laptop useage is key for me. I have an imac as my main computer but work have kindly given me a laptop so without it I would not be able to play galciv2 at all!!!

thanks for being more open minded about H/W spec than some game developers I could mention!

G

Laptop playability is vital to me.

I, and others I know are getting rid of our desktops with all the clutter of wires , plugs. transformers and other crap.

A powerful laptop takes up little space. Can be put in a cupboard when not in use and as mentioned, can be used anywhere at any time.

I think it is a mistake to make computer games more and more complex and the visuals more and more stunning . It means you need higher and higher specs, which in turn means a smaller and smaller market.

Games makers should do what you are doing. Make the gameplay more enjoyable, rather than going for 'eyecandy'.

I agree 100%. Infact for a moment I thought you were speaking of me I have a Super Duper Desktop but have been spending alot of time on my laptop. Why? Because its wirless and gets me into the same room with my wife. At least she feels "i am with her". While my desktop is in the other room and I do not spend hours away from her after work. It seems to work for both of us. So when I buy now-I check too see if my lap will run it.

hmm, I think the point of strategy games esp. the turn based variety is about the ability of the user not the machine. Whizzy graphics only improve the way something looks but the way it plays?

I played the 3d games from start to finish 1984-2006. First person shoot em ups are getting as old hat a 2d sprite scrollers.

Have any of you played a game for the amiga called Shadow of the beast? whoooo looked pretty but god it stank! £25 quids worth of one screen jump and get killed as fast as the 25 frames a second hype.

I like the idea of vector based graphics but do they really add to a plot line and a game style that is basically old fashioned 2d in looks but has dimensions in many more ways that you just can't see. For me I think the best way forward for strategy games would be better AI, more objects and a fast and capable rules engine that can cope with whatever kid come 60 year old chess grand master can throw at it. Leave the high end graphics for the kids, and let the strategy take center stage. I mean thats what its all about?

There are only so many genres of games out there, I am with nintendo on this one, change the way a game can be played and don't do the super dooper graphics rubbish that is currently out there. There is only so much you can do with point and fire no matter how big a weapon you can get, I grant you that seeing some zombies head blow up into little pieces is fantastic, but as we are talking about turn based strategy, its all in the mind like a good novel, RPG and 2d comic book.

Why is starwars, startrek, Babyon 5 and the leagues of Marvel/Darkhorse/DC comics so good? I tell you why, believable mythology with relations and interactions with character, objects and plot lines to die for.

Put those GHZ to good use!


Don't get me started on Windows Vista , whats the point of vector based Operating System GUI!!! arghhh!!!!!!


Wheres my DOS box......hello old friend, been a while.

"I think it is a mistake to make computer games more and more complex and the visuals more and more stunning . It means you need higher and higher specs, which in turn means a smaller and smaller market."

Furthermore it makes the game crash. Based on other threads, it seems like Stardock is attributing the game crashes to video issues. I'd rather have ugly graphics and a game that's rock solid than one with pretty graphics that is full of bugs. Although I never thought 2D graphis were inherently ugly, especially not in what is essentially a 2D game. Really, if the planets on the map didn't revolve, it wouldn't take anything at all away from the game.

Also, I will repeat my request to make strategy games for portable gaming devices like a Nintendo Gameboy DS, which I don't own but would buy to play a good game. I presume the DS has enough processing power to handle a game like this. The only downside is that the game would have to be rock-solid when finished--you can't fix bugs with upgrade patches on those types of devices.

I have my own laptop, as well as a household PC. Laptop playability definitely matters, to me at least. I never play games on the Desktop.

I'm using a 700 MHz laptop running Win'98se, and glad you developers are still supporting this!

I'm voting with my wallet...

Laptops are more popular now than ever. It doesn't make sense that so many game developers ignore this market.

I'd love to see this ported to Mac OS X, so it can run on my new MacBook Pro.

Very much, Brad. But don't discount the part of the market that includes low end computer users, either.

I like to play occasionally, but have to make do with the older computer I have around the house. One day I'll be able to upgrade, but until then, I hate to have to hunt down "retro" games on half.com because I can't find anything my system supports.

Oh what do you know, installing this game on my laptop was one of the first things I did when I got it. It's really nice to have on my laptop, I can play it at work and all.

Though um, would you guys be interested in some small tweaks you could make to make it great for Tablet PC users? My laptop converts into a Tablet PC and there's just something really fun about carrying around the tablet in one hand and pecking at the screen with the stylus to enact your plans to perfection. It feels really natural too, you want to click a button you just touch it with the pen, no draging cursors around.

A few tiny changes to the game would seal it for tablet PCs. It's playable now, but a few alterations would make it easier.

I will find out if it runs on my new CoreDuo 1.66 Vaio with the integrated Intel graphics and 1 GB RAM. (After it finishes loading from TG.net)
It ran on a horrible Celeron 1.2 IBM with 64MB shared RAM for video so I have high hoes for my new one.
My desktop screams with the game though. AMD64 3700+, 2 GB RAM, Nvidia 7800GT. I need to run FRAPS to see.