Bruce Wardell is Brad's brother, Toadboy.

Should you buy it now?  No, I would wait and get Fallen Enchantress, the expansion pack that will be a stand alone game.

Posting in an epic thread.

Why should you buy the game? Maybe because you want to? That seems like a good reason. Ok kidding aside, it all depends on what you want? I just have made a post a few weeks ago just asking what you did. I asked Brad if he recomends the game now, when before he said to stay away.

I was so shocked with his candor, and honesty, I went and go the game. Am I disapointed? No. Do I think it's a great or awsome game? No. It's an ok game, which for me at least, I never have done before so it is something new and fun.

What I like is I can customoize my "Soverieng" or main unit to what I want. It is like a roll playing game the way he/she is upgraded. Combat is a bit better than the Civ series and you can customize your units to what you want. There is alot of research and the tech tree is better than Civ V. I still don't understand how it works exactly, but I think it's something like MOO II mixed in with Alpha Centouri, that you research something say (sorry forget the names and this is wrong but you get the idea) Agriculture/Mining. So once you research something, you pick either Farming, Mining or banking. Once you pick them, you go to the next level. I am not sure if you can go back to mining if you picked farming, since I am brain dead sometimes.

Combat is not ping pong ball combat, you pick a unit and tell it to attack what ever unit you want. It is not really exciting like in Moo or MOO II but better than Civ.

The game is a little bland or boring. By that, I mean while the art work is nice, the land scape seems empty. It's like something is missing but I can't put my finger on it. I wish there was something more. I guess where you can say Civ IV can sometimes be too cluttered with trees/forests and jungles, Elemental, is too uncluttered, or nothing there. The trees don't really look like massive forests. Water or the seas is nothing there. So far I haven't seen any fish or clams or anything like that to birghten it up. I guess when you have a Farm, it's very scattered, and you don't make them like in Civ.

But graphics is not everything. Masters of Orion, the first one, was just ok, but it was one of the most fun games ever. I rather have game play over graphics any day. So far, I am enjoying the game. I am sure I can have be having more fun, BUT, I am enjoying the game more than I am with Civ V. With Civ V, 2K/Firaxis hyped it up so much, that it didn't deliever. I guess, with the low expectations for Elemental, that with 1.11, my expectations are better.

Hopefully a demo will be out for you to try. As I said before, how can you not support someone who admitted they screwed up, they said they are sorry, and for people who bought the game when it came out, is giving them free expansions, and saying not to buy his game back then, how can you not just support the guy? Like I said before, I asked him now, and he ANSWERED. Where else do you see the CEO answer a persons question if his game is any good. The game is $40 off Impulse now, so I took the chance to get it. Yes it can be better but I don't regreat buying it.

Another thing is the manual is not that good. Game is hard to learn, but we have a great community here on the forums so if you buy the game and need help, ask here and you will have your answers in a few hours to a day. Great community indeed.

So I would say get the game, if you want something new. While you will not get the free expansions (I will not either) I believe when the first expansion comes out, we are told that we will get a discount. How true is this, I am not sure. But if you want a city builder game, where you can customize your troops like Alpha Centarui, then I say take the risk.

Then again, with the title. "Why should I buy the game?" seems a little harsh, it should be rephrased "Should I buy the game?" I think you should not get the game and wait. Again, you buy a game because you want to, not because you have to. Other wise you will have a mess like Civ V where critics say "You should buy the game" which is completely wrong.

That's a problem? I think the reverse, that Civ and others are at fault for taking so long to end a turn.

Have they said the expansion will be a stand alone? When?

Perhaps you could tell us what your expectations are, or at the very least your level of experience at these types of games. The reason I state this is becuase of what you will see in response to this kind of question, either 'yes' or 'no, because'.

In my opinion, if you are a hardcore gamer of these types of games, it's not quite there yet. Lots of postings about balance issues (yeah, there are some annoying bugs too, but 1.19 coming this week will be better still) at low levels that I have yet to experience.  I am more a casual player, and family/work commitments stop me playing this for hours on end (like I want to).  Having now spent many hours (bit by bit, since buying it within 2 weeks of launch) and reaching the point of playing challenging level I can honestly say I love 1.11.  The game will continue to grow and improve, and Fallen Enchantress should make (not break) this game. It looks great, and has an addiction factor even with it's problems.

I have seen it on sale in numerous stores (sorry Stardock, sending them away from the download option....) and worth picking up now.  But that's just my opinion. Can't go wrong with Stardock if you give it time either way.

Yes it was sacrasm. I forgot to put in the smiley face. It was to make you think a for a second. .

I think this is a great feature in Elemental that they can have so fast inbetween turns. I have never EVER seen a game process so fast.

I love these threads...

If you have the money to buy it now, and you're convinced it's going to be what you want it to become (or maybe it already is) then sure, why not buy it now?

The issues and difficulties of the game are well documented, and you've done your homework, and none of that bothers you, so sounds like a deal should be made.

Unless you've been here since the beta, well not a part of the beta obviously, and have some other reason(s) for waiting (as I do) then sounds like you know what you're getting into and will enjoy it or not right now, but are willing to bank on the promise of what's to come.

I would only be able to voice one potential concern.  And that is if you get the game now, understanding it's not 'finished', and wind up being extremely dissatisfied with it in it's current form, will that hurt your appreciation or enjoyment of later iterations?  I went through this with Distant Worlds (which is different, but the idea is the same), got it early, thought it would be great, it wasn't.  It needed heavy patching and help.  Did it get that?  I assume it did, but that first bite killed it for me, I had no interest in it anymore.  My loss perhaps, but it's just another perspective to think about.

I can tell you that in part that is why I have not yet touched Elemental, I saw (well heard) the sorry shape it was in, and simply did not want to have what it might eventually become (to me, hey it's all about what you like, it's your money and your time) always have that ugly stain of what it was on it.  Of course not everyone will think that way, and if you don't then no worries eh?  I've been playing computer games since 1980, I've seen a lot of great, I've seen a lot of terrible, and of course, all the mediocre that fits in between.  Maybe I'm jaded, maybe I got burned too often, but I just can't bear to deal with buggy/unfinished/but look at the potential! junk anymore.  Now I don't think those are current descriptions of Elemental, well the last is, but I'm just going to wait for Enchantress, and see what the situation is at that point.

@ the OP:

If you truly are a fan of Stardock's strategy games, then you already know that they are working very hard to make Elemental better.

I am itching to play. The reason I am not playing? There is suppose to be a patch out tomorrow. So instead of investing hours and hours this week and not be able to finish the game, I will wait till tomorrow. So yes get the game. You might find it sucks, but I believe you are like me.

Very leary of getting the game. Am I disapointed with it? Yes. Do I like the game? Yes I do. I am enjoying the game. I seem to be liking the begining of the exploration of the game. I haven't gotten far, keep learning new things, keep restarting. But I am glad I paid the $40 for it. I was going to get the collectors edtion, but Brad suggested not to get the Collectors edtion, but the regular edtion. He could have said "Yeah pay $80 for it." but he didn't.

I believe he is correct. The game is fun. It is enjoyable, at least for me, starting with 1.11. If I was like others, who came before it, I might have a difference of opnion. Then again, they will be getting the expansions for free, while I will get it for a discount hopefully.

I agree with gmot. Distant Worlds is a great game. I am shocked that Impulse doesn't carry it. I still wish there was more of my personal requests, but then again, don't we all want that?

I tried Civ V. I stopped and went back to it and played it again. I gave it a rest and went back to it again, and then finally came here.

Yes Civ V is a fun game, but it has alot of problems, just like Elemental does. Then again, since you mentioned it, how come Elemental and New Vegas gets lamblasted for bugs and poor game play, while Civ V has NOT ONE MENTION of BUGS? I am not upset of the simplified mechanics of Civ V. I am a big critic of Civ V on the 2K forums. I also praise where Civ V does well. But if these "profonsal reviewers" can lamblast Elemental and NV and praise Civ V when it clearly doesn't deserve it, I can just be as harsh of Civ V as well.

Both games can be compared. Before release both games claimed great game play. Both games failed on that. Both game came out early and unfinished. Both games need patching, got patching and both still need more patching. While Civ V gets praises, Elemental gets the opposite? Is that fair? No. Why is this? Who knows. (I will not go into my theory as to why )

Both games do seem fun now after 2 or 3 major patches.  We can also compare how the companies treat their fans. One company doesn't let their developers be talked to, while the other lets their developers talk to their fans and people who bought the game.

One company feels giving a free DLC is enough for the heart aches people had to try and get the game to run and poor game play, while another comapny APOLOGIES and admits they made a mistake and offers 1 or 2 free expansions for people who were with them from DAY ONE.

Both games are becoming more fun, and both still need huge improvements. I have an open mind about Civ V. After 60 or so hours, it's time for a break and come back in a few months or so. So now it's time for Elemental. I will critizie and praise the game honestly as well. I just need more time with Elemental, just like I did with Civ V before I start critizing the game.

I swear to sweet cheesy pizza Jesus, what is it with these threads? 

Every day, someone seems to post either a "Should I buy (I herd it bad)?" or a "Bought the game (it are bad)!" thread. Buy it or don't, it's your fricken money! And if you hate it or love it, great for you, why don't you take a picture and submit it for chicken feed or some such.

Could we just sticky one of each and call it a day? It's the same stuff every single time, to the point that half the entries are almost certainly copypasta.