So far the contents of the bonus pack look really good. Much better than I expected. So I am hopeful that SD will come up with an inspired idea to solve this problem.
It seems that they are dedicated to this game they "had/have" fresh ideas to distribute and collect customers feedback
We will wait and see perhaps they simply underestimatd the number of customers with slow or no internet connection at home. Look at the poll about internet connection the mayority voted for cable modem or faster (I believe the voters were all you guys in the USA hanging around in the forums all the time with your superfast internet connections

It appears that there will never be a simple DL for any GalCiv update. Stardock seems to want to hold a very tight grip on its files.

That means that this will be the only place you can ever DL anything pertaining to GalCiv, and likely any Stardock title (as far as I can understand it).

I do not understand much about the gamming industry, but I wonder if Strategy First has to test and OK these files before they are released? I mean so many other games say that they have no say if a Patch gets released, and that it is up to the Publisher to do so.

How is it Stardock can hold on to their files so jealously and leave (what seems to be anyway) SFI out of the process?

Personally, I think this is not a very good way to proceed. There is inherent in it a lack of trust somewhere to have to hold all content at one site for all time.

This is the only negative aspect to this title that I see. After looking at the DL section in SDC it became clear that there is no real hope of Frogboy or Stardock ever releasing files in any other form then what they deem right. Too bad as I think it makes users jump through hoops that are unnecessary.

This is my opinion only and I know I will have to live with it but the reality is I do not have to like it at all.

Hopefully in the future if Stardock becomes a huge player they will change this policy and be less restrictive with their files, and not take the position that they are so powerful they can do what they want.

Toothy

In addition, we have never said that actual bug fixes and updates to the game won't be available in patches for download off the website. If you look on the left, we do have a download link. That's where program updates, demos, etc. will show up.

For WindowBlinds, our users can update from SDCentral or download from the website. But non SDCentral updates will be much less often -- as often as any other game.

What SDCentral brings to the table is our ability to instantly update the game. We plan to update the game, a LOT. In the coming weeks, users will see what we mean. And they can pick and choose when or how often they update.

But patch downloads would be much less frequent since there is much more effort to put htem together.

I think an easier way to explain it would be like this:

On SDCentral users would have access to 1.01, 1.02, 1.03...1.9
Website only users would have access to 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and so on as opposed to the smaller updates.

As I've posted many times, the security we have is on the SERVER. Not the client. SDCentral is not the mechanism of security against piracy. It is the serial validation on the server that is.



~SDC~

Frogboy,

I never thought of it as "bug Fixes" or something that Should have been in the gold version.

I have only one complaint (and it is not with the Bonus Pack itself) and I have tried to make myself clear several times in this thread. I guess I keep failing.

My only complaint is that you have set Stardock up as the sole source for any DL of files pertaining to GalCiv (and as I stated above likely all Stardock games).

That just seems restrictive to me that is all. I know it is your product to with as you see fit. However you are putting it out to the public and you seem to be willing to listen to people make suggestions.

I have asked several times that you would consider changing this policy and have yet to receive a straight forward answer regarding this question.

Will there ever be in the future, the ability to DL files other then through SDC for files to your games?

Thanks

Toothy

Since you edited your post above, some of my post above makes a lot less sense at this point, and looks like I am asking questions that were clearly answered, and could be misconstrued as trying to create problems.

Toothy

Frogboy,

If I read you right in another post ( http://www.galciv.com/forum.asp?BID=GF&id=22390 )you say that SDC is for a more constant update scheme as opposed to the traditional waiting for 1.01 patch. NOTE: These are my words trying only to capture the point of what you are saying.

Does that mean the Bonus Pack which you say will be build number 10 (the 1.01 number) will be in the form of a Traditional style File to DL and save that does not require SDC to run it?

I think I am missing something here because it does not seem to be clear as to if this is the case or not. I mean this post is clear that you seem to say indeed there will be a "Patch" that includes the Bonus Pack that will not require SDC, but from other posts (not by you) it seems that SDC is needed.

Please, once for all say if SDC is need or if we will get an exe, or a zip file to DL at some point.

Thanks for the patience in my lack of understanding in al of this.

Toothy

SDC is not needed to get major updates.

You will be able to download, from the site, major build updates. But you will need SDC to get the various minor ones. And at first, SDC will be the only way to get those updates until we have time to test other means.

Hope that helps.

~SDC~