[GS] Future Update?

[Gyrofalcon]

Sooo.... Aspyr sent Linux and Mac Test branches back to 2kqa December last year. Then we got the Achievements in January this year, then Runner DLC depot was created in February.
Then we got "smoke", "smokea", "smokeb" and 2kqa_c, all in February / March, back and forte...

What ever they are testing, wouldn't that be necessary to get shipped back to Aspyr for Linux/Mac verification, before release? Then verification on other platforms...
That would stretch the timeline by several months, I think.

 

[acluewithout]

Oh well. I really thought we might get some news today. But guess not.

I’m not totally clear on what “news” we should expect when it does eventually come. Do people expect a flurry of activity on the database before something gets released? Or does it just come down to Runner getting updated?

If it’s ultimately a Patch that’s in the works, are FXS likely to just drop the announcement video or will they first tweet some sort of “announcement coming” the day before?

If it’s an expansion, my guess is we’ll get some sort of “hint” + “announcement Thursday (or Tuesday or next week or whatever)”. For GS it was the 24 hour skyline although I think there was something on twitter too. For RnF they teased the turning wheel thing.

I’ve no idea how a dlc would get announced, but maybe more like a patch than an expansion depending on the size?

If an expansion really is planned, then I suspect there will be a lot more waiting. FXS will want to announce a few months before release. And they’ll probably want to release on all platforms at once or close to it, which will likely require extra QC time. Could be really slow going.

My hope is still that maybe we get some sort of free update soon, and then an expansion later this year. A small update focused on Religion could be quite cool, like they did with Khmer and Indonesia DLC, perhaps with some reworked beliefs and religious buildings and some new religious units. Or maybe a small free update with some additional alternative buildings - the IZ could totally use some alt T1 Buildings (Forge? Stonemasons?) and a non-power related T3 Building (Tech Hub?). I can hope, can’t I?

Anyway. I’m quite fed up with the total lack of news, particularly as compared to Humankind and EUIV / Paradox although I get they’re totally different things. I’ve also noticed the filler posts get a lot of flak on twitter too. I’m surprised FXS haven’t tried to head that off a little with just a bit of news, but they haven’t so there you go.

Anyway (again). Thanks @Eagle Pursuit and others for keeping an eye on the database etc. Hopefully all this patience and your hard work will be rewarded with something good.

 

[WillowBrook]

Sooo.... Aspyr sent Linux and Mac Test branches back to 2kqa December last year. Then we got the Achievements in January this year, then Runner DLC depot was created in February.
Then we got "smoke", "smokea", "smokeb" and 2kqa_c, all in February / March, back and forte...

What ever they are testing, wouldn't that be necessary to get shipped back to Aspyr for Linux/Mac verification, before release? Then verification on other platforms...
That would stretch the timeline by several months, I think.

I expect to see updates to the mac and linux branches before anything drops. But they now know we're paying attention to that, so might have a new hidden way to deal with those platforms. Still, I think it is much more likely we see updates to those branches before any patch or new content is available.

As for timing, IIRC, for last year's patches, we would see a macbranch and linuxbranch update roughly a week before the patch and no additional mac/linux activity after that update until the patch dropped.

We don't know how console patches fit in.

 

[Kaan Boztepe]

For the last 5 months i read this forum/topic a lot more than playing the game. Something is very wrong with that statement. I cannot figure it out but i feel it in my bones

 

[Gyrofalcon]

I expect to see updates to the mac and linux branches before anything drops. But they now know we're paying attention to that, so might have a new hidden way to deal with those platforms. Still, I think it is much more likely we see updates to those branches before any patch or new content is available.

As for timing, IIRC, for last year's patches, we would see a macbranch and linuxbranch update roughly a week before the patch and no additional mac/linux activity after that update until the patch dropped.

We don't know how console patches fit in.

Hmmm... For what we know, one of the "smoke" 's or 2kqa_c could be a hidden Linux and/or Mac branches...

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Hmmm... For what we know, one of the "smoke" 's or 2kqa_c could be a hidden Linux and/or Mac branches...

Nope. They would be updating the Mac and Linux depots instead of the PC versions.

 

[Gyrofalcon]

Aha... Missed that obvious detail :s My bad. Thank you for pointing it out.

Yes, to update Lindux / Mac they need to update the designated Depots. Like we see in the Aspyr updates.
As I see it then, Firaxis is testing a build to be used in a stream, and maybe videos to make trailers of new content.
When the news is out, more testing and certification of final build on all platforms.

So maybe release in late Q3 or Q4 (X-mas)?

 

[pokiehl]

No one knows.

 

[Laurana Kanan]

No one knows.

That should have been the title of this thread.

 

[Zdarg]

Can't remember if the game said "Launcher beta" before or only today?

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I feel like what 2kqa_a and b did during December is locked in. Linux and Mac are copies of it and locked in.

I feel like Smoke, Smoke A, and Smoke B are testing something else.

I feel like 2kqa_c is testing a third thing.

Is it possible to have a console game on Steam and run it on PC with an emulator? If so, either the Smokes or 2kqa_c could be testing a console version of whatever is on 2kqa_a/b and Mac/Linux.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Ah, see. They're beta testing Sid's memoir.

https://twitter.com/sid_meier/status/1237755568045129728?s=19

They're having difficulty balancing it because he's so OP.

 

[WillowBrook]

Can't remember if the game said "Launcher beta" before or only today?

Pretty sure it's been that way for quite a while.

 

[Cerilis]

It just came to my mind, that back in December I put on a christmas avatar and said in this thread, that I'd only gonna change it to something new civ related, or so, hoping some new information would come out soon. Should I give up on that?

 

[shaglio]

It just came to my mind, that back in December I put on a christmas avatar and said in this thread, that I'd only gonna change it to something new civ related, or so, hoping some new information would come out soon. Should I give up on that?

Why give up? Christmas is only 9 months and 2 weeks away. Your avatar will be relevant again.

 

[UWHabs]

I feel like what 2kqa_a and b did during December is locked in. Linux and Mac are copies of it and locked in.

I feel like Smoke, Smoke A, and Smoke B are testing something else.

I feel like 2kqa_c is testing a third thing.

Is it possible to have a console game on Steam and run it on PC with an emulator? If so, either the Smokes or 2kqa_c could be testing a console version of whatever is on 2kqa_a/b and Mac/Linux.

I'd guess there's going to be a regular patch plus a DLC option (whether it's an expansion, a leader, a scenario, a game mode, no clue). Would make sense that that might be what was tested on 2kqa_a/b, and then ported and tested on Linux/Mac would all make sense.
Smoke/A/B would then be the DLC option. When/if exactly that got its Linux/Mac test/QA portion in, hard to say.

Of course, all that says nothing about all the timing of all of this, or whether this Smoke/Runner stuff is a full expansion, a leader DLC, a scenario pack, or what. Or whether this gets announced tomorrow and it's live on Friday, or announced next week for release in 2 months from now, or anything between or beyond those options.

And we know they like to have fun with us, so calling it smoke either is a fun play on this being smoke and mirrors, or else it's a play on the old "where's there's smoke there's fire", meaning something is close.

 

[clapyourhands]

It just came to my mind, that back in December I put on a christmas avatar and said in this thread, that I'd only gonna change it to something new civ related, or so, hoping some new information would come out soon. Should I give up on that?

Considering yesterday was this thread's 6-month anniversary, we're already halfway to "Winter Update?" being an appropriate title again.

I would also like to propose an addendum to an old theory. In addition to news being released whenever bite's asleep, perhaps if he wakes up and sees his shadow, we have to wait another 6 weeks before any news comes out?

 

[pokiehl]

And we know they like to have fun with us, so calling it smoke either is a fun play on this being smoke and mirrors, or else it's a play on the old "where's there's smoke there's fire", meaning something is close.

"Smoke testing" is common software development terminology: http://softwaretestingfundamentals.com/smoke-testing/

 

[AvianBritish]

I know a few people believe that 2K/Firaxis are waiitng to find out when Sega/Amplitude's Humankind is going to be released exactly to plan around that which is why we've not heard anything.

However what if Sega/Amplitude are waiting to hear when 2K/Firaxis are going to release their next big thing for Civ6 before deciding and annoycing a release date too?

EDIT: I don't believe this to be the case; I was just sharing a comical idea. I don't support Amplitude in anyway due to my relationship with their games. I also Corrected spelling errors in the above.

 

[Kwami]

I know a few people beleive hat 2K/Firaxis are waiitng to find out when Sega/Amplitude's Humankind is going to be released exactly to plan around that which is why we've not heard anything.

However what if Sega/Amplitude are waiting to hear when 2K/Firaxis are going to release their next big thing for Civ6 before deciding and annoycing a release date too?

Again, can we stop posting this stuff? There's no evidence that anything like this is happening.