Info on Upcoming Patches from Jon Shafer

[drachasor]

Because cars are *never* recalled to fix bugs. I guess my wife has been a beta tester for her Sienna over the last decade, since it was just recalled because the spare tire can fall off in the middle of the road. I'd better tell her she should be furious.

You don't seem to understand the difference between a beta product and a finished product. Finished products still have bugs, you know, but the amount and the general quality level is a lot different. The level of problems in Civ 5 is well-beyond what you'd expect from a finished product (and I am sure the weren't a whole list of issues with your wife's Sienna that she was able to list after only owning it for a few weeks -- and if it did, you would be rightly furious over it).

 

[vihta]

Good news. I'm still enjoing the game but would like to see bug fixes, balancing and definitely better AI.

Also let's be real. Comparing to Blizzard is ridiculous. They are exception to the norm. How many companies can develop a game for over a decade and spend tens of millions on it (maybe even hundred million)? As much as I'd love to see all software come out ready and bug free, I realize it's just not possible for a developer doing turn based strategy game.

Also comparing software with some ridiculous physical analogy is just silly.

 

[lynxxyarly]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I recall a *lot* of uproar over warlords and especially beyond the sword expansion in regards to a lot of the content they included and 'bug fixes' they included should have been given for free in an update, not a paid expansion pack.

I may even go as far to say that people were genuinely upset over how beyond the sword was more about bug fixes and balances than it was content. People felt they had to pay for a patch, essentially.

 

[Thoughtful Thug]

I think that is why the uproar is quite a little bit higher than it once was when cIV came out and its expanisions. It is as 2K think this wee little community here have memory losses, and can still do the same routine of milking more money out of us.

 

[DragonTempest]

I honestly wished they would speed the game up. The turns take to long. I have an AMD Phenom II x6 with 4 gigs of ram and a ATI 5770 1gb. and even on the standard maps it take at least 15 seconds to minutes per turn depending on which era I am in.

 

[Novem]

Dude, that was intentional. They said themselves that they wanted it to be the final major content patch before the next expansion so they wouldn't have a repeat of the Black Temple where it was released too soon and people were farming the expansion villain for well over a year.



WoTLK had minor content bugs. Civ5 has major bugs and serious mechanics issues. These are not the same things. Not even close.

My dear,

In terms of my response to the person stating that Blizzard releases "complete" games, it is so close as to be identical. Bare facts, Wrath of the Lich King had as it's pinnacle the fight to kill the Lich King. When said expansion came out, it was not there, no matter what Blizzard says about it. Now how you can say that opening up ICC is a "minor" content patch, well that's pretty ludicrous. Please don't get me wrong I absolutely LOVE Blizzard and have been a devoted fan since Diablo came out.

So based on the subject we were discussing at the time about complete games, It's a fair comparison. There are a lot of people playing CIV5, myself included. There are probably quite a few who like it and have never posted on these forums. Yes there are crashes, yes there are bugs. Again it happens.

 

[logintime]

I may even go as far to say that people were genuinely upset over how beyond the sword was more about bug fixes and balances than it was content. People felt they had to pay for a patch, essentially.

You're kidding, right? Beyond the Sword was a huge expansion. Not just for the content it added on it's own, but for the fact that it also added all of Warlord's content, save for scenarios.

 

[Thoughtful Thug]

My dear,

In terms of my response to the person stating that Blizzard releases "complete" games, it is so close as to be identical. Bare facts, Wrath of the Lich King had as it's pinnacle the fight to kill the Lich King. When said expansion came out, it was not there, no matter what Blizzard says about it. Now how you can say that opening up ICC is a "minor" content patch, well that's pretty ludicrous. Please don't get me wrong I absolutely LOVE Blizzard and have been a devoted fan since Diablo came out.

So based on the subject we were discussing at the time about complete games, It's a fair comparison. There are a lot of people playing CIV5, myself included. There are probably quite a few who like it and have never posted on these forums. Yes there are crashes, yes there are bugs. Again it happens.

The problem with that attitude is that it gives the publisher the green light to continue its business practice of rushing a half complete product with lies telling us that it is something you will fall in love quickly, and will find it forever enjoyable in months to come. This passivity by customers I dare not to mention, enable them to do this. While other people find it a dishonest way of taking people hard earned money, and torturing them with patches after patches with no end in sight.

 

[CanuckSoldier]

While I'm glad that the AI and UI is getting attention it would be nice to hear that MP would get some love, considering it shipped barely playable in some cases, and with so so many features missing, it would be a slap in our face if the devs did not even try to do something for MP in this large patch.

CS

 

[JLoZeppeli]

Hey guys. Just a quick update. Sorry for the recent absence, I've been traveling quite a bit lately.

There are several things which we are looking at improving with Civ 5. Most of my time since getting back has been spent working on the interface, particularly with making more information accessible. These changes will go out with the next big update in a few weeks. The plan is also to make major revisions to the diplomacy system, and while I can't talk about the details yet, I think you all will find them an improvement. That will be added with an update later this year. Also included will be a number of AI upgrades.

Thanks to all who have purchased the game - the plan is definitely to continue improving the experience for everyone playing. The game isn't perfect, but we feel good about the foundation laid so far, and expect Civ 5 will stand up with every other game out there and continue to get better over time. I can ensure that I'll be working on Civ 5 as long as I'm able to.

Note that the next patch is addressing only UI changes, and it comes in a "few" weeks..

The other issues are at end of the year, as he say... So don't worry, we have a pach on the most issues addressed, the first, on late December... Nice work, Shafer and i'm very pleased that you enjoyed your journey to moronland with our money when we were struggling with your crap AI and the the other flaws of this so called Cvilization V.

 

[ZimbuTheMonkey]

Note that the next patch is addressing only UI changes [CITATION NEEDED], and it comes in a "few" weeks..

The other issues are at end of the year, as he say... So don't worry, we have a pach on the most issues addressed, the first, on late December... Nice work, Shafer and i'm very pleased that you enjoyed your journey to moronland with our money when we were struggling with your crap AI and the the other flaws of this so called Cvilization V.

Nowhere (in the quote you referenced) does it say that the next patch will consist solely of UI changes, all it says is that Jon Shafer has been primarily working on the UI upon returning and that the changes he makes will be featured in the next big update.

But nice try, I guess. Next time don't splice in your own bias when you read about something.

 

[HeavyTwenty]

Find a game that is ever released fully completed and polished.......

There's a difference between "fully completed and polished" and not working. I can't beat a large/huge map, and I have to rush (win before the AI spam workers) to beat a standard map. Don't blame my hardware; its fine and these game ending bugs have been reported by numerous other players. I can deal with lack of polish; I can't deal with spending 10+ hours on a game and then finding out I can't beat it or play it out because of bugs.

This game wasn't release ready.

 

[Thoughtful Thug]

While I'm glad that the AI and UI is getting attention it would be nice to hear that MP would get some love, considering it shipped barely playable in some cases, and with so so many features missing, it would be a slap in our face if the devs did not even try to do something for MP in this large patch.

CS

I have no faith in 2K giving Firaxis the money, or any third-party devs, to remake the multiplayer. You can't say patch since it seems to me they need to remake it instead.

A lot of games with a lot of problems, usually are followed with fixes - while the multiplayer get the afterthought with no solution ever to be corrected.

It would be a miracle I think if multiplayer was ever to be working in a reasonable way.

 

[JimMac99]

While I'm glad that the AI and UI is getting attention it would be nice to hear that MP would get some love, considering it shipped barely playable in some cases, and with so so many features missing, it would be a slap in our face if the devs did not even try to do something for MP in this large patch.

CS

Agreed, although I wouldn't be surprised if properly working MP with a couple of extra civs thrown in was the focus of a forthcoming for-sale DLC.

 

[jihe]

My god, you guys really are the biggest pessimists in the universe.

Saying that he will work on CivV as long as he is able to doesn't mean his job is on the line. That's quite an assumption to make.

When I read that, I took it to mean that he plans to be working on Civ 5 for a long time, hopefully a good long 5 years, like Civ 4 had.

Well his job should be on the line.

 

[CanuckSoldier]

I have no faith in 2K giving Firaxis the money, or any third-party devs, to remake the multiplayer. You can't say patch since it seems to me they need to remake it instead.

A lot of games with a lot of problems, usually are followed with fixes - while the multiplayer get the afterthought with no solution ever to be corrected.

It would be a miracle I think if multiplayer was ever to be working in a reasonable way.

Well I have a little more faith than that, both Civ3 PTW and Civ4 had major MP issues, and both were fixed, not perfect mind you but quite functional.

So we may not get all the features we want, but we should get the core ones and have fixes to the p2p code to make the game at least as playable as Civ3 or Civ4 was, I don't expect a Server based system, they obviously decided not to do that ages ago or we would have that feature at launch.

But I am asking for confirmation that they recognize that MP needs alot of work and are working on dealing with it.

CS

 

[Acoustic]

My only hope is that they release the modding tools before that 2nd patch comes out. So maybe we the fans can fix some of this mess.

 

[JLoZeppeli]

Nowhere (in the quote you referenced) does it say that the next patch will consist solely of UI changes, all it says is that Jon Shafer has been primarily working on the UI upon returning and that the changes he makes will be featured in the next big update.

But nice try, I guess. Next time don't splice in your own bias when you read about something.

Excuse me, but if i spent most of the time studying roman lamps for my next book that i'll release in few weeks, i suppose that the biggest part of it will tell you about roman lamps, and not ancient masonry....

Nice try, i guess, next time use some of your wisdom when you read posts and quotes....

 

[Thoughtful Thug]

Well I have a little more faith than that, both Civ3 PTW and Civ4 had major MP issues, and both were fixed, not perfect mind you but quite functional.

So we may not get all the features we want, but we should get the core ones and have fixes to the p2p code to make the game at least as playable as Civ3 or Civ4 was, I don't expect a Server based system, they obviously decided not to do that ages ago or we would have that feature at launch.

But I am asking for confirmation that they recognize that MP needs alot of work and are working on dealing with it.

CS

Civ 3 and 4 had a lobby. And yes, there was problems in people going out of synch and what not. But that was easily corrected with Civ League being so well organized that players can restart the game and get everybody back into it.

This one I tell you, give you many signs, as well as how 2K handle their products these days, that maybe not having an obvious feature like the lobby is something where we are going to see no foreseeable multiplayer support at all.

Of course I may be way too melodramatic about it all. But I hope your faith, and many people grievances will change our reality of this mess.

 

[ZimbuTheMonkey]

Excuse me, but if i spent most of the time studying roman lamps for my next book that i'll release in few weeks, i suppose that the biggest part of it will tell you about roman lamps, and not ancient masonry....

Nice try, i guess, next time use some of your wisdom when you read posts and quotes....

But you'll be the only author of that book. Jon Shafer is not the only programmer working on Civ V, also you specifically said "Note that the next patch is addressing only UI changes". Damn, I didn't know having wisdom gives you exact information on the inner-workings of a software development company.

herp derp derp you make no sense