When will 1.03 be out?

[Theodotus1]

As a lawyer in the United States and a play tester for other games where I have signed a non-disclosure agreement, I can appreciate, understand and accept the need for non-disclosure agreements for pending projects. It is the only way to protect your investment in future projects and your intellectual property.

But, I really do not understand the use of non-disclosure agreements when it comes to existing, released games except to attempt to control discussion about an existing product. The consumer/gamer has already purchased VICTORIA. Why not be open with the consumer/gamer about what is going on with the product that he/she has purchased?

I have made this argument on different forums and for different games; but, once a game is released, the time for shrouding further development of the game in secrecy has really passed. I mean, at this point, PARADOX is reviewing and digesting all the feedback and game reports which are being generated, not by its crack team of beta testers; but, the gamers who actually bought the game. Why not trust this group of die hards who support PARADOX games and want VICTORIA to succede very badly?

If you read the forums here, while there are voices raised at every point or patch raising a hue and cry about what is wrong with VICTORIA, there is a much larger base of hard core fans who really want to play and like VICTORIA. These people share a desire to see VICTORIA be all it can be as a game.

So, for my two cents worth, if I were PARADOX, I would open up the information about what is going on with VICTORIA. PARADOX has an excellent reputation at working at getting a game right for as long as it takes. It is what makes many gamers die hard PARADOX fans. Maybe PARADOX ought to trust gamers more and they might see that that trust is returned, not only in good will; but, by a continued desire to support and defend PARADOX where ever required.

Sometimes it is the smart thing to do the right thing and provide sufficient information so the gaming public can follow along and understand what PARADOX is planning for a game we all want to play and enjoy.

Being a lawyer myself, I can offer one theory:

NDAs prevent the public from seeing the beta tester debates regarding what's being worked on. They are an attempt to keep the consuming public from developing the idea that there's a lack of organization or vision or anything else.

This may or may not seem like a good business practice, but I have a hunch it's part of the equation.

 

[Young Hickory]

Can you answer if we are talking day, weeks, months, or years? You must know whether we're talking about 2-8 weeks or 6 months to a year.

 

[Derek Pullem]

Which is what happened in EU2 1.06 ish (and effectively in HoI 1.06 too).

But speaking as one who has to try to sort out the good and the less good comments from everyone on the bugs forum I don't think giving everyone an early view of development work is a smart idea.

Judging from the rather hysterical reaction to the 1.02 patch I think that inflicting everyone's unfiltered opinion on the latest trial with no idea if the responses are properly tested is perhaps a little premature IMHO.

After all - comments like "1.02 crashes alot" (an actual post in the bug forum) doesn't exactly move the sum of knowledge along.

Maybe after a patch or too Johan will throw it open - his call not ours.

 

[Tex]

In black helicopters no doubt :rofl:

edit- trying to find a way to import a picture of what I see the paradox black helicopter. IT worked!!!

tounge in cheek. So this is how the NDA is enforced?

 

[Theodotus1]

Which is what happened in EU2 1.06 ish (and effectively in HoI 1.06 too).

But speaking as one who has to try to sort out the good and the less good comments from everyone on the bugs forum I don't think giving everyone an early view of development work is a smart idea.

Judging from the rather hysterical reaction to the 1.02 patch I think that inflicting everyone's unfiltered opinion on the latest trial with no idea if the responses are properly tested is perhaps a little premature IMHO.

After all - comments like "1.02 crashes alot" (an actual post in the bug forum) doesn't exactly move the sum of knowledge along.

Maybe after a patch or too Johan will throw it open - his call not ours.

I agree with you 100%.

 

[Barkdreg]

damn the goats, I'll give info to the hungry masses!

The following stuff will not be in 1.03:
-the greenhouse effect
-the Nazi's
-nuclear power

 

[OriginalRafiki]

Hehe, I think that having NDAs in effect during patch-development is a very good way of maintaining the sanity level of these boards

Considering how much debate* the actually released 1.02 sparked (and is sparking), I can only imagine what it would be like if the general public was given access to everything going on within patch development/testing

Rafiki

* I could've used phrases such as "fights" and "mud-flinging", but I won't since I'm basically a nice person

 

[unmerged(11929)]

damn the goats, I'll give info to the hungry masses!

The following stuff will not be in 1.03:
-the greenhouse effect
-the Nazi's
-nuclear power

But we want a realistic game!! And I happen to like goats!

 

[Derek Pullem]

But we want a realistic game!! And I happen to like goats!

Ok just for you we'll include a nuclear powered, fascist, methane farting goat in the tech tree.

 

[OriginalRafiki]

Ok just for you we'll include a nuclear powered, fascist, methane farting goat in the tech tree.

:rofl:

We'll be holding you to this when 1.03 comes out, Derek, so you'd better be true to your word!!

Rafiki

 

[Derek Pullem]

:rofl:

We'll be holding you to this when 1.03 comes out, Derek, so you'd better be true to your word!!

Rafiki

I didn't say which patch did I :rofl:

 

[OriginalRafiki]

It's implied, since this is a 1.03 thread! No trying to get way now!!

rafiki

 

[cthulhu]

Judging from the rather hysterical reaction to the 1.02 patch...

Maybe I've missed some posts on this but I think you're exaggerating. 1.02 isn't especially good for the average player and they've stated that. Hysterical?…nah.

 

[Tex]

Maybe I've missed some posts on this but I think you're exaggerating. 1.02 isn't especially good for the average player and they've stated that. Hysterical?…nah.

You missed the first couple of days after the patch came out... People were nearly jumping from the building... It was like watching a bunch of investors watch their stock fall from $50 per share to .05 per share. People were crying out trying to figure out how to get 1.01 back on their machines. The fury was so bad, that I backed up my 1.01 before installing 1.02, just in case I found the game unplayable...
I haven't gone back to 1.01... its too easy. 1.02 is still kicking my but occationally... nothing that Neville won't fix.

 

[Grosshaus]

The NDA is still in effect as some changes we have now in the current beta patch might not be in the official patch. For instance a certain beta patch might have a surplus of dye opposed to 1.02, but because of some other change that might not be the fact in the next beta patch. It's around partially not to get people's hopes up and to avoid complaints like: "wasn't that supposed to be fixed!!"

As you can see from bug forum Derek can give insight about some of the bugs that are fixed if they are publically reported. Bugs noticed by betas aren't posted there, which I don't see as a bad thing. I wasn't a beta with EU2 and was in general happy with the game. In every patch number of bugs I, or any other average player, hadn't noticed were fixed. I don't see how it would have made me more happy if I had known beforehand such bugs existed?

Fully public beta testing is doable, but I doubt it's that effective. It took me a month or so to get accustomed to the way they work and post bugs in the form that is easy for them to fix. If you just report a bug it will get fixed if it's a major one, but to get a smaller one fixed it's good to have a solution to it as well. And to come up with a working solution one needs to know quite a lot the game, as well as other suggestions made before. Not to meantion avoiding posting duplicate bugs, or to combine different bugs.

 

[Dark Knight]

So mods/devs, please say that "it will be out when it's out" and sticky this thread

It will be out when it's out.

Also, the "board rules and other issues" thread mentions this, so there isn't any need for a separate sticky.

And beta-testers shouldn't be asked to break their NDAs.