RRtexasranger
Warlord
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2007
- Messages
- 148
I just want PC-mac multiplayer...
Patch 1.0.1.217
- Thread starter forty2j
- Start date
ASH31
Chieftain
Thanks for keeping us updated Ryan. Will the Polynesia DLC be available with the patch?
Muskie
Warlord
I guess I'm waiting for this too, and Polynesia DLC intrigues me also. Would have spent my five bucks on it yesterday if had been available, probably...
You can be sure Polynesia will work with the patch, when the patch comes. If you're in a hurry, you can even buy it now and play on bootcamp, and you'll get it on the Mac side when it's ready. Personally I'm not in that big of a rush (though I'm looking forward to it).
manu-fan
Emperor
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2006
- Messages
- 1,005
Keep on eye on this I guess, for DLC updates:
http://blog.gameagent.com/2011/02/09/civilization-v-mac-faqs-dlc-edition/
Cheers.
http://blog.gameagent.com/2011/02/09/civilization-v-mac-faqs-dlc-edition/
Cheers.
I know that Aspyr has a horrible reputation, but it would be really nice if they could work more closely with the CiV team to release patches simultaneously, or near-simultaneously as the PC version. It sucks to be waiting for major game balance changes.
Yes.. but there's actually nothing Aspyr can do about that. They can't begin porting a patch until it's ready to go on the PC side. Which means, you need to ask 2K / Firaxis to NOT release a patch until a port is ready. When x-platform multiplayer is working, I would hope they would honor this request for the good of the entire Civ community.. but it's far more likely that they'll argue that 90% of customers shouldn't have to wait just so 10% can catch up.
BritishSeaPower
Chieftain
I don't think "horrible reputation" is the best way to put that. They do a great job, what sucks about the whole process isn't their fault. I don't really think it's fair to give them a "horrible reputation" because of something that isn't in their control.
AspyrRyan
Prince
I still have no updates.
Actually, a bulk of our testing time is taken up by checking cross platform play.
Checking to see if a policy changed correctly: Easy.
Playing multiple full multiplayer games: Time consuming.
Working on the port of a patch while Firaxis is working on the patch as well would be problematic. If we coded a workaround for a Mac only issue caused by a change, and then that change was reverted or further modified, it'd nullify our work on it. However, we don't have to wait for the patch to be complete to work on Mac only issues, such as the grey bar issue in early patches, or investigating fixes for the HD 3000 GPU now.
Actually, a bulk of our testing time is taken up by checking cross platform play.
Checking to see if a policy changed correctly: Easy.
Playing multiple full multiplayer games: Time consuming.
Working on the port of a patch while Firaxis is working on the patch as well would be problematic. If we coded a workaround for a Mac only issue caused by a change, and then that change was reverted or further modified, it'd nullify our work on it. However, we don't have to wait for the patch to be complete to work on Mac only issues, such as the grey bar issue in early patches, or investigating fixes for the HD 3000 GPU now.
Ok, I think that's fair. Let me rephrase then by saying that I think Firaxis' multi-platform development process sucks. Somehow, Blizzard manages to develop and patch their games across platforms simultaneously. I understand that Firaxis outsources their Macintosh port, but I feel like there could be a much tighter integration between the two companies to allow for the same.
This is something that needs to be considered at the very onset of developing the product. In Blizzard games, there's a very neat & tidy handoff between stuff everyone gets, and platform-specific stuff like socket layers, graphics, and sound. Other companies could do this too.. but choose not to.
Okay, so we will only get multiplayer cross-platform when Firaxis slows down the update process?
that is how I understood the Aspyr post.
If Firaxis alter the code then we have to stop and restart the conversion; as Firaxis are providing updates on a regular basis, then conversion work stops to catch up with Firaxis.
seems like the "I wont buy a computer because there will be a better one along in a few months, and in a few months there will be a better one along, then again after that ......orbis perpetuum ad nauseam
It is good that Steam provides the PC version as well
AspyrRyan
Prince
Now, I never said that!
I was explaining that some things are pretty easy to test, while others take a great deal more time for testing.
The explanation for why there aren't simultaneous patches is separate from the cross platform multiplayer issue.
As for one reason for a delay, you can see there's a new PC patch for Civ V that was released today.
Looks like it's a Korean localisation update. One would hope that shouldn't affect gameplay or cross-platform compatibility.
However, I think the point is demonstrated. As long as Firaxis patches keep arriving only a few weeks apart, Aspyr either has to keep incorporating them into the next Mac version and retesting, delaying that release, or put out a release that is out of step by one or two patches. Either way, it delays the point at which cross-platform multiplayer works, and/or limits the time window of that compatibility.
[UPDATE] The new Windows version number is 1.0.1.221, so even if game play is identical, I guess its likely to break cross-platform play if Aspyr were to put out a 1.0.1.217, just by having a different number.
However, I think the point is demonstrated. As long as Firaxis patches keep arriving only a few weeks apart, Aspyr either has to keep incorporating them into the next Mac version and retesting, delaying that release, or put out a release that is out of step by one or two patches. Either way, it delays the point at which cross-platform multiplayer works, and/or limits the time window of that compatibility.
[UPDATE] The new Windows version number is 1.0.1.221, so even if game play is identical, I guess its likely to break cross-platform play if Aspyr were to put out a 1.0.1.217, just by having a different number.
That's true, but the former certainly makes the latter much more difficult to achieve outside the lab.
I meant that because of how fast Firaxis is churning out revisions Aspyr can't get ahead. Since there is a new revision can you just put crossplatform multiplayer on hold?
RRtexasranger
Warlord
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2007
- Messages
- 148
I wish Civ5 was developed like EA did Sims 3 where PC and Mac patches could be released simultaneously. I'm not a programmer so I don't know what all that entails and what you would sacrifice by doing that, but I think that because Steam auto-updates for even the tiniest of patches (localization update) it makes cross platform update nearly impossible to keep in lockstep.
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