Growing concern - but optimistic

[Major_SNAFU]

I have to say that in catching up on all of the postings on SEV I have a growing concern about it.

Oh, I'll probably still purchase it, but it may stay uninstalled until I see how people are reacting to it.

I'll purchase it to support Malfador, but if there are major issues being reported I won't play it (and become frustrated) until they are addressed.

I would like to see a sort of comprehensive review by one of the "lifers" that doesn't run the risk of dying the "death of a thousand qualifications".

I play mostly single-player. Multiplayer sounds good to me, but my work schedule always seems to torpedo my attemps, sooner or later.

I confidently plopped down my reservation money, and barring a real show-stopper being reported I will buy the game (to support the effort - I do this farily often) - but I would have to honestly say that it is shifting from a "gotta install it and play right now" to a "I'll get it and hold off installing until I seem how it goes."

I don't want to get a bad-tase in my mouth from the get-go. So we will see.

[Captain Kwok]

Although if you've noticed a lot of players who made the early posts are slowly being converted over to SE:V.

Of course that doesn't mean there are not some interface improvements and some bug-fixing that aren't needed. Just that some of the issues was getting used to the changes from SE:IV to SE:V and that a lot features in SE:V are pretty good for play.

[Major_SNAFU]

I have no real doubt about SEV. I just know myself and I can quickly ramp up on the exasperation meter. So it might be better for me to hold off a bit if there are any real clunkers at the get-go.

I also wanted to comment on a number of post where people seem to wish that SEV was really an even more complex SEIV. My general response to this would be, go check out VGA planets. They did exactly that in the last version and a number of people I know quit playing because the level of detail became too overwhelming. But if you really want to manage everything, and I mean nearly everything, then VGA planets4 allows you to do that.

I switched to SEIV from Stars! because Crisium could not develop the necessary $ to keep going. I still think that Stars! propulsion and race design are better than SEIVs, but that's my opinion.

[Q]

For me the decision is quite clear: I buy the game as soon as possible in spite of the imperfections and bugs. But I enjoy playing the demo therefore I am pretty sure I enjoy the full game. Until now I had almost no technical problems and I get more and more used to the interface and displays, which can and should certainly be improved.
However I am also quite sure that I will continue to play SE IV as it will take a long time for SE V to achieve a comparable level of perfection and variety.

[Caduceus]

The interface is growing on me as well, I'll have to see if I can get a topical spray to knock it back a bit.

I have pre-ordered at a local game store, so my money is where my mouth is.

I was frustrated with SE:IV's interface when we first had that, transitioning from SE:III. Unless you have a nearly-identical interface screen for a new version, it always takes a bit to get used to.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

I'm going to wait for the bug reports on the full game. I don't want to get fustrated over it either, so I'll wait till it's playable.

[frightlever]

Captain Kwok said:
Although if you've noticed a lot of players who made the early posts are slowly being converted over to SE:V.

Or just as likely stopped posting because there's not much point hanging around a forum for a demo you didn't like.

[Major_SNAFU]

Well,

I've played with the demo a good bit more and it has grown on me, no doubt about that.

I have some quibbles about the controls here and there. I really don't like the ship design where I have to release the component I have selected to switch between decks. The game should either drop the component when I click on something else or it should allow me to click with a component selected.

To make me traverse the screen twice to change decks is frustrating.

I offer that as an example.

I do like some of the menus, etc.

One thing I could not figure out, but that I thought was supposed to be one of the big changes for SEV was to have multiple construction queues on the same planet. I could not figure out how to do this.

I have always thought it a bit silly that one can't build a spaceship, a weapons platform, a facility, etc. concurrenty.

It would be like saying that the U.S. has to shut down all other manufacturing while we build a space shuttle.

There should be 4 queues on each planet.
Troops
Ships
Facilities
Units (or what ever it is called)

But over all the look and feel is growing on me.

I figured I should give a report since I started this conversation off.

[arthurtuxedo]

Just put multiple items on the construction queue and unused points will automatically bleed over to the next item.

[Major_SNAFU]

Hi Arthur,

But that is not my point. My point is that you should be able to build somthing on the ground (troop or unit) and something in the air (ship) and improve infrastructure all at the same time.

Having to do it in serial fashion makes things drag out...

I was really hoping for this in SEV