RFC on Release Plan...

Nomad_Wanderer · Sep 26, 2003

Originally posted by Chris Woods
I've got a decent amount of experience in modding, and if I may be so humble I would like to make a few suggestions...

1> Don't release anything "Beta" to the community at large.

I know that everyone wants to send out a great mod; I know everyone thinks that someone else will beat us to it if we don't, but frankly it's sloppy. Just because we don't do this professionally shouldn't excuse us not to be professional about it.

If we don't feel that the mod works properly and as expected, we shouldn't send it out. The community should never be used as a beta test ground, even if you warn them. (Trust me, you can't warn them. They will assume it works right regardless of what you say.)

Test your changes thourghly and consider what impacts any one change may have, and test that too. Don't make it the community's job, because it's not.

3> There are two states for a Mod. Done and Not Done.

There is no "working" state. We shouln't head over to the Atari Forums and say "We've done all this great stuff, and we just wante dto tell you that despite the fact that we aren't done." It's silly. We should do what we want, make sure it works, and then hand it out. We ought not talk about what we're "doing" because that's just teasing people.

Finally,

4> Modules can come in volumes.

When everything is working right and some great stuff has been done, release a "volume" of the mod. It lets people play with your fixes and lets us get to new fixes as well. Don't try to do every cool idea in one pass, or you're doomed to complete failure. Just get what's going, release it as "Volume I", mention that you plan to do more, and dissappear unless specifically ask questions.

It's a nice deal, and people enjoy the constant influx of freashness it injects into a game. Maybe we add some Moneters this volume. Maybe some Spells in Vol II, etc. Constant linear improvement is preferable to a total overhaul, and it gives people lots of time to hand feedback.

Total overhauls tend to crash and burn because sooo many things can go wrong. No one will complain if we mistype a single spell duration in each of 20 volumes, but everyone will be ticked if we mistype 20 spell durations in one volume.

Like any advice, mine should be taken with a grain of salt.

Chris Woods
Click to expand...

Yeah.. this is pretty good stuff..

I'm used to equating beta to what you are referring to as Volume 1..

The issue here is that we don't have all the time in the world... IMO the game is hurtin'... I'm not referring to Beta as in Code Quality, (I expect everything to work, and not Break anything either) I'm referring more about 'Polish'ed-ness.... (like my Item descriptions...)
Item Descriptions, Currently are understandable, but not great... They could use better formatting and layout, as well as some re-structuring.

This is more of a StopGap, so that the community at large doesn't suffer more/longer than they absolutely have to.... (The term "the natives are restless" comes to mind.)

Personally, Since we're really fixing bugs, (and adding descriptions), I don't think people will mind if it doesn't do absolutely everything we say it will, or isn't very shiny.

At a minimum, it fixes some things, and didn't break any new stuff....(remember theres nothing but silence coming from Troika or Atari on Patch Existence, or Eta....) (though Troika is hinting at a patch)

At the same time I do agree with you... I don't want to release something that isn't good.. (but as my SysAdmin friend likes to tell me, "eventually you have to shoot the developer, and start the production server". (otherwise they'll keep tweaking,and saying "it's not perfect^H^H^Hready yet.." At least thats what I keep telling her...)

We could wait another week or so, and really polish these things up, but IMO, sooner is better.. We can Release the "real" non Beta(GM) patch in another week or two, Have that one be really polished..

Either way, I don't care, it's up to you all...

As for the naming, I'm more into the calm descriptive names myself.

Community Beta Patch V1
or
Community Patch V1

Or Fan Fixes V1

Mynex · Sep 26, 2003

Personally I'd steer clear of calling it a Patch or Beta Patch... That implies some 'officialness' that isn't present and might piss off Atari and Troika (doubt it with Troika, but it's possible *shrug*)....

As for alternate names... hrmm...

Mod Madness (amusing one, not really serious )

FanFixes I (then go into FanMod I, FanMod II, FanFixes II, etc)...

Other than that, my brain is fried atm, so I'm done for the night I think...

Nomad_Wanderer · Sep 26, 2003

Originally posted by Mynex
Personally I'd steer clear of calling it a Patch or Beta Patch... That implies some 'officialness' that isn't present and might piss off Atari and Troika (doubt it with Troika, but it's possible *shrug*)....

Click to expand...

That is an interesting point.... Definately Do not want to cause any type of confusion or hard feelings..

I have no problems with Fan Fixes V1
or something along that lines.

What does everyone else think?

Mr. Underhill · Sep 26, 2003

Fan Fixes v1 sounds good as well.

or FANtabulous Fixes v1
or Mouth Watering Fixins' v1 hold the mustard please
or something else I don't know.

Log in or Sign up

Forums

RFC on Release Plan...

Nomad_Wanderer Established Member Veteran

Mynex Member Veteran

Nomad_Wanderer Established Member Veteran

Mr. Underhill The Keeper of the Arcane Toiletries

Log in or Sign up

Useful Searches

RFC on Release Plan...

Nomad_Wanderer Established Member Veteran

Mynex Member Veteran

Nomad_Wanderer Established Member Veteran

Mr. Underhill The Keeper of the Arcane Toiletries