(Shocking) News!!!!!

[Hrothgar]

I want to add my thanks to Shrapnel for their amazing offer not only to allow the SEIV forum to continue, but to allow SEV to be represented here as well. It's incredibly generous of them, and demonstrates a high regard for their customers. Personally, it makes it more likely that I'll purchase a Shrapnel game in which I'm only marginally interested, simply as an expression of support for such a dedicated company.

I'm disappointed that Malfador decided to go elsewhere, but I wish them no ill. I may even buy SEV, although it won't be an "automatic" purchase as it would have been previously. We'll see.

p.s. "To each his own," but I like GalCiv also. It's a different approach to 4X, but we don't need a bunch of SE clones--each game is good at what it does. I agree, however, that, if GalCiv's success played a major role in luring Malfador to Strategy First, they may be seriously disappointed. It's my impression that the impetus behind GalCiv's success was not due to Strategy First, but to the community of GalCiv fans, originating in GalCiv's OS2 days and incremented through the GalCiv forums where you could purchase the beta and participate in the development of the game--receiving a copy of the finished product when it appeared. That's what drew me in, and I'm sure I'm not alone. I don't know if Malfador is prepared to make that kind of effort--tracking the demands/suggestions of a huge number of ad hoc beta-testers and deciding what should be incorporated into the game.

[Fyron]

I don't know if Malfador is prepared to make that kind of effort--tracking the demands/suggestions of a huge number of ad hoc beta-testers and deciding what should be incorporated into the game.

Why not? MM has had betas for all of their games since at least SEIV. Not sure about SEIII... The SEV beta will be starting in under a month!

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

I really had no idea that another company squeezed $800k out of S1st..... my apologies to the company. Here's hoping SEV will generate enough money for them to release more games so that they can pay off their debts.

[Instar]

boran_blok said:
Now this might be a bit ignorant, but cant he use both ?
(Shrapnel online, strategy first offline)

Those two markets are so far apart,

And imho yes, SE5 will not sell as much retail, ppls will see the screens and the not too flashy graphics and wont buy it.
One biiig suggestion for aron, if you go retail, make sure to include a VERY VERY GOOD tutorial, otherwise ppls will get it, open box, play it, dont get what the hell is going on and just quit.

From a legal point of view, it could work I guess, if the right partnership deals were made. But realistically, probably not.

[Rasorow]

OK, I have read what everyone has said and have owned and still own registered copies of every SE version since SE II and like everyone else here have some concerns.

1. I am concerned that this will be mutilated by Strat 1st seeking to make it more commercial, I dont like them or the games they have published in the past.

2. I am concerned with this going mainstream that the series will lose its way in the attempt to garner broader support.

Point blank if either of those two things happen I will move on (while still playing my copies of SEIV).

Having said that I am re-assured that Aaron is still in control. I also want to express that aside from some MMORPGs, anymore my games are bought from Shrapnel and other similar online publishers. I don't buy retail anymore.

Shrapnel,

Keep up the good work, I will keep checking the site for more games. You already sold me on Dom2 and I have tried others as well. Hope to see more from you!.


Rasorow

[Azselendor]

There was a beta test team for SE3, However all of those folks have moved on by now.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Alneyan: I heard that Andres made a Spanish translation of SEIV once, perhaps you could do a French translation, perhaps even for Malfador itself, as they would then also be able to sell more copies in, say, Canada.

And as for further comments:
Good luck Aaron. Here's hoping SEV will appeal to the "mainstream" gamers more, so it attracts more attention in the gaming world.

Who knows..... in a few years you might actually be on the E3 with a Malfador stand!

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

The only reason I walk into retail stores is to see if a game I've heard about and want is there, and at how much it currently sells, and to pick a game up that I have been looking forward to for quite some time and is now about >$20 or something.

I hope this does not affect SEVI. I recall an excellent niche game with pretty crummy graphics (Settlers IV) that tried to go mainstream as "Settlers: Heritage of Kings". It threw just about EVERYTHING (some to think of it, not JUST ABOUT everything, simply EVERYTHING) that made it a Settlers game overboard and even though its graphics look "better" now, and it's a pretty good game in its own right, it has absolutely NO right to call itself a Settlers game. I hope this is NOT an omen regarding SEVI..... (as SEV is currently nearing beta and is thus purely Aaron's, but SEVI could very well be influenced by the dreaded Marketing Department)

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

I'm hoping that Aaron will see "the light" and return to Shrapnel when SEV hits the market (or preferably before that)..... but when the game suddenly becomes a massive hit, and SEVI and possible SEVII don't suffer in gameplay, I would congratulate Aaron. But then I still think he should return to Shrapnel. Perhaps this will also attract more attention to Shrapnel in general as well.

[DarkAnt]

Richard, thank you for hosting an SE5 forum. You've really helped the space empires community flourish. I hope the best for aaron and you and I hope that the best means aaron will come back to shrapnel.