The patch notes look promising.

What I'm expecting from 1.2: For the game to meet GC2 DL final pre-expansion patch levels of polish in terms of UI, performance and Stability, to leave the game in good shape for the work that will begin soon on FE. Gameplay-wise, I'm not expecting a whole lot, but any improvements will help. 

If you're wondering why I put these things out the way I do: I think it's good communication on my end to show what I expect, so it's easier to meet those expectations.  It's easier to meet a concrete goal then something nebulous.

On merit, you have a point.  In reality, based on what is the "norm" for other developers/publishers, you are ungrateful for what has already occur ed and what will occur  (as promised by a man whose integrity has been proven by his response to the catastrophe of the initial release of EWOM).  Without going into great detail, I was a fan of GDW's venerable board game "Blood Bowl".  Cyanide games "obtained" the license to create a PC/Nintendo DS/Xbox360/PSP version of the game as a result of a lawsuit GDW filed over "Mutant League Football"  While two publicly supported sites had already established long running on-line MP leagues for the game ( FUMMBL being my poison of choice ), Cyanide as the developer and Focus as the publisher were looking to explode the game world wide.  The initial offering was weak, and while a number of patches brought it closer to function-ability, they abruptly stopped.  After two months of constant questioning, a Cyanide Rep admitted that all patches had stopped, and that the entire team was being re-diverted to working on the "Legendary" edition of the game.  No promise was made as to ANY discount for the existing owners of the original game.  In addition , Cyanide promised NO work on the abysmal AI, other than incorporating changes made by a modder who deciphered the fact that the individual AI for different types of players had been ignored/botched by the people in charge of editing the .xml files.  I quit playing, and found out later that an individual had been able to decode the "seed" randomization system used for on-line multilayer matches so that anyone could predict what the next seven dice rolls would be in any given on-line game.  In addition, cheaters continuosly figured out how to disconnect from on-line matches and make it look like their opponents had done so, causing their opponents to be banned and they to rise up in the ranks of the on-line match making league.  After all the exploits were explained to the French Developer, they offered a shrug and said that someday they would fix it ... maybe.

So "TheProgress", while I can beat the snot out of the AI just as well as you can, I understand at a very simple level, that all the changes Stardock has made are designed to eventually make me eat my words and start losing games.  Maybe it will be next week, or maybe three months from now, but at least I have a modicum of faith based on what has already been done to make the game more interesting, that there is a future stage for this game that will give me the kind of challenge the original MOM did.  I am HAPPY that Brad has other tasks to perform to insure the profit of his company, the fact that he is able to succeed in this dismal economy is a "street lamp" into the kind of product he makes and profits from.  Stardock will be around for the long haul, how many other developers or publishers are positioned to say the same?  Be happy for what you should feel confident in having a month from now, patience is rewarded when it is based on sound thinking as opposed to wishful hoping.

When will the AI not taking stat upgrades at level-up get addressed?  Without taking their stat upgrades at level-up, most magic will be available only to the Sovereign, and the INT based damage will be ineffectual.

Now how about a month of modder support. I have some pretty great things planned and am just waiting for changes to be made before I comit my work to action. 

This new version looks very good though. Can't wait to put it through its paces!

For normal patches: start up impulse, wait a moment for it to check for updates (this is automatic, you don't have to do anything, but it does take a minute sometimes) - after that, if there is a regular patch available, then under "My Games" next to "Elemental" it'll say "update available" (instead of the normal "installed"). Just right click Elemental and find 'update' or whatever the command is.

But since the patch he's talking about is a beta of 1.2, not the final release, it won't automatically show up. You have to hit the icon in the upper left corner, and check the "Show pre-release versions" box. You only need to do this once, from here on out betas will show up as regular patches for you and you'll be able to install them in the normal fashion just by right clicking Elemental.

As for timing, in my experience their patches usually come near the end of the work day on a given day - 5pm ish EST. Don't quote me on that though, that's just my anecdotal observation.

Hard to say whether saves or custom sovereigns/races will work, it depends on the patch.. since 1.20 sounds like it has some significant changes, I wouldn't count on it. But again that's just my guess.

I will also add to the desire for more focus on the AI.  I played this game a few times when I bought it, when it came out, put it down until the 1.1 patch came out, played one game and quite after soundly beating the tactical AI in a match that should have been a reasonably close battle.  It ran around chasing one unit, that was almost dead, allowing me to pick my battles and tear the army to pieces.

I honestly don't even know what other improvements that need to be done since I have barely played this game.  Until the AI is working at a reasonable level, this will continue to be the case.  A competent AI is truly needed for a good game.

To end on a positive note, Brad and Stardock, I do like your dedication to this game and to your desire to keep us all informed on your progress and I will continue to check this forum for new updates.  I think you all still can make this game into a good one.

Thank you very much Austinvn.

TorinReborn: Yes, the beta build should be available on Impulse if you click on "show pre-release versions".

I would like to second the notion put forward by TheProgress and many others. The AI is still rather weak and we've now had a month with apparently no work to the strategic AI. No matter how large the team is, the bottleneck seems painfully obvious from this vantage point.

I would also like to thank you for all the incoming changes, though. They seem great and I really do appreciate them. Just wish the AI got some more love is all..

The patch is not out yet.

today at some point hopefully.  Under Kael patchtimes tend to average around 10pm or so, as he's not a morning person.

I'm going to try to remind myself that most PC gamers are not hyper-entitled demandobots as I write this.

First, the AI in Elemental has been worked on a lot this past month. That is what Charles is working on.

Secondly, if you are beating the AI on ridiculous then you are almost certainly leveraging some hole in the AI's logic path. If you want this addressed, I suggest creating a post like "AI Suggestions". I feel pretty good about where the strategic AI is in terms of how it works for MOST people. 

Third, I do plan to spend more time on the game's AI too but most of my "budgeted" time will be going to Fallen Enchantress which has radically different game mechanics.  

Fourth, while I love AI work and wish I could spend all my time on it, that isn't what my job here at Stardock is. I do the core AI stuff on our games and then others come in after me.  The core work on War of Magic's strategy AI is there. Fixing loopholes is something that can easily be addressed and doesn't require my time specifically to do that.

Fifth, guys, come on.  Do you want a forum where you're only dealing with "community managers" (i.e. how it is everywhere else) or do you want to actually get to talk to the development team and company CEO? If it's the latter then cut the atittude. You bought a video game.  I paid money to see the Last Air Bender. It took time. Real time. To recover from that experience but I did.  There are disappointments in life.  At least here, we have the ability and willingness to address a person's disappointment. Don't talk to us like you're some sort of pissed off Phantom Menace fan at a Star Wars convention.  

If you want something, ask for it. Specifically.

Saying "I can't bother completing a game because I'm so good that the AI, even on ridiculous is no challenge" is obnoxious. Seriously.  I've been playing games for decades and I know the AI on Elemental v1.11 is pretty decent overall.  

A better thing to say would be "When I play the game on ridiculous I have found that I can win the game every time if I do X, Y, and Z."  Because I know that most users (including myself) can't even come close to surviving on ridiculous.  Heck, half the so-called "ridciulous AI winners" who send me saved games have the AI set to NORMAL and just set the world difficulty to ridiculous.

Now, I'll let people vent on how they're offended that I would talk to them "unprofessionally" or whatever they imagine how someone who is making a video game on a forum should talk to them and vow never to purchase anything from us again or what not.  So take my comment in the spirit it is given - an optimistic hope that people who want to interact with us will interact with us in a way that will leave both parties feeling good and motivated to do cool stuff together in the future.

Well said Frogboy, I actually posted that I got my butt kicked by the AI awhile back...and it even wasn't on ridiculous  Some thigngs that could make them better is that they could group better, instead of two groups of 4 units coming after a city, and both failing, one group of 8 would have succeeded.