ELEMENTAL SCHEDULE: STATUS

Frogboy

Join Date 03/2001

+2403

ELEMENTAL SCHEDULE: STATUS

Greetings!

Below is the status of where we are on the development of Elemental.

BETA 1: Game Mechanic Exploration (Fall 2009)

Initial Build: Basic Compatibility
Beta 1A: Initial Gameplay Skeleton
Beta 1B: Initial Economic system Implemented
Beta 1C: Initial AI system Implemented
Beta 1D: Initial Diplomacy system Implemented
Beta 1E: Initial Dynasty system implemented
Beta 1F: Initial Magic system implemented
Beta 1G: Initial Quest system implemented
Beta 1Z: Finalizing Stability

BETA 2: Game Play Beta (Spring 2010)

Initial: Caravans enabled, 3D Engine enabled, Multiplayer enabled, shops enabled, sieges enabled, visual battles enabled.
Beta 2A: Beta Fixes. Gameplay updates. Naval transports enabled. Naval warfare enabled. MP: Wars of Magic.

BETA 3: War & Peace Beta. (Summer 2010)

Initial: Finalized Diplomacy enabled. .Master Quest enabled. All Tech Trees enabled. Empires enabled.
Beta 3A: Combat Magic enabled. The Hiergamenon enabled. Tactical Battles options enabled. Morale and Tactical Battle AI enabled. Spell of Making enabled.
Beta 3B. Tactical Combat enabled.

BETA 4: Beyond Elemental Beta (Ongoing)

Map Editor, Item Editor, Tile Editor, Effect Editor.
Brad's Guide to Elemental Modding. Elemental Cloud Modding.
The Hiergamenon in-game.

Release: Elemental publicly available (August 24th)

Single Player: Beta Tester Content (spells, quests, characters released based on player feedback).
Single Player: Modding Tools: Race Construction Set.
Single Player: Quest Pack (a thank you for buyers).
Single Player: Monster Pack (a thank you for buyers).
Single Player: Notable Locations enabled.
Multiplayer: Custom Games.

Version 1.1: First major free update (30 days after release)

Usual performance, bug fixes, and other optimizations.
More optimizations for better Netbook support.
Single Player: New Content and Features based on player requests
Single Player: AI Wars

Version 1.2 (Second free major update (60 days after release)

Usual performance, bug fixes, and other optimizations.
New Features based on player feedback.
Brad's first serious mod example (Mini RPG).
Art Package for Modders to use (content for use by modders).
Multiplayer: Arena Mode

Copy Protection:

Retail Edition will have no copy protection on it whatsoever.
Digital version and updates will require Impulse to Download updates and install (but otherwise can be removed if the user chooses).
Users who do not have good internet access at home can use http://anywhere.impulsedriven.com to download Elemental and bring it home to install on their machines.
Multiplayer will require a valid customer ID to logon.

Notes:

All is subject to change based on player feedback and our own determination on where the game is at.

faq support

Pinned, Locked Post

Advanced Search

Watch this post

Do not email me updates for this post Email me updates for this post

Successfully updated karma reason!

I've got one more to report, and there are other things I want to look for, but can't think of a proper approach to do so. So yeah, I'm mostly waiting.

Successfully updated karma reason!

The other thing I don't get, is how Poland gets their own beta (4D). I mean, that's totally not fair.

Successfully updated karma reason!

I've heard it's because Poland has by far the most high quality bug checking industry in the world (It's one of their big planned revenue sources, I think), many game developers are starting to go there to make sure everything is in tip top shape.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting scottrycroft,

reply 52

The other thing I don't get, is how Poland gets their own beta (4D). I mean, that's totally not fair.

Cause first language pack will be for Poland and we have to make sure if there are no translation mistakes

Successfully updated karma reason!

I think these Beta tests are a great way to build support and momentum as we eventually get to a release date. Hopefully with our input we can create an amazing game!!

Successfully updated karma reason!

I've just downloaded the new beta build I'm pleased they've added in the ability to demolish a building now, seems more stable but still a little crash prone.

Successfully updated karma reason!

has to be adjusted to the new beta!

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting Frogboy,

reply 22

We're not planning on a February release.

Wha....?!?! Nooooooooo, NOOOOOOO....Say it ain't so Frogy...say it ain't so Even the page where I bought Elemental says "Release Date: February 15, 2010".

You Sir, have bashed my hopes and dreams against the rocks and crushed them to tiny smithereens Please don't test till August. If you do extend the testing phase for some ungodly amount of time I'd like to be guaranteed a spot in the last phase of Beta now please

Successfully updated karma reason!

joasoze

Join Date 02/2006

+39

Looking at the Beta and the current state of the game, it should be pretty clear that feb 2010 would be premature. Let this cook until ready

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting joasoze,

reply 59

Looking at the Beta and the current state of the game, it should be pretty clear that feb 2010 would be premature. Let this cook until ready

I'm with Joasoze on this.

Successfully updated karma reason!

SteelFin

Join Date 11/2007

Quoting joasoze,

reply 59

Looking at the Beta and the current state of the game, it should be pretty clear that feb 2010 would be premature. Let this cook until ready

You have to remember though we are not seeing the latest build. I would categorize this first beta realase to us as more of a first alpha as its not evenn feature complete. Gramted the addition of all those items in the list could be littered with bugs, I would still think it was possbile for an early 2010 release.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Any kind of changelog or what-not that I can see to see what I should test that is new so I can report it.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Publius of NV

Join Date 08/2002

+231

Changelog - see here:

Successfully updated karma reason!

Frogboy

Join Date 03/2001

+2403

Originally the modding was going to be integrated post release. But one of the big changes is that we didn't want to treat modding as merely some niche feature but rather as a totally different way of looking at the game.

Look at what's possible with Civilization IV for instance. I want to be able to access all the gameplay stuff via Python and then use that to be able to do whatever I want.

But obviously that takes time but it also means we can be a lot more flexible with the game design. I would really like to see this game as the first game that is practically co-designed by the community.

Consider the opportunity we have: It's been years since a turn based strategy game was designed fresh from scratch. We can toss out all the early 90s notions of what turn based strategy games have to be and work with what is possible today.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting Frogboy,

reply 64

I welcome your approach and do not doubt your sincerity, but warn against making your claims and promises too large. You will have great difficulties in "tossing out" previous notions of TBSs, no matter what their age, since these notions play a huge role in framing your and most of your beta testers' horizon of expectations, the context by which you and they judge what makes a "good" product. These older notions form the backbone of what people have called "legacies" by which future products, yours included, are judged. Consider the uproar on these forums alone in attempting to evaluate just how MoM this game will be.

That said, I tip my hat to your mettle, and hope to take you by your word -- may you have lots of patience and willingness to forgo roads too often travelled. And may you use that mettle to toss out the bland, generic combat system currently underlying the concepts behind your unit construction system, replacing it with something complex and meaty (about which I have pestered copiously and will hence here hold my peace!).

Successfully updated karma reason!

Well, it sounds like if the tossing out of previous notions doesn't work we/they can always mod them back in. So far I don't see anything that seems terribly bizarre. The importance of the sovereign is probably the biggest difference from most TBS's. The tech tree functions differently, but it seems intuitive enough. There is still a lot more for us to see though. I'm particularly interested in Vassal states (and diplomacy in general) and persistent worlds. At this point I can't even wrap my brain around the idea of a persistent world in a TBS.

Successfully updated karma reason!

I just pre-ordered in the hopes of getti ng the beta. I have looked everywhere on Impulse to load it. I just clicked on the pre-order button on this page and saw the message Beta access is currently closed, but will re-open at the end of Fall 2009

No No No ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

When will it open again. Arrrrgg

Successfully updated karma reason!

I'm sitting in the same boat as you beserko, but I'm having fun raking through the forums at the moment.

It'll open when Beta Phase 1 is complete, which will be quite a while away, I think. Most of the initial elements of gameplay aren't quite there yet from what I gather.

Patience is our friend.

Successfully updated karma reason!

ScottTykoski

Join Date 03/2001

+132

When will it open again. Arrrrgg

We're shooting for a Beta 2 in December - January. Needless to saw Beta 2 will be considerably more enjoyable than what's available now...which is painful

Let the tears of the current testers build a river of enjoyment that will carry you straight to Beta 2

Successfully updated karma reason!

BB, I'm sure you say that to all the girls!

Let the good words roll! Or was that boogie?

Successfully updated karma reason!

"Needless to saw Beta 2 will be considerably more enjoyable than what's available now...which is painful"

Thankfully, for myself at least, it is only painful after 25-30 minutes of play, then it simply CDT's. All hail .25 for its pain relieving properties(hopefully)

Successfully updated karma reason!

Patience huh? My ship went out to sea and I was at the train station. .

Talk about painful,

I loaded up old Simtex's Master of Magic on Dos Box to pass the time till Dec-Jan.

People forget about the days of ega/vga graphics! Now those days were painful. And throw in EMS/XMS ,boot disks and floppies also but I spent weeks on that game loveing it.

Still, a good idea never gets old. Lets hope this one is half as good if not better!

Successfully updated karma reason!

Ah, Master of Magic. My old friend. I still play that daily, almost. Admittedly, I use the CD version, rather than the dozen or so floppy discs it used to require.

Really looking forward to Beta 2. Going to get a nice LAN party going for it, when I can. First semester of Uni should finish up just as Beta 2 comes up.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Looking forward to Beta 2 also. I'm too excited about this title and would love to help make it awesome.

Are we getting any nearer to Beta re-opening? I'm ready to pre-order.

Successfully updated karma reason!

As we are still at beta 1B, I doubt beta 2 will start anytime soon... 1C is planned for next week I think, but at this speed, beta 2 is still at least 2-4 months away... I think you should count for at least 1 - 2 weeks between each step, so I guess end of januari at the earliest.

Successfully updated karma reason!