).

Sounds good to me! :beer:

Reply #63 from Elemental Forums Top

The beta group pushed hard for special abilities for units and they got their way (the fire giant has 3 actually).

So it means that it was initially planned that the units should have no special abilities and you added them only because the beta testers wanted them? Making a fantasy strategy game with no special abilities for units seems a really strange idea for me...

Reply #64 from Elemental Forums Top

In the tactical battles screenshot, are there little blue bars beneath the red health bars on the creature icons?  If so...they are pratically invisible.  Could you maybe lighten up the blue so they are easier to see without eye strain?

Otherwise...looks GREAT!

Reply #65 from Elemental Forums Top

Looks really good to me. Can't wait to enjoy it next week!   :beer:

 

 

Reply #66 from Elemental Forums Top

I've been playing Locomotion to kill the time :P,

Reply #67 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Raven, reply 50
So we "might" get it early? Like how early? Wooohooooo!!! Sweeeeeeeet!!!!

August 23 at 11:58 PM:P

Reply #68 from Elemental Forums Top



In this game, I’m slowly wearing Kraxis down.  Which means I’m unhappy because it means I need to do more AI work. Bear in mind, when I play I play at normal where the AI gets the same resources. If I wanted to get creamed, I’d just push up the difficulty but I want the AI to be very intelligent at normal.



 

First off, I'd like to say how thoroughly impressed I am at (Stardock) your ability to code AI that can clean my clock, or at least give me a run for my money without 'cheating'.  That is to say without getting unit/resource/build time whatever bonuses.  You need to give some kind of seminar on AI coding or something at the next GDC to get other developers up to speed!

 

That being said, is the harder AI difficulties purely a resource bonus this time around? Or are they going to use different AI scripting?  Or is it just that normal and lower difficulty levels will have some of the more....erm....brutal AI programming turned off?  If this is the case, though to late for day 0, sometime in the future it would be neat to be able to turn off the resource bonus but keep the brutal AI as an option.

 

Also, in GC2, there was an option to set how much CPU crunching the game could use (at least I think it was GC2) for the AI to 'think'.  Will there be a similar option in Elemental, and how much of a difference does it make to actual game play and the time it takes for a turn to resolve?

 

How difficult is it to program AI to take advantage of multi-core CPU's?  Is it even possible baring letting individual AI...erm forgive the wrong terminology, "actors" work on independent process strings?

 

Sorry, I'll shut up now-curiosity got the better of me.

Reply #69 from Elemental Forums Top

So where is the release party going to be? So I can, ummm, send some flowers...  :grin:

Reply #70 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting kyogre12, reply 68

Quoting Raven X, reply 50So we "might" get it early? Like how early? Wooohooooo!!! Sweeeeeeeet!!!!


August 23 at 11:58 PM
In Australia. :P

Reply #71 from Elemental Forums Top

Hey Stardock congrats for the awesome job, its amazing. Dont know how you guys keeps surprising us since the begining of the development.

But there is a serious issue i want to clarify here. Im not from US, actualy im from Brazil. What can you guys tell about world wide distribution for the 24th release, will there be a global release or just inside US? Is there any possibility that the Wallmart stores over here will have EWoM at the release date? I want all the stuf, the colectors edition game, Destiny Embers and the custom campaign that comes with the book, but i think ill have to make it work with the digital version only, so sad... :'(

 

Reply #72 from Elemental Forums Top

-dances around with sparklers-

Reply #73 from Elemental Forums Top

I've been playing Locomotion to kill the time ,

 

lol i played wow :D got some more days to hit lvl 60 :P

Reply #74 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Pantasd, reply 74

I've been playing Locomotion to kill the time ,

 

lol i played wow got some more days to hit lvl 60

Ya I was bored of wow around june, Ive got a load of 80's so theres nothing I can do until the expansion you know how wow is you get 2 month play periods and 2 month bored periods :P. But I'm looking forward to TERA, and also UFO : Extraterrestrials 2 Shadows over earth,  and well of course Elemental war of magic :P hahah, I pre-ordered at the beta 1 mark. I remember when I was still typing "Master of magic fan remake", hoping someone would make something like it. I'm really glad they got into the tactical battles more, I really liked Final Fantasy tactics, and ogre battles, so its cool we can kinda fight on that level. 

 

Reply #75 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Mogmoogle, reply 75

But I'm looking forward to TERA, and also UFO : Extraterrestrials 2 Shadows over earth,  and well of course Elemental war of magic hahah, I pre-ordered at the beta 1 mark.

Dude, check out Xenonauts. It's going to blow UFO:ET2 out of the water!!! ;)