104 réponses à ce sujet

[C0uncil0rTev0s]

Of course developers have a plan to begin with but plans change.

 

I'm an Instructional Designer, so I design training material.

 

I'll start out with a list of things that I need to include in the training, but due to time constraints or issues when the material is tested, some times things need to be taken out or reworked.

 

For example, maybe an game I designed doesn't get the message across properly or is too difficult or doesn't work with the rest of the training once it's put all together etc

 

So I'm sure BioWare have a list of things due for Patch 3 BUT they could come across unforeseen issues that mean some of those features get pushed out or reworked, so they don't want to release the features to the public until they know 100% want will make it into the patch.

 

Planning is essential but plans are useless - Eisenhower

 

Okay, let's get back to basics with you aswell.

 

You are a brick producer and you produce bricks. But you can't just sell em right away, you need your bricks to be certified first by Microbrick and Brickony companies (your contractors and major resellers). And they want to know when your bricks will be ready to be examined, you see?

 

You need all 100/100 bricks ready at once to call Microbrick to start certifying process.

 

So it's like that: 1. Deciding how much bricks you want -> 2. Producing bricks -> 3. Calling Microbrick -> 4. Certifying bricks -> 5. Bricks go to market.

 

You have not decided yet how many bricks you want, so you can't be further than the step 2.

Now please tell me, how that can be any 'close'?

[DaemionMoadrin]

Okay, let's get back to basics with you aswell.

 

You are a brick producer and you produce bricks. But you can't just sell em right away, you need your bricks to be certified first by Microbrick and Brickony companies (your contractors and major resellers). And they want to know when your bricks will be ready to be examined, you see?

 

You need all 100/100 bricks ready at once to call Microbrick to start certifying process.

 

So it's like that: 1. Deciding how much bricks you want -> 2. Producing bricks -> 3. Calling Microbrick -> 4. Certifying bricks -> 5. Bricks go to market.

 

You have not decided yet how many bricks you want, so you can't be further than the step 2.

Now please tell me, how that can be any 'close'?

 

You're thinking too simple.

 

Let's say there are 78 issues addressed in the next patch. All the fixes are done, that means they are close to finishing. But now they need to get tested, to see if everything works well together, if they introduce even worse bugs by patching etc. During Q&A they find out that 13 of the fixes in the patch aren't ready to released yet or that they introduce new bugs. Next they decide if they want to work on fixing those or release the patch without them instead. That is when things get locked down and they can publish details for the patch. Which will address only 65 issues now. Imagine if they had announced a fix for one of the 13 issues earlier and how disappointed their audience would be now.

 

Their process is understandable and industry standard, that is how you work in software development.

 

What is less understandable is why they think Twitter is the proper way to communicate with their customers.

[Alan Drifter13]

OP, I think you didn't read it properly (http://www.inquisitr...ter-appearance/):

 

"the developer is working on removing more bugs from the game"

 

"the update will primarily focus on issues found within Dragon Age: Inquistion‘s single player campaign mode"

 

"That doesn’t mean that fans of the game’s new online multiplayer mode shouldn’t expect to see some improvements from the upcoming patch however. Darrah also admitted that the update will address issues that players are experiencing within Dragon Age: Inquisition‘s cooperative matches. In fact, as the Inquisitr previously reported, the first details shared about the game’s next patch is that the update will fix the key drop issues that can prevent some users from progressing through certain multiplayer sessions"

 

"Beyond discussing the third patch for Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mark Darrah also announced that the development team is actively looking for a way to allow players to alter their character’s appearance inside Dragon Age: Inquisition"

 

So, it's not the "highlight", it's just something else they want to add (which makes sense, since a lot of people asked for a "black emporium mirror" in DA:I, including people in this forum). The main focus of the patch is fixing bugs, which makes perfect sense.

[C0uncil0rTev0s]

You're thinking too simple.

 

Let's say there are 78 issues addressed in the next patch. All the fixes are done, that means they are close to finishing. But now they need to get tested, to see if everything works well together, if they introduce even worse bugs by patching etc. During Q&A they find out that 13 of the fixes in the patch aren't ready to released yet or that they introduce new bugs. Next they decide if they want to work on fixing those or release the patch without them instead. That is when things get locked down and they can publish details for the patch. Which will address only 65 issues now. Imagine if they had announced a fix for one of the 13 issues earlier and how disappointed their audience would be now.

 

Their process is understandable and industry standard, that is how you work in software development.

 

What is less understandable is why they think Twitter is the proper way to communicate with their customers.

Well it looks like developers have another traditions in making patches here @ my place. But I still fail to see how that you are stating is any 'close'. It's weeks away :/

[Essorance]

Trash article. "The developer is working on removing more bugs from the game"... based on what? There is no sanctioned thread with a list of known issues, the community has been doing it themselves with no recognition or acknowledgment from Biotrash.

 

"Something is nearly ready. But I can't tell you when"... u wot? Do any posters here have jobs? Because if you said that to your manager after being asked to do something, how many of you would find yourself in a difficult position? Yet he's allowed to do it to the community as a whole... and not even on their official forums or websites. HAH.

 

Ability to add 'dress up barbie' as a new addition? Err, this has been a feature in games for YEARS now. Nothing new about it, and the fact it requires Biotrash, what, 6 whole months to add it in as a patch says what exactly?

 

Oh, and to anybody here who even mentions the letters Q and A; don't make me laugh. Even the notion of this game having gone through any kind of QA is enough to make me laugh myself to death.

 

Disgusting practices man, what happened to this company. I actually remember the ME stuff that happened between 1 and 2. Granted, I wasn't a member back then but you know why? Because I knew two things:

 

1 - BW make great games. Simple.

2 - BW have great fans with great suggestions.

3 - BW create open discussion and listen to the fans for said suggestions.

 

.... What happened???? How did it come to this? How has the company which I was so passionate for become a corporate extension of the EA malignancy that is now producing MMO style single player games, with tacked on multiplayer along with microtransactions, that fail to recognise the bugs, glitches, and host of other issues all the while ignoring the hundreds upon hundreds of fans that laid down their god damned cash for preorders, bundle sets, etc. in the vain hope of having the experience that they used to get from the games these sellouts used to make...

 

God damned appalling.

[phantomrachie]

Funnily enough, the transparency with which Blizzard always announces their patches and the botches to the patches never bothered anybody. Soooooo... no, it doesn't stand to logic, or is expected. There's no reason for secrecy at all. Unless they just aren't working on things fans are screaming for. 

 

Traditionally BioWare haven't spoken about patch features until they have locked them down, so I would expect more backlash from BioWare fans if Patch 3 didn't include some features that they had announced.

 

 

Okay, let's get back to basics with you aswell.

 

You are a brick producer and you produce bricks. But you can't just sell em right away, you need your bricks to be certified first by Microbrick and Brickony companies (your contractors and major resellers). And they want to know when your bricks will be ready to be examined, you see?

 

You need all 100/100 bricks ready at once to call Microbrick to start certifying process.

 

So it's like that: 1. Deciding how much bricks you want -> 2. Producing bricks -> 3. Calling Microbrick -> 4. Certifying bricks -> 5. Bricks go to market.

 

You have not decided yet how many bricks you want, so you can't be further than the step 2.

Now please tell me, how that can be any 'close'?

 

Your brick analogue makes no sense within the context of what we are talking about.

 

I specially said that BioWare do have a plan of what they want to fix,my point is that plans and results are more often than not, not the same. 

 

Your example completely ignores, patch quality control and testing. 

 

BioWare have decided what should be in Patch 3 and have developed all the fixes for it, now they did to test it, in testing some of those fixes could cause more bugs, or not run properly.

 

This testing could mean that some fixes are postponed.

 

BioWare also have a deadline for when they want the Patch to be released by, so if fix for an item on the list takes longer than expected, then it too could be postponed. 

 

I see nothing wrong with BioWare wanted to lock down what it is going to be in the Patch before talking about it.

[Fidite Nemini]

So there's a patch coming out Soon™ that's nearly done but no one ever said a word about it.

 

 

What was the bad word in BioWare HQ again? Oh yes, I remember: "transparency"- EWW!!!

[Panda]

They should fix first what is in the game and then start adding things.

[Fidite Nemini]

They should fix first what is in the game and then start adding things.

 

 

But you can't make money with fixes. It's a far better business model to release a DLC to keep the consuming motivation fresh, then fix some stuff from the base game and whilst the people still wait for the fixes for stuff in the first DLC, bring out a second DLC with a couple bugs, then fix the stuff for the first DLC, then release another DLC to the people that were still waiting for the 2nd DLC patch.

 

You can keep the product lifecycle going indefinately that way and just milk all the active players with more paid DLC for as long as they patiently wait for patches.

 

 

 

Or you can put all the big patches into the DLC alltogether so that players have to buy them to get the bugfixes, then have to buy the next DLC to get the fixes for the issues from the first.

 

 

Bah, who are we kidding ... EA, why not just plain charge money of the patches. I'm sure there's enough gullible/desperate players that would create a profitable market for it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fixing stuff first and only then release new things? Silly idea. Preposterous!

[Panda]

But you can't make money with fixes. It's a far better business model to release a DLC to keep the consuming motivation fresh, then fix some stuff from the base game and whilst the people still wait for the fixes for stuff in the first DLC, bring out a second DLC with a couple bugs, then fix the stuff for the first DLC, then release another DLC to the people that were still waiting for the 2nd DLC patch.

 

You can keep the product lifecycle going indefinately that way and just milk all the active players with more paid DLC for as long as they patiently wait for patches.

 

 

 

Or you can put all the big patches into the DLC alltogether so that players have to buy them to get the bugfixes, then have to buy the next DLC to get the fixes for the issues from the first.

 

 

Bah, who are we kidding ... EA, why not just plain charge money of the patches. I'm sure there's enough gullible/desperate players that would create a profitable market for it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fixing stuff first and only then release new things? Silly idea. Preposterous!

 

Ugh capitalism...

 

Though people would stop demanding refunds if BW actually fixed the game and people with broken product don't buy DLC's so in that viewpoint actually fixing the base game could be good business practice. Though I guess with DLC's you get more money in total than fixing your poor excuse of game : /

[Fidite Nemini]

Ugh capitalism...

 

Though people would stop demanding refunds if BW actually fixed the game and people with broken product don't buy DLC's so in that viewpoint actually fixing the base game could be good business practice. Though I guess with DLC's you get more money in total than fixing your poor excuse of game : /

 

You know the motto: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

The business version has a little addition: if it ain't broke, don't fix it ... if it's broke but still sells, don't fix it either.

[C0uncil0rTev0s]

Bah, who are we kidding ... EA, why not just plain charge money of the patches. I'm sure there's enough gullible/desperate players that would create a profitable market for it.

Stop giving them ideas FFS

[Fidite Nemini]

Stop giving them ideas FFS

 

I would bet money that has been considered many, many times in earnest already.

 

But of course they'd lie through their teeth, saying things how it wouldn't be responsible and such and such ... only to collect the money from the bet.

 

After all the recent years of marketing BS, I trust gaming publishers and devs exactly as much as I can put distance between them and my wallet. BioWare used to be the exception to that rule, but DAII and ME3 already put a small dents in that trust and currently DAI unerringly swipes away the rest that remained of it.

[Essorance]

Essorance.

 

You're back, bro.

 

I thought you got hit with the ban hammer.

 

I did, 48 hour ban for expressing lesbian desires in the Sera thread.

[dfstone]

I don't see any game breaking bugs on mine, maybe I just got lucky?  The game runs really smoothly for me with one exception, sound.  So the only thing I'm hoping for is that the PS4 version gets the sound issues fixed.

[Octarin]

The "problem" is that other people have already started asking for a new content DLC. People are majorly unaware that a large part of the community is getting shafted mightly, and why should they, when Bioware has done such a tremendous job keeping everything under wraps. 

[Rawgrim]

I certainly hope they fix the bugs too. Been unable to play the game since mid December. Starting to consider just watching a playthrough on youtube instead.

[Winged Silver]

In all fairness, this is one thing a lot of people have been talking about. Seeing as this is a highlight, we can hope there may be other general bug fixes included yes? Personally, I'm happy enough to have this feature being included for free. I still expect them to eventually cover more bugs, but I'll take what I can get, too.

[DarkAmaranth1966]

Oh, maybe the Black Emporium is moving to that unused basement area with the Inquisitor's quarters, or down where the top hat is (with a door of course.   )

[pdusen]

Alright let's get back to school.

There's a thing called planning. Let's say you're making bricks for sell.
Before you start the production process you plan how much do you want them produced. Let's say 100. Once you hit 80 of them you can say "it's nearly done!" and grab a beer.

How could you say that something is "nearly done" if you don't have any idea how much of fixes are going to be in a patch, eh?

The post you quoted explained _exactly_ how.

Software is not like an assembly line. There is a huge amount of uncertainty in the work. If you get all of the critical changes working but suddenly one of the less critical changes is causing problems, you just remove the broken change and push the working stuff through. That way, at least the critical fixes and whatever else works at the time get out on time.

[Rawgrim]

People have been requesting an option for changing the appearance of their character since day one. This is true. Seen it around the forums plenty. Nothing wrong with Bioware listening to them.

[Kantr]

People have been requesting an option for changing the appearance of their character since day one. This is true. Seen it around the forums plenty. Nothing wrong with Bioware listening to them.

In some peoples eyes there is though. Hence this thread