Fixing the obvious bugs is nice, but where is the SotS heading?
Like so many others that have posted here so far, I was really looking forward to the release of SotS2. And likewise I got really disappointed right after downloading it. So far I am not looking to any refund because of the bugs and some missing functionality - Kerberos can made them work relatively soon. But I am getting worried about the game staying true to the course set by SotS1, because after playing several hours of the game I can see a major problem (at least for me):
The proclaimed motto easy to learn, hard to master seems to cease to hold - even after playing tens (possibly hundreds) of hours of playing SotS1 it felt kinda hard to navigate around the strategic interface (esp. without working screen-centering on new events). Plus the new system for ordering your fleets to do missions by first clicking on target system, choosing the kind of mission, choosing the fleet from unnecessary new window, and only after that confirming the mission - i.e. only if you are allowed to, i.e. if there is the fleet you intended to use for this purpose in the selection; if it is not you need to go back to the startegy screen and find out what the .... is wrong and then reiterate the process. It is needlessly complicated, feels unnatural, and prolongs the already long gameplay (I mean I already spent quite a lot of time playing SotS1, so I don't mind a long game, but I want to spend my time designing new ships and using them in combat and thinking how to out-manoeuvre the opponents' fleets in the galaxy and what technology to research next, but certainly not clicking myself to death through uncessary selection windows) - the system of ordering ships in SotS1 was completely fine and most things were intuitive and you didn't need to think hard trying to do simple things or even search the manual (rather incomplete for the time being) for help.
Similarly, there are other things that rather needlessly complicate the game - like the province system, new options for budgeting, or the whole idea of Admirals and their retiring/capturing - all these new features add even more complexity to the game, make it harder to learn, and even longer to play even a simple game and what is the worst, they distract players from the core of the game - strategy and combat. I always loved the SotS1 for its awesome feel of combat on one hand, and the simple and efficient empire management on the other. For now SotS2, seems to divert from this combination. I don't know how many of you guys remember the Master of Orion series, but it would be a real shame if SotS was to end like MoO (god, I was so frustrated from playing MoO3 - it was like filling out a tax return, only to receive back yet another form to fill out).
And I am afraid that this is not to be fixed by a few minor patches - those are severe design decisions and altering them would require (I imagine) a lot of work on Kerberos' part and a lot of feedback on fans' part.
What are your thoughts on this, guys?