Research

from GalCiv2 Forums
Query: How do you know what is in the research Q? I have a difficult time understanding what is being researched and how long it will take. Also how do you achieve "TRADE" ? Is TRADE not available at this time?
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Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
This is still an early beta. You should check out the Beta 1 Notes and the Beta Schedule.

Basically Beta 1 is mostly about engine stability.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Yup, Trade's not yet implemented and the Research screen's still being worked on.
Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
According the the lead developer trade won't be in until sometime around August. In addition the research system is incomplete. Please check the post that lays out the beta schedule at the top of this forum. For most games this would be considered an alpha release. It's not even close to feature complete.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Magus, If I read you correctly you are saying that the staged betas being done by Stardock, while atypical of what other game producers would call it, is truly a beta test.

Good code is built like a pyramid. The foundation has to be sound before the next level can be expected to be placed upon it without failing. This truism leads to the idea of staging the design, coding, and testing of a product. It is not what features are available in any one stage that makes code a beta level, but the level of testing that has already been applied to that stage.

Staging the development of a product is a technique used by some high end computer programming companies (for the really large computers that large companies use, like the big megabuck main frame machines). Staging is where the product to be produced (or upgraded) is broken up by features that can be logically produced and tested separately in a pyramid fashion. Each stage goes through design, code, alpa test, and beta test processes in an overlap fashion. (I have been there and I have done that.) Some main frame products would never have been delivered without the use of the staging technique, and the use of staging has produced products with higher reliability, quality, and functionality than could otherwise be produced.

The only difference between Stardock's staging of GCs 1 and 2, and that done by the companies producing main frame products is that Stardock is producing for PCs and has a public beta (which is really not practical for the costomers of those other companies to participate in).

By the looks of what I see with stage 1 of GC2, it looks like Stardock has done a remarkably good job of the first three basic process steps (design, code, and alpha test).
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Jack: Pretty much.

Longer version: Brad has discoursed on the merits of Stardock's approach to early open betas on more than one occasion and I agree with him. It may cause some short-term grief and misunderstanding but the long-term benefits to both company and consumer are both far-reaching and tangible.