It's for laptop users

Why did we put so much effort for low end systems?

from JoeUser Forums

Some of my friends who work in the game industry (you know who you are) have been teasing me about why we put so much effort into low end hardware support.  That is, GalCiv II supports kind of ridiculously low end hardware. 

I mean after all, who has an 800Mhz computer?  What gamer has a really low end graphics card?  Those people don't play games. They won't buy games. So why support them?

Our view is that it's not low end desktop users that we're targeting. Sure, they benefit from the work but it's LAPTOP users who play it. Our company's IP attorney, who is in his mid 50s, plays strategy games on his laptop when he travels (which he does considerably).  His home machine is plenty powerful but his laptop isn't quite as powerful.  And we think there are a lot of people out there who do this kind of thing.

Tell us what you think? Does laptop playability matter to you?

95,185 views 88 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
Since I am using my laptop all the time (traveling, at school, etc.) being able to play on my laptop is key. If I can't play it on my laptop, I probably won't buy it.

So, many thanks for ensuring that Gal Civ II will run on my machine. I look forward to firing it up once I buy it.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
I've never been into laptops for any reason. I don't have computer work to do on the go and I couldnt justify having a laptop just for gaming. So uh, laptop playability is pretty much completely unimportant to me.
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
I own 2 computers at home, one a 4 yr old laptop and quiet powerful PC.....

I honestlly never played games on my laptop ever. Mainly used my laptop for browseing the net, chatting online ect.....
Now knowing the game might run on my laptop I might change my idea of running it just on my computer for this game
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
My laptop is my main computer. It is a 3.2 Ghz system, but with a low end video chip (nVidia 5200). So I am very grateful that GC II will work on it.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well, my computer is a Thinkpad G41 with a 64 bit graphics card (hopefully enough), so I am of course very grateful that I'll be able to play.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
#3 by Citizen Killer9010
Sunday, February 19, 2006 1:55:54 PM

I own 2 computers at home, one a 4 yr old laptop and quiet powerful PC.....

I honestlly never played games on my laptop ever. Mainly used my laptop for browseing the net, chatting online ect.....
Now knowing the game might run on my laptop I might change my idea of running it just on my computer for this game


My laptop goes with me on the road. There is no way I'd leave home without it. But also, at home, I haven't gamed on a desktop pc in over two years. Even when I am not on the road, the laptop is my game machine. Like they said in the old television commercial; "Try it, you'll like it!".

True, I have to either A) play older games (Starfleet Command, Morrowwind) or B) dial down the graphics options for newer games (CIV 4, Dungeion Siege 2) but the ability to play games while sitting out on my deck on a nice summer evening more than makes up for that.


Thanks to Brad, for making the effort to include us road warriors and laptop users!

Jon "life in the slow lane" S
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
I can't tell you HOW glad I am that you made it laptop friendly.

You also have a very enlightened licensing policy which makes it perfectly legal for me to install it on my home PC as well as my laptop.

I think what I'll end up doing is firing the game up in a window at work, playing a couple turns here and there while I'm not busy and then save the game to a flash drive and take it home to my gaming desktop where I can really get down to business.

I'm not sure how well that will work as my laptop has an intel extreme chipset in it. I'm sure I'll have to turn off all the pretty pictures to make it run at a half-decent framerate.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
I will certainly be using a laptop to play, likely more than I will be using a desktop. I appreciate the extra work that goes into making it play well. Thanks!
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
yes! absolutely yes. I have a desktop and laptop machine, but i travel quite a lot. having galciv 2 work on my laptop is a really important issue for me because i sometimes get helluva bored on those travels. so in answer to the question - yes, yes a thousand times yes - the ability to play on a laptop is important.
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
I've got GalCiv 1 on my laptop right now. While I do most of my gaming on a desktop, I sometimes prefer to play sitting on my couch. And, of course, it's nice to be able to play when I'm not at home.
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
the ability to play games while sitting out on my deck on a nice summer evening more than makes up for that.


Thats a pretty convincing argument really. I never really thought about the ability to simply sit outside with a laptop. While it wont make me run out and buy one, I have to say I love the sound of it.
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
-_-;; actually... my computer IS running on a 600MHZ Celery (overclocked to 820 something..), 256MB RAM (just lost 128MB stick to a bad memory module), Geforce 4 vid card, and a 24" widescreen LCD And I DO play games on it still...
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
I actually was running some top end games on my old p3 700mhz, with 384mb ram.. and a Radeon 9200 128mb.. including games like City of Heroes/Villains, World of Warcraft.. etc..

I have since been able to upgrade.. but that was only in the last 2 months. Sometimes it's about money and being able to focus it in places.
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
I personally don't have a laptop, nor do I plan to get one in the near future. I have a desktop computer, which I keep upgraded as needed. (I'd say I'm a moderately hardcore gamer).

I pretty much take for granted that my computer will be able to handle any non-FPS game easily. So GalCiv 2's laptop-friendliness doesn't matter to me personally.
Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top
I have a powerful desktop computer that will handle the game three times over, yet I also have a laptop that was made neons ago and falls within the bare minimum. So ideally, Stardock has targeted their strategy for me. I'm very happy!
Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top
Im a laptop gamer. Granted, It's an alienware laptop, but it's STILL a laptop. It's not higher end however but it does far exceed 800mhz (2.2ghz/6800Go) in this case. But my old old laptop is a 1.2ghz centrino with an intel chipset. And much higher battery life. So yes, i'm quite happy to see that
Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top
I dont know from Laptops. I did kind of wonder though, why you guys exerted any effort to support Win98. Does anyone who would be interested in playing Galciv2, or any contemporary game really going to be operating on a win 98 machine?

I know there are loads of win 98 systems still out there, but the ones in North America are covered with grease, running some sort of shop management software in the back of a garage, or in rows side by side as word processing machines in a school or library lab.

There are more win 98 machines outside of NA, then there are within, to be certain. But these are also going to be in countries where its almost total piracy.... again, not really a viable market.


Oh , laptops though...yeah, Im all about that. Strategy games are good laptop games. If I ever used one for gaming, Id be happy GC2 ran on it.
Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top
I own a decent gaming rig, but I plan on buying a laptop for work. It will probably run linux, however, so I'll have an interesting time getting GalCiv2 to be emulated via wine/cedega!

But if I stick winxp on it, GalCiv2 will be straight on there.
Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top
the ability to play games while sitting out on my deck on a nice summer evening more than makes up for that.


Thats a pretty convincing argument really. I never really thought about the ability to simply sit outside with a laptop. While it wont make me run out and buy one, I have to say I love the sound of it.


Sitting out on the deck... with a *beverage* ... now THAT is a convincing argument, eh?
Reply #20 from Stardock Forums Top
I only have a laptop. So naturally laptop playability is very important to me.
Reply #21 from Stardock Forums Top
An unqualified yes to you, sir. My laptop is a sanity saver on any kind of long trip or long wait. Thank you for your support of us laptop users.

You are a gooood man, a very gooood man.
Reply #22 from Stardock Forums Top
I'm abroad with only a laptop. Thank you. Civ4 is a great game but it has no right to be as demanding as it is, I could only play on smaller maps and the farther you get the longer the turns take to generate. I felt really bad paying for that game, like they decided to ignore part of their audience (a major part from what I've heard) to write Ghandi's diologue. Thank you Stardock, and if you see Sid, kick him in the nuts please.
Reply #23 from Stardock Forums Top
I'm abroad with only a laptop. Thank you. Civ4 is a great game but it has no right to be as demanding as it is, I could only play on smaller maps and the farther you get the longer the turns take to generate. I felt really bad paying for that game, like they decided to ignore part of their audience (a major part from what I've heard) to write Ghandi's diologue. Thank you Stardock, and if you see Sid, kick him in the nuts please.
Reply #24 from Stardock Forums Top
Sitting out on the deck... with a *beverage* ... now THAT is a convincing argument, eh?


Makes me think I'd really rather have a deck than a laptop...
Reply #25 from Stardock Forums Top
i'm obviously very happy to have GC2 on me laptop - the missus has taken to the idea that as long as i sit next to her while playing, we're bonding..........