Firaxis: Patch coming next week

[Grimshok]

From Borgholio's link, above:

A Note from Firaxis Concerning the Civilization IV Patch
November 16, 2005

Hello everyone!
I've heard from many of you via the Firaxis website Contact Us form (many thanks for all the dxdiag files and savegames) and wanted to say thanks for all the feedback and detailed bug reports that were sent up.

I just wanted to let everyone know that as of Monday afternoon, the patch was sent to 2K for final testing, so barring any problems in QA, we will be releasing it shortly.

Some of the highlights include multiple AI improvements and tweaks, worker behavior tweaks, MANY game play improvements (ex Animal Husbandry reveals horses), promotion tweaks, a softer pillage sound (requested by many, many people), fixed diplomatic exploits (gold for gold, peace treaty exploit), multiplayer tweaks (Hot seat, Lobby, etc.), memory, caching and performance improvements, etc. There were also a number of video card specific fixes.

To those of you having problems, thanks for your patience. Our guys were working around the clock with your detailed feedback to produce this patch. For those of you having no problems, it's only going to get better. =)

Dennis Shirk
Firaxis Games

Please note the lines: "I've heard from many of you via the Firaxis website Contact Us form (many thanks for all the dxdiag files and savegames) and wanted to say thanks for all the feedback and detailed bug reports that were sent up." and "To those of you having problems, thanks for your patience. Our guys were working around the clock with your detailed feedback". I can't help but think he's chuckling with sarcasm to many of us who may be guilty of the same 'lack of proper communication' that we accused them of.

It's a pile of steamy crap.

Eloquent as always, Jack. You got' a copy of the game yet?

 

[BlueLikeYou]

I've heard from many of you via the Firaxis website Contact Us form (many thanks for all the dxdiag files and savegames) and wanted to say thanks for all the feedback and detailed bug reports that were sent up.

There's a Contact Us form on the Firaxis website? Where the heck is it? The only thing I could ever find was a form that specifically said not to use it for tech support.

 

[King Flevance]

There's a Contact Us form on the Firaxis website? Where the heck is it? The only thing I could ever find was a form that specifically said not to use it for tech support.

Its under the 'support' page 'contact us' or something like that. Its at the bottom.

 

[BlueLikeYou]

Its under the 'support' page 'contact us' or something like that. Its at the bottom.

www.firaxis.com right? I still don't see it. There's a "click here to contact us", but that just brings me the same place I found before (where it says not to use it for tech support).

 

[warpstorm]

Tech support is not the same as reporting of problems. That is where you are supposed to send problems if you want their attention.

 

[BirraImperial]

That is at least some good news right?? c'mon guys be positive! just hang on for a little while.

 

[TSteamer]

I just wanted to let everyone know that as of Monday afternoon, the patch was sent to 2K for final testing, so barring any problems in QA, we will be releasing it shortly.

If the patch was at QA Monday, and here it is Wednesday, my theory is that there were indeed "problems in QA." I've been a software QA tester before (albeit not for the gaming industry) and there can be a lot of back and forth.

When things went well for me it was usually 1) download file 2) open test plan, 3) test A, B, C -wash-rinse-repeat- and then "wham-bam-thankyou-ma'am" right back out the door. Assuming its a well-written test plan.

Then again, I imagine this is going to be a rather large patch if they are focusing not only on gameplay but also with numerous video card interface problems.

I hope their QA staff is pretty robust and not just two dudes hyped up all night on Red Bull and Mountain Dew.

 

[Smidlee]

I know if I work at Firaxis I wouldn't post here about some patch. When I'm at work I do my best at my job but in my own free time I don't want to think about work. Civ 4 is a game to me but to them it a job they been working on for some time now. Also an post here from Firaxis isn't going to make your game run better.

 

[King Flevance]

www.firaxis.com right? I still don't see it. There's a "click here to contact us", but that just brings me the same place I found before (where it says not to use it for tech support).

http://www.civiv.com

^ go to support there.

 

[upstart]

If the patch was at QA Monday, and here it is Wednesday, my theory is that there were indeed "problems in QA." I've been a software QA tester before (albeit not for the gaming industry) and there can be a lot of back and forth.

When things went well for me it was usually 1) download file 2) open test plan, 3) test A, B, C -wash-rinse-repeat- and then "wham-bam-thankyou-ma'am" right back out the door. Assuming its a well-written test plan.

Then again, I imagine this is going to be a rather large patch if they are focusing not only on gameplay but also with numerous video card interface problems.

I hope their QA staff is pretty robust and not just two dudes hyped up all night on Red Bull and Mountain Dew.

well never been involved with gaming industry QA either but my general feel is that a patch usually goes through at least about a week testing before its released. also if everything they mentioned was fixed then yes it seems a rather all encompassing patch. i am surprised about the memory leak being addressed this early in fact since sometimes they have to go through the whole engine code to find the problem. anyways also good news they are finnally letting off the wraps for the thing.

 

[King Flevance]

I know if I work at Firaxis I wouldn't post here about some patch. When I'm at work I do my best at my job but in my own free time I don't want to think about work. Civ 4 is a game to me but to them it a job they been working on for some time now. Also an post here from Firaxis isn't going to make your game run better.

They could post, while they are at work. Something brief in 3 mins would be better than the nothing they posted. With a rough estimation of what to expect this would have made people like me, not everyone, happy.
And a post would not have had my game run better but typing in civiv.com and other addresses every day hoping for news got old after almost 2 weeks. By then, I just quit caring. Hell, I tried taking my game back and got the shaft. Mostly because I heard nothing in the first week other than posts about how there is nothing wrong and for some reason people know more about my computer's settings than me.

Good post though Smidlee. I am not gunning for you here. Thats your opinion, and you stand by it.

 

[josephstalin]

They were working on the patch ... good. And let's not make them rush the patch. They are solving big problems with Civ right now. I would rather have a good patch, rather than the creepy one.

 

[King Flevance]

They were working on the patch ... good. And let's not make them rush the patch. They are solving big problems with Civ right now. I would rather have a good patch, rather than the creepy one.

Ditto. IMO they rushed the game. So the patch should take its time.

 

[King Flevance]

I did your test of 100 years on your sig, josephstalin.
I am expected to live until the age of 75.3
Probably longer if I quit smoking . I got 49. 2 years left

 

[RoboPig]

I did your test of 100 years on your sig, josephstalin.
I am expected to live until the age of 75.3
Probably longer if I quit smoking . I got 49. 2 years left

i'm gonna live till i'm 82.1!

 

[Red Door]

I know this is off-topic but 84! Woo-Hoo! 69 more years to live.

On-Topic:So is patch coming soon? Just wondering.

 

[King Flevance]

I know this is off-topic but 84! Woo-Hoo! 69 more years to live.

On-Topic:So is patch coming soon? Just wondering.

Yeah, should be within a week. At the top of this page, Grimshok has posted the official information from Firaxis.

 

[blue3c]

Yeah, should be within a week. At the top of this page, Grimshok has posted the official information from Firaxis.

Should take a wait and see. If you expect it in a week and it does not come (thats what I am guessing) you will be pissed. But if you never expect anything from them. They may suprise you. Not saying they will not saying they won't. Just saying don't get your hopes up.

 

[Renegade X]

Patches dont make money, they cost money. Simple as that.

 

[Sorceresss]

Patches dont make money, they cost money. Simple as that.

True, Renegade X.

(I see that you are back from your "vacation". )