Do Not Buy From Matrix Games

[Saris Kai]

I recently got a copy of a game published by them called Distant Worlds. I was really excited when I learn of this game because I feel the 4x genre is very under served in the current market. The fact the Gold standard for the genre is still the 15yo MOO2 speaks volumes on the issue. On top of the SotS2 fiasco it made me decided to look else where for my space based 4x fix (having long become bored of GalCiv2, the original SotS and Starships Unlimited 3, etc.) so I got this game. What a huge fucking mistake.

First the disk will not autorun so I try to launch it manually and I get a message saying I do not have authorization. I am running as administrator and already have many other hidden restrictions windows 7 puts on users disabled. These get in the way of me modding games fairly often so I need them disabled. Frustrated I tired to decompile the .bin file and just manually create directories for the game on my PC instead of using the install wizard. I also lacked authorization for that. Again no reason given. It didn't even say I needed admin privileges, I simply said I was not allowed to take that action.

I go to the Matrix Games website and fill out a help ticket (I hate that type of system btw) and the only response they give me is to deny the problem was even possible, despite screen shots of the error message and included proof I have a legit copy of the game. They would similarly not give a refund. I tired posting about the issue on their forums and the thread was deleted almost instantly.

 

[RicoGrey]

What is 4x? Is it better than triple x, XXX ?

 

[SidingWithTheEnemy]

It maybe helps if you try to avoid abbrevation, because only those insiders know about 4X, MOO2, SotS2 and GalCiv2. Especially since all those titles are available to us Glorious PC Gaming Master Race only and insulting others about their missing knowledge doesn't help your cause either, methinks.

Anyway, Matrix Games is a small publisher which publishes Indie Strategy Games. So if you don't like them anymore (and intend to boycott them) you probably have only Paradox and Shrapnel games left.

 

[Panzervaughn]

What are you a child

Im 24 and hadn't heard of a single thing you just said.

Also seems to be a problem at least one other person is having http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2935209

Its nice to see you condemn an entire developer based on one bad experience, though.
Us children like to adapt and overcome problems, instead of giving up and burning every bridge in sight.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

It maybe helps if you try to avoid abbrevation, because only those insiders know about 4X, MOO2, SotS2 and GalCiv2. Especially since all those titles are available to us Glorious PC Gaming Master Race only and insulting others about their missing knowledge doesn't help your cause either, methinks.

To be fair, 4X is a lot better known than what it stands for. I'm a huge fan of the genre, and even I can never remember what the last X stands for; I get "Expand, Explore, Exterminate" but I always forget the last one. Anyway, the OP shouldn't have insulted the other guy over not knowing what 4X meant, but it should be a pretty well known genre around these parts, and aside from saying "those games that play like Civilization," I'm not sure how to describe it better.

 

[Just_A_Glitch]

............I don't understand any of those acronyms............

 

[Wuffykins]

............I don't understand any of those acronyms............

Quick primer:
4x - "explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate", aka Empire building genre of strategy games usually set in Space.
MOO - Master of Orion
SotS - Sword of the Stars (?)
GalCiv - Galactic Civilizations

Hope that helps a bit...

What is 4x? Is it better than triple x, XXX ?

Depends if you're talking about Vin Diesel or the Ice Cube one. Though really it's only going to decide to answer by 'Yes' or 'HEEEEELL Yes' playing MOO is better.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Never heard of this game or genre and am only vaguely aware of what you're talking about so I guess I am obeying by default. Excuse me while I return to my mud raking and, console games.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

............I don't understand any of those acronyms............

Quick primer:
4x - "explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate", aka Empire building genre of strategy games usually set in Space.
MOO - Master of Orion
SotS - Sword of the Stars (?)
GalCiv - Galactic Civilizations

Hope that helps a bit...

What is 4x? Is it better than triple x, XXX ?

Depends if you're talking about Vin Diesel or the Ice Cube one. Though really it's only going to decide to answer by 'Yes' or 'HEEEEELL Yes' playing MOO is better.

But is it better than porn?

 

[Tanis]

Never had an issue with the game myself - but I've only ran it on WinXP SP2 and Vista.

The game that REALLY is wonky with me is Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines

Sometimes it'll install and play perfect, a week later it'll freeze the computer.

 

[ZeroMachine]

What are you a child?

Rude much? I've never heard of that genre. I'm 22 and I've been gaming since I was 6.

Just because you love a genre and feel like it's a big staple of your younger years doesn't mean everyone else does.

There is NO reason to be that obnoxious about it. Not to mention you're trying to harm a company because you're dealing with a problem that is obviously a rare one and most likely an issue on YOUR end, NOT theirs.

Now, for some actual advice from me- Google is your best friend. If you search for something along the lines of "Distant Worlds install fix" or "install problem", you could probably find out if this is a more-common-than-Matrix-Games-thinks issue and if people have found a workaround.

What is 4x? Is it better than triple x, XXX ?

Depends if you're talking about Vin Diesel or the Ice Cube one. Though really it's only going to decide to answer by 'Yes' or 'HEEEEELL Yes' playing MOO is better.

Bravo on not going straight to the more obvious porn joke, dude.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Its nice to see you condemn an entire developer based on one bad experience, though.
Us children like to adapt and overcome problems, instead of giving up and burning every bridge in sight.

I can't trully speak for the OP, but I'm fairly certain his condemnation comes more. from the shitty customer service than the actual problem itself.
@Saris Kaio correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Krion_Vark]

What are you a child

Im 24 and hadn't heard of a single thing you just said.

Also seems to be a problem at least one other person is having http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2935209

Its nice to see you condemn an entire developer based on one bad experience, though.
Us children like to adapt and overcome problems, instead of giving up and burning every bridge in sight.

I'm 32 and have no idea of what the OP is talking about either.

*Shrugs*

Kids now-a-days.... lol

The funny thing about the OP is that I had no idea what 4x was but knew it when someone expanded it to "Explore, Exploit, Exterminate, Expand" and love those kinds of games.

 

[ms_sunlight]

What are you a child? 4x is a genre of usually turn based strategy games that died down considerably since consoles started dominating the market. Several high profiles failures on titles meant to energize the genre have happened recently. The problem with all of these attempts IMO is they to much effort in to graphics and powerful but buggy engines to pull in new people when the people who really want these games are still willing to put up with mid 90s sprites because the games boil down to combat spreadsheets anyway.

You know, I'm 37 and I'd never heard of these games being called 4x before; I'd always just referred to them as empire builders, perhaps because (having looked up 4x on wikipedia) I've actually been playing them since before the term 4x was coined. Civ, you know. Just saying.

 

[Tanis]

@OP: You lack tack and it's sad.

OT: I love the 4X genera and lament that it's in the same realm as Point-n-Click adventure games.

I always thought, with the rise of games like Farmville and tower defense games, that 4X games would get a boost - even if it met making them a bit more simplified or streamed.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

What are you a child? 4x is a genre of usually turn based strategy games that died down considerably since consoles started dominating the market. Several high profiles failures on titles meant to energize the genre have happened recently. The problem with all of these attempts IMO is they to much effort in to graphics and powerful but buggy engines to pull in new people when the people who really want these games are still willing to put up with mid 90s sprites because the games boil down to combat spreadsheets anyway.

You know, I'm 37 and I'd never heard of these games being called 4x before; I'd always just referred to them as empire builders, perhaps because (having looked up 4x on wikipedia) I've actually been playing them since before the term 4x was coined. Civ, you know. Just saying.

If you want to get really crazy about it, there's this game called Anacreon that had all of the hallmarks of the genre, and came out in 1987. It's old enough (and complex enough for the time) that the "graphics" are entirely ascii based. The user interface was a bit different from the one in Civilization, which is what all the modern ones copy, but it was definitely an early example of the genre.

You can find the latest version of the original game <link=http://neurohack.com/anacreon/index.html>here, along with a modern open source remake. And when I say "latest version," I mean "latest version"; the current build was made sometime last decade at the absolute latest. The guy who owns the original source code likes to keep it maintained and freely available.

 

[SpAc3man]

Right click and run as administrator? I have had similar issues with installers before on Win7 and that normally makes it work.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Well I'm not seeing a question in the OP. So instead I'm going to suggest a good 4X game I've had for a while that me and my dad play together. Sins of a Solar Empire. It's hella cheap and you can sink ages into a single game.