No beta this week. Between my trip to San Francisco last week to meet with the media and Memorial Day, the AI isn’t far enough along to be included for a public beta. But if it makes you feel better, we’re playing it a lot internally.
There’s been a ton of questions on the forums so let me go through them here:
Q: What is the release date?
A: August 24th is our official release date.
Q: Is that release date subject to change?
A: Yes. If we’re not happy with the game for some reason.
Q: I think Elemental should have <insert cool wizbang feature>, will you delay the game to put that in?
A: No.
Q: But I thought you said you wouldn’t release the game until it was what you wanted?
A: Yes. But we’re not going to delay the game to put in new features. We’re open to doing lots of things after release.
Q: I’ve heard there are no flying units in the game.
A: There are flying units in the game. However, there aren’t flying armies in the game (i.e. there are creatures and animals that fly, but we do not plan to have flying mounted units in – at least at release. We can discuss with players – after they have the game – what practical means they could envision flying around.
Q: I saw <screen shot X> and I didn’t like <insert aspect of screenshot>
A: Most screenshots floating around are, unfortunately, very old.
Here is a current screenshot:
Note the dynamic fog of war in the east. This is generated using an advanced multi-core algorithm.
Q: I like using my imagination when I play games, I am glad the game has its own lore but can I introduce my own?
A: Yes. In the “sand box” (normal games) mode. You can do whatever you want. It will be in the campaign where our lore takes over.
Q: In a screenshot, the land looked flat.
A: Geography of a given map changes from map to map. Some maps are hilly. There are some maps that are dead. There are some that are pleasant. Some are very mountainous. It just depends what kind of map you get.
Here is a map in an arctic world.
Q: Does the AI in Elemental cheat?
A: Not at its normal levels. I’ve been working very hard to make the game play the game just like a human being does. However, I will have higher difficulty levels where the AI gets “stuff” for those who end up better at the game than I am. We will, however, be continuing to enhance the AI long after release as we did with Galactic Civilizations.
Q: How animated are things in the world?
A: Here’s a link to a video: http://screencast.com/t/YWY5YWJk (it’s a big video so you’ll want to let it buffer).
Q: How much can modders do on the map?
A: Here’s me making my own map. These tools are part of the game btw. They’re designed to let general gamers use (non-technical).
LOL at screenshot.
Bummed about no release though. Was looking forward to it this weekend.
August 24th? sooner than I thought for an initial release date. Thankfully I get out of prison on the 20th, so it's all good.
Hey, if you need more time, take it. I'd rather have the graphics now and an AI patch in a week, but I'd also rather own a car with power windows. Maybe something half my age.
The Oasis looks really good, by the way.
Nah, take your time Better not to rush these things if there's still work to be done.
I particularly like your map making tool, that'll be fun.
Oh btw why do your women have a 5'o'clock shadow?
It sounds like "what's in" and "what's for post-release," has started to get nailed down.
Can you let us know what things have slipped to post release besides flying combat monsters?
How long does it usually take for the delivery from USA to Europe? May need to reconsider the delivery adress, for which I'd need to e-mail support about it and it'd not be a good idea to wait for the last moment (to e-mail them and for Stardock confirm that date early in August?).
I wouldn't count on flying combat monsters any time soon (they're not something that slipped, we just never envisioned having a world with flying horses or whatever).
But I'll definitely let you know of things that are going to be put in post release but most of them will come from you guys.
so the beta is coming next week than?
Frogboy,
Sure... "But if it makes you feel better, we’re playing it a lot internally". You are bad! and you are double bad with this:
"Here is a current screenshot:"
"Note the dynamic fog of war in the east. This is generated using an advanced multi-core algorithm."
But I am glad to see the editor is coming along real nice I love the smooth simple "USER FRIENDLY" interface. Thank you for putting a good amount of resources to modding as well as the game it makes a big difference to me(as to many others I am sure).
Now about that release date... you do realize you are living out of the scope of the game Engine in Elemental right? You must have an army at Stardock not just a team and some how you must have been RPing a bit to much as an insensible super hero. In any rate I sure hope you have some magical spell to entrance those whom you have to appease internally in order to keep your job but still find a way to get things right so the haters( I mean the competition) do not get anything worth while to criticize Elementals first view to the world.
This game seems like a dream come true and even more of an enchantment post release (all the additions you guys can make to enhance the game).
Cheering from the sidelines so that all goes well in beta 2 and beyond.
P.S. is there still going to be dungeons and houses and castles and caves, etc that can be searched that has its own mini map with more detailed things in each tile? I hope so will really be nice to not only have the tactical map aspect but the latter as well.
Fair enough. : )
"In any rate I sure hope you have some magical spell to entrance those whom you have to appease internally in order to keep your job"
I don't forsee that as being a problem really... LOL
(next week indeed)
twitch twitch
From that screenshot, I'm assuming this game will need at least a DirectX10 card to run, am I right?
Laughed so hard at this... but then realized how much I liked those games back then and then felt realy nostalgic. Odd transition to make!
You did this to me.
"Oh btw why do your women have a 5'o'clock shadow?"
They are European peasants. What did you expect?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Wow, August 24. Seems like Beta 1 took almost all of the beta time. I really expected beta 2-5 would get more time, even with combining 2 and 3. I am sure a lot will continue to be done after release.... 2.5 months to get it out the door just seems incredibly fast. Of course with the tools you have developed you can probably build content at an incredible pace.
Frogboy has been reduced to a pixel super hero on one tile... umm what is that on his avatars hand ummm *quickly retreats before...*
Just have to say how dissapointed i am regarding beta2 not being available this week. Christ, i would have tried beta1... just want to get a feel for the game, being a masters of magic fan. I guess this is the kind of obsession gamers usually get into, but it's my obsession and i'm gonna stick with it. It needs to be satisfied, so could you help us please? (us, as in a lotta guys that preordered). At least let us have a peak at... i don't know, something. I would love to have Elemental beta showing up in my impulse list... . And if you thing i'm being unreasonable, well... do nothing about it. Cheers
Okay, you'r definately sadistic ><
Your map looked like a person for a minute.
Flying creatures: It's sad that the big dragon doesn't fly. Why bother with wings? Ok, maybe he hovers but... really? Just that? I understand time constrains and the need of offering a solid released and not a million of half baked idea. I understand and respect that. But unless I can get true flying dragons decimating enemy armies with ranged breath weapon and flyby attacks... If the player didn't bother with ranged weapons/spells and/or traps to lure the drgon to attack on "foot", he deserves to be utterly destroyed by logistics. "Oh noes! My army of four thousand men armed with Dragonslayer Swords are being slaughtered by the dragon from distance!* If at least they knew how to throw their swords with enough strength..."
I hope for too much so... can I have Angels with hovering?
* breath weapon, dropping stuff picked somewhere (B-52 Dragon!!!)...
i dont really see an august release. I mean first public beta coming up and bound to be lots of request on combat and exploring and such. Going to take time to tweak or erase and redo alot of gaming mechanics.
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