Pretty much every TBS demo ever made is limited to X number of turns (usually 100). And most other demos just have horribly limited content (doesn't put much of a hit into the download size, though...).

Placing a simple time limit on the demo, especially when the maps provided can be pretty easily played to completion within said limit (and you can of course play again if you like), isn't at all out of line or unexpected IMO. The point is to let you see how the game plays so you can decide whether to buy it, not to give you a free day of entertainment.

Yeesh, this is an angry thread. I commend the people who have acted civilized here, and those with open minds. I don't think people are asking for refunds or free games.

Personally, I feel that rolfski has a point. I hate trying out demos of games that have a time limit. The fact that it's a limit per game makes this a whole lot more attractive - having an "expired" game on your computer is really, really lame - but atill, I think removing a majority of the game features from the demo would be better than a time limit.

Example features to remove: some orbital structures, cruisers, all but one or two cap ships from each faction, some of the tech. Having limited maps with few AI was a good decision. The goal here is to not interrupt a player in the middle of an experience, nor to give a free game, but to give a complete experience which leaves players wondering what the full game is like.

One final note: the demo advertises "90 minutes of playtime." If this is per game, instead of total, as I'm getting the impression it is, make sure you advertise that! As I said, players like me hate seeing a hard-and-fast time limit.

Ben

There should be a time limit to this thread........like right now!

Truly you have a dizzying intellect.

The demo is very generous.

Here I thought this was going to be about a hack that removes the time limit.
I love Stardock for their trust, and their faith in honest gamers.
Rare.

As someone who has been waiting for the demo to come out, I'm very happy with the 90 minute limit. While getting a full game for free would have been nice  , 90 minutes should give me plenty of time to see if I like the game, and if I do, I will gladly buy a copy.

90 minutes is a fair amount...considering how big this game can really get...

I think the developers point rolfski is that you did get a free game. The demo-game is capable of being completed in 90 minutes. If the games shuts-off prior to completing you lose. IMHO this is extremely fair by the game developers. I believe you may be mistake as to most players motivation at playing a demo. The reason they play a demo is to help them to determine if the game is worth the exchange of money. Not playing the demo because it may end prior to achieving a win or loss would not deter me from trying the demo, especially since it is feature rich.

If you do not like playing a game with time boundries in it, an RTS game is not for you. You have probably answered your own question regarding purchasing the game by not downloading the demo. However, knowing that the free demo may be fully completed in 90 minutes, you should feel free to download it anyway and enjoy it.

I really feel I'm a lone one calling in the desert here. So let me get a few points straight:
- Yes we all think that this is a great game, including me
- Yes we all think that 90 min should be enough to show the value of this game, especially because it will give you enough time to finish a few maps.

However, that's not the point: when trying to achieve critical mass with a demo, it's not about the real value but all about PERCIEVED value.

Ironclad/Stardock is aiming to reach a big as possible audience with this game: check Frogboy's vision on marketing in multiple articles.
My thesis: The time limited mechanism decreases the percieved value of the demo and is therefore a less effective marketing tool to get people to buy this game. Even if it turns out that it's actually a more valuable proposition, the percievement is what stops people from playing the demo in the first place.

I don't think that's what he's asking for. In the last paragraph of the OP he says:



His point, imo is that by limiting the demo to 90 minutes (per game) ppl won't be able to experience some of the late game goodness of SoaSE. From the quote above I think the OP does recognize that the demo needs to entice ppl but not give them the full game. However it looks like he feels a better way of doing this is:



The suggestion of limiting the demo to one playable race, on a single map (or two), and no multiplayer doesn't seem like he's asking for a free game. Though I don't think limiting a demo this way really suites SoaSE there are lots of RTS demos that take this approach.

I have held this game in my hand twice now in best buy and I ended up carrying it around till I finally put it back each time. I just don't think I can get an idea if I will like the game in 90 min so I haven't downloaded the demo. PC gamer had a great review and all but I just can't decide what to do...this game or ********* 40k. I have played that demo and really like the game. I don't have time to play more than one game, plus deal with the waggro I would get for doing so. At this point I'm torn.

Maybe I'll just try the demo and if I can't get a good vibe from it I’ll just pass. Sure looks neat though I would like to see the ship models b4 I commit. Hope that’s all in the demo.

Gona try and find it and Dl it now...

Uh you have to become a gamesspot member to Dl it??? Please tell me there is another way?

I think he just doesn't like the demo being limited to 90 minutes per game. As he said in the OP he'd prefer the demo limit the playable race, the number and/or size of available maps, and no multiplayer access.

I think the people who want to download the demo are already interested enough in the game to try it anyway. As mentioned, a "turn limit" for TBS demos is standard and that niche is quite close to the SINS niche. So the kind of players who are even interested in buying are probably used to such limitations.

Time limitation also better serves the 4X strategy niche. Those kind of people like complexity, so showing off all the features with a time limitation is better compared to cutting features without a time limitation.

It's also a nice cliffhanger moment when the game ends and it feels like it could go either way. You want to get the full game so you can see the ending.