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Dear Cryptic, please take a step back.

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
Lately I am under the impression that the pressure to meet deadlines is taking its toll on overall quality again. It occurs to me that once a publishing deadline is 'barely' met there immediatly is another one allready right up and issues that are around for ages just fall under the roof because everybody has to struggle on the new deadline.

For example take the recent release of the klingon refits. In my opinion it would have been not the worst decision to give them another week on tribble after the changes with a cryptic supported organized pvp testing event. I do realize that it is hard to say no to a klingon (after all they are a mean bunch of intimidating warriors) but the way the refits went onto holodeck opened up their own can of worms.

If I take a look at the current season 3 build on tribble there is the certain 'ME WANT' feeling but I do know that once the shinyness of sector space goes away there are issues with it that will annoy me and possible others as well. And there are the good old bugs that feel like companions because they've been around so long.

Do I want the new sector space? Hell yes, but not without needed fixes.
Do I want the UGC? Yes, but not if that means I still have to deal with bugs that should have been addressed the week after release.

I could dump literaly dozens of more or less serious issues on QA if they had the time to actually address them. A month ago it was a gamble, you bring a certain thing to attention and it gets fixed (or not), lately it feels more like praying because QA has not the time to answer even if you report a serious money exploit. Which has been fixed rather quickly but in turn might have broken something else. Up until I read the patchnotes I did not even know if QA read my exploit report.

It doesn't help either that stickies for reoccuring bugs have been removed. It might not have been nice from me to just add a 'look, another one' ticket to the anomaly underground sticky (well, likely more than hundred) but without that sticky I just go 'meh why bother?'

And last but not least my personal favorite which annoys the hell out of me since beta. the visible for friends only bug. that privacy setting screws up your group invite options real good. it simply blocks any group invite even if you allow it in your options. there were certain builds around that even blocked group invites from friends if you chose to set your privacy to that setting. I don't even know how many people still think I'm a TRIBBLE ******* because I spent the first two weeks on that privacy setting and people got an automatic decline once they wanted to invite me in a pvp pug. So it is visible on anon only as a privacy option, and since I don't want to broadcast my playing habits to the whole world it just leaves me one option. Which in turn makes it difficult to keep in touch with my friends because they cannot see me either. *sigh*

So please, if you do realize that you can barely make the deadline take a step back.
I might not be the happiest person if my shiny things don't arrive as soon as possible on holodeck but I'll get over it, if in return less issues fall under the roof.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Hey, I started that thread already: http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=188909

    ;)

    You're bringing up a few different points, but for me the B'Rel retrofit is the best example on where we should have had another week (heck, probably a day would have been enough) of testing.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Well, apparently you need more than one thread for anyone to take notice.

    I as well have seen a slight slip in quality for the benifit of quantity. I hope they hold a team huddle.

    Like i tell my subordinates if they're not going to do something right the first time, what makes them think Im going to allow them a second go around to do what should have been done right the first time?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    SO whats going on?
    Yes I agree, I too would prefer a slower release rate on updates and new items if it would mean a higher amount of quality. Take no disrespect, I enjoy STO very much and love the new content as it appears and have had great times in the newer weekly missions. Thanks for all you do.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Roach wrote: »
    SO whats going on?
    Yes I agree, I too would prefer a slower release rate on updates and new items if it would mean a higher amount of quality. Take no disrespect, I enjoy STO very much and love the new content as it appears and have had great times in the newer weekly missions. Thanks for all you do.

    Not much.....just disscussing the quality of new editions to the game.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I really haven't gotten the rushed vibe from the latest content. Maybe it's because I remember the history of the game in its early days under Zinc, but this really isn't that bad. (No offense to Zinc, he was fine at the time, but his attitude of pushing content to meet deadlines would not work long-term)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I doubt they are rushing things, just look at the latest engineering report.
    Ground Combat revamp was pushed beck because they want it done right, just as Solar system has been pushed back until theres actually something to do there.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    dukedom wrote: »
    So please, if you do realize that you can barely make the deadline take a step back.
    I might not be the happiest person if my shiny things don't arrive as soon as possible on holodeck but I'll get over it, if in return less issues fall under the roof.

    Signed/supported/agreed.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Yeah, I do not agree with an observation of having seen a slip in quality. In fact, I would say that the release of the weekly missions was perhaps the greatest thing to have occurred to the game.

    As far as bugs, I hear certain people constantly mention bugs having been around for ages but they never specify the bugs. I have played the game since beta and honestly, it is a very stable game and I have hardly encountered any bugs.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    CapTrott wrote: »
    As far as bugs, I hear certain people constantly mention bugs having been around for ages but they never specify the bugs.
    1. Visible to friends only screws up groups invites - Has been around since beta
    2. Turret Energy Drain Issue - Has been around since they changed the way energy drain works, 'supposedly' fixed in one of the upcoming builds. You probably don't want to know how many times that was brought to the attention of cryptic.
    3. Exchange Filter Issue - Items do not show up on search unless you specify rarity and item type.
    4. Dual Pistols Issue - Visit one of the 'random' species in the clusters in advanced or elite difficulty and observe the dual pistol miracle yourself
    5. SB 24 Rescue - Almost instant respawn of mobs and items on advanced / elite difficulty. Been around since season 1.2
    6. Otha VA Issue - VAs end up in a instance that is lower than intended. Introduced with season 2.
    7. HYT GCD Issue - when hitting the weapon immediatly after HYT (~0.5 seconds) you get a display error. the weapon will not have its normal 6 (8) second cooldown but only a 2 second one. after that you can fire a 'blind' shot giving the animation but don't doing any damage. after the blind shot the remaining cooldown timer is correct.
    8. DEM Issues - DEM2 is more powerful than DEM3, additionaly if you disable the shield (i.e. phaser proc) you will do full hull damage and on top of that the DEM damage.
    9. Captain BOFF Training - There are training options (at least for tac captains, haven't checked sci/eng the last two months) that give BOFFs exactly the same skills like they are available from NPC BOFF trainers - been around since they allowed BOFF training
    10. Cryo Grenades Issue - When they adjusted the ferengi trader on defera to remove a money exploit they might have broken the cryo grenade restock. The last time I ran out on cryo grenades I checked 56 times in 4 days before going 'meh why bother'. Either the trader is broken, my char is broken or the chance for cryo grenades is way off.
    11. Aid the Planet Exploits - obviously I will not disclose details on that
    12. k7 / ganalda pvp kit vendors - the mk9 tac kits use the wrong currency, that bug even migrated to the 'new' streamlined season 3 vendors
    13. mk11+ loottables - not a confirmed bug lots of rumors though, like the uncommon astroimaging scanner from offerings, weird streaks of exactly the same rare item in a short amount of kills. while there are no hard numbers to support those rumors something definitely smells fishy there.

    are that enough bugs for you or shall I go on?
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