That whole "Demigod thing" has kept us busy-ish. 

More updates when that settles down. 

Ya after demigod is set... quick update for Galciv 2 WOOT! Then back on the Elemental!

Yeah, Demigod multipayer has become a blackhole of pain for several Elemental devs, so the rest of us are diligantly working to keep on schedule.  I'll try and start posting more, though   I know it's getting exciting as that Beta 0 draws closer (for both you guys AND us).

Well, all they learn with the Demigod MP will make Elemental MP better in the future

demigod sure has had a rough launch.    Things appear to be calming down a bit though, right?   

I blame somebody saying "we're ahead of schedule" because murphy's law came and brought down the stick.

Also, hows that opening of a 2nd game studio?  

Dangerous words.   A game should never need an expansion and thinking about it before finishing the main product is a double-edged sword.  One 1 side you are able to prepare ahead of time to make the expansion come easier and flow with the game better.   On the other side, it means you achnoledge something that should be in the main original game but are neglectling to deliver it.

Broodwars is considered to be one of the best expansions of all time... and really it didn't add that much.  2 more units per side?   I do not feel that the expansion pack is what caused that game to have the self life it does.  (it surely did a little, but the major factor was that it was just a well made game to begin with)

Actually expansions are the best way for any PC game to evolve... as it would otherwise be almost impossible to judge game balance, design flaws, community likes&dislikes, AI weaknesses, etc., etc., .  An expansion should be approached by developers as something which can allow the game to evolve by providing greater strategy depth and stability while reducing micro_management and pain points.

There's plenty of game expansions which do little improvement and plenty of game expansions which provide great improvements... it's all about the final quality results.

You don't say???

Multiplayers are great for a game since they will find all exploits, imbalances and optimal strategies quite fast.

There's a price to pay for that however....(the services of the elite are not cheap) Excpect the following:

LOTS of posts about imbalances - We are not content until every side got a equal chance of winning. And even then the endless posting will continue. It will never end 

Competetive gamers play to win - We use every trick in the book and will not apologise for it. So when you get crushed again, again and again by an overpowered strategy and perhaps even getting bugs and exploits used against you....well....life's tough   (Or like some of us say. L2P n00b!)   However, I think it's wrong to use exploits and bugs.

To add insult to injury, many of the multiplayers got an arrogant, elitist attitude.

ho ho ho ho, yes it is!  I never said or even suggested that expansion packs are bad.  I was simply saying that expansion packs are for improving the game AFTER it is released, not before.   If we can fix it now, we should.

Its true!   but Supcom was a complete game before the expansion.  Expansion packs are a great way to both boost the game and boost the wallets that might otherwise be failing.   You want to hit your development schedule as well.  If there is a feature that you want but just can't make, then thats that.   The thing is we are still a year from Elemental's release.  What it sounds like we're talking about here that would be important in the multiplayer aspect are things like extra spells, factions, and stuff like that.  Well part of this game is that we the fans can do half of that for them.  So that shouldn't be a huge issue right now.

I mean it doesn't seem reasonable to be talking about what should be cut yet unless there is some behind schedule tightening-of-belt going on or the project was too grand to start with.  (Admittingly, most of the game projects I've ever been on have had scope issues.  So perhaps I'm not the best to lecture on this.  Or I am the best because I know what managing scope feels like

like 21 days and counting! I'm jonesing over here lol.

I would advice not set your sights to firm on a beta-zero date.

I think its more important that they get the needed components in such a state that our feedback is usefull, instead of just pushing out the beta. Considering how "bendy" launchdates are (and rightly so imo, if its not finished don't release) I would not at all try and hold devs to a betatest date.

Hopefully this time next year we'll all be here to enjoy the full launched game. A lot of time and ground to cover before we are there. Lets make sure its usefull!