If the delay benefits the game I'm all for it.

Another thought. 

Isnt the summer the worst time for game sales?

By releasing it in July you could be setting it up for failure. Aren't the numbers soft as it is for SK?

I'm just happy we're getting Beta 5 this week!  I can't wait to see all the changes.  You guys know what's best, so do as you will.  The game is super fun already, and will only get more excellent with a bit more time.

However, since you're here, I REALLY wish you would reconsider ranged combat, and not let it be unlimited range and able to shoot through obstacles.  That is the worst part of this game, FE and LH.  There is no place to hide from ranged.  At least make obstacles block shots.

Please.

Thank you, Froggy.  The game rocks, except for that.

I think it's the first I've ever heard of such a bottleneck! 

I don't mind but then I'm personally on a sort of gaming hiatus.

If anyone's impatient, they could just play at the original release date, no? It'd virtually be v1.00 anyway.

I don't see how a delay would harm the game.   Usually with Stardock EA games, the major things that don't come in until 1.0 release aren't things that impact the gameplay.   As long as content isn't intentionally held back that wasn't planned to be held back, I don't have a reason to care either way about the actual release date since I already have the game.

I know expansions were planned, maybe you can move the first expansion to be part of the regular release- especially if it was going to be horizontal in scope?

While Beta 5 will certainly be glitchy, I think most people will agree tha tin a pinch, we could ship it by the end of next month without too much effort.   

The thing here is that we don't have enough people on the business side of things to get GalCiv III out the door AND get Servo and Ashes and Offworld all continuing forward without something giving.

Since Age of Wonders 3's expansion is coming out next month anyway, the request is that we push SK to July and use that extra time to do more polish, add in more game options, etc.

The nice thing about Beta 5 is that you'll get an idea of what 1.0 was originally going to be like (minus the bugs/glitches).  So then ideas to improve replyability, pacing, and just general long-term enjoyment can come in.

 Take your time although it already looks great!

Are you sure AoW3 is coming out mid-April? Last I heard it was shooting for March 31.

I can see the draw of pushing back with all the 4X games on the horizon. There's more coming out in the next couple months than I've ever seen. Age of Wonders 3 expansion, Star Ruler 2, StarDrive 2, GalCiv3, Stars Beyond Reach, and some others I'm forgetting. That's quite the list.

You'd likely be the only July release, but I worry that SK will get caught up in Early Access hell. People just might forget about it if you don't play your cards right. That being said, it's the fantasy 4X I anticipate the most. No matter when it officially goes to 1.0, it'll be damn good. So do what's best for sales and if marketing thinks July, then I think July will be enough time to knock it clean out of the park.

What would we see, other than game options, from now until July? Can we have more lieutenants and a rotation of them for each game? Maybe some more exciting city leveling stuff? 

avoiding AOW3 is probably a good call.   That's a game that is selling very well in the same genre.

I'm early access and I really don't have any opinion on the above specifically. 

The bigger issue for me, personally, is that Stardock does good/strong launches of all of your games, and none of them end up getting churned out half-done because everyone was busy on the more important release.  Since I've been pre-buying most of your stuff, this could be annoying.

So, I tend to like the "it's finished when it's finished" plan, there's plenty for me to play in the mean time..

hope this helps, cheers,

-tid242

These are the things why i have so much faith you guys. No hogwash, but straight and honest information and communication. 

Move it to July, there can only come good from it.

Early Access supporter from Day 1.  Already love SK, but I'm not bothered if it waits until later for official release.  Honestly, there is so much I like about it already, that anything that can help make it a success is great in my mind.