There was a big screwup somewhere between Kerberos and Steam.  An older beta version was made available for download instead of the actual release day version.  Kerberos has a new build uploaded, and it's supposed to be available shortly.

It might be worth waiting a few days, just to get the initial patches out of the way.  That said, Kerberos has a terrific record of supporting SOTS1 with both bugfixes and new features for years after the release, not just right after release.  So even with the launch day fiasco, the game will be under continuous improvement for a long time to come.

With all that said, even the buggy beta that got released looks great, and there's a lot of new gameplay mechanics involved.  You'll definitely want to pick it up.

Just keep in mind that it 'requires' STEAM to finish the installation process (activation) and requires STEAM for all patches to be installed.

A plus is that STEAM does not actually need to be running in order to play the game, just a bummer that it is required for installation. That's my biggest gripe. My Rant.

I'm waiting for a boxed version before I make my final decision on whether to pick it up or not. Been waiting for this for a while now, just bummed that STEAM is involved.

I pre-ordered it. The original was great. 

However, the online version is totally borked... just got fixed about half an hour ago but I'm at home now so can't DL it. 

I'll post my impressions Tuesday/Wednesday (I can download it really fast at school). 

Apparently the 'new' build is just as terrible as the last. Same UI issues, same placeholder crap, tons of bugs, oh and now the options menu is apparently greyed out. Bad enough that they cut features less than 48 hours before release and then ripped up people that expressed amazement. If they had at least delivered a playable game, we could all get past that. Instead we have gotten a buggy piece of garbage and nothing but 'working as intended' excuses from Kerberos. So basically Kerberos is full of it. This is the worst launch I have seen since, well, Elemental

The difference is that Brad manned up and apologized, and took ownership of the issues. All I have seen from Mecron is his typical smug attitude, no apology.They need to get their act together and take responsibility for this fiasco.

This kind of thing is a problem for someone like me that is overseas with limited, very expensive internet. I don't have the time or money to download a big game multiple times. I may just hold off on downloading it at this point. What a waste of money.

I took today off to download it and play it. Didnt happen b/c of reasons stated above. Not downloaded the 'new' version. But their beta version is totaly broke. Even if i wanted to beta test...I dont see how one could with that.

I expect in time though this game will be rocking. SoTS 1 is great still play that with Ryat and by myself some.

They put half the afte release support they put into SoTS 1, it will be a great game.

But dont buy it yet. Let us dorks who pre-ordered it and such wade through this nightmare of a release. Yeah, its on the same lvl as Elemental.

The emo kids have been in full rage today. I hade to wear a Hulk-Buster suit just to make it through the Steam and Paradox fourms for updates and such.

*sigh*

Mecron is reallyyy a jackass. 

Boshi, if your still awake...Im on TS now.

Never get into a landwar in Asia or buy a Paradox game on Day 1.

I dunno about landwars, but I second the paradox comment.

I just tried the newer version. I actually found it funny that I got a chance with a beta. Nice to see what's been changed since then

The game does need some tooltips, crashes for some people (personally haven't seen a single bug or crash) and has a somewhat unpolished feel in places, especially with lacking information. But there's nothing so far that makes me regret preordering it. The actual game design seems very solid and for me that's what counts.

To be honest, I don't expect to play it much until it's patched a bit further.. but I don't really care if I have a working game right away. I want a game I'll spend ages playing, even if that takes a while.

So much truth. Not pre-ordering games anymore is the single best decision I've ever made. Paradox is notoriously bad on day 1, but it's an industry wide plague these days.

OK.  Thanks for all the feedback, folks.  That puts this game firmly in the do not buy until more patches are released category.  If there are any major fixes that come out in the near future or make this much more fun, please make a post here if you think of it.  I'd appreciate it. 

Which is why I normally wait. Unless I can participate in Beta like in Rebellion and SWTOR. Which I did preorder.

Pre-orders in my experience are a 50/50 bet.   If I preorder something, it's becuase I think it's going to be a niche retail thing I might not get otherwise, or because of the pre-order goodies.

Paradox is now a company I will not pre-order from for at least 2 years.  Stardock is in this category as well due to Elemental, but if FE shapes up well I'll gain my confidence back for future stuff.  (I think they'll do it, they just need to show it to me)