Pride Of Nations Beta Patch Available

[fmonster]

Just saw this go up. Details are here:

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/sho ... Patch-1.02

Won't have time today to try it out, but good to see an early patch.

[DuckofTindalos]

Sounds good. I'll hold for the official patch.

[Titanwarrior89]

Looks like a good list of fixes.[:D]

[goodwoodrw]

This patch makes a huge difference, much more playable![:D]

[Titanwarrior89]

Yep, I would agree. A big difference.

ORIGINAL: BASB

This patch makes a huge difference, much more playable![:D]

[SlickWilhelm]

It's a great patch, no doubt. But it appears that there are two major bugs that will possibly prevent this from becoming the official 1.02 patch:

1) A bug that prevents the "Admiral Perry" event from firing, thereby opening up Japan to international trade.

2) A bug where crises may default to the North Pole region instead of a more valid region.

[tevans6220]

My experience is that it's like that with all their games. Patch to fix things but break something else in the process. I've already been through that with AACW, BOA, BOA2, NCP, ROP, RUS and WWI. I don't want to do it again. Some of their games are still receiving patches after 3? or 4? years time (AACW). Some see that as excellent customer service but I'm not so sure. One would think that by now their previous titles would be past the stage of needing patching. I'm afraid that PoN is headed down that same road and that it will only be 2 or 3 years from now that we see it's potential finally fulfilled and all the bugs worked out. It makes me feel like I'm paying to be a tester. It gets old. What's wrong with actually working out the major bugs and kinks before release then patching the minor things that pop up? The crisis system is a prime example. Worked well in 1.01 but in the 1.02 beta it's fubar. How many patches is it going to take before that gets fixed? Like I said it's not a ride I want to take this time. I've been down that road too many times.

[goodwoodrw]

Another patch has been released overnight, couple of good fixes and additions

[jomni]

ORIGINAL: tevans6220

My experience is that it's like that with all their games. Patch to fix things but break something else in the process. I've already been through that with AACW, BOA, BOA2, NCP, ROP, RUS and WWI. I don't want to do it again. Some of their games are still receiving patches after 3? or 4? years time (AACW). Some see that as excellent customer service but I'm not so sure. One would think that by now their previous titles would be past the stage of needing patching. I'm afraid that PoN is headed down that same road and that it will only be 2 or 3 years from now that we see it's potential finally fulfilled and all the bugs worked out. It makes me feel like I'm paying to be a tester. It gets old. What's wrong with actually working out the major bugs and kinks before release then patching the minor things that pop up? The crisis system is a prime example. Worked well in 1.01 but in the 1.02 beta it's fubar. How many patches is it going to take before that gets fixed? Like I said it's not a ride I want to take this time. I've been down that road too many times.

Sounds like WITP. This is a common problem for complex games with small development teams. They NEED the buying public to beta test for them.

[Phatguy]

Well, for the most part I dont mind beta testing patches for games from smaller developers. At least they are putting out patches to fix most or all of the problems. Look at some of these conglomerates out there. One or two half-assed patches and off to the next ripoff......

[tevans6220]

Using the excuse of being a small developer just won't cut it anymore. It's no excuse for putting out an unfinished or not thoroughly tested product. I understand that software will never be 100% bugfree. But I don't want to be a tester. Especially a paying tester. I'm not in this hobby to support small developers. I buy games to be entertained.

[vonRocko]

ORIGINAL: tevans6220

Using the excuse of being a small developer just won't cut it anymore. It's no excuse for putting out an unfinished or not thoroughly tested product. I understand that software will never be 100% bugfree. But I don't want to be a tester. Especially a paying tester. I'm not in this hobby to support small developers. I buy games to be entertained.

Very well put! This idea that we have to put up with broken games too support developers is ridiculous. I am sick of the threats that there won't be games like this unless we accept broken releases, that's just stupid. But far too many people accept substandard service and products in all aspects of life, why would wargames be different? If the consumer would demand it, then it could be done. Games can be released in a working and playable manner, if only customers would stop accepting the excuses.

[Titanwarrior89]

Pocus is honest....I feel good about the man and his release. Ageod is a good company and he will get the kinks worked out. Its a complex game and you know what I think, Pocus doesn't like the bugs anymore than we dp. What about the beta testers....are they not customers and gamers.. Why didn't these gamers catch more of these bugs. Nope I don't completely agree with you fellas. Ive paid more for far worst Junk.......from big Companies who support less. So for you guys who have been down this road before......Please close the door so I can Ride on.....When I get there Ill let e'm know your walking.[;)]

[jomni]

I suspect Pardox rushed the release as they don't want to fund the project anymore. 

[tevans6220]

ORIGINAL: Titanwarrior89

Pocus is honest....I feel good about the man and his release. Ageod is a good company and he will get the kinks worked out. Its a complex game and you know what I think, Pocus doesn't like the bugs anymore than we dp. What about the beta testers....are they not customers and gamers.. Why didn't these gamers catch more of these bugs. Nope I don't completely agree with you fellas. Ive paid more for far worst Junk.......from big Companies who support less. So for you guys who have been down this road before......Please close the door so I can Ride on.....When I get there Ill let e'm know your walking.[;)]

Only one thing wrong with what you're saying. Ageod as a seperate entitiy doesn't exist anymore. They're now Paradox France. I have no doubt that the Phils will fix PoN if Paradox allows them. That still doesn't excuse the shape in which PoN was released. And if it was just PoN you could blame it all on Paradox but every Ageod product has needed multiple patches. True some patches added features but most patches only fixed things broken by other patches. We have that now with the PoN beta patches. The first patch broke the crisis system and need a second patch to fix the first patch. Now it seems like they're just throwing beta patches out for customers to test. The same type of thing as they did before. AACW alone has had 15 patches with a 16th patch in beta and that game was released in 2007. Some would call that good customer service but I say there's a problem somewhere. That's not something I want to go through again with PoN. The excuse of being a small developer only goes so far. Maybe for the first one or two titles you can get away with it. But you don't keep making the same mistakes over and over again. It no longer becomes a mistake then. It's more like a habit.

[tevans6220]

ORIGINAL: jomni

I suspect Pardox rushed the release as they don't want to fund the project anymore. 

I agree. It seems as though PoN was rushed. I also suspect we'll see the major patching in the form of expansions just like all Paradox products.

[hgilmer3]

ORIGINAL: jomni

I suspect Paradox rushed the release as they don't want to fund the project anymore. 

I'm not sure if they wanted to fund it or not anymore, but I'm sure Paradox probably said, "This is the date you will release the game." So, then they got everything they could into the game and fixed as many bugs as possible, and then they released it. They can't say that that is what happened because they would be in trouble from Paradox.

There are obviously some things they knew weren't ready and in game like the majority of leaders and generals and their portraits. Loans are another thing they couldn't get in, but we know it was going to be because they said it would and there is a panel that details loans and interest but it an inactive part of the screens.

They've probably already been given the schedule on which they will release DLC, if any are released. Paradox is like the accountant in this scenario. "You make X money, release it here. If X profit is made, this DLC will be released. Otherwise, you start on another project that we will approve." Paradoxically (pardon the pun (and alliteration)), accountants usually don't even make these kinds of decisions, but it's easier and more understandable to just say the bean counters are making the decisions based on the revenue and profit.

PoN was started before Paradox acquired Aegod so we don't know if they were even truly "behind" it conceptually, since they already had a game that was popular for that period and even a 2nd version of it.

And that's more than I posted in a long time!

[Yogi the Great]

If it worked like it should, it wouldn't be Paradox.

[jomni]

But you gotta commend AGEOD by releasing beta patches under Paradox.  Something not common in Paradox games.

[Titanwarrior89]

That is true.

ORIGINAL: Yogi the Great

If it worked like it should, it wouldn't be Paradox.