Patch decoupling
As I am certain everyone knows, there is a major SupCom patch due out (supposedly) within a few days. I am hoping I am proven wrong, but I somehow get the feeling that we may be waiting a little bit longer yet. As Jotto wrote about the other day, this patch will include not only the official map editor and balance fixes, but also engine optimizations.
This begs the question, though. Why must all of these improvements be bundled into a single patch? Why cannot the official map editor be released separately from all of these optimizations? For that matter, what sense does it make including balance fixes in with a patch that also includes optimizations? For the balance fixes, presumably, the only testing that needs to be done is balance related. For optimizations, however, which probably involve significant changes to the engine, a lot of testing of virtually every aspect of the game must certainly be done before any patch can be released.
It would be very nice to have the map editor sooner rather than later, to help the modding community get high quality work out as soon as possible. Also, I think it is acknowledged by just about everyone that the current factions are not at all balanced, effectively breaking the ladder rankings. Fixing this should be high priority for GPG. Engine optimizations, while very nice, can wait a little bit.
Again, I am hoping I am proven wrong on this. But I suspect that the patch originally due for mid-April may be delayed because of these sweeping changes.
April 18th, 2007 at 11:03 am
I’m stoked to see some AI pathing improvements, but that may not even be a part of this megapatch. Hopefully shortly thereafter though…
April 18th, 2007 at 11:10 am
I don’t know about the map editor. It would be nice to have, but I’m willing to wait.
However, I can understand why the optimizations and balance are getting released together. It’s because they don’t want to have to release multiple patches in a short time, and doing it this way lets them get in extra time testing balance along with the optimizations. I think people would get frustrated if they had to patch up to get the new engine features, then patch up to get new balance.
Also, it could be that the new units that are going to be in the patch depend on some other engine optimization! Maybe they’re going to help balance by making Auroras targetable by subs, and that needs a new engine feature? Hey, I can dream, can’t I?
The Hyper Viper
April 18th, 2007 at 11:53 am
I’d like to see a third toggleable mode to subs. It doesn’t make sense that they can only be completely underwater or completely surfaced. The deckgun is located on the top of the sub; there should be a way to tell it to surface it just enough so that it can fire its deckgun. This way, it will still be pretty much as vulnerable to aircraft bombs and large naval guns as it was before when completely surfaced, but it will be a lot less vulnerable to plinker units like the Aurora. In fact, I can’t think of any reason you’d want to ever completely surface it, so maybe just replace the surfaced toggle with the “nearly surfaced” toggle. This will also be a buff to UEF and Cybran, because Aeon subs don’t have deck guns, so it won’t help Aeon any, just the other two.
April 18th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
While we may complain about balance, I think the most irritating issue for most folks IS the performance right now.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Something every writer should read about the phrase, “begs the question“.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
I’m with Ryuken, Viperion, and Jay: engine improvements, yay! I really don’t care that much about a map editor at this point. It’d be nice to be able to play the game at a decent speed.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
petpeeves: You’re right, that usage isn’t correct. I should’ve caught it when editing Grokmoo’s post.
April 18th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Disirregardless of what the wikipedia article says, if it is used in common usage to mean that (and it is all the time), then that is what it means.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:30 am
It’s obvious what was meant. It’s even obvious what disirregardless means, but that doesn’t mean you’d ever use disirregardless except as a joke.
I don’t mean to pick… just a bit of constructive criticism :) People even say nucular and comfterble and whole n’other, but no good writer will.