Higby promising more frequent game updates

[OCNSethy]

https://twitter.com/mhigby/status/420775556305547265

Hey all -

As 2014 starts I wanted to give you all a quick note about some changes we're making to the way the game is updated. Over the last few weeks we have been reorganizing our internal build and development processes in order to allow us to expedite builds to live with the goal of updating the live game more often and more regularly. I'm really excited to announce that starting next Wednesday we will begin doing weekly game updates!

What does this mean for you?

Well for starters, it means we'll be more rapidly respond to bugs & balance issues in the game without having to rely on hotfixes as much. We'll also be able to release new content more frequently and consistently. Each individual update will be smaller and more focused, with fewer moving parts that can break, which we hope will greatly decrease the number of bugs being introduced when we update. This doesn't mean that we're not still working on bigger features and larger content pieces, we definitely are and they'll be slotted into the weekly schedule as they're ready to be released. As part of this change we are also going to be updating and playtesting on Test server a lot more often in the future, as always, your playtesting assistance and feedback on the test server will be greatly appreciated.

One final note, the first couple of these weekly updates are going to be a bit smaller than what you can expect to see later on, as we're still shaking off the holiday cobwebs and getting used to the new development processes.

We've got a really terrific slate of new features and content lined up for 2014 that we can't wait to get out to you guys, it's going to be an amazing year for Planetside 2.

Thanks for reading, see you on Auraxis!

-
Matthew Higby - @mhigby
Creative Director - @planetside2.



Comment, discuss... go!

[snafus]

More game breaking bugs for air, can't wait.

[HereticusXZ]

So updates won't be a huge celebration but rather just "Mails here" I can coop with that.

[Chewy]

Anything that gets us the updated Amerish sooner. Hossin is VERY wanted but Amerish update is so damn overdue.

Every time the platoon Im in goes to Amerish we have to rethink all of our everything in order to cope with the hex system. Fighting on a lattice for a few hours then going to the hex for an alert throws some players in a loop.

One of my buddies that hasn't played squad leader in a while had a massive brain fart when attacking a main base. He 100% forgot that the satellites are nothing but a spawn point and flip in a moment. We had to remind him that Amerish still plays by the launch rules instead of the lattice system both Indar and Esamir has had for months now.

[Varsam]

When he says 'next Wednesday', does he mean tomorrow, or next week?

[ringring]

Anything that gets us the updated Amerish sooner. Hossin is VERY wanted but Amerish update is so damn overdue.
.

Ah but he hasn't promised to produce content more quickly just easier updating, ie more timely responses and fewer accidental releases of content still under test.

Stuff like Amerish and Hossin etc. still have to be developed by the people who were already doing it.

But still, it's all good news.

[Emperor Newt]

"We've got a really terrific slate of new features and content lined up for 2014"
Captain Subtext: We have have huge backlog of 2013 features and content sitting around

But overall good news, I guess. I'll wait and see before I praise anybody anymore concerning the games development.

[Mastachief]

Without fail, every single update they have ever done has been a failure filled withbugs and pain. Spending 6months with massively other powered shit in the game has really sapped any faith in this "we have x y z good intentions" proof will be in the pudding.

We need

New continents NOT new camos or crappy mechanics that break gameplay.
We need bases that are not broken by a never ending spam of vehicles in key points.
We need the resource revamp
Server transfers

People don't mind waiting for substance OMFG:FasterGame took ages to come(perhaps too long) but it was a massive success in what it aimed to do, what they do mind is you calling adding items to the shop a game update. They also mind the fact these items are $7+, this is not a micro transaction.

[Boomzor]

As always, mixed feelings about this.
I know the intent is the ability to fix stuff faster, tho with their track record, I just hope they haven't built an express way to break more stuff at an unprecedented rate.

More thougtlessness at mind numbing speed. *shudder*

Also, fast fixes (read panic) tends to go undocumented so I think it's safe to say ninja nerfs or buffs are to be expected.

Ah well, time will tell.

[Tatwi]

It pleases me that the days of five pages of swooning posts are over. It's nice to see some non-kissassy objectivity. It's great to get excited and be happy, but it's not productive to fill every thread with " great job! " posts lol...

After reading many posts on glassdoor.com that slammed SOE's dev process for being irrational and totally NOT "agile", hopefully this new program will be more in line with what industry professionals expect, thus it will have more of a chance to be successful. Time will tell.

[Calista]

I for one have heard enough it's time to put up or shutup SOE!

[JackD]

Well i promised to have my 10 page paper for university finished last weekend and i havent even started yet.

I believe it when i see it.

[Jonny]

What Calista said!

Getting bored of this game and the lack of meaningful additions to gameplay. Not subscribing again until I see this, and i'm also playing alot less. :/

[bites]

Jeez so negative.

I don't see how this is a negative, going from "TBA" to "OMFG" (which by most accounts delivered on its promises so far, to "were upping the roll out times" which basically everyone essentially wants.

Worst case if ability A gets implemented and it causes results in everyone using A to an excess, it would be addressed quicker than previously experienced. Which they have also taken on board, learn from and apologized for.

Being outright negative about more/additional roll outs is a bit daft.

[BeyondNinja]

So updates won't be a huge celebration but rather just "Mails here" I can coop with that.

As long as it means we get to wait less than 6 months each time for any sort of new content, its an improvement in my eyes

[DirtyBird]

I'm sure I've had this carrot dangled in front of me before?
For game updates we are working off a 2-week cadence, so you can expect to see two major updates each month, and minor updates and bug fixes in between when and if necessary.
http://www.planetside-universe.com/showpost.php?p=892851&postcount=1

How is this different?

[Vashyo]

Well thats nice, wish this system brings some of those new continents faster to the servers.

[camycamera]

Anything that gets us the updated Amerish sooner. Hossin is VERY wanted but Amerish update is so damn overdue.

Every time the platoon Im in goes to Amerish we have to rethink all of our everything in order to cope with the hex system. Fighting on a lattice for a few hours then going to the hex for an alert throws some players in a loop.

One of my buddies that hasn't played squad leader in a while had a massive brain fart when attacking a main base. He 100% forgot that the satellites are nothing but a spawn point and flip in a moment. We had to remind him that Amerish still plays by the launch rules instead of the lattice system both Indar and Esamir has had for months now.


it's comming February, look at the roadmap.

and this time things on the roadmap will come out on the months the roadmap said, Higgles promised.


anyway, this is good news! PS2 patches always keep me engaged and exited for the game, and weekly patches are even better :groovy:

[synkrotron]

Have the weekly updates fallen by the wayside then? I was expecting to have to do an update when I logged in for my certs this morning.

There is an announcement on the SOE forums about a massive twelve hour server down time for the EU servers. Something to do with maintenance, not an update, according to Luperza.

[BlazingSun]

I haven't forgotten what SOE's promises in Planetside 1 were worth:

http://korndemon.lima-city.de/SOE.gif


I wonder if I'll be able to make another animated gif like that at the end of the year. The only thing that has really changed at SOE so far is that Smedly has less hair now.

[Stew]

I just hope their game update will go more smoothly in the futur because so far at almost each new game update you have a massive servers problems crash and reset that basically take a day or more to solve