223 replies to this topic

[Stickman]

Give it all the time it needs to meet your standards SC. Being around since the begining, I firmly believe that only you can determine when its ready for Prime Time.

Do it your way.

[Cruis.In]

I didn't vote, but after debating with myself a while, i came to the conclusion that i would like a release now because i could live with the bugs i read on the RC1.

However that being said, i also read that you strongly believe, as do i and most here that the game will do well anyway when released in the new and wont take too much of a hit not being released at christmas. with this in mind then i also say to wait...

but next years release will definitely better your reputation all around (keep it intact)...so thats all that matters now.
but we know that those who want to ***** will ***** anyway from here till neverland.

[hazzig]

quote:

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Originally posted by Bandus:
...I appreciate you presenting this question to the community and asking for our opinions.

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I second that. If you're not satisfied with the product as it is then give it another month. We can wait. I voted for another month.

[pery]

Whether UC is released now or in a month or two is not of primary importance to me.

What is of greatest importance is the continued support from Derek and his devteam in the long term. If UC development is anything like my projects, burnout is just something to be managed because it's going to happen...repeatedly. I would much rather see Derek and Co. wrapup whatever they deem "must fix" issues and then go off and decompress and renew (vacation, read, vegetate, family time, etc.) before addressing the VCF issues.

There will always be issues with any product of sufficient complexity, especially one that is constantly being enhanced like the BC/UC franchise. I like to think of it as a journey rather than a destination, and if Derek gets too burned out and stops enjoying his journey, it's going stop for the rest of us too. And I definitely do not want that!

So cut Derek some slack folks - I don't think we're helping him by saying "take another month" because the guy is a perfectionist; at the end of that extra month, he'll find something else to fix or enhance and be that much more burned out!

Derek, since you are soliciting input, do whatever is best from a personal and financial standpoint that will keep the BC/UC franchise alive and well. Without knowing the nitty-gritty details, I'd guess it would be better personally to release before the holidays so you can enjoy them outside of your office and more importantly create great holiday memories for your daughter.

[Epsilon 5]

Ì voted release now because the issues presented are rather minor IMO and shouldn't impact the game much.

[fraXis]

We have waited this long, what is another month?

If Derek was talking about delaying it for 6 months, that would be another story.... but we are only talking about a month....

[rjy01]

Wait. What does thirty days mean in the overall scheme of things? Besides, I need a pick me up in the doldrums of January. Winter sucks.

[HiPingScoba]

1. Err, where is the VCF? Is it the one under BCM Gold?
2. I would be happy with even a semi-funtional game sooner, however it would also be nice not to have to patch and perhaps lose any saved games.

[Extinct_Reptilia]

I really want UC!!! But I want it to be perfect!!!!

Release it whenever you fee like it SC, regardless of the ramifications, for in the long run things will be better. You’ll be more self-satisfied that way. You should always stick to your guns and follow your principles. That’s who Derek Smart is.
"It’s ready when it’s ready, and right now it aint ready."
If this is the general feeling you have for the game, then you should ship when all things are bug free. You want the game to be impressionable and you want the game to be flawless… then make it so.
And personally, if I were you, I wouldn't want those old critics barking at me AGAIN for shipping a buggy game. I would try to break free from that silly reputation. Give them something they can't criticize sir!

And besides, I think you already know what the answer is sir. It’s pretty clear what you should do. You may regret giving into the developer’s crowd and releasing for the holidays. Take the different path!!!

[Darkling]

I've been playing Star Wars Galaxies (SWG) for the past couple of months and eagerly waiting for them to come out with the vehicle patch. They promised that they would deliver in the middle of December and you know what, they did ... bugs and all. Unfortunately, you can't store the vehicles half the time so walking through the cities now is like walking through a junk yard. Everyone is complaining about it and wondering why on earth they released this update when they knew about it in the Test Center.
I think it's best to wait until it's ready. Of course, all of us would understand because we know what goes on, but what about the casual gamer who looks at this and thinks, cool, let me try something new, and get's turned off by the problems? I've told a lot of people about Battlecruiser Millenium and they say things like, you know I bought that a few years ago and it kept crashing, so I tell them that there's an update available that will make it run correctly, their answer is, "well it should have worked out of the box" They don't take into consideration that the PC market is fragmented with everyone having different Hardware. When you think about it, it's a wonder PC's work at all with all the parts coming from different company's all over the world, but the point is, make sure it's Stable, Reasonably bug free, and that it has a polished, finished look and feel. Then and only then should it be shipped, otherwise we risk alienating even more gamers from this genre.

[Kalshion]

SC your the developer so its your choice when it'll be ready, and if I remember correctly this used to be under the release date in UC

quote:

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It'll be ready when its ready, and right now it ain't ready

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I always got a kick out of seeing that listed

Anywho, just take a look at the results sir

[TopSpeed]

Honestly I have no problems waiting for a finished product. However, after reading the VCF, I see no issues that I would find worrisome. In fact, I expected a much larger number of isses. I voted go!

TopSpeed

[Vixef]

Couldn't be said better than this:

quote:

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Originally posted by Jaguar:
SC, it's ready when it's ready, and you don't think it's ready. So stop the presses and keep on programming until you think it is.

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Personally I don't have the time to play games as much as I used to. Therefore it's more important for me to have games that are as bug free as possible. I don't want to download a patch every time I have the time to play.

From a financial view, my best guess is that time is money (as in my own line of work). Meaning:
1. You have to deliver the product within the time limit no matter how many faults with the product. The reason being of course that the concequenses are too big if you don't. But as you said yourself, the product is yours to do with as you want - a least with regards to time limits.
2. The longer you use to produce, the more it costs (simplified). If you won't get paid for the extended production time(either by selling more or turning the price up per unit), you should just "finnish" the game with all the faults the game has. But as you said youself, you have to think about the future of your company as well - maybe you'll end up with a lot of unhappy customers that won't buy your future games.
3. I'm sure there are more, but I'm starting to rant so I'll stop.

Considering both aspects (my personal and the financial) I think it would be best to wait with the release until the game is ready.

[DennyMala]

I really apreciate that a developer ask this kind of question to his fans and core players.

As the majority of us I'm for the month of waiting..... "It's ready when it's ready...".... I can wait for a better game.

Just my humble opinion....

[almostpilot]

I post a reply in GENERAL DISCUSSIONS -> X2 the threat about a X2 review and (maybe)your premature release including some bugs.

[zardalu]

My vote: SHIP IT.

I have only recently joined this forum, but I have been playing BCM and BCMG for quite some time. I greatly appreciate your commitment to quality, but I am eagerly anticipating the release of this game. Downloading patches is commonplace in the industry, every major game requires them, and people have come to expect it. Afterall, with a program as complex and intricate as UC will be, it would be miraculous if it was released error free. Not to be negative, but I imagine that even if you fix all of the issues outlined in the RC version control file, I am sure that it is likely that other issues exist that currently remain undetected and will require patching anyways. I am not questioning your team's skills (which are great), it's just a question of probability with a project this size, as I'm sure you know well. I am for shipping it now as is, patching it later. Take advantage of a holiday release for your company, and whet our appetites. Thanks for asking.

[DREADA]

Originally posted by Bandus:

quote:

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Derek, as a member of the "core players" of the BC series, I appreciate you presenting this question to the community and asking for our opinions.

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Agreed.

Personally, like the other core fans, I don't mind waiting until the game's polished and ready, as I've said before having a superior end product IMO is more important than rushing out unfinished stuff especially in the current pc games climate. BUT, from my humble POV there are only a *few* issues and they appear minor. So I'd say release it (did I say that?) Why? Because I'm thinking:

(1) many outsiders have seen release dates for UC all over the net and they have come and gone, which probably doesn't look good for 3000AD

(2) 3000AD may lose a few sales for UC by missing the Xmas shopping period

(3) The current *minor* issues will take SC a few weeks to fix, BUT then it'd take the same time to put out a patch with the added benefit that the product is ALREADY out there on the shelves or on gamer's PCs

(4) Going against the flow too much, may jeopardise the future working relationship with DC (if thats important )

Well thats all I could think of - now if those (or similar) points, that may affect 3000AD, are actually mute, then yeah complete the polished game before passing it onto DC, us core fans won't mind waiting.

[MrMorden]

Fire that puppy off. The issues listed are not a huge deal, and a patch within a couple of weeks of release can clear those right up.

No reasonable person expects software to be perfect; it's too complex a system designed by imperfect humans. A couple of other things to consider:

1) For SC this is a business, not a game. He's in it to make money. To lose the extra holiday sales would not be a smart business decision.

2) The existing bugs are not likely to turn off the kind of player that plays these games. We will adapt and overcome!

[awdougherty]

I voted release it now because those items don't seem like they would really affect gameplay too much. I personally don't mind patches.

But it's not my name on the box and I can understand the desire to release it in the best shape possible. It won't bother me to wait, but I can definitely live with those bugs.