Policy Change: QA Server and Release Instructions Early Drafts Open to All (starting with R45)

One thing I really enjoy about the Boundless case is the insight in the development process. It is not all about features. I get to see the concept drawings and understand the perspectives that are taken in consideration. Much of which I would never have expected.

There is a ton of work before something even gets prototyped in the game engine. Not sure if this game has a similar process.

 

-hugs-

 

I'm sorry my friend but Dev + is pretty much meaningless anymore. err ya what @Baron Drocis Fondorlatos said.

 

I feel cheated not having had it indicated to me that Dev + would give such an advantage or I would have had it long ago. I'm sure I'm not alone. Really disappointing. The return on just having known and bought into Dev + would have been many fold. I play a game to get away from morally dirty things like this, not to endure more.

 

That's fair enough IMO. We understand that a timely release schedule is very important and at this stage of R44, I'm sure there is no room for a live Q&A before Thursday.

This change is not really going to matter until next month when the QA server is opened up to the masses. So perhaps you could do a Q&A session on Discord one day next week?

Maybe instead of all the bickering and complaining in this thread, we can start another thread for Questions and Suggestions that can be topics for the live Q&A? That way, people can be more constructive in resolving any issues and if the date/time chosen for the Q&A is no good for someone, at least they have the opportunity to make their questions/concerns known.

 

I think this is a good example of good communication, Starr.

As a loyal customer I have no problem hearing "we can't discuss it now - priorities" or "we just need time to digest the feedback and we'll get back to you when time allows".

I think there's room for you to develop a cadence with the community where it's "understood" that your bandwidth forces your hand. The consistency of getting unanswered questions after telethons and developer hangouts is a great example of that. By and large I think the community is capable of being patient, they just need to know the rules of engagement.

I never doubt that you're trying to do the best you can with the resources you have.

Don't forget, King Solomon was wise because in the end the baby wasn't cut in half. You're not really in a position to do that, exactly. But I would argue that you are in a position to make new babies by providing compensation for lost rewards.

 

I am one of many Dev+ backers who see these changes as a good thing.

The changes DS has implemented means that there will be more voices added to the feedback Port gets every month regarding coming changes, and more people to test/bug report those changes prior to them hitting the live server.
As a Dev+ I don't feel "diminished" by the changes, in fact I see it as beneficial to the development process as we move forward towards "release".

It would appear that other Dev+ backers liked the feeling of having access to (and using to their own benefit) "inside information" gained by having access to the release notes a week before all the non-Dev+ backers.
Remember, this all came about as a result of a very poor decision by a certain someone to release information about a coming change - which subsequently allowed the equivalent of "insider trading" on the part of a small number of Dev+ members that would/did effect a certain part of the economy in an unfair way (unfair, that is, to those without Dev+ access) - something that was NOT a part of what Dev+ level was ever supposed to be about.

I support DS in this regard, and I believe the change was due. And I urge those who feel somehow "diminished" by these changes to step back and keep all of it in perspective.

Oh, and before I forget, SHAME on those Dev+ backers who used that "inside information" to enrich themselves at the expense of all the rest.......

 

You say this is for the overall good of the project but those of us who are exactly what you promised this game would be fore (Crafters) are quitting. We have over and over expressed out outrage at having a game that just is not fun to craft in yet things just get harder and harder. I watched over 30 of my close friends who started with me at kickstarter leave because of his. We just do not want to feel like we have to work a full time job and watch it all break and be waisted after weeks of gathering. Now you change another crafted item to fully not worth it to even bother with. Please listen for a change to those who helped make this game possible.

EDIT: BTW just after I posted this I broke 3 items in a row on 95% ( we call this the rule of 3's. Did you know things fail in 3's. Did you know the RNG fails in 3's?) I craft enough to see the %)

I have to ask you would this be fun for you?

 

Crafting still needs a lot of work and I have no doubt that lots of changes are coming and that, in the end, it will all work out.
But it's really off-topic here.
Start a new thread..........

 

Yup, im proposing no change to the bug reporting process, let those who have been doing it forever and im assuming more efficient continue to post where they have been all along. Im assuming they are not only more familiar with whats been posted previously but already know the tricks scrn shots, videos and unity bugs.

 

What you are talking about is NOT what is being discussed HERE. HERE we are talking about the policy change that everyone gets access to the Dev server.

The change in crafting costs, while something that should be discussed, should be discussed in a DIFFERENT THREAD. It's off-topic here.

 

And this is why I don't bother with Dev+. Not nearly enough Dev to Dev+ conversations.

 

Just wanted to add a suggestion...

I think it would be great if once a month everyone with DEV+ access could get ONE question answered. Redundant questions could be grouped together, and answers would attempt to go "deeper" than just a "yes/no" whenever possible.

I don't know if Portalarium has the bandwidth for this...but I do know there's an incredible appetite for developer/fan interaction. The beauty of this situation is that those people without DEV+ access could still see the results of the Q&A.

It's worth pointing out that this type of interaction would actually be more than we were getting in DEV+ before.

 

Well said.

 

"I don't want one position, I want all positions!" - Ruby Rhod

 

Again very off base, you call it access, but it is testing.

While I agree this change is too much , but change was needed, just not this much.

 

@DarkStarr my 2 cotos of advice: you need to step up your dev+ content rather than continually chip away at it. If you take something away, I'd replace it with something else. Why would I want to give $450 at this point?

 

I personally have no problem with the change.

I do wish the Devs were able to try a little harder to 'keep the gate closed' in the first place [i.e. thinking ahead more about how players will react to/abuse some of the in-game changes] rather than "closing the gate after the cows have already gotten out." The same group of cows seem to keep getting out and benefiting from that by getting fatter and fatter (in skills, gold, whatever).

It's one thing to have the synergy that we have between the players and the devs that enhance the end product (i.e. our fabulous game) - and it's another thing whenever 'insider information' is shared, whether that is with a small group or a larger group. (Apologies for mixing my metaphors, lol.)

 

Ok I am sorry that I was so boisterous about this, but look carefully. What I brought up was specific to this quote, nothing to do with Dev+ or QA.

I am learning that I was not the only one who brought it up, ALOT more people where just as upset about Dev+ and QA as a whole.

I feel this change is a massive overreach but at least it will fix the problem.

I know you will never be able to please everyone, but reconsider and think about the core problem (economic / game play).

Deal with those who transgress, that is also something that needs to be considered.

Please for the love of the game and simple sanity lock this thread. Too many stray OT or are too emotional.

 

You know that story ends with zero baby cutting, right?

(Note to Devs: Don't let DarkStarr babysit)