Can someone please tell me when this new patch will come?
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Can someone please tell me when this new patch will come?
tomorrow
You have been found wanting.
Well, the current version on Test hasn't made the game completely unplayable yet so I'm guessing there are still a few revisions left before it goes Live. It usually goes like this...Quote:
Originally posted by Norvegia
Can someone please tell me when this new patch will come?
Patch X.0 hits test
Minor bugs are found
Patch X.1 hits test
More bugs are found (possibly one or two bugs fixed)
Patch X.3 hits test
Yet more bugs are introduced, however fewer are found due to them being well hidden by the random nature in which they begin to appear.
Patch X.4 hits test
A number of bugs all introduced by the latest series of patches seem to be fixed but a few relatively *minor* bugs creep in.
Annoucement is made that the patch is going to hit Live in 7 days.
Patch X.5 hits Test 24 hours before the patch is to hit Live
The *minor* bugs introduced in X.4 are fixed but several new major bugs are introduced as well as the return of a number of bugs that were fixed in previous major patches. However, due to the short time that this final update is on Test before going to Live they are not noticed.
Patch X hits Live and the players go nuts as they find that initially they can't install the patch due to a sudden break in the patching process. Then, within an hour of the patching process being fixed they player start finding all major bugs that were reported by the testers but never fixed as well as a host of undocumented changes that seriously affect gameplay for most if not all players. For at least a week Funcom refuses to respond to all the player requests for information about the bugs and undocumented changes then finally states that they will try to make sure that all gameplay effecting changes will be announced in the future will still ignoring requests for information about the bugs.
And the cycle repeats...
you forgot the emergency patch that always comes after any patch :)
yep and also the "Circus" mode between the patch and the emergency patch, normaly arround 24-36 hours of cheer laughter at the amazing bugs ;)
Bit of an ignorant question: how do you play on the Test server? Is there a special login you have to go through?
When we're sure we've got it at the point we want it. More time on test live = more bugs fixed = a winnar is j00!!. Agree? :)Quote:
Originally posted by Norvegia
Can someone please tell me when this new patch will come?
http://www.anarchy-online.com/conten.../inproduction/Quote:
Originally posted by narcosis
Bit of an ignorant question: how do you play on the Test server? Is there a special login you have to go through?
All the information you should need is under "Become a tester".
make it take longer if it means it is better. just give us some feedback about it periodically.
Well, if this has been your policy all along, just where exactly do you want it and how far are we required to bend over this time. The best thing I can say about your track record with patches is that you're consistent. However consistently failing to fix glaring bugs that get reported by testers, consistently failing to announce critical game mechanics changes and consistently breaking more things than are fixed or improved is *not* a good thing. Agree?Quote:
Originally posted by Cosmik
When we're sure we've got it at the point we want it. More time on test live = more bugs fixed = a winnar is j00!!. Agree? :)
Thanks for the tidbit, Cosmik.Quote:
Originally posted by Cosmik
http://www.anarchy-online.com/conten.../inproduction/
All the information you should need is under "Become a tester".
Ouch!Quote:
Originally posted by Kneebreakcer
Well, if this has been your policy all along, just where exactly do you want it and how far are we required to bend over this time. The best thing I can say about your track record with patches is that you're consistent. However consistently failing to fix glaring bugs that get reported by testers, consistently failing to announce critical game mechanics changes and consistently breaking more things than are fixed or improved is *not* a good thing. Agree?
Now there's a conversation stopper...
Easy Knee, you act like they do it on purpose..and it's not exactly like Cos has ANYTHING to do with the patches and any bugs...Quote:
Originally posted by Kneebreakcer
Well, if this has been your policy all along, just where exactly do you want it and how far are we required to bend over this time. The best thing I can say about your track record with patches is that you're consistent. However consistently failing to fix glaring bugs that get reported by testers, consistently failing to announce critical game mechanics changes and consistently breaking more things than are fixed or improved is *not* a good thing. Agree?
Anyone a programmer on here? You know darn well you never catch half the stuff till it goes live, every time.
Well, the release patch with reported bugs must be said to be intentionaly, and I donīt think it is Cos knee is pissed off with but whoever makes the calls at Funcom.Quote:
Originally posted by Kasimir
Easy Knee, you act like they do it on purpose..and it's not exactly like Cos has ANYTHING to do with the patches and any bugs...
Anyone a programmer on here? You know darn well you never catch half the stuff till it goes live, every time.
Well, either they're incompetent or they are doing it on purpose. I can't say which as the evidence to date can point either way.Quote:
Originally posted by Kasimir
Easy Knee, you act like they do it on purpose..and it's not exactly like Cos has ANYTHING to do with the patches and any bugs...
Anyone a programmer on here? You know darn well you never catch half the stuff till it goes live, every time.
I don't blame Cosmik for the bugs and gameplay issues that either have not been fixed or that get (re)introduced with every patch. What I get upset with Cosmik about is his repeated promises that are never fulfilled. Promises such as following up on controversial or critical topics. Promises such as providing the player base with all relevant changes that are introduced in a patch (excluding storyline issues). Promises such as increased communications with the player base.
And yes, I am a programmer. I'm well aware that bugs creep in and can be challenging to track down. However, when the bugs are reported by multiple (many multiples) of users and the bugs are 100% repeatable upon demand then those bugs need to be addressed. When changes are made that affect the was the users are required to operate a function of a the program, the users need to be informed so that (a) they can use the new functions and (b) they can alert the programmer(s) of any problems with the changed functions. Further, when the users are invited and permitted to test changes to a program prior to those changes being implemented on the actual working copy of the program, it behooves the developers to listen to feedback from those users when problems are discovered. Developers that write code according to the users' needs are far more successful and far less stressed out that those who write code according to their own whims with the feeling that the users should take what they get and like it.
All in all, I'd say that Funcom's record pretty much speaks for itself. In fact, I'll issue a challenge to whoever wants to take it. Go back over every patch that that Funcom has released (in particular, those since the Test server was opened to the public) and find when the last time a patch went off without a hitch. Too demanding? How about finding a patch that was released in which the only new bugs introduced were not reported by users on Test at least a week before the patch went to Live. If you can find even one, I'll be impressed. I sure can't remember one.
I worked as a coder about 10 years ago (ah, COBAL, how I miss thee), but I had to give it up. I just couldn't keep up with how fast things changed. Work as a coder, and you spend half your time working, and the other half reading about how all your skills are already out of date.
I can understand the problems the coders at FC must face here. And I'm willing to cut them a lot of slack when it comes to the problems caused during patches. There's just no way to patch a system as large and complexe as an MMORPG without causing numerous bugs in the process.
And it's not like it's just FC. Even much older games like AC that have been around for years can't pull off flawless patches (and they have the might of microsoft behind them! FC just has themselves). For example, in AC they recently added large houseing 'apartment' buildings so everyone could get a house. But it ended up causeing huge server crashes, and characters becoming inaccessable to the player for days at a time.
Obviously FC doesn't mean to cause headaches for players (although, you have to wonder about them when it comes to fixers. I honestly think they hate that class, and are trying to get everyone playing it to reroll so they can remove the whole class from the game).
My main complaint against FC is the lack of player feedback they give. It's hard to tell if they really listen to us, or not. There are a number of bugs that should be very easy to fix, but still arn't (ie, half the MA specials not working, apartement goblins, etc).
I appreciate the effort of people like Cosmic, but it seems like most of the time he responds to minor questions and not to the huge ones. It could be because the coders simply don't tell them enough to answer the big questions, or if FC has a policy of keeping things under tight wraps until the last moment to try and prevent exploits and cheats.
In any event, as much as I'm looking forward to the 14.2 patch, I can wait awhile longer to get some of the more massive bugs worked out on it first.
No matter how long it's on test, when it comes to live I can promise you that there will be new bugs( and likely the return of several old bugs). It's unavoidable. The difference is, with more testing the bugs will be the small, annoying kind, instead of the massive game stopping ones. At least, I hope so.
Later
Virind
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member of Division 9, and RK1's first irony based life form