I completely agree. I also was expecting boxed CD. But, This is the least of the problems I`m having with this expansion at this point.

I don`t consider $40 cdn CHEAP for an expansion by any means. I can buy a current fully packaged PC game for less then that. I bought it direct because I didn`t think I could get the BOXED expansion set at retail. Although I`ll consider myself lucky if I even receive the CD in a Sleeve.

GC2 Gold contains a $10 mail-in-rebate for owners of the retail version of GC2, so if you already have that you can get it for the approximately same price after rebate as it would cost to buy the download-only version of DA direct. Even better, Circuit City has GC2:Gold for $27.99 today (and all this past week), so if you can get to one today you could get that price and *still* use the rebate.

As a small company we can't easily get two different boxes on shelves at once. This is why there is GC2:Gold at retail and not only DA, so that those who don't have the game already can still get the original.

"As a small company we can't easily get two different boxes on shelves at once"

Sure, but then you had a very bad communication with visitors on your site, only the expansion was available at start with a picture of a boxed version.

Thanks for the tip about Circuit City but you have to understand that not all GC fans are from the USA. On the Circuit City site, the gold edition is at 39.99 and moreover they ship only in the USA.

It's sad that people that always supported you since years (galciv 1 for me) by buying your games as soon as they are avaiable, feel like being abandoned or becoming second class customers like now. :/

To add insult to injury, after spending the extra cash on the Gold Edition, it finally came in the mail the other day (I'm in Australia) and it wasn't even packaged securely.

There was no bubble wrap to protect the box, and as a result it is torn and damaged. And on top Stardock will not pay to have the item sent back to them. It is at my cost they say! They will replace the item itself but i foot the postage bill.

They even go so far as to say because i live in Australia i should expect some damage to the product! What did i pay handling for when all i got was shipping. All this from a company i had come to respect over the last 18 months. Why would i expect a second box to arrive safely when they couldn't do it right the first time?

Sorry to say Stardock, you really dropped the ball on this issue.



Quite true. The customer service i received was rather lacking in any imaginative excuses and it was obvious they plainly just did not care. May answer to all this, i will support this site and this game, but i won't be purchasing another Stardock product until this facet of their game has been lifted.

I will say that I definitely do not like it when a company doesn't pack a product well for shipment.

-HM

Likewise here, one of the reasons I ordered the CD and paid the extra price instead of just paying for the download was that I thought I would at the very least get a manual with it; but I was also expecting it in a box and not the vanila envelope postmarked from Cincinatti Ohio.

I too was expecting an actual box. I just checked my email records for both GalCiv II and GalCiv II: DA

Product Name : Galactic Civilizations II [CD] (Pre-Order)
Product Name : Galactic Civilizations II - Dark Avatar [CD]

I received box, manual etc for GalCiv 2, but only the CD for GalCiv 2:DA.

I was rather shocked to have only received the CD. I can understand the reason behind it but I think Stardock should INFORMED us. In future, if the *PHYSICAL* item isn't shipped - Stardock should indicate it in the sales description to avoid confusion. I think the fans here are upset because it was misleading.

Yep, they were trying to save money, and that I can understand likewise; *but* if they should not put money ahead of fan loyalty!