no more patches?

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10-13-2005, 18:16
parcelt

no more patches?

Well, I find this a really surprising statement by MikeB, apparently it's not even certain yet whether there will even be any patches for BI:

http://p223.ezboard.com/fshoguntotal...ID=30621.topic

I thought the 2-patch limit was bad enough, but now they're saying there may be no patches at all?

I think with the history that RTW has (and indeed Medieval already had this) of new major bugs and glitches poppin' up with every expansion/major patch, some advance commitment to continuing support of the game is required at least until all the major bugs are fixed. I kinda bought BI on the assumption that at least the 2-patch-policy would apply again (even though I hate the 2-patch policy and, in all honesty, would probably have bought BI anyway... damn Shogun, I'll end up buying anything that says 'TW' for at least another decade because of it!). I am not blaming CA for the bugs, that's what other threads are for and anyway I don't really mind them as long as they get the attention they deserve (=patches). I think we all have to recognize as well how complex a game this really is and just accept that great games come with big bugs, precisely because they are great games.

I also realize it may very well turn out not so bad as a patch may eventually be released, but I would like an explicit commitment in advance on that. I am just getting somewhat nervous.... the good thing about the 2-patch-policy was that at least you knew there would be 2.

Now, I've said it before and I will say it again: I love BI. But frankly, the amount and seriousness of the new bugs it contains is a bit much..... or at least should be sufficient for CA / Sega or whomever may be deciding on this, to make that decision and start work on patch 1.4.

Mmmh, never thought I would actually be wanting to go back to that two-patch-policy.... :embarassed:
10-13-2005, 19:50
econ21

Re: no more patches?

Have a look at the sticky on the release of the patch. Captain Fishpants says they are reviewing the issue of whether there will be another patch. They want to see how many bugs are found by players.
10-13-2005, 21:25
Bob the Insane

Re: no more patches?

Well looking at the size of the "BI Bug Repository" on the totalwar.com forums I would hope there would be at least one...

http://p223.ezboard.com/fshoguntotalwarfrm54
10-13-2005, 21:34
A.Saturnus

Re: no more patches?

Since it is not yet decided whether there will be another patch, this speculation is rather pointless.
10-13-2005, 22:13
Kraxis

Re: no more patches?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon Appleton

Have a look at the sticky on the release of the patch. Captain Fishpants says they are reviewing the issue of whether there will be another patch. They want to see how many bugs are found by players.

Which means... BRING 'EM ON!!!!
But so far I think the list has two important bugs, the rest is less important. But that doesn't mean those two don't need fixing, they need it bad!

Oh, btw Captain Fishpants = MikeB.
10-13-2005, 22:29
Sin Qua Non

Re: no more patches?

I wouldn't be overly worried. From experience I think it's safe to say there will be at least (if only) one patch for BI. This topic always seems to sprout up right after a new release, with many people fearing that some evil no-patch policy will leave the release tainted. Although there probably won't be as many patches as most people will want, I'm sure 1.1 will happen, especially with the bug list already growing. It's franchise suicide to not patch, and nearly as bad to hold a patch for months on end. That may be more likely, and hopefully it won't happen.

BTW a patch limit can also be a good thing (even if it's unintentionally good). Raven Shield is a game that was patched all the way up to 1.6 mostly for multiplayer stuff, and it was a pain to install all those patches before Ubi finally got a comprehensive patch. Even worse since Athena Sword didn't use the same version numbers, making it all the more frustrating. There are other examples, but that one readily comes to mind.
10-13-2005, 23:01
ShellShock

Re: no more patches?

CA has been caught out before by not identifying important bugs in time for a patch and they are obviously concerned that the same thing does not happen again. There was the secondary fire bug, which was spotted by the community in time to get into 1.2 (by the skin of its teeth); unfortunately the same could not be said for the load/save bug.

It is passing sad that the load/save bug was not truly recognised until after the 1.2 patch had been released. Knowledge of this bug took the enjoyment out of the game for me, which is strange as I had been playing quite happily (as I suspect like most other people) until I found out about it - ignorance is bliss. It is one thing to think you are doing well in your campaign because you are a direct descendant of Julius Caesar, quite another thing when you realise the AI is being cut off at the knees every time you reload. :help:

The saddest aspect is that this cruel twist of fate resulted in a rift between some members of the community and CA. BI has restored my faith again.
10-14-2005, 17:21
Veresov

Re: no more patches?

I have been disillusioned by CA's patch support since the uproar over the load/save bug. On the COM forums and on this site many people were censored for complaining about the bug and subsequently organizing a boycott. Only TWCenter had the courage to stand up to CA. This boycott is why 1.3 patch was issued as far as I believe.

CA has done some good damage control and regained some integrity at least in my eyes for doing the 1.3 patch. I hope they don't ruin it by closing their eyes and ears to the community again.
10-14-2005, 18:43
Sol Invictus

Re: no more patches?

I think CA is just very cautious about promising anything. I am very confident that there will be at least one patch to BI and maybe two. If the first patch doesn't create new problems and it is substantial, this should be eneough. If there was a complete refusal to even create one patch; CA is doomed.
10-14-2005, 21:30
Grey_Fox

Re: no more patches?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veresov

I have been disillusioned by CA's patch support since the uproar over the load/save bug. On the COM forums and on this site many people were censored for complaining about the bug and subsequently organizing a boycott. Only TWCenter had the courage to stand up to CA. This boycott is why 1.3 patch was issued as far as I believe.

CA has done some good damage control and regained some integrity at least in my eyes for doing the 1.3 patch. I hope they don't ruin it by closing their eyes and ears to the community again.

This is a joke right?

You do know that Activision had a one-patch policy, in that RTW would get one patch and one patch only (1.1 does not count since it was a hotfix to allow multiplayer to work), don't you? And that since SEGA bought CA, this one-patch policy is no longer in effect as it seems not to be SEGA's policy, follow me so far?

Now, if by 'courage' and 'complaining about the bugs' you mean sending trolls over to the .com creating numerous accounts and using these to spam and flame CA's forums, and then running back to the TWC once they were banned and crying "FASCISTS!" and how they were 'martyrs to the cause', then I suppose you could be right. However in my eyes that is the action of a rather immature bunch of spoilt brats.

Quite frankly the 'boycott' probably had no effect on how CA runs it's business. Far more likely SEGA does not want to gain the same reputation as Activision or EA in terms of patch and customer support (i.e. they actually want to have customer support). This is done by looking after it's new Total War franchise of which RTW is the latest version.
10-14-2005, 22:00
Kraxis

Re: no more patches?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grey_Fox

Far more likely SEGA does not want to gain the same reputation as Activision or EA in terms of patch and customer support (i.e. they actually want to have customer support). This is done by looking after it's new Total War franchise of which RTW is the latest version.

Indeed... SEGA is comparably smaller than either of the two others. They can't afford to alienate themselves. They need the loyal fanbase, at least for now.

And yes that ramble at the com was ugly. But on both sides. I resigned my moderator position because of that. I simply had a hard time doing a job I didn't feel much for. At the same time I felt it was unfair to the others as it left them to deal with the alien invaders spamming and causing mayhem.
We recognized them, and it boiled down to around 10 people in all... TEN people, no more. The rest were being nice.

Wow... huh? Do you think CA would ever change their ways because of 10 people? And those 10 people ruined it for the rest to complain in a rational manner. Wohoo! Great job!
10-14-2005, 22:05
Grey_Fox

Re: no more patches?

Yeah Tarrak, that was an ugly mess.
10-14-2005, 22:13
Kraxis

Re: no more patches?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grey_Fox

Yeah Tarrak, that was an ugly mess.

:thumbsup:
10-14-2005, 22:56
manbaps

Re: no more patches?

Im thinking hopefully sega will mean that many patches will be brought out, i mean most decent games have patches out for them all the time. I mean you cant expect to get it right first time. CA hopefully will be forced to bring out more patches. Though i doubt it as EA have excellent support for alot of its games, activision im not so sure about not got many, if any, games published by them other than MTW.

And the fact that they're are debating whether or not to release a patch when its obvious there are so many bugs really disapoints me
10-14-2005, 23:04
Grey_Fox

Re: no more patches?

Quote:

Originally Posted by manbaps

CA hopefully will be forced to bring out more patches. Though i doubt it as EA have excellent support for alot of its games, activision im not so sure about not got many, if any, games published by them other than MTW.

You do realise that Activision refused to fund the 2.01 patch for Viking Invasion, but the developers went ahead and made it anyways working on their own time without pay, right? You also do realise that Activision is one of the biggest games publishers in the world and that countless titles have been crippled due to their brand of customer support?

Quote:

Originally Posted by manbaps

And the fact that they're are debating whether or not to release a patch when its obvious there are so many bugs really disapoints me

There's been bugger all bugs found so far.
10-14-2005, 23:08
player1

Re: no more patches?

I hate Activison patch policies from times of Call to Power 2.
Oh, boy that game really needed some patching.
10-14-2005, 23:12
manbaps

Re: no more patches?

I did not say Activision's policy was good i was saying i have had little experience of them. EA on the other hand i have, though i guess there were enough patches for STW i found it quite playable.

As for "bugger all bugs found so far" i think that is quite debatable.
10-14-2005, 23:13
TB666

Sv: Re: no more patches?

Quote:

Originally Posted by manbaps

Though i doubt it as EA have excellent support for alot of its games,

EA isn't that good either.
If the game doesn't sell then they refuse to patch it even when the low sales are because of the bugs.
And another lovely tactic is to release expansion pack that contain these fixes thus making you pay for a patch something that SEGA cleverly avoided by releasing 1.3.
But as other people have said, SEGA needs good PR and so far they are on the right track IMO.
10-14-2005, 23:56
Uesugi Kenshin

Re: no more patches?

EA has a horrible patching policy. Generals obviously needed massive multiplayer patching (it lagged with eight people no matter what, the internet play is atrocious because of stability/connection issues) but it never recieved patching that fixed those problems. I can't think of a game at the moment that EA has released and given significant patching support, but there could be a couple.
10-15-2005, 00:43
KSEG

Re: no more patches?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uesugi Kenshin

I can't think of a game at the moment that EA has released and given significant patching support, but there could be a couple.

Well, BF1942 had a great support.
10-15-2005, 02:26
econ21

Re: no more patches?

Quote:

Originally Posted by player1

I hate Activison patch policies from times of Call to Power 2.
Oh, boy that game really needed some patching.

You were biten by that game too, huh? I think our own WesW, of MTW MedMod fame, did a good job trying to salvage the game but I could not stomach it. It could have been great, instead it was just brain dead. People who complain about RTWs AI really should have tried that.

The only other game with a higher potential to achievement ratio I've encountered was Napoleon 1813. That game could have been better than any TW series, but instead was just unplayable. (I quit in disgust when my French Imperial Guard marched off to join the Russians. :dizzy2: )
10-15-2005, 03:02
Uesugi Kenshin

Re: no more patches?

I have to say I never experienced major problems with BF1942, but the fact that they let the BF2 demo (and I would assume the full version) go out with so many horrible bugs and the new drivers requirement more than negates that IMHO.
10-15-2005, 03:37
Divinus Arma

Re: no more patches?

Nah. There'll be a patch or two for BI. Just like VI.

Here. Look at YodaInu.

https://img353.imageshack.us/img353/...esspic36qr.png
10-15-2005, 10:11
player1

Re: no more patches?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon Appleton

You were biten by that game too, huh? I think our own WesW, of MTW MedMod fame, did a good job trying to salvage the game but I could not stomach it. It could have been great, instead it was just brain dead. People who complain about RTWs AI really should have tried that.

At least, it had good scripting language.
Although some functions were bugged and never fixed.
10-15-2005, 10:36
TB666

Sv: Re: no more patches?

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSEG

Well, BF1942 had a great support.

That's because it sold well.
BF:Vietnam didn't get enough tho.