Has anyone been to totalwar.com recently

[Browning]

Just look at the bottom of the page 5 of the Loadgame-bug in the .com. It is terrifying.

http://p223.ezboard.com/fshoguntotal...rt=81&stop=100

[player1]

The thing is that strategy games are usually type of game that are more prone to bugs, or in which bugs are bigger showstoppers (then some texture collion in FPS).

There are so many formualas involved in the game, as well as in AI routine.


Now the problem with RtW is publisher, since they fund the patches.

Usually, in gaming industry things work like this:

If game is bad, give very few patches (if any). Why lose even more money on failure.

If game is good give more patches. It's worth fixing some bugs, and will help if we ever want to relase sequel.

If game is very good give expansions and more and more patches. Great games have big fan base. Only fans buy expansions, not casual gamers. Fans are usually more touchy on bugs then casual players. Bugs fixed in patches will carry out for expansion too, so you effectively already work for expansion when fixing the bugs for original.

Unfortunatly, that's the thing that Activision doesn't understand.

In contrast, you could look at Neverwinter Nights or Civilization 3, that got lots of expansions and patches. They are funded by Atari (foremely known as Infogrames).

Of course, in case of games that flopped, Atari is ruthless too. Look at Temple of Elemental Evil or Master of Orion 3. Still, even Atari doesn't realize that some games floped because of bugs, and if fixed would be successful. But, that's for another discussion.


Anyway, Rome: Total War is successful game, and as such, should deserve patching, both from gamer and commercial view.