manbear

Reply to Brad's life philosophy, for what it's worth in GalCiv Journals Stardock Forums

If we were all Bill Gates, we would all be flipping burgers. It is only because we are not all Bill Gates that some of us can do rewarding things like bringing computers into a billion homes. In California it is so bad that you need a B.S. or B.A. just to get a low wage job, long hours and no benefits! In the end, you always need someone to flip the burgers and unclog the sewers. That is one thing that disgusts me about America. This dillusion that everyone can be "successful" and

Reply to Balancing RTS: Hard-cap vs no-cap unit limits in PC Gaming Stardock Forums

Gradiated soft-caps. Each player then can decide for themselves the point of no return. This leads to the greatest diversity as eventually any unit will become worthless because it's cost will be so high as to be a virtual hard cap. But that hard cap will be different for every player.

Reply to Shocked by TOTAL LACK OF SUPPORT by Stardock in Galactic Civilizations II Stardock Forums

Most likely your Gmail account is blocking email from Stardock support. I have even had this problem with my mail provider that is $50/year and an excellent email service. Not with Stardock but with another game company. Does your Gmail account have a SPAM folder? Have you looked in there for support emails? If your email provider considers Stardock a Spammer even if they are not, they will block the email without you knowing. You also have to realise that your situation is

Reply to 1.95 bugs in Twilight of the Arnor Stardock Forums

Maybe I need to reinstall from scratch? I had the GCII Gold Demo which I deleted but I am sure I did not choose to delete any shared files when I uninstalled it. I haven't seen any missing graphics in the game.

Reply to 1.95 bugs in Twilight of the Arnor Stardock Forums

My documents debug file Debug Message: Version v1.95 Twilight of the Arnor last updated on: Thu Jun 19 11:41:00 2008 [B]Debug Message: Can't find TGN or GalCiv2 serial number.[/B] Debug Message: Checking DX Version. Debug Message: *********DXDiag info follows.********* System Info Time: 6/28/2008, 10:35:26 DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904) Machine Name: *deleted* Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (

Reply to 1.95 bugs in Twilight of the Arnor Stardock Forums

Debug Message: Game Resolution: 1024 x 768 I have it set as 1280x1024 in the video settings and that is my native LCD desktop setting. I wondered why the debug would then show 1024x768? And yes before you ask I have restarted the game many times as 1280x1024 setting. ;-) This can't be good, can it? Debug Message: Killing hidden planet surface init thread. Waiting for it to die. Debug Message: Aborting hidden planet surface initialization. Debug Mess

1.95 bugs in Twilight of the Arnor Stardock Forums

Updated video drivers-check Updated sound drivers-check 1. Planet view-previous/next button doesn't go in the order you set it in the main window. I think it only goes by sectors or something? *scratches head*. 2. Combat view-screen flickers at the very end of combat sometimes or in some camera modes. With 1.95 the game becomes very unstable after any combat is viewed in the combat window for me. Everytime it will CTD within 1-3 turn

Reply to Shocked by TOTAL LACK OF SUPPORT by Stardock in Galactic Civilizations II Stardock Forums

Wow you are like a customer from hell... I worked for an online game company and I would have just given you a free copy just to get rid of you. lol I purchased and downloaded with Stardock, no problems. Updated with Impulse, no problems. True I didn't buy the game with a friend's credit card in Africa, nor did I try to transfer the game from one computer to another, nor did I get mugged on the way to the internet cafe in Nigeria. Makes me glad I don't work for Stardock cus

Reply to Any chance on a "No Tech Brokering" Option? in Galactic Civilizations II Stardock Forums

I would also love this option. I turned tech trading off because I couldn't resist useing it to exploit the AI. No longer do I spend 90% of my time in the diplomacy window! The AI has no sense of balance of power when it comes to techs. Sure they will hold out slightly for some techs like medium ship building or race specific techs. The value of a tech should be based on what percentage of races have it. So if I try to trade a tech to the 9th race, when 8 others already h

Reply to AI doesn't seem to care when you help its enemies in Galactic Civilizations II Stardock Forums

I start with 8 minor races and 9 major races so I think I need to disable tech trading also. It is just too powerful for the player and the AI's are fairly inept at it. Also it is a very time intensive effort on my part. Diplomacy factors need to be toned down.

Reply to Twilight 1.92 Alpha in GalCiv Journals Stardock Forums

Impulse works great for me under XP. The only strange thing is when Windows is shutting down the dock maximimises and minimises repeatedly. The program should just close. Back to GC2:ToTA. Will the AI's ever break an economic/research treaty? Early on I traded techs for the AI's to send me an economic and research treaty. I have not been in a single war since except via the rare event where their leader is killed. Not even talking about an alliance treaty. I abuse the A

Reply to Brad's life philosophy, for what it's worth in GalCiv Journals GalCiv2 Forums

Thanks Embird, I'm doing that now (cutting my needs to the bone part). It hasn't been all bad and I would do it all again because I have met many amazing people along the way. Without those bad turns, those wonderful people would not have come into my life. My life really has been a rollercoaster. I've truly walked a mile in everyone's shoes. People also took my comments too literally. It was more of an irony. Like where I grew up in rural Wisconsin another kid who is the same age

Reply to Twilight 1.92 Alpha in GalCiv Journals GalCiv2 Forums

Additional notes. 1. Not sure why almost all of the stock AI races have federalist as their party. Maybe mix it up a bit? Just by the race profiles there suggests several possibilities as I have implemented in my game. 2. When the AI requests a tech exchange with the player, the AI chooses a tech the player already has. Maybe a joke? :NOTSURE:

Reply to Twilight 1.92 Alpha in GalCiv Journals GalCiv2 Forums

One other suggestion is to add a checkbox to not autolaunch colony ships just like transports. Both of these ships are special in that they take away some pop from your planet. They also both have size sliders. For all other ships autolaunch is a must for me. Thanks.

Reply to Twilight 1.92 Alpha in GalCiv Journals GalCiv2 Forums

[quote]Wow, it's amazing to watch this game just get better and better. I really appreciate all the hard work that goes into this game. It's funny how a lot of the game mechanics I just take for granted now, but were new to me before Galciv2 and ToA. I'd have a hard time now going back to a single tech tree for all races.A few small questions/suggestions:-I'd suggest changing Thalan's Hyperion Matrix food bonus from 8 to like 4 or 5. If you build it on he homeworld it creates morale problems lat

Reply to Twilight 1.92 Alpha in GalCiv Journals GalCiv2 Forums

Sorry having multiple tech capitals for example is "gamey" to me. Either one should be allowed on every planet or just one period no matter what.

Reply to Twilight 1.92 Alpha in GalCiv Journals GalCiv2 Forums

Played through a full game with the patch for a diplomacy win with 8 majors, 8 minors, immense universe and 100% stable. In my opinion, at average tech speed, the tech progression was just fine. I tend to do a lot of tech trading so if I set it to disallow tech trading, I would just increase the starting tech speed setting a bit. Nice to see the AI values medium, large and huge scale building techs now. I had to pry those techs from their cold dead hands! :CONGRAT: Even the minors

Reply to Twilight 1.92 Alpha in GalCiv Journals GalCiv2 Forums

About the mining I should say all of the AI's are mining too slowly. It is midgame and most of the AI's have most of their asteroids undeveloped whereas I am +20 with all of mine. This is with them all being on the tough AI setting. Need to play more to judge the tech speed adjustments.

Reply to Twilight 1.92 Alpha in GalCiv Journals GalCiv2 Forums

Thanks for the patch but I found some bugs/suggestions I would like to report which aren't listed in the patch notes. I am playing against all "tough" AI's and still whomping on them militarily. Explore OK, Expand OK, Exploit Problems, Exterminate Problems. 1. Minor bug-Eyes of the Universe galactic project. After it is built I must activate (click on) a starbase or ship or whatever for it's increased vision range to show on the map, this should be automatic. 2. Medium bug

Reply to Taxes in US Domestic PolMach Forums

I had a nice rebuttal but the lag wiped it out. I am on cable and the lag on this forum is the worst I have seen in a long time. Compared to Paradox it seems Stardock has very poor servers. I have the same problem with Sins of a Solar Empire Forum. Will rewrite tomorrow but to summise wage earners equals suckers, especially if you don't know how to maximise your writeoffs or have an expert do it for you.

Taxes in US Domestic PolMach Forums

Any competant "wealthy" person pays nowhere near 50% income tax. In fact, the alternative minimum income tax was implemented by conservatives to make the wealthy pay some taxes... Sorry if you are the new rich who are ignorant of American tax law. The old rich pay very little in taxes. Offshore bank accounts such as in The Cayman Islands, Isle of Man, Lichtenstein etc. = zero tax on earnings. This shifts a huge tax burden on the working class whether rich or po

Reply to Brad's life philosophy, for what it's worth in GalCiv Journals GalCiv2 Forums

Most of the places I have worked all of the talented people leave and all that remains is the mediocre bootlickers... lol Makes me wonder what happened to all of those talented people who left. Personally I have been laid off 8 times in 10 years from downsizes, reorganisations, corporate bankruptcies, relocations, et. al. Very frustrating. To blanket everyone with "you have hardship because you have no talent" is pretty naive in my opinion. Someone like Brad has simply matched his talent (a

Reply to Please slam my game in GalCiv Journals GalCiv2 Forums

4. Wheelmouse zoom to pointer like Sins. Currently moving around the map is irksome even at max scroll speed. When zoomed out it is too slow, when zoomed in it is too fast. ARGH. When zoomed out it would be nice to see the number of empty slots for starbases, perhaps a number over them. Zoom in, zoom out, zoom in, zoom out ARGH! edited for clarity and bad grammer...

Reply to Please slam my game in GalCiv Journals GalCiv2 Forums

1. An influence overlay! Say light green could be high influence for your empire in that sector and dark green could be low influence. This would be so helpful for those of us who persue an influence strategy. 2. Make the AI to stop producing fighter ships when I am sitting off their world with a battleship. It gets a little tiring just constantly blowing up small ships turn after turn after turn. What the AI SHOULD BE doing is conserving resources and building ships and fleets in

Reply to Brad's life philosophy, for what it's worth in GalCiv Journals GalCiv2 Forums

[B]"I've 36. I've got a beautiful wife. 3 wonderful children. Plus I've got the toys. The Porsche 911 Turbo, the boat, the lake cottage, the big house, etc. And I get to work every day with people who I really like. Not just professionally but on a personal level. Every day at Stardock is FUN. Even during crunch-time it's FUN. And why is it fun? Because every day we do what we want to do."[/B] I'm just like you Brad so why does my life suck? I'm 36, single with no family a