That's good news!

That's excelent news Frogboy. I can't wait to test the next build.   Good job so far sir.

Also, what the people who can't run the game and so on need to remember is that this is what testing is. Stuff is broken, you find out what is broken, let the coders know, and then sit back and wait for them to try and fix it. The idea behind testing is to find out what is wrong, and make that known. When does it get fixed? When there's time.

In a testing phase, you aren't supposed to get good support. Their interest isn't in fixing your problem, in trying to make things work on your system. Their interest is in finding out problems over all and trying to rectify the underlying cause.

That's also the reason they are handing it out in pieces, rather than everything they have right now. It is to direct what you can test. The want feedback on certian aspects, they don't want people concentrating on other things or complaining about something they aren't interested in working on.

So just remember that if you get a build that's busted on your system. Test it out, see if you can figure out why it's busted, but if the answer is "it is broke and nothing can be done" well then report it and just wait until a new one comes out. Don't get bent out of shape that they won't give you personal support, that's not what it's about in a test.

Now that beta is out I am finding it harder to make suggestions! i.e. it is hard to suggest thinks for the descendants/dynasty portion of the game without having an idea of what is currently planned - it is almost like I feel like I need to wait for that piece to be released in beta before I can make suggestions...(of what I would change)

I hope that there are profiles so that my sons and I can play on the same computer, and that their will be "career achievements" for each profile, kind of like the achievements in Sins (space ponies!) but it would be very cool to support multiple users (maybe 4?) per installation so that each player cankeep track of their career win/loss etc etc.

I also think that units need more than attack/def stats, at the very least heroes and special units need resistances to each element. To me if their are not strengths or weaknesses viz a viz each element, then much of the depth of having different elements is lost. Different factions could also have natural strengths and weaknesses to each element. Not just in using the magic from that sphere but being protected... I think this is critical but so far everything I have read points towards just attack/def rating - like GalCiv has the three weapons types and the three defenses specific to the type of weapopn being used...anyway...

Well I can't wait for the next build to come out! Hopefully they just keep flying out fast!

I wouldn't mind finding some of the same bugs if they are still there.

Cool we get a skeleton on October first

Wait, that's tomorrow!

Can't sleep, bugs will eat me. *rocks in corner*

What I don't get is that of "one path all players will play". You mean it as every player will focus on one path and stick to it to get the bonuses before anyone else? Or that everybody will select the same path (easiest, overpowered...) and stick to it for similar reasons? We still don't know if it will be used that idea, which kind of bonuses it has (according to which path it belongs) and how the balance could be. Also, if balance is correct, specialization is its own strength and its own weakness.

Yeah, but giving a player a bonus for reaching a goal before others is favoring players. There are so many different tactics in games, but with this people will naturally race to get the bonus. I myself am a player that likes to fortify and build a rounded research.

No, not that every player (bad choise of words on my part sorry), but that the game will then favor one type of player, namley the person who sits there and finds the fastet path to the end tech. Like I mentioned, there are so many different tactics in a game like this, that giving a player bonuses like this unbalance the overall gameplay.

If I thought the Elemental Devs didn't know what they were doing I'd be saying the same thing you are about balancing. As an ex GM I had to be sure any bonuses or new abilities I gave to one class that I gave an equivalent to the other classes as well to maintain a proper balance in PvP. The same theory applies here. I'm sure researching other techs first will give different bonuses. Example:

Researching troops first can get you a slightly better then average starting unit. While researching Housing first can give you a slightly higher population growth. These bonuses will counter balance each other out in the long run. The player with the housing bonus can create more troops because he has a higher population. The player with the slightly better troops can make better troops but he can't make as many because he doesn't have as high a population. When these kingdoms meet in combat the armies will destroy each other. The weaker troops will die in droves verses the better troops but they will still overwhelm them in sheer numbers causing heavy losses to the slightly better troops. When the battle is over though the slightly better troops will have caused so many casualties to the weaker mass that they won't be able to invade your town without going back for more men. Balance achieved.

Have a little faith in the Devs until we have a chance to actually test these bonuses in Beta play. If we all start "nay saying" now before we even have a chance to test them they may end up scrapping an idea that brings a lot to the table when game play comes around.