Can we get a hint on when patch 2 "may" come out?

On the flipside of what Gaffer said... Sure, a BIG patch may give them more press.. But, for players who have been there and done that... and play a lot.. They are finishing up the content in a couple of weeks, and then have months to wait for any new updates. I can only speak for myself, but.. once I complete new content, and there is nothing left for me to do, but the same old missions.. I start to get bored. I need to be fed new content on regular occassions so that I am pacified. Otherwise, I just get bored, and my account expires. I would rather see a decent monthly update.. than a BIG update every 3 to 4 months..
But thats just me

The question is asked:

"Can we get a hint on when patch 2 "may" come out?"

Gaffer Says:

"This is the least intelligible dev post I've ever made. If you can't wade through the above: "CROSS-VERSION BUG FIXES HARD. BIG UPDATES MAYBE GOOD" and ignore the rest."

Statesman paraphrases:

"Soon..."

Gawd, I love the Devs. Where else do you ACTUALLY get to talk to the actual people developing the game? Has Todd Hollenshead at "id software" returned my calls? No. (Of course, they did send that nice retraining order...) :P

Developers - you rock. Keep up the excellent work!

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Gaffer, I don't understand why this has to all be done as one HUGE update.

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Because while source code is easy to version control (i.e. you can set a marker which will give you two distinct copies of the source, one with the current build and the other with Issue 2, and change them independently) data in the database and the client wad files is much harder to keep in sync - especially with different source versions. And of course don't forget that some changes may require changes to stored character or world state (SGs, etc.) data, either adding new info, changing the structure of existing info, or more.

And we have internal versions separate from the external versions, so it's not a simple "live and test" branches in any case.

The short form is it's non-trivial to put some bug fixes up on live and test, especially when there are data changes. Cryptic does try to when possible.

As a side note, we are experimenting with trying to get more changes out in between the "big *** updates" which currently are on a 2 or 3 month schedule. Cause that's a long time to wait...on the other hand, we get better press coverage by having big cool updates like Capes+new zones+power fixes+new content all at once, which means more players which is good.

This is the least intelligible dev post I've ever made. If you can't wade through the above: "CROSS-VERSION BUG FIXES HARD. BIG UPDATES MAYBE GOOD" and ignore the rest.

-jg

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Best post by a game dev ever. You turned my opinion of CoH around.

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...the "big *** updates" which currently are on a 2 or 3 month schedule...

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I think the character model choices are fine as they are. Don't nerf my toon's skinny ***!

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I'm sure you already know the flip side to your argument, but I'll say it anyway: Yes, all the coverage from a "big ***" update may indeed garner new players, but on the other hand, the lack of updates for several months means you may lose your existing players.

I love CoH, but I want to see new things. To me, that's why I pay a monthly fee - in order to see an ever evolving game. When things get "stale," I lose interest.... and I'm sure I'm not alone in that regard.

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It sounds like they all understand that, but as he said, and I as a developer completely understand, version control is a beatch. Rushing to publish anything live is a blunder waiting to happen. Trying to do partial releases of content is like asking the dentist to anesthysize one side of your mouth, then flip a coin to see which tooth he pulls...

Its really not even close to trivial.

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...the "big *** updates" which currently are on a 2 or 3 month schedule...

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I think the character model choices are fine as they are. Don't nerf my toon's skinny ***!

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You don't know what you're missing!

I'd love to see some models with a J-Lo or Janet Jackson sized ***!

The Carnival Illusionist models are a little overboard!

Hey, does anyone else find it odd that *** is not on the filter list?

Nerf Gaffer's ***!

OMG, I havn't laughed so hard at a single thread in a long time!!

Great post Gaffer, I love it.

He He Gaffer said ***...ROFLMAO!!!

Anyway, it took 22 hours to download the update (actually surprised my ISP didn't boot me offline), I think I have the patience to wait another week or two.

I'll try not to come off as non-appriciative of your post Gaffer, I did enjoy it.

However, I have to agree at least in part with the OP. I'm very down with the idea of big ***** patches. However I think the bar was set a bit too high on this particular patch. I really would have rather seen respec pushed back to patch three and the rest of the stuff pushed out in a more timely manner. There are ALOT of quality of life fixes and additions to this patch that make the live version,.. well just not fun right now - in comparison.

Now I also know that this is but the second large patch and as such the process is still in its development stage, and I hope in the future less will be bitten off at one sitting.

Course that's just my mind on the subject and I'm pretty much the person that just has to have that new stuff fast fast fast


Tazina - 43 Empathy Defender - Virtue

There are many reasons they wont release a date (which I too wish they would so I could schedule the flu hehe). The main one in my view is that if they do it once, they will have to do it every time and put ridiculous pressure on themselves. A wise man once said "An exception granted becomes a RIGHT expected the next time it is requested..."

They don't want to set a precident and I dont blame them. Now, WHEN IS IT COMING OUT FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD?!?!?!?!?! hehehehehe

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And that post folks..is why CoH has the best devs of all mmorpg's

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No comment.

Of course, I am extremely biased.

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Dude, it needs to come out AFTER the video contest is done (I'm too busy creating to play at the moment).

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Did it?

Sorry, due to a dropping user base, Issue 2 is cancelled and CoH will terminate all servers in October of 2004.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Thread....
Must....
Die....

***Thunderous Blast***

There.