Patch 01 ... Patch 02 ... Patch 03 ...

[jwilkerson]

As stated previously, the approximate time table for the first two patches is as follows:

Patch 01 will be 30 days after game release

Patch 02 will be 90 days after game release

And we are on track for these dates. We do believe patch 01 will include the ability to update scenario data changes for games already in progress. However, we will not include an ability to update AI scenario data. We may include this eventually, but it would be risky to include it now as it would require more testing time than we have. So, for patch 01, no restart required to pick up EXE (code) changes, no restart required to pick up scenario (data) changes but restart would be required to pick up AI (data) changes.

Our guidelines for these patches are that we will be doing a few internally driven adjustments (we may be aware of issues you guys haven't found - yet). But primarily we are reacting to issues you guys are finding, either code or data. We also must consider the risk of the change however, as we do not have much internal testing time. So some changes we would like to make, will be postponed if we think the risk of the change is too high.

We may do a public beta, for patch 01 and would release a change list in conjunction with the public beta release. Items may go in and out of scope regardless, so issuing a list prior to then would be pre-mature. We are trying to include fixes for every ligitimate issue that we can get in without blowing out the risk profile.

So for patch 01 I would expect public beta within about one week and then general release within two to three weeks.

[Xargun]

Awesome - the ability to get all the changes of a patch without restarts is a welcome treat. Thanks a lot

Xargun

[Kull]

Nice. Good release plan too.

[ckk]

Great!! Now if I could get a shipping notice on my physical copy....

[Cap Mandrake]

Wow..planning patch release dates 90 days in advance [X(] That indicates a level of planning I could not have imagined. I didn't plan my Viking long boat ceremony that far in advance.

I wish I had just one copy of the planning gene.

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I wish I had just one copy of the planning gene.

Maybe we could work a trade. I've got two planning genes and am short an implementation gene.

[treespider]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I wish I had just one copy of the planning gene.

Maybe we could work a trade. I've got two planning genes and am short an implementation gene.

My middle name is Gene, but I lack both a planning gene and an implementation gene.

[sanderz]

hi

sorry

am pretty new to this game does but does the following mean i would need to restart a grand campaign game for it to get a patched ai?

[/quote]

but restart would be required to pick up AI (data) changes.

thanks

[Chad Harrison]

ORIGINAL: jwilkerson

And we are on track for these dates. We do believe patch 01 will include the ability to update scenario data changes for games already in progress. However, we will not include an ability to update AI scenario data. We may include this eventually, but it would be risky to include it now as it would require more testing time than we have. So, for patch 01, no restart required to pick up EXE (code) changes, no restart required to pick up scenario (data) changes but restart would be required to pick up AI (data) changes.

Thanks for the update Joe. Great to see things moving along as planned! Did we all mention we are loving the game? [:D]

I am totally ignorant on the subject, but will there come a point where we *must* restart if we want the latest patch? As you said, this will not be needed for Patch Mk I. But do you anticipate it being needed for Patch Mk II? Or farther down the road?

Thanks again to the entire AE team for all the hard work!

Chad

[jwilkerson]

ORIGINAL: Chad Harrison
I am totally ignorant on the subject, but will there come a point where we *must* restart if we want the latest patch?

Chad,
First let me say that there is never a point at which one must restart.

However, there are three cases regarding a given patch:

01 - All patch changes can be updated into ongoing games.

02 - Some patch changes can be updated into ongoing games, and some patch changes cannot be updated into ongoing games.

03 - Ongoing games cannot be played after application of the patch.

We can control which of these three cases a patch falls into. So far, every WITP patch we (Don, Joe, Michael, Nik) have done has fallen into case 01 or case 02. If we make significant data structure changes, then case 03 would be applicable. Over the past 18 months, we have been doing weekly builds and I believe there were 3 cases (out of about 70) where we fell into case 03 - but of course we knew we had to pay this penalty to get some benefit. The last such case was to double the size of the AI scripts allowed from 1000 to 2000.

So there might be a case where we would do a case 03 patch, but I doubt it. So I think you can assume future patches will be either case 01 or case 02 - just as our WITP patches have been.

[Chad Harrison]

ORIGINAL: jwilkerson

So there might be a case where we would do a case 03 patch, but I doubt it. So I think you can assume future patches will be either case 01 or case 02 - just as our WITP patches have been.

Joe

Thanks for the quick and very detailed reply. Playing a game from a dev team that is honest, upfront and realistic is a great experience. Keep up the great work.

Thanks

Chad

[Rob Brennan UK]

ORIGINAL: sanderz

hi

sorry

am pretty new to this game does but does the following mean i would need to restart a grand campaign game for it to get a patched ai?

but restart would be required to pick up AI (data) changes.

thanks
[/quote]

Yes it would , but without detailed info on how the AI tweaks affect the game it may
not be a critical patch and upto the player if they want to restart or not.


If your planning on a PBEM game though, most if not all folks will start on the most
recent patch available and that may well impact any on-going games vs the AI ..

P.S welcome to the nuthouse [:D]

[Yamato hugger]

ORIGINAL: Chad Harrison

Playing a game from a dev team that is honest, upfront and realistic is a great experience.

Hmmm. Where have I heard that before?

[Feinder]

I know you guys probably hate the "what is the level of effort" questions...
 
But here goes anyway.  Regarding the age old, "If it's a DB change, the game requires a restart..." issue.
 
Would it be feasible to add a "last initial date" to the DB, so that on the load save game screen, there was a "apply latest updates" button when you select a saved game.  When selecting that option, the the game compares the stats for all items in the patched DB (yes, this would be substantial) to those in the selected game.  If the last update date in the game is older than the last update date in the DB, it updats the in-game values to whatever is in the DB (and doesn't mess with whatever is current for location, Sys-Float-Fire damage etc).
 
Yes, there would be issues.  If turrent is facing the wrong way or was missing, it magically appears or may get repaired.  If new LCUs/squadrons are added, they might magically appear (I guess you could put a check for for the arrival base to be friendly, otherwise throw it into "home base" (SF, Tokyo etc).
But, a player could, at their option, run the DB upate to games in progress (and would be aware that it might create some issues, you take the good with the bad).
 
Just asking.
-F-

[pad152]

I like the idea of a beta, this way it's gets more eyeballs to help find anything missing or spot anything new that may crop up!

[Cap Mandrake]

Quit asking the poor guy so many questions. At best he is a heterozygote for the "implementation gene".

[IndyShark]

Very interesting! When can we see a list of changes/updates planned for the first patch?

[sanderz]

ORIGINAL: Rob Brennan UK

ORIGINAL: sanderz

hi

sorry

am pretty new to this game does but does the following mean i would need to restart a grand campaign game for it to get a patched ai?

but restart would be required to pick up AI (data) changes.

thanks

Yes it would , but without detailed info on how the AI tweaks affect the game it may
not be a critical patch and upto the player if they want to restart or not.


If your planning on a PBEM game though, most if not all folks will start on the most
recent patch available and that may well impact any on-going games vs the AI ..

P.S welcome to the nuthouse [:D]

[/quote]


thanks for that rob

so it does seem likely that restarts are going to be required for most - i would imagine people are not going to want to press on with games that may take a year if they know bits of the ai aren't patched

am loving the game but restarts are a real pain in the ass as the first few turns take so much longer than witp - my only criticism is that for me the quest for realism has been at the expense of gameplay as theres a lot of stuff that doesn't really seem to add anything to the game - but thats a whole other thread

cheers

sanderz

[Kull]

[Scott_USN]

No AI data pick up or whatever means the bugs with the AI will not be fixed without a restart?