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ETROM: The Astral Essence Coming to TotalGaming.net

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ETROM: The Astral Essence Coming to TotalGaming.net

from JoeUser Forums
Plymouth, MI- (December 22, 2005) – Stardock Corporation announced today that it had reached an agreement to bring ETROM: The Astral Essence, the fast-paced action-RPG from P.M. Studios, to the company’s progressive TotalGaming.net game-distribution service. ETROM: The Astral Essence takes players on a thrilling open-ended adventure to a bleak, futuristic world, where survival is earned, rather than expected. Scheduled for release in February 2006, ETROM will be available at TotalGaming.net for just $29.95.

Developed by P.M. Studios, ETROM: The Astral Essence weaves a story across time and space, full of advanced technology and ancient magic, in which players will battle alongside and against demons, secret divinities, mechs, hovertanks and dragons. ETROM features an extensive character development system, a deep story-driven campaign and striking visuals that bring the developers’ unique universe to life.

"We're very excited to be partnering with Stardock and TotalGaming.net to bring ETROM: The Astral Essence to a worldwide audience," said Fabio Delsanti, Managing Director at P.M. Studios and Lead Designer of ETROM. "They've proven their commitment to providing gamers with a simple, user-friendly method of buying games electronically."

"Stardock is dedicated to bringing high-quality titles to a broad audience, without many of the hassles traditionally associated with electronic distribution services," said Brian Clair, Director of TotalGaming.net. "With products like Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords, Space Hack and now ETROM: The Astral Essence, TotalGaming.net offers players great games that are theirs for life."

ETROM: The Astral Essence can now be pre-ordered at TotalGaming.net (http://totalgaming.stardock.com/games/?id=etr).
4,685 views 68 replies
Reply #26 from Stardock Forums Top

Certainly doesn't hurt to ask/suggest games you think would make good additions to TGN.   There's a lot of them out there, so suggestions definitely put games that may have been overlooked onto our radar.

As for our non-game products, sorry, not my area.

CursorFX - Customize your Windows cursor
Reply #28 from Stardock Forums Top
heh, I was just trying to yank your chains about the Object Desktop stuff;) I am happy as it is right now.

Please do check out the games that I mentioned though. The Fall still didn't announce a publisher for US. And UFO:extra... doesn't seem to have a reliable publisher either.

The last thing that I want is Copy Protection like Starforce on those games, because of my experience with that protection scheme, i have banned myself from all starforce protected games no matter how badly i wanted them.
So when you guys have a little time, do please check those games out, they certainly have potential. (I could think of couple others, but they are not closed to be finished even for their native languages yet)

thanks
Reply #29 from Stardock Forums Top
The UFO:Aftermath and UFO:Aftershock games could be fun.
Reply #30 from Stardock Forums Top
I am actually still curious about what makes it take 3 whole days for a game to be put on the servers for download. Is it some inner office political bureaucratic red tape you have to go through? Do you actually have to transfer the files on a slow dial-up connection to the servers? Did Frogboy draft you on the assembly line to pack boxes of GalCiv2 so they can be sent out so you don't have time?

In a way, this is exactly the GalCiv 2 retail situation, but reversed.

Every hour I don't have the game is an hour I'm forced to work on my projects instead.

And if the game is as big as you say it is, a Thursday release may mean not being able to play it till Friday if you guys decide to release it in the afternoon.
Reply #31 from Stardock Forums Top

Pretty sure it has to do with with the unique way you get the games from stardock. It's not like we download a zipfile and maually figure it out from there.


All good things will come in time, now stop distracting yarlen or it may take even longer.

Reply #32 from Stardock Forums Top

It takes some time to get the files prepared and uploaded, synced and tested, and then to test downloading them to make sure they install properly.

For instance, I have run into a problem with Etrom, so it's not going to be out today (hopefully on Monday).   Why?  Because to fix the issue we need to put out a new build of Stardock Central, plus a new GalCiv II patch is coming out today (on the bright side, this new SDC version includes new checksum goodness to ensure proper downloads).

But, if we'd just stuck Etrom up live for people, you'd all be screaming bloody murder at us for it being broken. So it's good we spend the time to do this stuff right, yah?

Reply #33 from Stardock Forums Top
Meh, Monday (if it requires a new SDC, then put out the new SDC and be done with it!). Might as well come out end of next week then (I'm not kidding, Tuesday to Thursday is friggin' hell for me next week). I'm beginning to want a refund.
Reply #34 from Stardock Forums Top

So when is the Stardock Central update coming?

Reply #35 from Stardock Forums Top
Good news gang. Thanks to the tech savvy of Master Nakor, we'll be able to get Etrom up tonight. Give us another hour or so and it'll be good to go via your current version of Stardock Central.
Reply #36 from Stardock Forums Top
Thank you!
Reply #37 from Stardock Forums Top
It's alive!  An official announcement will be made tomorrow, but if you pre-ordered (or are ordering) the game with tokens, it's now available (currently on the California server; it'll appear on the others a bit later).  If you purchased the game standalone (without tokens), it'll be available tomorrow morning.
Reply #38 from Stardock Forums Top
Thank you sir! Now please please consider those other indyish games that I mentioned. I really can't imagine buying electronic download version of games from anywhere but here now...
Reply #39 from Stardock Forums Top
YAY!!! THANK YOU YARLEN!!!
Reply #40 from Stardock Forums Top
Don't thank me, thank my colleague Nakor. It was his server wizardry that got Etrom up tonight (plus the fact that it was just a corrupt file on the server mucking things up before).
Reply #41 from Stardock Forums Top
Thank you both and thanks for being responsive to us and keeping us updated
Reply #42 from Stardock Forums Top
Thanks Nakor as well!
Reply #43 from Stardock Forums Top

So I have been attempting to download this for the past 18+ hours.  I get to various points of completion and then it will start over at 0%.  This is the log from the last attempt (and the only one that gave me a log).  Since I thought that Stardock Central was to act as a download manager and handle resumes I am a little peeved at having to down the same data over and over again.
-- [Application] ----------------------------------------------------
Name:   Stardock Central
Path:   C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral
Version: 2.30.376, build: 120


-- [System Information] ---------------------------------------------
Platform: Microsoft Windows Windows XP, 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2
System Dir: C:\WINDOWS\system32
Time / Date: 21:18:15 -- Thursday, March 02, 2006


-- [Installing] -----------------------------------------------------
Server:  http://sdcentral.stardock.com
Server Dir: public
Network Id: drengin
Name:  Etrom: The Astral Essence
App Id:  etr
Installed: False
Version: 1.00.001
Type:  production
Reg Key: Etrom
Install Dir: C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\Etrom
Exe:  ETROM.exe
Last Updated: 03/02/2006


-- [Account] --------------------------------------------------------
First Name: Caleb
Last Name: Reusser
Email:  ****************


-- [Installation] ---------------------------------------------------
Download: C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral\data\public\etr\production\etr.xml 0 | Attempt: 1 | -10 Invalid server responce
Download: C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral\data\public\etr\production\etr.xml 0 | Attempt: 2 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Download: C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral\data\public\etr\production\etr.xml 0 | Attempt: 3 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Download: C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral\data\public\etr\production\etr.xml 0 | Attempt: 4 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Download: C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral\data\public\etr\production\etr.xml 0 | Attempt: 5 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Download: C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral\data\public\etr\production\etr.xml 0 | Attempt: 6 | -14 The Url is invalid
Download: C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral\data\public\etr\production\etr.xml 1
Load:  C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral\data\public\etr\production\etr.xml 1
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 1 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 2 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 3 | -14 The Url is invalid
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 4 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 5 | -30 Connection timed out
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 6 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 7 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 8 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 9 | -14 The Url is invalid
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 10 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Server:  Using other server http://sdcentral2.stardock.com
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 1 | -14 The Url is invalid
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 2 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 3 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 4 | -14 The Url is invalid
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 5 | -14 The Url is invalid
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 6 | -14 The Url is invalid
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 7 | -14 The Url is invalid
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 8 | -14 The Url is invalid
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 9 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CALEBR~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | Attempt: 10 | -19 Connection was closed by the server
Result:  Installation failed (32)

Reply #44 from Stardock Forums Top
Try updating your SDC. There is a newer version out now and you may need to manually download it from stardock.com
Reply #45 from Stardock Forums Top
Crispy mouse, have you had any other problems downloading and installing games from SDC?

What kind of internet connection do you have?
Reply #46 from Stardock Forums Top

I am also having a similar problem.  Using SDC v2.30a[b].184, build: 121.


SDC downloads the entire "etr.sdc" file and then just starts over - no error messages or anything.  I left it running overnight and it was still installing in the morning.


The log file "etr.log" in the STARDOCK\SDCENTRAL\INSTALLED directory has the following entry after I canceled the download:  Download: C:\DOCUME~1\Unreq\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\etr.sdc 0 | File Size Incorrect | 1297448340 1297448339


The last game I downloaded successfully was GalCiv 2 and have never had this problem before.  I am using DSL.

Reply #47 from Stardock Forums Top
I had a different problem but it runs now.

When I tried to install, it always quit because of an expected file with an "à" as one of its letters (you can see that in the log file). So I went to the location specified in the log file and saw that the file was there, but with a normal "a". I renamed the file to be like the one in the log file and installed again (SDC just extracted again, I didn't have to download all of it again) and I got a similar error, this time because the file extracted from the one I renamed again was with an "a" instead of an "à". Renamed *that* file as well, installed again and this time it worked.
Maybe this helps someone with a similar problem.
Reply #48 from Stardock Forums Top
I have DSL and I have not had any problems with other games.  And I have installed 4 or 5 other games.  Just out curiosity, where does SDCentral put the files that it is downloading?
Reply #49 from Stardock Forums Top
Well I just restarted, and the etr.sdc file went back to 0 bytes in size.... why is it not resuming like my settings say it should be?
Reply #50 from Stardock Forums Top

I decided to try "downgrading" my SD Central to version 2.30.376 build: 120 and the file finally completed downloading.


I then had the same installation problem as Todd Hawks (thanks for your solution, BTW!), so I renamed the files and the game is now installed.  Whew - quite an ordeal...