While I agree with what Kryo said, Stardock and IC have gone from talking to the sins community pretty regularly to completely shutting down all communication cold turkey. I don't think we've ever gone this long without hearing something out of you guys, and the fact that there are glaring imbalances in the game makes it all the worse. Modders are going in and fixing it, but getting people to rally around one mod is damn near impossible.

I'm making a mod, but so is Eadtaes, and so is Mindseye. All three of us have different perspectives on what balance is. Are any one of us necessecarily god and correct on all accounts? No, but we're going in and balancing a game that the developers themselves seemed to have completely forgotten about. It won't stay 3 mods, eventually it'll become 1 mod, but right now, the fact is three modders are showing more initiative than the developers are about keeping the community together so that Diplomacy will actually sell.

Oh, and I know Gas Powered Games developed Demigod, but it's not exactly thrilling to see that Demigod is currently getting a ton of love (regular fixes, just came out though, and this is what sins was like when it came out so really i've got nothing to bitch about here), but then I go onto Gal Civ II, and I see this

Ah, back to Galactic Civilizations love

That just plucks my short hairs. It looks like right after the release of 1.03 you went on to GalCiv, which would be aok, but 1.03 didn't do all that much except further throw balance out of what (slowed carriers down, i'm still trying to follow that one, kiting wasn't a problem, flak and lf's, the counter to carriers, were both faster than them. Now LRFS, what fighters counter, can catch carriers, just ugh). Refining a product that's been out for a while is a good idea, so why not fix this one? I'm fully aware that IC is the developer of Sins, not Stardock, and that Gal Civ II is basically Stardocks baby (developer and publisher), but does that make my blood boil any less overall? Nope.

If I'm feeling this way, there's gotta be others that are. You are the people who have the tools to fix this game so easily yet nothing is done. This is driving a lot of us up a wall. You get so far, learn so much about a very in depth game only to find out that the game in it's very depths is overall imbalanced and favors one faction (Advent) over the others in just about every situation. The rare exception is when the map generator produces a ton of neutral extractors, which then heavily favors one faction (Vasari).

I ask you, would you want to seriously play this if in the back of your mind you know theres an ace up every Advent players sleeve that can completely break the game? I can only pull out my hair for so long before I go from being Raging Amish to Bald Raging Amish.

Knowing my luck, right after I finish this reply a dev is going to post that 1.04 is almost ready for release and here's what is in it.

Mercenary Muffin, why get all worked up over this?  I think you're setting yourself up for disappointment if you get emotionally attached to any prospective new game or expansion these days since 95% of what's released is junk (and now-a-days, often consolized, watered-down junk).  Even sequels to proven, successful games get FUBARred.  The expansion will be finished when it's finished and it might be worthwhile or it might just be poor kitsch.  In the meantime, just enjoy the game as it stands now.  If you're getting bored playing single player against the AI and seek variety or a greater strategic challenge, then consider getting custom mods and maps or even playing the game in online multiplayer against real human opponents (it's the "Ironclad Online" button).  Coming to play it online would almost be like getting a brand new game except you know that you already enjoy the mechanics of the game.

I don't feel I'm getting worked up, I feel I'm being honest. Is it really so much to ask that a game company --and one that has stated multiple expansions will be released, at that-- throw us a bone once in a while? It's simple business: You want your customers to know you care about them. You do this by interacting with them, acknowledging their existence. Stardock and Ironclad have done neither in a very long time.

Blizzard, CCP Games, Valve, EA, they all actively chat with their fans, to name a few. Yes, I know I listed big companies, but they're just the first that came to mind. My point stands.

Even obscure companies, like 1C Maddox, makers of the IL-2 flight sim games and the upcoming Storm of War series, puts out regular screenshots and news. It doesn't require a lot of effort. Supply and demand, etc.

Also, just because expansions CAN be bad, it doesn't mean you should lower your expectations. You have every right, as a paying customer, to expect a quality product. If they don't deliver on this, then by all means, make yourself heard.

I am by no means bored with Sins. Lord Vader knows I sink far too much time into it as is (mostly the BSG and Star Wars: Requiem mods). I will admit I have no intentions of playing this game online, as it would take waaay longer than I'm willing to sit at my computer without splitting my attention elsewhere. I like being able to save and do something else. But I'm not bored with single player at all. I find facing off against 9 Hard AI is pretty damn fun.

I just wish we'd get some details about Diplomacy. No news in five months is really inexcusable.

Imformation and feedback is CRITCALY MISSING!!!

We need information for the devs and we need it soon and not later. From now I would have Expected IC to not only have been having talks with the communaty about the glarign balance problem but to have also started releasing some information about the Diplomacy expansion. I am not expect full finalised change logs but rather information on what IC has tried to do but didn't or isn't working, and what the are doing and di do that seems to be working. Basicaly was direction is this freaking boat going into anyway? Is there someone at the wheel?

That is what the communaty needs to hear from the DEVs.

As for the 3 balance mods out they will indeed unit under 1 mod once we get a clearer picture of what parts of each mod works best for a certain problem and figure out how it will all fit together. I know I for one am investing alot of energy and time into making carrier and fighters work in a balanced way, for now I got the mod behaving as I wish it to be and in the process I managed to create and easy balance ajustment slider to dictate how much flak frigates you need in other to kill just enought fighters to make the host carriers run out of AM at a set time limit. Curently at 0.5 it's 20flak for 20 Fighter squads, if I set it to 0.6 it will be 18 flak for 20 fighters squads. I am going to be looking into making the same for bombers but I am desperately looking for the right armor type to use. And adding a new armor type is soemthing only you IC can do.

IC really needs to update what`s left of the community on the next micro exp.  This forum used to be quite active, It`s not now.  What kind of sales do they expect from the next micro if there isn`t anyone left to buy it.

I`m not asking for an ETA for release, Just some info.  What direction are you taking with it?  What kinds of Diplo feature`s?  There is next to no enthusiasm or anticipation for the next micro.  If a player hadn`t been around here for awhile they would have no idea one was even comming.

I think the Diplo micro will be worth the wait once it is released, I highly doubt we`ll see a third one.