Update on the Update

[Quadrone]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news everyone. We can't push the build out. We are noticing that some NPCs are not being killed.

 

Unfortunately, next week is pretty dodgy since many people will be on break in and around Christmas. I wouldn't expect that a new backer beta build will come out until the week after Christmas.

 

Apologies, guys. I know how excited you are for a new build, but I want to make sure that we don't put out a backer beta with a major bug if we can avoid it.

 

I guess those are enemy NPCs, meaning NPCs you are supposed to kill?

Otherwise I'd say it's not a big deal if you can't kill some neutral NPC who most people never attack anyway.

[Sensuki]

If you're just making code changes, there must be a better way of doing it than re-compiling the whole build for 5 hours.

[Jajo]

Building a production release is never a time and a place for cutting corners in SW development. "If it compiles, ship it." has always been a joke, not philosophy.

[Falkon Swiftblade]

We will still try to get something out on Monday or Tuesday, but it may not be doable.

 

just out of curiosity, I'm assuming when thing's like this get's pushed back due to a major bug like you're discussing, that the other departments are also still chugging along the way and by the time the major bug is fixed there may also be dozens of other changes that get pushed into that fix too?

 

At this point, is everything pretty much in game and locked down and you guys are just bug fixing, or are you still creating quests or other assets for the game? I'm glad to hear that a lot of the vo work is getting into the game. I hope there's enough variety since you have your party of six, it may get old using male thief #2 4 times cause the rest just don't cut the mustard

[Lephys]

"... it may not be doable..."

 

That really sounds like you already know that there will not be a new beta build for the X-Mas Holidays.

I dunno. It kinda sounds like they know there may not be a new build before the X-Mas Holidays, but that it's still possible, if not probable, that there could be.

 

Just sounds to me like they're not omniscient. Which is good. I don't trust those omniscient development teams. "Wait... you know what stretch goals to pick to get to 4 million? YOU KNEW ABOUT ALL THESE BUGS BEFORE YOU STARTED CODING?! O_O!"

 

[lightblade75]

 

"... it may not be doable..."

 

That really sounds like you already know that there will not be a new beta build for the X-Mas Holidays.

I dunno. It kinda sounds like they know there may not be a new build before the X-Mas Holidays, but that it's still possible, if not probable, that there could be.

 

Just sounds to me like they're not omniscient. Which is good. I don't trust those omniscient development teams. "Wait... you know what stretch goals to pick to get to 4 million? YOU KNEW ABOUT ALL THESE BUGS BEFORE YOU STARTED CODING?! O_O!"

 

 

 

Maybe you're right. Hopefully. We will see. Time is running out...

Would be great if BAdler would give us a new update of the progress of a new build....

[IndiraLightfoot]

The patch will indeed be released before Christmas, and with a new Elven subclass:

Santa elf:

Short as an Orlan, big ears like an Orlan, in essence, it may very well be a clean-shaven Orlan posing as an elf. Why? Don't even ask...

If you pick a druid, you get to pick an extra shapeshift form: Reindeer. If you name him Blitzen, you'll get murder and blood on the dance floor in every tavern.

[Quadrone]

Don't know about you guys, but I'm having BIG expectations for today!

There will be a patch before christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

Otherwise I have no choice but to spread nasty Bugsidian rumors about PoE on several messageboards over the holidays.

 

[Jajo]

Bugsidian

 

Are You a professional game journalist?

[Quadrone]

 

Bugsidian

 

Are You a professional game journalist?

 

 

Since writing that post I've already received offers from Kotaku and Polygon.

[BAdler]

 

We will still try to get something out on Monday or Tuesday, but it may not be doable.

 

just out of curiosity, I'm assuming when thing's like this get's pushed back due to a major bug like you're discussing, that the other departments are also still chugging along the way and by the time the major bug is fixed there may also be dozens of other changes that get pushed into that fix too?

 

At this point, is everything pretty much in game and locked down and you guys are just bug fixing, or are you still creating quests or other assets for the game? I'm glad to hear that a lot of the vo work is getting into the game. I hope there's enough variety since you have your party of six, it may get old using male thief #2 4 times cause the rest just don't cut the mustard

 

There are still some assets like audio, vfx, portraits, icons that are going in, but new features are not going in. Most of those are pretty low danger and low impact. Sometimes the line blurs between a feature and a bug fix, but we won't put in anything new if we can avoid it.

[BAdler]

 

 

"... it may not be doable..."

 

That really sounds like you already know that there will not be a new beta build for the X-Mas Holidays.

I dunno. It kinda sounds like they know there may not be a new build before the X-Mas Holidays, but that it's still possible, if not probable, that there could be.

 

Just sounds to me like they're not omniscient. Which is good. I don't trust those omniscient development teams. "Wait... you know what stretch goals to pick to get to 4 million? YOU KNEW ABOUT ALL THESE BUGS BEFORE YOU STARTED CODING?! O_O!"

 

 

 

Maybe you're right. Hopefully. We will see. Time is running out...

Would be great if BAdler would give us a new update of the progress of a new build....

 

 

We have a programmer looking into the problem right now. Seems to be related to ranged weapons and it is particularly bad with the wizard talent Blast.

[Quadrone]

 

 

 

"... it may not be doable..."

 

That really sounds like you already know that there will not be a new beta build for the X-Mas Holidays.

I dunno. It kinda sounds like they know there may not be a new build before the X-Mas Holidays, but that it's still possible, if not probable, that there could be.

 

Just sounds to me like they're not omniscient. Which is good. I don't trust those omniscient development teams. "Wait... you know what stretch goals to pick to get to 4 million? YOU KNEW ABOUT ALL THESE BUGS BEFORE YOU STARTED CODING?! O_O!"

 

 

 

Maybe you're right. Hopefully. We will see. Time is running out...

Would be great if BAdler would give us a new update of the progress of a new build....

 

 

We have a programmer looking into the problem right now. Seems to be related to ranged weapons and it is particularly bad with the wizard talent Blast.

 

 

So how does this bug manifest itself precisely? You said "certain" NPCs won't die.

Does carrying a ranged weapon make them immortal or do ranged weapons not inflict fatal damage on them?

[Night Stalker]

 

 

 

 

Bugsidian

 

 

Are You a professional game journalist?

 

Since writing that post I've already received offers from Kotaku and Polygon.

He said professional, not amateur

 

Also BAdler, have you thought of optimizing the build process before you start on the expansion, or have you found that there is no way to make it significantly faster, even if you had the time (and less pressure)?

[Starwars]

Even if you guys can't squash the bug before the holidays, would it be possible to upload a beta patch (yes, a beta of the backer beta ) that we can opt into if we wish? Not sure how much work is needed with STEAM to do that. But it'd be nice to give the other changes a quick look for those of us who want to.

[BAdler]

 

 

 

 

"... it may not be doable..."

 

That really sounds like you already know that there will not be a new beta build for the X-Mas Holidays.

I dunno. It kinda sounds like they know there may not be a new build before the X-Mas Holidays, but that it's still possible, if not probable, that there could be.

 

Just sounds to me like they're not omniscient. Which is good. I don't trust those omniscient development teams. "Wait... you know what stretch goals to pick to get to 4 million? YOU KNEW ABOUT ALL THESE BUGS BEFORE YOU STARTED CODING?! O_O!"

 

 

 

Maybe you're right. Hopefully. We will see. Time is running out...

Would be great if BAdler would give us a new update of the progress of a new build....

 

 

We have a programmer looking into the problem right now. Seems to be related to ranged weapons and it is particularly bad with the wizard talent Blast.

 

 

So how does this bug manifest itself precisely? You said "certain" NPCs won't die.

Does carrying a ranged weapon make them immortal or do ranged weapons not inflict fatal damage on them?

 

Looks like it has the potential to be any NPC. I think one of our programmers has fixed the bug. We are building a backer beta build right now and I think it should be ready for testing sometime in the next hour or so. Keep your fingers crossed that everything else is solid.

[BAdler]

 

 

 

Bugsidian

 

Are You a professional game journalist?

 

Since writing that post I've already received offers from Kotaku and Polygon.

He said professional, not amateur

 

Also BAdler, have you thought of optimizing the build process before you start on the expansion, or have you found that there is no way to make it significantly faster, even if you had the time (and less pressure)?

 

 

There isn't a huge amount more that can be optimized.

 

One of the reasons that there are new bugs floating into each build is that we are not branching off the backer beta. Normally we would, but with limited resources on the project it doesn't make as much sense to branch each time we want to release a backer beta and have a programmer dedicated to integrating fixes into that branch.

 

When we do larger demos that can't slip we normally put everyone on a check-in lockdown and review all check-ins. This helps make sure that the build stays stable while we fix key issues. That isn't something we like to do, though, because it really slows down progress until we get a viable build candidate.

[BAdler]

Even if you guys can't squash the bug before the holidays, would it be possible to upload a beta patch (yes, a beta of the backer beta ) that we can opt into if we wish? Not sure how much work is needed with STEAM to do that. But it'd be nice to give the other changes a quick look for those of us who want to.

Sorry, I don't think that is something that we will be able to do.

[TheisEjsing]

That's too bad. But no problem, go home and enjoy the holidays.

[Shevek]

I think they can still put out a patch before xmas. Hes saying he cant put out a special opt in patch that they know has issues (as starwars had asked).

Edited December 22, 2014 by Shevek

[lordkim]

so.......  the game you promised would come out this year, was a disappointment for a lot of people.. 
you still got people finding bugs in the beta... you still have to  postpone the updates...

 

 

do you regret you put the date on  the release to this year ?


im not harsh... just Curious.....

 

 

please let  dev´s  answer this question.... not mods----------- happy xmas )

[Lephys]

^ I don't think they ever "promised" that the game would come out this year. That was the expected release date, which they then changed. Well before now.

 

Are you asking them if they regret waiting until many months before now to change their release date, because of how not-finished the game still is, now, well after they already changed the release date?

[BAdler]

so.......  the game you promised would come out this year, was a disappointment for a lot of people.. 

you still got people finding bugs in the beta... you still have to  postpone the updates...

 

 

do you regret you put the date on  the release to this year ?

 

 

im not harsh... just Curious.....

 

 

please let  dev´s  answer this question.... not mods----------- happy xmas )

 

We could have put the game out this year if we had wanted, but the end of the game's development would have been pretty unpleasant for the development team. The game also wouldn't have been as strong as it could be.

 

I feel we made the better decision to give the game additional time so we could continue fixing bugs, implementing feedback, and polishing content. We always knew that some people would be upset by this, but we feel that this is the best decision for the game and for the team. It's my opinion that if the game is good, people will forgive the delay.

[InsaneCommander]

 

so.......  the game you promised would come out this year, was a disappointment for a lot of people.. 

you still got people finding bugs in the beta... you still have to  postpone the updates...

 

 

do you regret you put the date on  the release to this year ?

 

 

im not harsh... just Curious.....

 

 

please let  dev´s  answer this question.... not mods----------- happy xmas )

 

We could have put the game out this year if we had wanted, but the end of the game's development would have been pretty unpleasant for the development team. The game also wouldn't have been as strong as it could be.

 

I feel we made the better decision to give the game additional time so we could continue fixing bugs, implementing feedback, and polishing content. We always knew that some people would be upset by this, but we feel that this is the best decision for the game and for the team. It's my opinion that if the game is good, people will forgive the delay.

 

I can't speak for everyone, but I have no doubt a lot of people appreciate this decision.

Have a nice holiday, Obsidian team!

[BAdler]

Just wanted to let you guys know that the Win build passed QA. There are still a couple of issues that I normally would want to hold on, but I think it is good enough to hand off. Last step is for me to check the build on Steam to make sure that nothing breaks during the upload process. I am downloading the build pretty slowly right now, but I will keep you guys informed when I am able to put it live.