About release planning of Fleet Ops

posted on March 19th, 2010, 9:20 pm

In the past, mostly every patch have contained some new features with it. However, often the new features have caused balance issues, either in old features or in the new features. As Fleet Operations is a multiplayer orientated game the balance one of the most important features. As all the patches have contained new features, there have also been some balancing issues, smaller and bigger.

I wonder would it be possible for the developers to adjust their release plans so, that instead every patch being a feature patch, after each feature patch a balancing patch would follow shortly if balancing issues have been noticed shortly (2 to 3 weeks perhaps) after the feature release. The balancing patch would only need to fix possible issues in balancing or possible small bugs. I hope it wouldn't be too much extra work to release balancing patches shortly after feature patch release, as the changes in the patch would just be in balancing and the patches would follow shortly after the feature patch and there wouldn't be need to maintain the patch in other ways after it. That would also reduce the possible pressure from community waiting for balance changes.

The balance issues in current 3.1.1 have certainly caused many feelings, and some have also been thinking about downgrading to old 3.0.7 or not to play FO at all until next the patch. I am certain that all those who play multiplayer, would appreciate possible simple balancing patch after new feature patch.

posted on March 19th, 2010, 10:19 pm

yep, thats the plan

posted on March 19th, 2010, 10:41 pm

Very well stated, Zebh.

I think you've stated everything how I would have, so I don't know how much more I can add.  I think the fact that we have recorded games can help explain where we've found some balancing issues, and it will be much easier to show than to write out.

Also, if the Devs are into this (maybe they would be and maybe they wouldn't ), perhaps there could be some way to pull volunteers from the FO community for different tasks.  For example, during their final testing they could have people they choose and trust to beta test, to see where the game can be broken.  Professional games do this, and FO has the scope of a professional game. 

Also, some of the "grunt work" could be given to modders.  For example, the team could give someone the task of writing all the tooltips and checking for grammer errors, etc.  That way the team could still do the fun stuff, the stuff that's fun about modding (whatever that is.  I'm not a modder. ), and there would be plenty of knowledgeable people who would love to do any of the boring tedious stuff, simply because they have love and respect for the game.

So just a thought.   I definitely agree with the idea of a balancing patch.  I know that's difficult and not something to be said lightly (there are 5 races to be balanced, afterall ). 

Ninja'd by Optec, of course.  Sneaky Optec.

posted on March 19th, 2010, 11:25 pm

Just need to say I really with mal and zebh. 

posted on March 19th, 2010, 11:34 pm

hehehe, I would love to do any kind of grunt work involved in FO development, but I doubt they offer that to us mere forum goers

That and I'm not the best speller

posted on March 19th, 2010, 11:56 pm

All ABOUT beta testing.  It helps having no qualms about upsetting people .

posted on March 20th, 2010, 12:16 am

if you are a donator, you get to be a beta testor

posted on March 20th, 2010, 1:30 am

Cuz we all know 3.0.0 was soooo well balanced, eh Adm. Zaxxon? 

posted on March 20th, 2010, 1:45 am

posted on March 20th, 2010, 1:54 am

I have not had any problems with unbalanced ships.... just prices is my wonder. The Rommies are too expensive. Though I guess that if the empire collapsed a bad economy would result.

Though the Federation is far to cheap. The Feds don't build many ships, often they improve current ones (which should be a focus on the Feds side). So I'd think that their ships would not be cheap, or fast to build, but would have high quality to make up for the lack there of.

The Klingons of course do not make to many special weapons (they usually steal weapons from others like the Genesis Device). So I'd imagine their stronghold would be conventional ships. And that there would be only a few ships with special weapons. But to make up for the lack would be a good number of passives.

The Dominion are spammers. Their entire economy should support this. In the Dominion War, they were outbuilding their opponents with large shipyards and massive fleets. This should be their stronghold, strength in numbers. Of course there'd be few exceptions like the dreadnoght and the Super carrier.