How do you decide whether to buy?

[mart]

I've run the trial scenario several times, but there is just 30 days or 30 plays to decide whether to buy. As far as I can tell, there is no facility to patch the demo. Either way, the game has, each time, fairly quickly, crashed and restarted my computer. I tried windowed and none-windowed modes, and there seemed no great strain on my computer at the time. I was certainly "fiddling around" seeing how the interface worked, and getting a feel for it, but this shouldn't have put any strain on a system which was, at the time, running at over 70 fps. It's not that I need advice about the problem I'm having, because if I try to rectify the situation, by taking the advice, I just use up another "go". My query is really how everyone else decided whether to "take the plunge". I'm sure Norm will be working hard to sort things out as quickly as possible, but it's a bit of a Catch-22. If I wait until the forums are saying that it's now a pretty stable product, with the best will and energy in the world, this is unlikely to be before the end of August. If I buy now, I save $30, but may end up with something I can't get to work, or just don't like. If I wait, the price will be higher. Most people must have had this decision to make, unless you wealth overfloweth and it wasn't n issue. Just wondered how other people decided. Reading the forum, people seem to have a lot of trust that Norm will put a lot of effort into sorting all the known problems, and also further problems as they arise. Any thoughts on the subject would be welcome - providing they're friendly :)

Calling me a "dork", on the other hand, would be less encouraging :nuts: even if true!

Thanks,

Martin

[Lempereur1]

If you are getting problems in the demo, your graphic settings are set to high. This is the only problem that has been reported in the demo.

[KGB]

I've run the trial scenario several times, but there is just 30 days or 30 plays to decide whether to buy. As far as I can tell, there is no facility to patch the demo. Either way, the game has, each time, fairly quickly, crashed and restarted my computer. I tried windowed and none-windowed modes, and there seemed no great strain on my computer at the time. I was certainly "fiddling around" seeing how the interface worked, and getting a feel for it, but this shouldn't have put any strain on a system which was, at the time, running at over 70 fps. It's not that I need advice about the problem I'm having, because if I try to rectify the situation, by taking the advice, I just use up another "go". My query is really how everyone else decided whether to "take the plunge". I'm sure Norm will be working hard to sort things out as quickly as possible, but it's a bit of a Catch-22. If I wait until the forums are saying that it's now a pretty stable product, with the best will and energy in the world, this is unlikely to be before the end of August. If I buy now, I save $30, but may end up with something I can't get to work, or just don't like. If I wait, the price will be higher. Most people must have had this decision to make, unless you wealth overfloweth and it wasn't n issue. Just wondered how other people decided. Reading the forum, people seem to have a lot of trust that Norm will put a lot of effort into sorting all the known problems, and also further problems as they arise. Any thoughts on the subject would be welcome - providing they're friendly :)

Calling me a "dork", on the other hand, would be less encouraging :nuts: even if true!

Thanks,

Martin
U should buy this game not only because it is one of the best naval sims, but also because it has great potential of developing.

[Porkchop]

That's a difficult one if you're having problems running the demo. I haven't seen the issues you have noted at all, so there's some hope for you. I downloaded the demo, played for a few hours and decided to buy. I don't buy games very often these days. not because I'm restricted financially, it's because I just don't see games that grab my attention anymore. In the past I used to see previews of games and couldn't wait for the release. Maybe I'm getting older and grumpier. :D Anyway, the Russo-Japanese war is something I know very little about so I ordered a couple of books from Amazon which I'm enjoying reading. So, even if I didn't play the game that much, and I think I will, I've learned something about a bit of history I never knew about.

[mart]

Hi Porkchop - Thanks for that.

I'll give it a few more runs and then make up my mind about it. Might turn out to be a coin-flip job! Incidentally, if you are taking an interest in RJW, then NWS produce a computer game called "Warship Combat: Dreadnoughts and Battleships". It has a really simple interface, and although seemingly quite abstracted, it has a lot of research, data and AI, under the bonnet. It covers the whole of the 1st half of the 20th century. It's turn-based and very easy to create your own scenarios, in addition to the bucketloads of historical ones. In the next six months they'll be releasing their new real -time sim covering the same time-frame (1890 to 1950) called "Navies at War". The company is small, and they are fully signed up naval nut-cases (forgive me!) so accuracy is a really big deal with them. They're also friendly.

However, in the meantime, I'll have to get back to "the decision". Thanks for your help.

Martin :)

[Spharv2]

I made the decision based mainly on potential and track record. This game has the potential to be insanely good, and expanding it to other theatres and times is something I want to see. As for track record, I've been a huge fan of Norm's games since the first time I played Red Lightning on a friend's Amiga. I've owned all of the games he's put out, (Including all of the myriad versions of TOAW) and have never been disappointed. So I figured that if I bought it, I'd be sure to get a game worth my time and money.

[mbv]

My decision was based on a number of factors:

1. I was interested in the RJW and the ships of the period before the game came out.

2. The detail and historical accuracy put into the game matched my expectations for a game set in this period.

3. I tried the demo a number of times, it worked well on my system with no obvious problems and I was happy with the control and content of the game.

4. There is no other way I can experience 3D naval warfare in this period.

5. I trusted the company to fix any problems which might appear in the full game and I am optimistic that they will add new content to the existing game.

6. While the price was steep I accepted that I was paying for a niche interest game which needed support for future development to progress. The prospect of WWI naval warfare being simulated on this engine, or an improved one, is quite an incentive to pay up and support StormEagle Studios.


In the end only you can make the decision on whether you want to buy the game or not. I must admit that if I experienced the showstopper crashes and CTDs you are experiencing I would think twice about buying it at this time. Given the obvious incompatability with your particular system setup at the moment it may be worth waiting to see if the major bugs get fixed. If you really want this game you will still buy it at the full price, but can be more certain by then that the game will be stable on your PC.

[mart]

Thanks fellas.

Your comments have been really helpful. I'll probably do a few system tweaks and see where the problem MIGHT lie. I'm not a wizz on the different ways graphics cards do the fancy bits, but even I know that even if my card and CPU are fast enough, as they seem to be, there may be that some inconsistencies between the game and some of the graphics features, due to my type of card. So, I'll have a few more goes, as the graphics settings would probably seem the most obvious place to start. But from what you're saying, as long as I can get some degree of improvement, Norm's track record would suggest that all would, eventually, end well. One helpful sign, is simply a gut reaction. From the moment I booted up Silent Hunter 3, I just knew in my bones that I was on to a loser, and I was right! I think lots of others found the same. This seems, using my unique form of ESP, to feel less terminal than that. So; better get going.

Many thanks,

Martin

[Roberts]

Thanks fellas.

Your comments have been really helpful. I'll probably do a few system tweaks and see where the problem MIGHT lie. I'm not a wizz on the different ways graphics cards do the fancy bits, but even I know that even if my card and CPU are fast enough, as they seem to be, there may be that some inconsistencies between the game and some of the graphics features, due to my type of card. So, I'll have a few more goes, as the graphics settings would probably seem the most obvious place to start. But from what you're saying, as long as I can get some degree of improvement, Norm's track record would suggest that all would, eventually, end well. One helpful sign, is simply a gut reaction. From the moment I booted up Silent Hunter 3, I just knew in my bones that I was on to a loser, and I was right! I think lots of others found the same. This seems, using my unique form of ESP, to feel less terminal than that. So; better get going.

Many thanks,

Martin

I felt the same way about SH3. It seemed to have no soul and lacked something in the way of coherence and pace. Anyway, I'd rather have been in one of the corvettes. When you think about it, subs are a bit dull in terms of simulation possibilities.

[mart]

The GOOD news is that some graphics tweaking, and not trying to change preferences during the scenario (it's in the fly menu - but wants to reset your graphics) seems to have created a lot more stability. My impression is that, in non-techno-speak, my demo version is still a bit finicky, which is much better than I thought. I suspect that my computer won't blow up, and that I'll end up forking out my dosh to buy the game.

Thanks again for your help. Incidentally on the SH3 thing, it was pretty clear quite quickly that those scanning sailors with binoculars were just going to drive me nuts! But the worse thing was that that there was a real problem with what I think is called "tearing". Once it started, within minutes,the screen would just be a mass of randomly appearing polygons. Once you've got that (and loads of other people had it as well) and when you've turned down EVERYTHING, as well as the dubious pleasures of Starforce, it's time to use that little Starforce Removal utility and hope your computer still works.

But with DG, I think it may now be ok. Thanks again for the advice and encouragement.

Cheers, Martin