Why I support Stardock (A letter to the Developers)

from Stardock Forums
Dear Stardock:

I am not really a regular poster here, and for that matter I am not really into Gal Civ. I have had the game almost since the day it was released and I have played it about five hours total.

What puzzled the hell out of me is why I went out and bought the expansion pack Altarian Prophesy off the Stardock website. No offense but I hardly ever play the original and to be frank, I find the game a tad boring/hard to manage as the game progresses on. Too many colonies and ships to keep track of.

I thought about it for a while and it finally came to me. I want to support this outfit because this is exactly the direction I want the PC game industry to go in. No worthless copy protection that someone will crack in a matter of days if not hours. No parasitic publisher forcing the games to be released early, and that free expansion a while back rocked!... Come to think about that I never downloaded that... Oh well. I will support GalCiv as far as you want to take it. I mean it.

One last thing... Would you guys please Please PLEASE develop an isometric traditional RPG? I dont mean another Diablo clone or a Strategy RPG or any other hyphenated RPG, I mean a traditional Isometric top down RPG with lots of towns and places to explore and whatnot. That would just make me so happy. PS: It doesent even have to be fantasy, it could be Sci Fi, or Cyberpunk, or Steampunk, or my favorite genere Post Apocolyptic.

Think about it!

Sincerely,

Drazzil
705 views 15 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Would you guys please Please PLEASE develop an isometric traditional RPG
End of quote


I concur!!!
What I like about this game is that I feel as if I'm playing something that was developed by Gamers, not some faceless corporate 800lb Gorilla.
I really get the feel of how much everyone involved at the company sees this as their "baby". It ups the quality of the game and the originality that goes into it.
Can you feel the love? :)
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
I agree with your sentiments. I like the game although I do not play it as much as I like. And while it may not be ground breaking it is a lot of fun. I like the way the company publishes the game and supports it.
Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Well, I like the game a lot, and upon closer scrutiny, I found a lot of it has to do with the way Stardock supports it. I was a fan of Stardock from the eary days of GalCov for OS/2. Back then the support was pretty much exactly like it is now (sans fancy forums). People's suggestions made it into the game, and GalCiv's first embryonic minor race, the Ominorians, was a tribute to a particularly avid GalCiv player whose impact on the game is still felt today.

Bill

~SDC~
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
What I like about this game is that I feel as if I'm playing something that was developed by Gamers, not some faceless corporate 800lb Gorilla.
End of quote


http://www.newtechusa.com/ppi/main.asp

Now thats a properly run company ... :)
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
LOL, Primate Programming Inc. is dedicated to the advancement and gainful employment of non-human great apes within the United States information technology sector.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
I totally concur, all the current RPG's out there are bunk IMO!

Is it me...(being 30), it would seem that most of the games being released or developed are gearing towards the younger generation. They all have their good ponts but also many bad ones as well....Take Sacred for example. It has huge potential but untill they get rid of the hack & slash style that it is its boring! Ive played it for maybe 4 hours and I know Ive seen all it has to offer.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
I feel much the same as Drazzil. I have often thought in the past few months that I wish I had the extra funds to purchase some of their other products; not because I really wanted them (although Windowblinds is becoming more tempting as I have been using the freebie version), but because I wanted to support Stardock and the way they do business. I have to go so I can try to figure out how to pay to upgrade to Drengin.net before the price goes up......
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
I would love to do an isometric RPG like Baldur's Gate II someday.  But I'm looking forward to doing Gal Civ 2.   
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
I would love to do an isometric RPG like Baldur's Gate II someday
End of quote

I know it's not common, but if you plan doing somesuch, I'd like to pass some thoughts i'v made about that kind of game or lets say what the existing ones leak of ;)
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
I would love to do an isometric RPG like Baldur's Gate II someday
End of quote


That would be SWEET!
I'd love to help with concept!
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
What i like very much about GalCiv is that it's actually a GAME and not just some 20 hour high graphics interactive movie where you can make a few mouseclicks in.

~SDC~
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
I would love to do an isometric RPG like Baldur's Gate II someday. But I'm looking forward to doing Gal Civ 2.
End of quote


*COUGH* Fallout 3 *COUGH*

Nah, I know the cost of the licence would be scary, even though I would love to see it. But seriously, gamers need another Fallout style RPG, with much wandering as you please without the need to stick to a tighly prescribed plot line. Sub-quests are the key...

So get Altarian Prophecy tidied up, work some magic on Gal Civ 2 then see what you can do with another genre. But don't even consider a first-person shooter. ;)
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
Yeah, there's way too many first-person shooters. I'd like to see another fallout-style rpg too. The last one was arcanum, and that was years ago.
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
there's way too many first-person shooters
End of quote


Oh, how I agree. What we need is a Space-Based turn-based RPG.
That, and I'd love for someone to develop R.E. Howard's "Hyboria" from his Conan novels.
And, hey, how about a GOOD non-mmorpg Super-Hero based RPG!
It's a shame how I never have an opinion, huh? :D
Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top
Stardock games is actually one of the greatest influences on me to enter the industry.

I felt dismayed at the constant crap that was pumped out time after time, with nothing original to show for it. All games just focussing purely on graphic detail and nothing on being fun and replayable.

At one point I felt I would love to work for Stardock (Frogyboy posted a message about hiring a few months ago) but I felt I'd rather start my own company. Follow my own path towards creative games :)

Aside from Stardock, theres Lavamind Games. Then theres Virgin Interactive Entertainment (gone now).