I am on the fence and this is not a troll.

If you are a fan of 4X...buy this game.  It's awesome, not perfect, but awesome.  Don't listen to the haters...and it will only get better and better as time goes by, Stardock is incredible at supporting their games.

Lastly, when is the next patch eta ?

I am going to eat dinner.  When I get back I will either buy this game or move on.  But I want to be playing something this weekend.  Should this be the game?  Will you be playing this game when Civilization V comes out or the month after that or by Christmas?  Honestly?

It's a fun game but it really, really needs work. I'd wait for a sale but keep checking in regularly to see how the patching goes. At this point I can't personally finish a game to victory due to crashing on the latest patch. But I keep going back and trying so there's something to be said for that.

In the present, this game is good.  I am having a blast playing it.  In the future, it is only going to get better and better with all of the Stardock and community modifications and improvements.  I can honestly say that I would be shocked if Elemental was still not on my system in 2-3 years time.

It has its bugs and its flaws, but those will be rapidly fixed and improved on (the improvements and fixes in the first three days alone are excellent).  But it is entertaining on its own.  The potential is infinite.

This is the question I want answered as well. I have been watching the forums this week, and the answer seems to be a definitive "no" from what I have read.

 Honest answer ? i have put the game aside till they improve IA and fix most serious bugs, my crash problems were mostly solved, still getting too slow end game alas. Is it fun ? yes but far too easy to stomp the IA, and no multiplayer yet to challenge other human being, its not at the level of galciv .Once civ 5 is out i will probably play it instead. You seems to be bored and desesperate for a good 4X, elemental will turn out very good but right now its a paying beta, keep your money.

1.  Is the game entertaining and fun? - I'd like to think so.  I mean, I hope that's why I keep accidentally spending hours on it.

2.  Will it let me develop strategies to win or lose against the AI?  Today or Tonight? -Yes, there is strategy involved in the game, (though not really in the tactical battles) as magic lends an extra dimension to the game.  Incoming enemy army?  WHOOPS I ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED A MOUNTAIN RANGE IN THE WAY.  Hate someone, but not at war with them?  OH NO WHERE DID THAT VOLCANO COME FROM HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN.

3.  Is the game polished and fixed enough to play decently?-  It is playable.  Everything works more or less, and crashes are, at least for me, infrequent.

4.  There is no 4. -CURSE YOU THUNDERCATS

5.  Is the AI difficult and will I find challenges in against the AI in single player?  Can I lose (not due to a glitch or bad luck... but because I was out played or out leveled or was a terrible diplomat)? - You can lose.  The AI is very adept at spreading and managing resources while maintaining an army.  Brad didn't slack off on programming them.  The need to watch your borders for rampaging monsters can feel quite pressing at times.  Normal difficulty, which I play on, is a good normal.  Not too hard, not too easy.

6.  Replayability.  Is there allot of replayability? -  At this point, replayability is most of the game.  Different factions, (a few) different races, and the modability of the game lend it well to new experience.  Except for the campaign, of course.

7.  Bottom line:  Is it worth buying it now - knowing about it being not superb and not very polished.  Knowing that I will probably have 2 to 3 + crashes a night... is it still playable AND enjoyable enough to play? - Whether or not to buy it now... I dunno.  If you have the money to spare, definitely.  I for one believe that the team earnestly means to make this into a good game or die trying.  You've heard about the crashes, but what you haven't heard about is the nigh-constant patching that the team's been doing to try and make sure the game is playable and enjoyable.  It may not be too polished right now, and may not be exactly what's advertised, but I for one have every reason to believe that it will be.

I enjoy the game, even though I am suffering performance issues with the 3d map. That said, I would buy the game again even with the issues.

Here's what to do.

Take your $50. Recruit this girl from work. With her in your party, adventure into a Level 1 dungeon, like a Movie Theater, or a Nice But Not Too Expensive Restaurant.  The loot isn't very good, but if you do well and come out intact, you'll have gained some experience.  You should level up. Take a point in Self-Confidence and one in Self-Esteem. These are very valuable throughout the life of your character (you). From there, if the two of you have complimentary skill sets and group well together, you should gradually and comfortably move into higher level dungeons. DO NOT FORGET YOUR MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY. You seriously have no idea how powerful an Angry Dragonmom can be, and she can not only put a debuff on how many dungeons per week you can run, she may even cause you to lose loot and suffer temporary penalties to your stats. Get her a present, and make her a card. Don't buy one - you should have the requisite crafting skills for a Lovely Card.

A few days or weeks from now, when you get some more loot and have a balanced party and no mother aggro, get this game. You'll love it.

1: In my opinion, absolutely. But others disagree.

2: Yes.

3: Depends. For some people it runs flawlessly after the patches, some still get memory leaks and crashes. Also, a lot of people think the UI is terrible and unintuitive, but I've got no problem with it. However, I played EVE Online and X³ so I don't even notice terrible UIs anymore.

4: /

5: The AI alternates between clever and pants-on-head retarded.

6: Yes.

7: For me it was worth it. I'm having fun with it, despite the bugs and the missing polish. If you think you can do the same, go for it.

If Stardock continues patching it and adding stuff, absolutely.

Just like I have been playing Civ IV and Galciv 2 for years, I will be playing both when Civ V comes out, plus Galciv 2, I'll always play that.  I haven't suffered the huge crashes and bugs that seem to plague so many, and it runs very smooth, no performance issues.  I have had no trouble with crashes at all actually, just a few random bugs that were not deal breakers in the least...the game is truly a lot of fun.  

IMO, of course.

1. Yes. Until the graphics instability kicks in.

2. Sort of. I'm finding I'm using the same strategy game after game though so the world doesn't really push you down different paths.

3. Looks good. But for me the graphics stability is a major issue (doesn't use the GPU at present for some unknown reason - but they are close to fixing this).

4. Null

5. Not really yet. They will attack you but it tends to be piecemeal so you just build units while killing theirs until you have enough troops to take their cities.

6. Yes and no. Tend to play the same way each time. Races have practically zero differentiation so you might as well just be playing with coloured Risk pieces. If you like exploring maps then there is limited replayability there - but the maps aren't truly random and some players were picking this within hours of launch.

7. If you are happy to not finish games at this stage but just enjoy exploring the worlds then I'd say yes, it is worth getting at this stage. If you are wanting a solid game experience without frustrating stability issues then I'd suggest waiting. I'm frustrated now with the stability but I don't regret my purchase. It will get better and better - it already has just over the last week.

Why the ultimatum?

If you want a great turn-based strategy game with RPG elements that will receive thorough post-release support, buy Elemental. When should you buy it? If you trust Stardock to patch the game quickly and regularly (they will, I assure you), buy it now. If you are uncertain, wait for another patch or two and then ask again.

1. The game is VERY FUN and worth buying imo.

Yes there are some rough parts but man is it addicting and fun.

Im so glad I bought this game.

1.  Is the game entertaining and fun?

Absolutely, been having a blast. 

2.  Will it let me develop strategies to win or lose against the AI?  Today or Tonight?

Slowly learning the game, but I have gotten curbstomped several times by the AI.  It will only get better.

3.  Is the game polished and fixed enough to play decently?
It feels very polished, and have yet to get a single crash.

4.  There is no 4.

Don't be a sheep man, it's a goverment conspiracy      4Conspiracy.net           check it out man itll blow your mind

5.  Is the AI difficult and will I find challenges in against the AI in single player?  Can I lose (not due to a glitch or bad luck... but because I was out played or out leveled or was a terrible diplomat)?

I've found it pretty difficult, though it looks like it's very susceptible to rushing.

6.  Replayability.  Is there allot of replayability?

Yeah, though the magic system doesn't have a whole lot to it right now.  It can be improved a lot by adding critical choices.

7.  Bottom line:  Is it worth buying it now - knowing about it being not superb and not very polished.  Knowing that I will probably have 2 to 3 + crashes a night... is it still playable AND enjoyable enough to play?

I paid $70 for the LE.  I feel I will definitely get many times it's worth.

Boyd, I am a player very similar to you.  I generally jack the difficulty way up when I first play a game and I'm a very critical thinker.  Personally, the only time I was challenged by the game was when I was learning the mechanics.  After that?  It's very, very easy unless you create an intricate web of houserules to penalize yourself.  Oddly, the difficulty level can actually weigh in on the player's advantage. 

So my opinion is that you should keep your money for now but don't lavish any on the female unless she understands your enthusiasm for gaming

>> This is what concerns me:

So be ready, this is how I see it.

>> 1. Is the game entertaining and fun?

Currently... not really. I have the game since monday and it allready lost all it's magic. It's like I have seen everything. Today I played 3 games on a large world with 6 AI Opponents on Hard, with pacing settings on epic (slow research). Took me in the first 2 games about 200 turns (~1 1/2 hour) and the last one I could finish in 150 turns (about 1 hour). Was it fun? Not really, most of the time I just clicked through the turns, steamrolled the pathetic AI, ignored Spellcasting, didn't go questing (saw every early quest there is and the later one are just a time sink) ignored Champions and Dynasties, i skip every tactical battle and just let the comp auto resolve it as tactical combat is tedious and even more so boring.  And so the games went by relative quick what supposedly should last for many many hours...

This game lacks content. There aren't many technologies to research, not many buildings to build or cities to manage, basically there isn't much in the troop department either. My games are relative monotonous and repetitive.

And it is riddled with exploits and things the player can abuse.

>> 2. Will it let me develop strategies to win or lose against the AI? Today or Tonight?

No. Basically you can't go wrong as long as you expand consistently (founding new cities or conquering the neighbours) and manage to build the highest number of troops with the highest cost. There is not much more to the game unfortunately. For a strategy game you will lack a lot of choice. Most likely you will never face a difficult decision on how to approach a problem. In short: it is very shallow on the strategic part

>> 3. Is the game polished and fixed enough to play decently?

More or less yes. Most likely you won't have to much problems playing the game, whether you will have fun or not is debatable though.

 
>> 5. Is the AI difficult and will I find challenges in against the AI in single player? Can I lose (not due to a glitch or bad luck... but because I was >> out played or out leveled or was a terrible diplomat)?

You can't lose if you're a somewhat decent player. Honestly, the AI is really bad. It neither can administer a offense nor organize a decent defense. Even city placing is highly ineffective. It's behavior is very static and non-reactive. It has a very straightforward scripted feeling on it, when you know what I mean.

6. Replayability. Is there allot of replayability?

No. As mentioned before. The game lacks content and you can't differ much your play style. The game is just about 5 days old and allready beaten to the ground.

The spells are all alike, the units are alike (there is even a unit designer who creates you basically the same unit over and over again, just with slightly different stats), the champions are all alike, the monsters differ only marginally.

And soon enough you will repeat your action again and again. There is nothing that breaks the monotony.

>> 7. Bottom line: Is it worth buying it now - knowing about it being not superb and not very polished. Knowing that I will probably have 2 to 3 + >> crashes a night... is it still playable AND enjoyable enough to play?

I think not.

Now reading around the forum you will find the one or another user who states that this is an awesome game with awesome content and all those game design issues people complain about (me included) is not more then a fluke. Most likely these are very casual players who just want to play a little bit around without hassle just so they can unwind a little bit. Elemental might fill that bill. Should you look for a STRATEGY game and a CHALLENGE - then I would advice you not to buy it.

Some people around here think everything will be fixed in the next month, but I don't know, I'm not so sure about that.

So far Stardock promised to work on it and to improve all areas of the game. Currently they really chuck out patches in highspeed, but IMO this game needs way more then just bug fixing and patching...

Simply put, no.

I play on extreme (1 below the highest setting ridiculous) so far and it feels like the difficulty level "Settler" of CIV IV. And i really mean this honestly.

There is no threat, you can build up anything in peace & freedom. Your opponents sometimes self-suicide with their sov running solo (without additional units) into your territory, only to get their entire empire/faction killed.

The AI is the only thing in elemental that needs serious work.

Other than that, elemental is great and it will get better.

That post wins you one internets.

Xadie hit the nail on the head.

Unless you have some pretty horrendous starting luck (surrounded by sovereigns who want to suicide against you too quickly on ridiculous) losing with a melee sovereign is nigh impossible if you pay any attention.

Adventure and Magic tech trees can easily boost said sovereign into the stratosphere insofar as increasing his or her killing power.  Granted there are a couple of late game fights that might hamper said one-man or woman killing machine (spiders that can keep you webbed the whole fight or trolls that can instagib your still very fragile sovereign) the game is a complete steamroll in this mode.

If you want a "challenge" make an all magic sovereign and be frustrated by lack of options and completely unreliable combat mechanics.

Thank you all for all the responses.

I gave it some thought.  My mom's birthday already past and she got presents  :)-  The girl, I am interested in ... and I are still on the talking stage at work.  Whats $49.95 or was it $49.99 ? 

I went and saw a great review...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahTehhLD5ec

I willl skip the campaign and play sandbox and make the world bow to me.  If its unplayable or too easy, then I will watch a movie and see how Civ V plays and hope this game gets better.

First off, let me tell you that no one will be able to truly answer this for you.  As you've seen on the forums, the experiences vary wildly.  here's my OPINION based on having this game since launch day +1 (and starting my first game with the 0-day patch).

I'd guess this has a lot to do with your experience level and how much you've studied the gaming system and your playstyle.  I've only played on normal (I play epic length games when I do 4x), and though I've felt bottled in by random monsters I've not lost a city, not been attacked (despite being at war with 2 AIs for my whole game of many, many turns), and not felt at risk of losing.  But this is normal, so I dunno.

Oh yeah, but only if you have patience for the occasional odd bugs.  And the shards not powering up your magic really takes a lot of joy out of that part of the game (for me).  But I still have 2 armies with 2-3 casters (kids, grandkids, 1 imbued champ) each that I enjoy using.


There was no 4.

Not sure, I'd like to believe on higher difficulties you could.  Honestly, if you know the system and game it, I suspect you'll be able to squash the AI on any level (based on the hardcore posters on this forum).

On my first game still, and am looking forward to replaying it, so I suppose there's some for me.

I have 0 crashes a night, so that depends on your hardware/software.  post 1.6, I don't even have slowdowns anymore.  I do not regret buying this, and plan to play it on and off for a good long time. And I'll prolly be picking up Civ V on sale, not new, as they don't need my money as bad as SD does and I like to vote with my purchases.  What you don't mention in this question, but do in your post, is your other RL concerns.  So for me it makes sense, but for me the moeny isn't quite as tight as you made it sound for yourself.  I'd weigh carefully if you'll get more joy from a happy mom and happy girl-of-interest than you would from a $50 game.  How bad to you want to support SD?  Will you play this in a few weeks after some more patches come out? I suggest you do, tho playing now is good fun too.  If you chose to have fun with it, you will.  If you get upset easily, or are one of the unlucky ones with compatibility issues, or expect too much from this small dev house, then maybe wait a bit.

We can't answer this for you, but hopefully something here has helped.  I vote to go enjoy the girl if you care for her, but you don't need much money to do that (assuming she's a keeper kinda gal).  But if you'll be playing anyway, there are far worse ways to part with $50.  I know I'll be playing the heck outta this for a while.

Love the game! but its not finished. And it shouldn't have been released yet for the money I had to pay for it.

This pretty well sums up what I like about this game, nice find.

Yup buy it, I enjoy it a lot... I could answer more elaborately OR I could just say I totally agree with Eidolon94 (reply 10).