I think we've all seen enough products that came in under a deadline, but ended up being so crappy that they might as well have not been published at all. Thus, for my money, I would rather wait a few extra weeks and get a solid product. Even further, I would be willing to tag a few more weeks of wait and get a great product!

I'm not in any big rush, so why not?

I suspect that most consumers don't really care whether a product takes an extra month or two...But when you get into the typical business where the extra month or two is seen as extra overhead and rising costs, the drive to get something out is internal and not external. The few vocal external voices just provide a hammer to drive home the nail.

Now, I'm sure others disagree with this piece of opinion. Now is their chance!

As a political theorist I find your intro kinda funny, and would recommend you read Sandel for an interesting outlook on individualism in a structured community (how we claim to favor individual liberties but are often unwilling to give up the rights and benefits given by systems that require sacrifice of those rights for the greater good).

In response to your question, there are two types of consumers. The first type are those who only want what is cheap and quick. They normally gravitate towards big businesses since they can get a product for a cheaper cost with much less effort on their own part. Whether they can afford to or not they purchase what in the long run is usually the more expensive product since they buy something that is cheaply produced and thus is of poor quality, resulting the the subsequent need to repurchase the item many times.

The second type of consumer desire quality. These people will research their potential purchases, and seek out what they feel to be the optimum balance of quality vs. price. They normally gravitate towards smaller business since to them the any extra upfront costs are worth the improved service and quality of product, and feel that such purchases are of greater long term value since it not only delivers a better product, but establishes a basis for future commerce with that business.

Group number two tends to drive Socialists, Communists, and other anti capitalist groups into fits since they wreck up the propagandized idea that consumers are slaves of industry owners and that capitalism doesn't work (Robert Nozick has some hilarious things to say about those groups in his work "Distributive Justice" where he defends the morality and viability of a capitalist system).

Stardock is by no means EA, Sierra, or Ubisoft. They cannot command the shelf space nor generate the sales that larger publishers can through media hype and money. So, as a smaller business, they must rely upon consumer type two not only for sales, but in large part for advertisement to group one. Those who actually take the time to come to the website and provide extended support of the game well in advance of it's release are naturally prone to be more in line with group two, and as such would gladly wait the extra time for a luxury item knowing that it will be the same cost with greater return.

The other thing is customer loyalty. We're kind of like dogs, you see. We went from game company to game company (home to home), mistreated in every one. We've finally found one that treats us well, so, were they to tell us "You need to jump off this bridge," we'd think, well, yeah, these guys have been nice to us, so I bet that's a good idea.

In other words, we're willing to take risks (or make sacrifices) because Stardock has proven to us in the past that they can make more than good on their promises.

1. I'm a life long member of group number two.

2. The beta's waiting for me when I'm ready.

3. I'm having fun with DA.

4. I'm enjoying reading the feedback and subsequent improvements.

5. I'm a very patient individual.

6. Stardock has made a great game and deserve the time to treat it with care.

What I did not like in the poll was the December-or-January alternative.

I voted for the latter, but I would have prefered to cast for a 3rd option :

"Sometime in 2008, when it's really ready to be released."

My age : 57.

You can't always avoid crowds and people (I've tried). Just be satisfied that you are in good company.



I like to think of myself as a cat. You don't get my affection unless you earn it.

I'm only 23, looks like I'm fairly young for the group.

Fear not, it's all driven by enlightened self interest (isn't everything). It's just that the average GC2 player is brighter than your average consumer, and realizes it's ultimately better for them if the designer takes their time and releases a stronger product.

Though Stardock has created a massive amount of customer affection simply by supporting their game well. Smart people, they are.

a basic observation of social psychology: when you give a person a vote, s/he's more likely to go along with the outcome, whether or not it's what s/he voted for.

what you don't know is that the devs wanted to push the date back to Jan so they could avoid all the work entirely - their RL terror star will arrive in our solar system by new year's, and this is all just a sneaky way of shirking the huge amount of work TA is involving.

seriously though, i voted for the devs to take their time, not because i wanted the final release to be stronger, but because i don't want them to over-work themselves. those damned holidays are back, and i'm sure everyone at SD has enough going on in their personal lives that the lifting of a massive, pre-christmas deadline has got to be a small holiday gift if nothing else.

Brad, Cari, and all of you whose real names i don't know or can't remember: you're doing great work, and you deserve to spend some time with your families and friends, or crack open a bottle of cab, or go bowling or fishing or sleding (has it snowed in michigan yet?)--whatever you choice of relaxation is, reward yourselves this weekend.

I'm a translator and a lexicographer. "Don't rush" was the only option

I already gave Stardock my money for TA, but as I have many games to play and, generally, a great deal of things to do, I won't mind if they take they time.

I think the task that SD has set for themseves with TA (individual, ideally somewhat balanced, tech trees for all the races) is quite ambitious for the time table they've mentioned. I would be perfectly happy to let them take well into next year with it, as long as I get beta access.


However, SD is a small developer, with other demanding products competing for development time, as well as strategic considerations regarding the timing of the launch of other games (both theirs and from other developers). I suspect that the Announced TotA release date is already as late as they can comfortbly push it, without screwing up a number of other considerations.


Come December, we'll probably get TotA released as a "Work in Progress", which I would frown on from anyone else, but Stardock has always shown they'll actually follow through and improve/fix products on a timely basis. Either way, Stardock's track record clearly shows theres nothing to worry about, regardless of when it's officially released. I'm not losing any sleep over it.

that's a really good point!