[GS] Future Update?

[Pistol90]

It's everything except what's going to be in Runner.

Why would they test earlier content now ??

 

[WillowBrook]

They used it during the lead up to Gathering Storm. I presume it's for Smoke Testing, which is a general test to see if anything breaks.

I wonder why they are testing everything except Runner on it? Are they prepping it for Runner or is there some new functionality being tested for the existing game?

My guess is that we'll see runner added sometime "soon". Even for the biggest post-GS patches, they didn't use smoke.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Why would they test earlier content now ??

One reason might be a new functionality, like cross-platform multiplayer with the consoles.

Or, they are just prepping the build to have Runner added to it later, like @WillowBrook said.

 

[Kwami]

Why would they test earlier content now ??

To establish a baseline before they start breaking stuff.

 

[kotpeter]

My assumption is that the 'runner' build refers to a new content, whereas the 'smoke' build refers to an upcoming hotfix for exploits (Pantheon exploit, multiple same type districts per city exploit).

 

[Turrdy]

Maybe they wanted to announce already some weeks ago but since the new content may have some kind of plague mechanic they found the current real world situation to be suboptimal at the moment...

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Maybe they wanted to announce already some weeks ago but since the new content may have some kind of plague mechanic they found the current real world situation to be suboptimal at the moment...

So, you're saying it's not viral advertising?

Try the veal

 

[Pistol90]

Maybe they wanted to announce already some weeks ago but since the new content may have some kind of plague mechanic they found the current real world situation to be suboptimal at the moment...

That's possible, but also entirely stupid thing to do ... games and movies should not be under those (if any) kind of censorship.

 

[WillowBrook]

Maybe they wanted to announce already some weeks ago but since the new content may have some kind of plague mechanic they found the current real world situation to be suboptimal at the moment...

I doubt it. Now, if they were manufacturing a complex piece of electronics rather than software, I could believe that the current situation led to a delay....

 

[SammyKhalifa]

That's possible, but also entirely stupid thing to do ... games and movies should not be under those (if any) kind of censorship.

Not saying I agree or disagree with holding back, but that would NOT be censorship. Just good taste (in their opinion). Like withholding "your mom" jokes at a parent's funeral.

 

[Gyrofalcon]

My assumption is that the 'runner' build refers to a new content, whereas the 'smoke' build refers to an upcoming hotfix for exploits (Pantheon exploit, multiple same type districts per city exploit).

I very much agree in this. The list of bugs after latest patch was embarrassing long.
Hotfixing existing game AND add new content in same release is easy to screw up. The "rule of 3" comes to mind (fix 1 bug, create 3 new bugs).

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

My guess is that we'll see runner added sometime "soon". Even for the biggest post-GS patches, they didn't use smoke.

By the way, cogent observation. They used Smoke for the last expansion. I'm starting to lean towards this being the fabled third expansion.

 

[ghost88]

By the way, cogent observation. They used Smoke for the last expansion. I'm starting to lean towards this being the fabled third expansion.

Could it be a " finished" World Builder being tested? They have promised that.

 

[Gyrofalcon]

Hmm... New build update for "smoke", but this time only for a few of the DLC/Exp... Only GS, R&F, Nubia, Viking and Pre-order.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Hmm... New build update for "smoke", but this time only for a few of the DLC/Exp... Only GS, R&F, Nubia, Viking and Pre-order.

Something must've smoked.

 

[Killer Rabbit]

Honestly, the two things I am most looking forward to are:

1. Getting some clarity on what FXS’s plans are for the game, and
   
   
2. This thread getting put out if its misery.

I don’t know what we’ll get, and am too exhausted / over it to try guessing when we’ll get something.

But I’m maybe quietly hopeful it’ll be good, both the inevitable patch and whatever content we get.

Other than being cryptically (and at times annoyingly) silent sometimes, the game has been going in a really good direction and FXS seem to have the right approach overall.

So long as Ed is involved, and people keep buying content, I’m reasonably confident good things will happen even if all my particular pet ideas / grievances etc don’t get addressed.

[edit: format, typos]

I think Firaxis just has a slightly old-fashioned approach to community engagement.

The Humankind threads on these forums get just as excited over the tiny details, but an Amplitude representative engages with us almost every day (obviously only within what they are allowed to disclose). It’s a much healthier and more rewarding approach and proof, I think, that they have learned from other studios’ failures.

Honestly, the wait for news hasn't been THAT much longer than for the other expansions. Steam depots for GS appeared in what, September or October of 2018 before the November reveal? So we've waiting basically an additional five months for unofficial word that something was in development. Given the releases on additional platforms, and the goal of simultaneous releases of new content, it's not crazy. And five months isn't all that long.

I'm hoping that they've also taken additional time to make this (hopeful) 3XP extra large, BTS or BNW style. (Hopefully they have seen @acluewithout's excellent suggestions.)

It would be nice if FXS were more transparent, but I think it must be a 2K communications policy. It's a little old-school, but it's not the worst. Large corporations, etc...

In any case, looking forward to what is next.

 

[Gedemon]

By the way, cogent observation. They used Smoke for the last expansion. I'm starting to lean towards this being the fabled third expansion.

but still no sign of the mythical source code, has it ever existed ?

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

but still no sign of the mythical source code, has it ever existed ?

I'm not sure how I would see that on SteamDB.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Another Smoke update.

 

[Datgingah]

Imma call it first two weeks of March