Is it really ready for release?

Totally! Game runs rock solid. In the last beta there were a few bugs left but really minor stuff imho. I'd say it's in better shape than many, many games that get released in a far worse state. The game is lightyears ahead of WOM. I was very disappointed in WOM but FE is total vengeance for Stardock.

Thanx for your response.  Assuming I was eager to play it, too eager to wait for the official release, would it be worth downloading the latest beta in order to play it this weekend?

Get in a little time to familiarize yourself with it?  Sure.

Yeah agree, get it!

Yes, it's ready for release, but I think the game is going to need some post-release support, and an expansion (which is pretty much guaranteed).

Lots of things I want tweaked, lots of things I want added, but the game has enough now to be easily worth it.

The assessment is as follows:

1. In terms of stability the game is ready for release.

2. In terms of cosmetic bugs, there are quite a few but nothing gamebreaking.

3. In terms of AI, there is some work to do but it does provide a good challenge.

4. In terms of UI, there is some work to do, but these items don't diminish all the fun of the game.

5. In terms of the game doing exactly what everybody wants... well modding support starts after release

Pleasure from participating in the beta and having the game at release... Well I've not regretted this purchase one bit.

I wouldn't even hesitate if I were you.

Perfect summary!

Definitely.

The game could have been released a month ago.  I think Stardock should have released it a month ago before the Fall rush.

If anything is going to hurt this game's success, it's that Stardock was so paranoid after WOM that they got trigger shy and released it when there were a lot of competing games.

Incorrect. Last month there were major bugs and design problems. Would have been a disaster.

I dunno...I just played a day of FE, and I'm a little less cetain about the game's viability compared to when I first started. There are still just too many annoyances that have to be addressed.

I don't agree with Xan regarding that they should have released it last month. This is the only >strategy< game coming out. I bought XCOM and I would have bought this if I weren't getting it for free.

I do agree they >could< have released it last month. I think the extra time for polish and tweaking makes it a better game. Then again, they could hold off for another year and it would be an even better game then too. 

In conclusion, it was release-worthy about a month ago. But it is better off having waited until now. And there will be some who think it should have been held back another month. Hell, I saw someone say they thought they should wait another >year<. 

Mmmhmm Mmrnmhrm, I agree. At some point you have to just push the button and release it. A post-release player base is ready to be incorporated and there is so much more they can do after we start working towards 1.1. Like MP and boats and more pony variety. There just isn't anything like this on the market right now.

The real question is am I ready for release? It's been such a long beta I don't know how I am going to exist in post-release world. What if 1000 more Heavenfalls come in and dwarf my mods?

Then you should make all your people half as big. That would be an entertaining mod to say the least

I absolutely agree with the above.  Avoiding going with X-Com head to head was a great business decision.  I am just winding down from X-Com. Finally beat it on Impossible Ironman, and now I am just researching things I never got around.  By Tuesday, I will be done.  I assume many strategy game fans will follow the same pattern.

And one month ago, Fallen Enchantress had a major problem - monster AI was wiping out newbies on easy difficulties.  That could have been a disaster. The AI has become quite less freaky (It's still doing stupid things, but less often)

No, the time for release is right.  There's a lot that I would love to have fixed, but the game is very playable.  I just wish that the developers would pick some of the REALLY low hanging fruit - make sure that autosaves are 100% consistent with the end of the turn, display the path BEFORE the move, and allow units on the same tile to merge.

And then Hf872 makes all his people as half pig. I just can't compete! 

It helps to get a game out for the holiday season, so you can actually make back your money.  Not that Stardock's games are big money makers for them--I seem to recall Brad mentioning that the apps and content they create for third parties forms the bulk of the payroll.  But still, it's far enough along to make a solid release, in my opinion.

I really think you can compete. The half-pigs are no match for your epic 10,000 dwarfed quests. Just add a ridable pig and you will win the half-pig contest. Then you add a special skill for the ridable pig called eat the mount and heal 50 hp. I think you can compete.

Well anyhow, it will be nice to have my name after Hf's for Goetia, the summons mod. It's going to be the gold standard in modding. Both in technique and concept. Releasing the game will be a great victory for Stardockia. But it will be the kind of victory that leads directly into another journey. I will have to step up my game for that.

Yeah, I'm pretty excited to see what you provide with that mod there. I'm looking forward to all the content that everyone is going to provide and I think it will be spectacular spectacular.