Is the build going to be this Thursday or next Thursday though, kinda confused on that but with the 4th; I wouldn't expect this week.

Anyone mind clearing this up for me?

What you see there is an internal build, its different from the one we have, or will get. This next patch is about performance and stability.

I wonder if it will be possible to build forts or castles. Where units will get a defence bonus and it will take away the fog of war. Maybe even a small area of influence where you can recruit hero's.

Er, I know.  I am referring to when the next "patch" is arriving rather.

oh, well this thursday AFAIK

A very interesting video.  You know, I hope this doesn't sound harsh, but having seen that and listening to the conversation, I have no idea how you plan on getting this product "finished" by July 16th for the gold mastering and August release date.  I'm really curious how this all comes together in just over 1 week.

I'm curious about this too, with the lighting effects not working in your build, and not all the spells in yet?    Plus you've made some gameplay changes that seem to need testing.

Best regards,
Steven. 

I have to agree with this. I can understand the idea of the empires viewing themselves as good, and the whole concept of the fight being between "neutral" cultures clashing over principles, but it's flawed in this case. We the players empathize with the kingdoms and so I think the vast majority of us will see this game as a very clear cut good vs evil struggle, with the kingdoms as good and the empires as evil. There is absolutely nothing about the current implementation of the empires that would ever make me think "maybe these aren't bad guys," and lore or background story wouldn't change that. Their techs sound evil, their buildings sound evil, their leaders look evil, and they corrupt the very ground they build upon.

I agree too. It's best to assume that the Kingdoms are good and the Empires are evil. I think relativism is just "in fashion", that's why they used this approach in some of the dev journals.

Yeah well... You all look evil to me. Maybe I should smite you with my righteous soul sucking sword of utter disaster and catastrophe... Then I can bathe in the blood of chickens before stomping you into the ground along with your petty philosophical meanderings and anti-empire propaganda.

In star wars were all told that the Rebellion is good and the Empire is bad. Maybe I see it the other way around. The Empire brought stability and ... So long as no one REBELLED... Peace.

Whats good whats evil. No one really has the answer to that question...Everyone just likes to THINK they do.

Personally I intend to make my own Empire and lead the strong and capable of the land to a most righteous victory over the cowed peons and the mob of illiterate jackasses that are the Kingdoms. The idea that all are equal will fade as swiftly as their meager lives.

Long live the supremacist doctrine!

(This post is purely sarcastic...- This disclaimer intended for those with no imagination nor sense of humor.)

End post.

Yeah. In my opinion, nothing beats good old-fashioned manicheism!

The other guys? Call them "Empire of Evil" or "Axis of Evil".

Want a motto to motivate your troops? Gonna be "Either you are with us or you are against us!"

It sure helps to have grown up during the last years of the Cold War!

Remember the private and public beta are very different, the private already having tactical combat etc. Also afaik 16th July is for feature lockdown, then there is time for bug-fixing? My understanding is that by the time is released they expect to already have a post-release patch fixing found issues.

I have grown up during the last years of the Cold War, but on the communist side of the curtain. And I can tell you that for us it was less funny than for you, and I really believe the Cold War was good vs evil.

But maybe this is not the right place for such discussions.

For me this is definitely eye candy - I never zoom in that far. I'd much rather the time was spent on the gameplay mechanics etc and this was left for later...

I'd imagine this sentiment has been posted hundreds of times before but.

Not all members of a development team do everything, an artist using time to create new idle animations in town isn't going to mess around with game mechanics and balancing, he's just going to keep making cool looking animations and eyecandy.

Fair enough - in that case I'd rather the 3D artists and animaters spent time making more creatures or adding variety...

update today? im going to be honest, im not gunna try unless they fixed gardens and lumbyards

fixing the particle engine is probably pretty trivial actually, after all it has been working fine for some time, someone must have checked in a change too that build that inactivated it is all.

Adding spells is easy XML, Icons and effects, most of which are probably ready and just not hooked in yet.

They will still need to polish and do some bug fixing but I'm not to worried to be honest and if it does slip it slips, no big deal.

Also if you haven't played many stardock games they will probably go on enhancing the release version for some time.

hope update's soon. my beta runs so slow its not even funny, and the ONE time i got to get it to generate a world- error, automatic kickout. im really stumped >.< i've spent the past 5 hours trying to fix it but no dice... im sad now

my only consolation is that i have the limited edition to look forward to