VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE INSTALLING THE NEXT PUBLIC BETA PATCH!
I cannot stress how important this is, so please take a moment to read.
In the next day or so, we will be posting the first candidate for the final official release version of 1.05. Your feedback on it will influence whether we make any final tweaks to any of the files, and whether we meet our current target release date.
For your feedback to have any value to us at all, it is IMPERATIVE that you test this patch on a new installation with absolutely no file tweaks, mods, or anything that would make your installation in any way different from a vanilla install. It is also VITALLY IMPORTANT that you do not use any F12 cheats, and that you do not edit save game files or anything like that. It is also critical that your feedback is based on actual gameplay observations or experience. Don't "guess" based on the change log, or based on past game play using previous beta patches.
We BEG you to adhere to this for approximately 2 weeks after the next beta patch is released. If you feel this is asking too much, then please go ahead and do whatever you wish BUT THEN DO NOT PROVIDE ANY FEEDBACK OR OPINIONS AT ALL during that 2-week period.
We would ask that before installing the next patch you do the following:
- Back up any save games you might want to play in the future.
- Uninstall CK completely from your computer and delete any related folders that are left on your system after doing so.
- Defragment your hard drive.
- Install CK from your original CD.
- Install the official 1.04a patch.
- Download the beta patch (when we post it) and unpack it into the CK root directory.
- DO NOT USE ANY MODS
- DO NOT USE ANY F12 CHEATS
- DO NOT EDIT ANY GAME FILES
- DO NOT EDIT ANY SAVE GAME FILES
- BASE ALL REPORTS ON ACTUAL GAMEPLAY. Do not report or complain about something unless you have actually tested it IN GAME. Don't base your comments on the change log or on past gameplay experience.
If you have a CTD that you can reproduce, please report it and keep a copy of the save game so we can test it ourselves.
If you have any complaints about any of the gameplay aspects, please provide sufficient details to support your position and keep a copy of a save game (if relevant) that we could look at to confirm a problem/concern.
After that (approximately) two week period is over, you can return to playing the game however you like and can ignore this entire post. We'll post an official announcement when the time is over.
Why such strict requirements? Because we want the official 1.05 enhancement to be the
best it can possibly be! Without your help by complying to this request, we'll fail. It's that simple.
As a sign that you have read this entire post and are complying with the request, we would ask that any time you provide feedback or commentary on the new beta patch you begin you post with a single line that says "IAC" (it stands for "I am complying"). We will only make tweaks to the release candidate based on feedback from complying posters.
Please don't pretend to be complying when you're not. There's no shame in playing the game however you like -- that's why you bought it -- and simply not giving feedback for that 2-week period. Once the two weeks is up, everything will be pretty much back to normal.
Finally, thank you in advance for any and all help that you give us. Without
you, we would have had little incentive to continue through this long process and 1.04a would have been the final game patch. With
you, it will be an accomplishment that we can all be proud of!
Thanks, and look for the release candidate in the next day or so.
Chris "MrT" Stone
(on behalf of the entire development and beta team)
EDIT: if you have any questions about this, please ask
in this thread and I will try to answer ASAP.