The logic behind software version numbering?

[Some1]

Off topic...

Sorry - I..., I just... couldn't resist.

You know, I actually wonder that. It seems the latest patch was being worked on up to the last minute and probably didn't go through QA. The food basket always full bug and governors causing cities to starve are the sorts of introduced bugs that an observant player would pick up within 10 minutes.

I definitely give them A for effort, they do their best to get things in order again!
Although I'm very interested about the 2K/Firaxis reasoning behind why Civ5 was released as it was, completely incomplete!

Do they actually have a QA team? (sorry, I'm just mirroring your question, but not sure if yours was rhetorical - mine isn't). There's one in the manual credits, but are they still on the same project?

Was being sarcastic there. Since I feel we're being that QA-team they're missing!
We are sorry to hear that, if that's the case!

Now that you brought that up, the QA-team may have been laid down long ago... Just pay a visit at the Bug Reports section.


Off topic... Not that it matters, least not to me!

 

[Some1]

If they for example use version control system and it's revisions as numbers (i use it that way), then yes - it can go over hundreds and thousands and more... v.1.0.0.1024
but in this scenario even smallest change in code (even adding comment to code) is +1 revision, so it might be different system.
Number of "builds" mentioned earlier are more likely.

Okay, now I assume it can also be like this: v.1.0.90210.2056 (that number truly means crapload of patches! ) i.e. every number can grow beyond two digits.

Again it's how i use it, so not sure if it's the same, but for me v.2.0 would be completely rewritten software, so in this case civ5 v.2.0 would be simply civ6 v.1.0
When i develop software, i stick to 1.x version as long is it's compatible backwards and not rewritten completely

Atm we're with Civilization v.5.0.0.62 then!

 

[Mallipeep]

The last number inceases everytime a developer commits bunch his changes to "main branch". Usually its 1 feature or 1 bugfix ( but may be multiple bugfixes/features).
He also may screw up one little thing and commit another bugfix for the previous bugfix immidiately.

I dont know how its done in games development but in general before each commit the developer does at least some kinds of testing on his new feature and/or lets another developer to review his code or some other QA procedure.

After that commit is done, most testers probably are going to update their games and check if the new features work + (hopefully try things that the patch may broke) + just test the game in general to look for new bugs or ways to improve the game.

All the numbers before that are completely dependent on project. Maybe the 2nd last number increases after every public patch ( they are commiting 1.0.1.xx's now ), maybe not.

Those version numbers are more important before the release ( each 0.x.y.0 has certain number of features, and a date which those have to be finished to stay in schedule etc)