Well since not being able to validate your account can mean a lot things, I'm just going to ignore you from this point out as you're not interested in anything more than ranting. People aren't psychics that can decipher what your problem is from either post #73 or post #75.

My thoughts are if you didn't receive a validation email for registering in the first place you either entered your email wrong when you went through the process, are using a different email in SDC than the one you used when you first registered, or you just need to try to register again. The system doesn't just randomly choose people to never let register - there is a reason the error has occurred. Maybe it's on Stardock's end, maybe it's on yours, either way, you'd be better off trying to trouble shoot it to determine why you're not receiving the email instead of wasting energy ranting at Stardock and me.

What? Oh, actually try to resolve the problem? Gee why didn't i think of that. Hmmmm, try to register again? Wow, you are a genius, keep it up, you might be president someday !!

Elerian,

Trying to register again usually works if the first attempt does not.

Do you really want help or do you just want to complain?

~SDC~

O.K., i apologize, let me explain in more detail.
1: I set up Star dock. I get an error message saying my serial number is not valid. ( i bought it in the store.)
2: I tryed again, and I recieved an error message saying my account was not validated, do you wish to Have a validatiopn e-mail sent to you? i said yes.
3: I recieved none. I try again, and again, this time i tried another e-mail account i had, this time i recieved an error message saying the serial number is not valid for this account.
4: I go back to using my old e-mail account and once again get the validation error, do you want an e-mail for validation, this time i recieve an e-mail with my name and account on it,and all this stardock info, but there is no registration info ( like the serial no. on it.).

5: I have since tried many combinations of above said, including uninstalling and installing, again and again. I tried for 2 hours in the morning, i tried a couple more at night. I tried e-mailing stardock tech support.I tried everything but a rocket propelled grenade launcher on my computer!!
If you can make heads or tails of this Thanks. I even tried browsing the Drengin website for some sign of hope. I think i signecd up for a friggin monthly news letter !!!! Thanks.

Admittedly, I haven't read the entire thread, but I completely agree with those who don't like Stardock.

If you want to update the game (which I appreciate), just put out the patch. I find the whole Stardock thing to be obnoxious, frustrating, and wholely unnecessary. I did end up figuring out how to access the patch using it, but it was anything but intuitive.

Based on some of the posts in this thread I'm sure I'll get flamed, but since this post is entirely my opinion, I'm sure I'll be able to pick up the shattered pieces of my life and move on.

Sunwolf: the problem I have with your opinion is that the alternative is exactly what you already have the option to do: wait on the standalones. Stardock ditching SDC would do *nothing* to get standalones to you any quicker, and I'd hazard a guess that it would actually slow the process down due to the issue of not having thousands of de facto playtesters for the incremental changes. Further, that same lack of mass playtesting of each of the incremental changes would stand a good chance of meaning that less stuff would be changed with each standalone.

You don't have to use SDC, no one has to use SDC, it is purely a service above and beyond the normal patching process. This is like getting a free salad bar that you didn't ask for when you go a restaurant and complaining that they make you go to the salad bar to get it.


Elerian1: the purpose of the validation email is not to get another serial # or any real account information, but for you to validate that the email address is live and real. There should have been a link in the email for you to go to which would then activate your account. Once you visit that link, your account should be up and running.

If you're still getting the 'invalid serial #' error through SDC after all this, you will have to wait on tech support as there must be something wrong with that number - and unfortunately, it is the weekend.

There are always those who complain, vocally, and about the damndest things.

I'm happy. Best game I've played in a very long time, and the Stardock patching process is a benefit. Thank you.

I do understand what you're saying, and I suppose you have a point, but look at it from my perspective:

First of all, I'm not all that serious about this game. I play mmorpgs for the most part. That's where the majority of my attention and interest lie. I picked this game up as something to play while waiting for Star Wars Galaxies to come out after discovering that Shadowbane is still a beta quality game, and will probably remain so for the forseeable future. Mmorpgs are my hobby. Galactic Civilizations, as any single player game, is "just a game".

Whenever I buy a game like this, I'm just looking for something I can instal and start playing. If there's a patch available, fine. I'll download it from Gamespy or the publisher's site, instal it, and I'm gtg. Simple. No fuss, no muss.

Anyway, I bought this game last night, and this morning I discover from the daily episode of Gamespy sent to my email that there's a patch available. The actual message read, "This patch brings the game to version 1.03, and fixes numerous bugs and makes some gameplay adjustements. It's available through the auto-updater."

I figure, great. Auto updater. Nothing could be less fuss, less muss, right? Heh, wrong. At that point, I knew nothing about Stardock. Half an hour later, I was so frustrated, I was about ready to return the game. All I wanted was a simple game, easy to instal and patch (like every other non-mmorpg game I've ever purchased), and I get....Stardock.

Again, at this point, I don't know much at all about Stardock. I have no idea that the patch will be released for "normal" download in the future. All I know is I'm jumping through proverbial hoops for a patch that's available, but frustratingly difficult to actually access.

Hell, signing up for a mmorpg, including site registration, accout setup and verification, connection to the servers, character creation, and ultimately login, are less of a pain in the ass.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate both the game and the patch, and I have no problem with the concept of the Stardock thingee, but good lord, could they have made it even slightly less user friendly?

Other than that, I love the game! From my admittedly limited experience so far, it's like Civ 3 without the simplistic predictability. The only thing I'm really missing is a toggle to show/hide anomalies on the mini-map.

Code Monkey, kudos to you for dealing so well with difficult posts. Keep going.

Damian

~SDC~

OK, i give up. Thanks Sun wolf, you at least get my basic point. I already gave up on Star Dock. I am waiting for the stand alone.

On Thursday night there were 5 incremental updates released in a single day.

Does anyone think that there would have been 5 stand alone installers put together and released?

Of course not. Without SDC, stand alone updates would be less frequent because they would have to go through an even more rigorous internal play testing cycle.

It is definitely a bummer that some people are unable or unwilling to use Stardock Central. But its existence is definitely not decreasing the number of frequency of standalone builds.

On the other hand, not to be mean or cranky but there is a link in the same spot as the SDC download for the docs. And the download page pretty much explicitly says that SDC's advantage is merely that it provides incremental updates. Additionally, the docs state:

"Q: Can't I just download updates as a regular old "patch"?

A: Yes, we will be providing standard downloadable patches. But these won't be nearly as often as the frequent updates we make via Stardock Central since there is a lot more effort involved in building an installer. The reason Stardock can provide such frequent updates to its software is because of the infrastructure that Stardock Central is able to hook into. Keep an eye out on the Downloads area on GalCiv.com for traditional patch updates."

I'm sorry but from our point of view, how can we help people people who are not willing to spend the couple minutes reading a 1 and a half page document that outlines Stardock Central and the FAQs on it?

~SDC~

Frogboy, I'm not arguing any of that. Like I said, I appreciate the game and the updates.

I'm just baffled as to why Stardock is so user unfriendly.

Honestly, I could care less if the updates come incrementally (which, as is also clearly stated, has the distinct possibility of screwing up games in progress), or lumped in a patch. Now that I know what I know, I will certainly be waiting for the normal patches (and I will continue to appreciate them). All I'm saying is that regardless of how you present them (and again, I appreciate them in whatever form they come), make them simple and easy to access. Stardock is neither simple, nor easy.

As far as the FAQ, you're right. I should have read it. But as I stated previously, at the time all I knew is that there was a patch "available through the auto updater." At that point, I had a very simple priority list: instal game, patch, play. I didn't want to have to read a 1 and a half page document on how to get the patch. I didn't want to have to take half an hour to familiarize myself with some poorly designed updater just to get the current version of the patch. All I wanted was to instal, patch, and play.

Was I being lazy? Sure was. But that's the entire reason I bought this game. So I could be lazy. When I'm playing a mmorpg, laziness is not an option. Coordinating 6-10 real people in a group, having to worry about recruiting essential classes and the egos they bring with them, searching for a quality hunting spot, dealing with others trying to encroach on our claimed hunting spot, looking for (or starting) a guild. Coordinating the guild with or against other guilds, recruiting, helping younger, more experienced players, blah blah blah. All of that removes any possibility of laziness if I'm ever going to get to where I want to be in the game. It's a ton of fun, but it's taxing. After going through all that, I find single person games...ANY single person game, to be fairly simplistic. So when I looked at the list of available 1pgs, and chose GC as being the best of the bunch, I was unprepared to deal with something as frustrating as Stardock.

I'm not saying I wasn't being lazy. I most certainly was. I'm just that Stardock is poorly designed and frustrating to deal with when all you know is that there's a patch out there, and it's the hardest thing to acces you've ever come across.

Perhaps the fault lies in Gamespy's update. Perhaps they should have warned their subscribers that the patch was only available via Stardock which takes some familiarization. But I'm hoping that the Powers That Be will make Stardock just a little bit easier to deal with. Either way, it's left a bad taste in my mouth (and other mouths from the sound of it), and I'll be waiting for the much appreciated normal patch.

Sunwolf, I'm not going to make absolute statements like I did earlier in this thread and step on toes, but I do have to wonder just what sort of tasks you're used to doing on a computer. Configuring Stardock is in my opinon as complicated (or as simple) as configuring an email client - you enter some personal info, an account number (aka the serial #), shazam, you're probably done as far as configuring it goes. Worst case scenario is you have to use the app registration dialogue (re-enter some of the same personal info and the serial number(s) for the Stardock products you have).

That's it.

From that point out, you launch it, you choose the software window, click on the app you want to update, and click update if there's a patch.

I'm sorry that you and others find it difficult, but from my p.ov., and many others judging by the praise it's received, it's straight forward. Plus, with the security measures that it has, I don't know how you can make it much more user friendly - it's going to need to utilise a Stardock account and verified ownership for each Stardock app it supports on your machine, and it is that registration and configuration process that seems to be what throws everyone off. You've got to remember, it's not just an auto-updater for GalCiv, but *every* program that Stardock markets - it has to have a certain amount of specific configuration based on what you have actually purchased from them.

I agree with C. M. I have used SDC since it was introduced and have been playing computer games for more then 25 years. There has never been a more convient update system then the SDC period. Combine that with the nearly instantaneous response to many bug reports and you have the best service available anywhere in the gaming industry.

There do appear to be the odd small glitches in setting it up the first time for some users (judging from a few complaints from some people having trouble setting it up) but once it is set up it is great.

I have the Drengin Net Package and it handles updating all the games available in it as well as all the utility products in their WinCustomise line.

It also serves as an anti piracy device since to use it you need a valid product serial number. Much better that then having to have a copy protected cd in the drive. Ask any laptop user.

Add to that the built in forum with Metaverse support and you have a pretty neat package.

Oh and it, like all their products, is never really finished either. It updates itself every now and then as new features are added.

Trust me. They don't come much more lazy then me and I expand much less effort with SDC then getting and installing patches the "normal" way.


Elrikk

~SDC~

Ok, look. I've made my points. If you choose to take them to heart, feel free. If you choose to just write off me and everyone else who feels as I do, feel free to do that too.

Maybe the problem lies with our patching expectations. Maybe the problem lies with your documentation and instructions. Maybe we're all just mongoloid chimps scratching our nutsacks and beating on our keyboards with pipes. I don't know.

The fact remains that regardless of how simple you believe SDC is, there seem to be a significant number of folks who are having problems with it for whatever reason. I'm not trying to throw my testosterone around here and prove you wrong. I'm trying to help you so that you don't need to have this same debate with person after person coming here and complaining about SDC.

Again, the fact is that people are having problems and getting frustrated with it. If choose to discount that fact, then there's really nothing more I can say.

Look fellas, i am sorry for causing such a stir. I agree with you guys that we are getting pretty good support. It's just frustrating to see a good thing get changed around. Keep in mind you guys are playing with the latest update. I am not. I am steaming to see how they update the tech screen , you guys have you're answer. I am just going to wait. GALCIV is a cool game. I am glad to see a lot of support. Once things are set right, i hope they don't change it around yet again. Ypou guys have a good one.

The tech support is atronomical compared to whats going on on the Moo3 website !!

"I am steaming to see how they update the tech screen"

For the record, if what's got you impatient is you think there's an update to the ingame tech tree, that's not in this patch, in fact, that won't be in the game until the expansion pack is released.

The chief feature of this update is the AI is tweaked to both trade with you more intelligently, and to do more AI-AI trading.

In return for that we've endured a day or two with instant Torian constructors, and we still have the issue of Rangers being invisible intermittently and an AI that only understands you're broke some of the time. You're not missing out on much, and you are definitely avoiding the birth pains of the patch cycle process.

~SDC~

There's no pack of gunmen on a grassy knoll waiting for Brad, Cari, etc. to pop their heads up.

That's why it's astronomical here. ;)I'm sure there's a gang sitting in a clocktower just waiting for Rantz Hoseley to make an appearance, and then...bang.

~SDC~

Well said fellas, thanks

I think that we all were used to other systems and methods for getting updates. I was caught off guard myself, acted like an ass and posted like some of you guys have. It is not Code Monkey's fault, nor anyone that you are unable to take the time, relax, take a deep breath whatever it takes, and read the messages on how to get the updates. The ability to get these updates is a convenience for the players of the game nothing more. I am glad that Code Monkey and others handled you all complaining so well. I do not think there is anything hard about SDC at all. It is the best setup in the entire industry IMHO. I have personally been around video games since 1979. I ever helped design, market & produce a few games for the Atari computer line back in the mid 80's. I have never ever seen such support from any other company in that entire time. You should put that in your head and spread the word around. How many times have you seen your favorite game come out, and it was bug ridden? How many times have you waited for those updates? How many times have you wished they would listen too you about the bug or whatever and fix it? Stardock, especially Frogboy listens to us all, even the silly rants. No company to my knowledge ever releases 2 or more patches in the same day. LOL I am ranting about the company now but you should get the point.

~SDC~

Side note of thanks to Code Monkey and Desert Fox:
Both of you have always try help people that were having problems and you have both helped me in the past and now you are still helping people, Thank You.

What I love about G.C.players is we are like famly,we don't always agree with each other but were ther when the chips are down.