Thanks to the majestic carielf my crash issue/hang on startup has been resolved, but I will detail it below in case other users have the same problem:
Hang/crash 1: The hang relates to going offline after the initial download. The game still 'dials home', creating an increasingly large Impulse Reactor Folder (in Prog Data/Stardock/Elemental) which at some point can go out of memory and crash the game. Even without crashing the game, subsequent loading of the game will see the game hang as it tries to clear the large Impulse reactor folder. Solution: Delete Impulse Reactor Folder/stay online. I believe this might be being fixed.
Hang/crash 2: the "creating world" hang take place if you attempt to start a new game from within an old game. I believe this has been reported, just confirmimg it.
Bugs:
Cannot collapse Sovereign Data once opened (top left hand corner)
Bandit's gear does not seem to work?
Swamp bandit generated with 0 attack and 4 defence? Did not generate card initially.
Building 'stamp' defaults to inn - very annoying. Suggest the stamp is removed after each action.
Auto turn does not appear to pause for messages, when pieces have no movement orders etc
When destroying a building, population level does not decrease?
Running out of money causes your army to desert, but the army simply sits outside the city - it looks like a player's piece but can't be ordered. Should it not turn into an AI controlled piece? There is also no message warning you of going into debt if you continue to build. I think there should be one, as it's easy to do.
Earth shard improvement continues to exist on the build menu after a shard is built. If it is intended to be a further improvement, it doesn't work.
Suggestions:
When you get the unlock a tech message, would be good to know what you're researching next.
Options screen should be quicker/easier to get to?
To me a hovel is worse than a hut.
card placement not good in that bottom right hand corner
I like the idea of auto turn - it make the world more dynamic - and was wondering whether this could be the default position, perhaps with a simple space bar on/off (like SR2).
On a general note, the world of Elemental feels very sparse. As someone who thinks SR2 was the seminal turn-based strategy game of the last few years, i was hoping for a similar dynamic world, filled with AI generated interest and interactions, and, more importantly, an AI controlled memory of actions and interactions. I'm wondering whether, therefore, things like Adventuring should be a basic gameplay rather than a researched one, so that the initial exploration of the world is interesting and stimulating, before moving into the more strategic levels as kingdoms take on kingdoms. I'm thinking of independent villages, shaman, wizards, independent caravans, tinkers etc. I'm thinking of stone markers that mark who built a road, or celebrate a battle - things that evolve the landscape. This may. of course, be already happening.
On another note, the city build is currently too finicky for me. I was going recommend less tiles and more upgrades for GC3 and believe that this would be good for Elemental too.
Evil Roy
