Development Focusing on Optimization

John Smedley tweeted a short time ago that the development team will soon be focusing purely on optimization. As a result, we may be waiting longer for some of the content related additions that are coming.

the PS2 team will be shifting their priorities to focusing purely on optimization. Check Vons Ad and Jewel-Osco Ad. It's unacceptable as it stands.
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) August 20, 2013

this is going to take some understanding on your part players - when we focus on this it means other stuff waits. But this is critical.
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) August 20, 2013

What are your thoughts? Are you willing to wait for features in order for better game performance? Sound off in the forums.

133 comments

2013-08-20 12:49 PM

Source: Twitter

Latest Comments

2013-08-27 11:10 AM

Root Hade

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

Originally Posted by ChipMHazard

I still don't think that literally the entire team will be working on this and literally doing bugger all about anything else until it's done. I see that part of his answer as being mostly a PR remark, to emphasize the focus. I've been trying to get an answer to what is meant by "cease work on everything", but alas.

Talked to a guy on the animating team. He says they're just continuing with work (new infantry movement animations) alongside optimizations but it might be different for other departments. Wasn't clear if optimization had a greater priority or not.

2013-08-27 11:24 AM

maradine

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

Now I just want coffee.

2013-08-27 11:38 AM

Babyfark McGeez

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

Originally Posted by Baptist

Guys of course it's not everyone, it's not like Smed is going to scream at the Tea Lady to stop what she's doing and start coding, ...

Originally Posted by Ertwin

It would be funny if he did.

Haha, now i'm picturing smedley telling everyone in their office to go coding. The tea lady, the janitor, the housecleaners, pizza delivery boys, some random guy who just passes by.

"What you're doing there? I said everyone is dropping everything and optimizing the code!"

"But i don't even work here"

"NONSENSE! GO CODING! NOW!"

2013-08-27 12:41 PM

kubacheski

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

When did optimization only become a coding thing? And why does anyone think that?

Yes, typically code can be restructured more easily than other factors as that's usually the problem - inefficent code.

But think of the scale when you're producing such a big game.

- Graphics is a huge deal.
- And as much data as they're streaming out, DataBase management with proper table structure and efficent indexing will also be a major factor.

When Smed says focus on "optimization", my first reaction wasn't "code optimization", it was graphics optimization. and in thinking about it, DB and data structure optimizations make a lot of sense also. Why have the system track something that's not ever used? Why render something that you never see? Why play music at a sample rate that you never hear?

There's tons of things to optimize other than code. And, now listen close cause this is a big one:

If you optimize the code in such a way that requires a change to the database or the way that the graphic models are handled, then guess what, you've got to change the database and/or the models to accommodate the code change!

Long story short: They're not pushing out new content at the same time as optimization because they may have to change all of the new content as a result of the optimization.

So yes, everyone is either working on optimization or waiting on optimization. The optimization should have been done between every Game Update, but we all bitched about lack of content and look where it got us. They're finally doing things right and instead of applauding that they're doing what should be done, we're bitching more about it.

Deal with it.

2013-08-27 12:48 PM

Crator

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

Originally Posted by kubacheski

They're finally doing things right and instead of applauding that they're doing what should be done, we're bitching more about it.

Deal with it.

Sounds like you've not read many of the comments that people are leaving about this. Most people are thanking SOE for doing this actually.

2013-08-27 01:23 PM

kubacheski

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

Originally Posted by Crator

Sounds like you've not read many of the comments that people are leaving about this. Most people are thanking SOE for doing this actually.

Yes that is right, I should have been more verbose in that people are bitching that SOE can do both optimization and create new content. Didn't mean to insinuate that people were bitching bout optimization, just bitching bout not having new content during optimization.

2013-08-27 03:45 PM

Ghoest9

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

Originally Posted by Crator

Sounds like you've not read many of the comments that people are leaving about this. Most people are thanking SOE for doing this actually.

Not exactly.

Everyone is in favor of every code monkey who can help spending their time on optimizing.

But most of us realize that Smeds story doesnt add up.
There are many people who obviously arent helping with optimizing because of their skill sets - so if they arent working on PS2 that means he has them working on another game.

2013-08-27 03:45 PM

Root Hade

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

I'm skeptical that there will be any major optimization. They've said they do optimization every GU and every GU kills the game and saves the game for different people with different builds.

I think this will be no different? Judging from the animators comments, it sounds like Smed just gave a general direction to focus on optimization. Animators are still working on new content that will be released with the optimization. As I said six comments ago, thats probably not the case for all the departments though.

There is one assumption I'm making though. That this is optimization phase is going to take the same amount of time as the GUs.

If everythings going to be delayed for as long as it takes for Smed to declare the game "fixed".. hell that could be indefinitely.

EDIT: lol guys if theres part of the dev team who can't/don't optimize then obviously they're just going to work on the normal schedule / workload...?

2013-08-27 04:23 PM

Wahooo

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

Originally Posted by Ghoest9

But most of us realize that Smeds story doesnt add up.
There are many people who obviously arent helping with optimizing because of their skill sets - so if they arent working on PS2 that means he has them working on another game.

obviously... the only possible explanation.

2013-08-27 08:37 PM

Ertwin

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

Originally Posted by kubacheski

There's tons of things to optimize other than code. And, now listen close cause this is a big one:

If you optimize the code in such a way that requires a change to the database or the way that the graphic models are handled, then guess what, you've got to change the database and/or the models to accommodate the code change!

That's what I was trying to say with the light bulb analogy. Sort with the coffee analogy too.

2013-08-28 11:08 PM

DirtyBird

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

http://www.reddit.com/r/Planetside/c...fected/cbx9k8w

Some specific comments.

Is this layoff going to impact PS2? - no. we have a large team still working on it. Yes some people have been let go from the team. They did terrific work and it's just simply a cost cutting issue.
Is Planetside 2 doing well - yes. These cuts were SOE wide. They were neccessary to get our costs in line with our revenues. Simple as that.
Was anyone fired because we have Player Studio know and we don't need them? - Absolutely not. this is silly.

There are many people with theories on why stuff like this happens. I can tell you this very simply - we make the best games we can and as a company I can say with a straight face that we do our absolute best to minimize the times when we need to do layoffs like this. They absolutely suck. However we do our absolute best to get people placed with good companies and we absolutely hire people back.
I don't much like the boilerplate statements companies make these days, ours included.. so I wanted to come on here and let you know we stand by PS2 and our other games and despite some people no longer being at the team we are working hard on the optimizations and the other features we have promised. We are making good progress and we intend to have a full status update next week

Smed

Not implying anything but I couldnt help but think I had heard "This is silly" from someone else a while ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXl1G...=youtu.be&t=5s

Also relevance to thread is in last sentence.

2013-08-28 11:17 PM

camycamera

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

Originally Posted by Ghoest9

has Smed answered that question? WE MUST KNOW!

EVERYONE, SPREAD TO TEH INTERNETS AND FIND THE ANSWER!

2013-08-29 03:25 AM

Levente

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

Will this affect release of Hossin?

2013-08-29 10:56 AM

Rahabib

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

Optimization is great, but lets not fool ourselves, the reason they are fixing it isn't because Smed - after 9 months just now realized the game doesnt run well. The reason was it didnt run well on PS4 and they needed to get it running now. They say its two different teams, but the fact that they are just now working on similar issues is a little too much of a coincidence. Also, we know they are exchanging programming optimizations as what happens on one effects the other.

Development on PS4 will help the PC development - which is why now that PS2 on PS4 is in development makes the timing of this a bit strange:
http://www.planetside-universe.com/s...&highlight=PS4
coincidence that they are working on very same issue?

Once things get running on the PS4 decently, I wonder if they will hold the same level accountability to the PC version from then on. Again, its great they are optimizing the game.

2013-08-29 12:10 PM

Crator

Re: Development shifting focus to Optimization

^ I think most thought that the PS4 was the reason for optimizing for that reason you listed. But Smed specifically answered a question in regards to that and his response was this had nothing to do with PS4. Are you saying he is lying?