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Testing the game is a mess ...

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
... Hello dear STO Community,

so I've been a Star Trek fan for years and a friend is currently playing STO I thought I should give it a try.
I stopped playing MMOs for a while now - got a 3 month old child and am married ;)

So time is short! The more annoying is it to get the game started - at first you've got to download the client.
Quite ****ed up, it's unpacked and about 8 gig big. But OK, somehow you've got to install.
Next step creating an account. That went quite well, didn't have any trouble, that was the point I was going - Oh yeah let's start, because I've got 4 days off ...

... and what next? Oh surprise surprise, downloading patches. The first of 6 gig and now another one with about 3 gig ...

Is it wrong to ask - What the **** is this? I've downloaded the client from the Internet, so where is the ****ing point for Cryptic Studios to upload a patched installer for the game.

To the bottom line - from my 5 day test period I will be able to use, at best, 3 days.
But still my family goes first so I don't know if I'll even have time to try the game out - please Cryptic Studios, do better next time!


Bye,
Gabriel.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    This is a peer tech support forum. Did you have a tech support question to ask?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Nope, I'm sry please move the thread wherever it belongs ...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    ... Hello dear STO Community,

    so I've been a Star Trek fan for years and a friend is currently playing STO I thought I should give it a try.
    I stopped playing MMOs for a while now - got a 3 month old child and am married ;)

    So time is short! The more annoying is it to get the game started - at first you've got to download the client.
    Quite ****ed up, it's unpacked and about 8 gig big. But OK, somehow you've got to install.
    Next step creating an account. That went quite well, didn't have any trouble, that was the point I was going - Oh yeah let's start, because I've got 4 days off ...

    ... and what next? Oh surprise surprise, downloading patches. The first of 6 gig and now another one with about 3 gig ...

    Is it wrong to ask - What the **** is this? I've downloaded the client from the Internet, so where is the ****ing point for Cryptic Studios to upload a patched installer for the game.

    To the bottom line - from my 5 day test period I will be able to use, at best, 3 days.
    But still my family goes first so I don't know if I'll even have time to try the game out - please Cryptic Studios, do better next time!


    Bye,
    Gabriel.

    good bye, dont let the turbolift hit you on your way out
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Whats funny is the Op is complaining about the distribution that almost every major mmo uses. Yet says he has played mmo's before.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I've played multible MMOs before.

    Doesn't mean I'm fine with these issues anyway ;)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    From a end user view, he has a point. You would think that if Cryptic has the client available for download on their website that this client would always be up to date and not require additional patches to download. I could see otherwise for clients distributed on physical media, but not from the website.

    Coderanger, do you know if there is a reason that the downloadable client isnt kept up to date with the most recent patches ? OR did the OP get the client from a 3rd party and Cryptic does keep a current version on their website and Im just making a fool of myself ?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Thank you Kanid.
    I used www.startrekonline.com/download to download the client, so I expected it to be up to date ...

    ... I absolutely agree with you according to the physical media.


    Greetings.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    kanid wrote:
    From a end user view, he has a point. You would think that if Cryptic has the client available for download on their website that this client would always be up to date and not require additional patches to download. I could see otherwise for clients distributed on physical media, but not from the website.

    Coderanger, do you know if there is a reason that the downloadable client isnt kept up to date with the most recent patches ? OR did the OP get the client from a 3rd party and Cryptic does keep a current version on their website and Im just making a fool of myself ?

    name one mmo that does. Not even wow does that.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    @tedgp123
    So your point is: If everyone ****s up, why complaining?

    Does your boss/your techers know that? O.o

    Isn't it the goal of every community or game creator, artist or whatever you can think of, to do better then anyone did before?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    tedgp123 wrote: »
    name one mmo that does. Not even wow does that.

    See this is generally the underlying problem with the world today , people will happily eat TRIBBLE if thats the way its always been .
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    See this is generally the underlying problem with the world today , people will happily eat TRIBBLE if thats the way its always been .

    Or maybe its expected that they provide the base game, and you patch anythign added on. the resources needed to compile a full install every minor patch would be high. It's far more cost effective and easier to provide the base game and let the patcher do its job.

    You could always pm dstahl , phoxe or indigofyre and suggest it to them. they are the ones with the pullign piower to make it happen if theres enough players wanting it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    tedgp123 wrote: »
    Or maybe its expected that they provide the base game, and you patch anythign added on. the resources needed to compile a full install every minor patch would be high. It's far more cost effective and easier to provide the base game and let the patcher do its job.

    You could always pm dstahl , phoxe or indigofyre and suggest it to them. they are the ones with the pullign piower to make it happen if theres enough players wanting it.

    Gods, please, no. They'd have one poor guy who's main job it was to re-package the game every few days.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    tedgp123 wrote: »
    Whats funny is the Op is complaining about the distribution that almost every major mmo uses. Yet says he has played mmo's before.

    A bunch of other MMO's use 10 or 14 days trials instead of 5 days, though...:cool:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    my guess is that they will update the downloadable client to the major patch revisions. I bet a few days after Common Ground comes out, the download will be updated. There have just been so many "minor" patches since release, which i think is going to be abnormal from here on out.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Sarevok wrote: »
    A bunch of other MMO's use 10 or 14 days trials instead of 5 days, though...:cool:

    Not when the game is first released. In fact, I thought it was kind of odd for an MMO would offer a free trial in the first month of release.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    tedgp123 wrote: »
    name one mmo that does. Not even wow does that.

    I wasnt saying others did it, only that it would be good customer service and would be a logical thing to do. I would agree that you shouldnt expect them to update for every patch, but it seems illogical to install the game and have to suddenly download several gigs worth of all patches less than 2 months after release. A once a month update to the downloadable client seems fair and would prevent that WTF moment for new subscribers who use the digital file.

    Having something like this would impove the initial customer experience. Thats all.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Sqwibbs wrote: »
    Not when the game is first released. In fact, I thought it was kind of odd for an MMO would offer a free trial in the first month of release.

    I dont make any judgment on this. However, I do believe it would be more fair, if they arent going to keep an updated client for download on the site, for Cryptic to start the trial timer only after you have actually logged into the game and not just when you register the account, to allow for the time it takes to patch in their downloadable client (since I dont believe you can patch it until after you have registered).

    Otherwise the new customer will have that experience immediately that Cryptic has their patcher to forcibly reduce your trial time available, and may make people wonder just what other ways that the game operates that arent as one might immediately percieve.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    So finally, all patches downloaded ... and surprise ... fatal decompression error ^^

    Already found some threads in the forum, seems to be a common error?

    Deleted the corrupted file and again 1,5 gig for download ... O.o
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Where would you have Cryptic spend the time between creating new content, fixing bugs, new costumes, new ship bridges or packaging?

    Installation is one time plus patches would be at the bottom of my priority list. The economic benefit is small. Yes the master image will get rebuilt over time to include patches but it the cost is too high to rebuild it every time a new patch is released.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    tedgp123 wrote: »
    name one mmo that does. Not even wow does that.

    Eve does. If you are patching you can download the patch but if you need to re-download the client or first time download the client is up to date with all the latest patches. So once downloaded and installed you can play right away.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    tedgp123 wrote: »
    name one mmo that does. Not even wow does that.

    How about one better? SOE. EVERY download Ive used with them was at max 12 Megs.... why? It installed, not the game, but the updater ONLY. From there, the UPDATER downloaded the most up-to-date game!

    And concidering how many fixes Ive been hearing are "delete the hogg file and let it redownload" I have NO IDEA WHY Cryptic doesnt do this! It seems like the game comes pre-ready for this!

    Guild Wars ALSO does this. The download install is just the exe file.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    As mentioned here, the reason we don't keep the torrent perfectly up to date is just the time involved in packaging things up and testing new installers. That said, it has been a while, which is why we have a new torrent ready to go for the Season 1 build :-) We just can't post it until after Season 1 goes live.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    coderanger wrote:
    As mentioned here, the reason we don't keep the torrent perfectly up to date is just the time involved in packaging things up and testing new installers. That said, it has been a while, which is why we have a new torrent ready to go for the Season 1 build :-) We just can't post it until after Season 1 goes live.

    ...would you concider a download of just the exe and updater? If nothing else, it seems your game is ready to download the updated files itself... so why not take advantage of that?

    Just a thought.....
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Diortem wrote:
    ...would you concider a download of just the exe and updater? If nothing else, it seems your game is ready to download the updated files itself... so why not take advantage of that?

    Just a thought.....
    You mean like http://files.startrekonline.com/installer/star_trek_online_setup.exe ;-) We don't want people downloading the entire game from the patch servers because it is generally a bad UX both for the downloader and everyone else patching.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    coderanger wrote:
    As mentioned here, the reason we don't keep the torrent perfectly up to date is just the time involved in packaging things up and testing new installers. That said, it has been a while, which is why we have a new torrent ready to go for the Season 1 build :-) We just can't post it until after Season 1 goes live.

    Understandable then. Keep up the good work :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    coderanger wrote:
    You mean like http://files.startrekonline.com/installer/star_trek_online_setup.exe ;-) We don't want people downloading the entire game from the patch servers because it is generally a bad UX both for the downloader and everyone else patching.

    Good enough and thanks! I have the disc, so this is more curiosity then anything to me. But seeing as SOE could do it... (yeah... let's break Planetside and Star Wars Galaxies SOE), I couldnt imagine it isnt possible. And being a nerd, I kinda wanted to know....
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