Is the game fun to play yet?

well...

i myself have few troubles with bugs..

the crash i do get i was able to get around by having someone else "crunch" a turn on their machine...

the basic "stock" ai does create a lot of complaints but there are 2 mods put out by individuals who put lot of work into improving the ai

from what i've seen and palyed, their versions are both more playable.

so.. Yes? and no?

Give the two mods a try I'd say.

Troll? No, Sir, I am a BADGER!

No it isnt. Dont even bother trying to play it. Wait for the next patch... That's when I'll probably dust it off the shelves myself, for I too bought it very soon after it came out only to find it too bugged to play.

It is

I regret I have to agree with Badger there are no show stopping bugs as far as I am concerned there’s a slowdown over time which is larger than one would expect from the AI's turns getting more complex but there is a work round for that which is save quit and restart resuming the game. The AI's for the Balance Mod and For the interrelated mod are competitive the stock one isn’t yet but given such good AI mods exist that isn’t a problem and Aaron is it would seem looking to implement more tools for the moders to work with. See change logs 1.21-1.23

Given what Badger means in Hindi and Sanskrit there isn’t that much difference between a Troll and a Badger but mostly a Badger means well.

Yes it is...

I haven't encountered any major bugs...and being new to this series (not the genre) I like all the flexibity and tatics that are available. With all the patches and mods it becomes a very likable game quickly.

It's playable but the bottom line is the AI makes the game extremely boring. While there are no show-stopping bugs there are alot of micromanagement nightmares like for example replacing obsolete Units (fighters/satellites).

I want to enjoy the game but the AI makes you feel like you are just playiny by yourself and I get sad looking at patch notes seeing really isignificant bugs are being addressed while major micromanagement issues and the AI are ignored.

Yes the stock AI is a bit lame but install the game and patch it to 1.20 and add something like the Balance or Interrelated Mod and you have a first class game, correction two similar but distinct games. As things go on there will be more Mods and you will be able to get a whole clutch of e 4 games with a wide variety of flavours.

What is more you can if you wish build your own mod or contribute to the development of other peoples mods SEV is less of a PC game and more of a hobby. It’s even got me with my coding allergy and ineptness at program syntax the moding game though I am still learning and my fighter mod is very much in the alpha stages. As for the change logs look at them with a less jaundiced eye and you will see Aaron is fixing the AI but by giving Moders tools to build with rather than do it himself this is probably a quicker fix than the other way just try one of the more developed mods and you will see.

I am not convinced about 1.20.

There's just too many problems with the data files and a few annoying bugs still. 1.20 _does_ crash if you do some things (already reported on the bug forum). The single player mode is also comically bad due to the AI. It's only really good in multiplayer, or with a decent mod. I have not yet found one. Kwok's is the best of them but isn't stellar. SEV+Kwok is still not as good as SEIV or Starfire.

I find the game very playable, even enjoyable, for multiplayer games. I've only used PBW and Balance Mod, and there are a few gotchas to be aware of (fighters launching with no supplies, for one, though the 1.24 patch change log has a line item that suggests it has been fixed), but I'm having great fun.

There are still a few bugs with the combat strategies, but it hasn't stopped me from enjoying the PBW games I'm involved in.

I find fleet supply to be more of a concern in SEV than it was in SEIV assuming you don't start with uber tech. You might want to start playing after 1.24 is released to gain some experience.

Computer AI weakness is the biggest issue, but SE has always been better when played against human opponents.

evilginger made an excellent point when he said that "Aaron is fixing the AI by giving Moders tools to build...". By fixing the scripting functions and adding new ones he lays the foundation for better AI and better mods.