I took a break and played BTS for a night...

[plesniak]

It was like a breath of fresh air. I purchased Colonization as soon as it was available. I have been playing it, just like all of you, and playing it.

Last night I played BTS and it was great. I will be shelving Colonization until a patch comes out and then I will try it again.

BTS is an example of a great game that has been through the patching process. It is a pleasure to play.

One day, Colonization, will be a great game to play, just like the first one.
In all honesy, I think it needs some work yet.

What do you think?

 

[Knaken]

I'm thinking what the heck is BTS?

 

[GodBen]

I'm thinking what the heck is BTS?

It's a Civ IV expansion pack, Beyond the Sword. It had some very serious problems when released last year (marathon length games were completely unbalanced) but after a month or so it was patched to perfection. Civ IV was good before, but BTS made that game really great.

And I agree with the OP, with a patch to fix some of the more annoying problems this game will be great.

 

[ColPaladin]

Agreed. As soon as I finish this 3rd game, I'm shelving Col2. Very sad that yet another PC game has been released in unfinished condition.

I would not mind if a company said "we need 6 more months to fix bugs, tweak the UI, and work on game balance", and I had to wait 6 more months for it to come out so I could buy it. No problem. In fact, I like that.

But I DO mind buying a game, and having to wait 6 months "Just In Case" they make it work. But it seems more and more often, you buy a game, it's unfinished and unbalanced, and the company has a "we'll patch it so it works. . . . . later; maybe; but just sit around for those months without ANY communication from us and hope we are even listening (were busy counting our money, don't bother us).

 

[ChinaBlue]

What do you think?

I think..we think alike

 

[offworld]

As long as they prevent crashes and graphical glitches and general unstableness of the game, I don't mind that part of the beta-testing is done while the game is already on the market, as long as it's only concerned with balancing the game features, improving the AI and the like. I just wish they would guarantee patches beforehand.

Why don't they say: We will release the game in september and based on customer-feedback a patch will be forthcoming within two months from that. Just acknowledge to the customers that they are still tweaking it, call it the gamma stage. So a game goes alpha, beta then it's released on the market and goes gamma and only after the final patches have been applied a game goes golden. That's what's happening in practice and it worked for civ4 and the expansions. Perhaps even give a small discount to people buying the game in the gamma stage (they're helping develop the game after all).

 

[DrewBledsoe]

As long as they prevent crashes and graphical glitches and general unstableness of the game, I don't mind that part of the beta-testing is done while the game is already on the market, as long as it's only concerned with balancing the game features, improving the AI and the like. I just wish they would guarantee patches beforehand.

Why don't they say: We will release the game in september and based on customer-feedback a patch will be forthcoming within two months from that. Just acknowledge to the customers that they are still tweaking it, call it the gamma stage. So a game goes alpha, beta then it's released on the market and goes gamma and only after the final patches have been applied a game goes golden. That's what's happening in practice and it worked for civ4 and the expansions. Perhaps even give a small discount to people buying the game in the gamma stage (they're helping develop the game after all).

Car Show Room Salesman: Hi, this is the new model in our range.
Me: But its got no steering wheel, no brakes, and the electronics don't seem to work....!!
CSRS: Yeah we thought about that, but decided since you're a valued customer, you wouldn't mind helping fix the missing bits.
Me:
CSRS: Surely you know an engineer, and an electrician who could help?
Me:
CSRS: And when they've fixed it, would you mind forwarding the details to us, we have to make a ridiculous profit you see
Me:
CSRS: We'll give you a 5% discount on our next unfinished product!
Me:


Why should we accept it just because its a computer game?

Join me in the :- Consumer Revolt Against Patches

(yes you got the acronym right )

 

[mrwhite89]

We have seen the same thing in each installment of this generation of Civilization games. They always come out incomplete and with imperfections, but the Civ community always manages to patch all the games eventually and usually pretty fast. Colonization has the potential to be a great game, it just needs some fine-tuning. I really don't mind this, because in the end we will get a fantastic game.

 

[tour86rocker]

mrwhite, I wish they'd pass more of the savings along to us. US$30 Is on the cheap side, but they should give us some money back as a credit on Direct2Drive or Steam.

But they've accomplished their mission...I can't stop playing until I know everything about the game. :^\

 

[Oddible]

Car Show Room Salesman: Hi, this is the new model in our range.
Me: But its got no steering wheel, no brakes, and the electronics don't seem to work....!!
CSRS: Yeah we thought about that, but decided since you're a valued customer, you wouldn't mind helping fix the missing bits.
Me:
CSRS: Surely you know an engineer, and an electrician who could help?
Me:
CSRS: And when they've fixed it, would you mind forwarding the details to us, we have to make a ridiculous profit you see
Me:
CSRS: We'll give you a 5% discount on our next unfinished product!
Me:


Why should we accept it just because its a computer game?

Join me in the :- Consumer Revolt Against Patches

(yes you got the acronym right )

I always see people use this analogy for software as if somehow it was a durable good. Unfortunately it is vacuous and ignorant of two completely different products as well as two completely different markets. You can have your production mechanism for software managed in the same way we manage automotive production but then the speed of innovation will slow to a crawl or cost a fortune. And on another note, when was the last time you got a free patch for a non-life-threatening automotive issue? Sorry, that one just really doesn't work.

Go read up on Web 2.0 and the organization of a new system of collaboration and design. You can't have a new system overnight and there are growing pains while it is evolving. Enjoy it, shape it, participate in it, but please don't force it to work like the old system.

Seriously, you all know what to expect in this industry, wait 6 months to buy it if it really bothers you that much.

Cheers to Firaxis for producting another fantastic diamond in the rough. I for one am enjoying it and am eagerly anticipating the exciting changes that will be coming in future patches.

 

[DrewBledsoe]

I always see people use this analogy for software as if somehow it was a durable good. Unfortunately it is vacuous and ignorant of two completely different products as well as two completely different markets. You can have your production mechanism for software managed in the same way we manage automotive production but then the speed of innovation will slow to a crawl or cost a fortune. And on another note, when was the last time you got a free patch for a non-life-threatening automotive issue? Sorry, that one just really doesn't work.

Go read up on Web 2.0 and the organization of a new system of collaboration and design. You can't have a new system overnight and there are growing pains while it is evolving. Enjoy it, shape it, participate in it, but please don't force it to work like the old system.

Seriously, you all know what to expect in this industry, wait 6 months to buy it if it really bothers you that much.

Cheers to Firaxis for producting another fantastic diamond in the rough. I for one am enjoying it and am eagerly anticipating the exciting changes that will be coming in future patches.

And through attitudes like yours, the quality of released comp games products won't be getting any better in the near future. Well done ! (sarcasm)

 

[Axxon]

Car Show Room Salesman: Hi, this is the new model in our range.
Me: But its got no steering wheel, no brakes, and the electronics don't seem to work....!!
CSRS: Yeah we thought about that, but decided since you're a valued customer, you wouldn't mind helping fix the missing bits.
Me:
CSRS: Surely you know an engineer, and an electrician who could help?
Me:
CSRS: And when they've fixed it, would you mind forwarding the details to us, we have to make a ridiculous profit you see
Me:
CSRS: We'll give you a 5% discount on our next unfinished product!
Me:


Why should we accept it just because its a computer game?

Join me in the :- Consumer Revolt Against Patches

(yes you got the acronym right )

Actually every first version of a car in a new carline is inferior to the following revisions of that car for that model. Carmakers don't make it "perfect" the first time any more than games do.

With the first version of the car you can still use it and drive around fine. Get a latter model and it'll perform better and have afew extras.

You can play this first version of the game fine as well and have fun with it. With the patch it'll be better.

Unlike the car, you actually don't need to pay to get the later improvements.