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Please Stop with Stealth Updates.
lordhavelock
Member Posts: 2,248 Arc User
Cryptic, you've been making changes to the game without including them in the Release Notes.
Some are real minor, even beneficial. Like in today's patch you've fixed the Lohlunat Tribble so that it has it's own icon in the power tray (instead of looking like a Winter Tribble). Others are major, include new unannounced (on your own forums/website) restrictions, and introduce horrible bugs, like the Mail update.
There have been others in the last few months, but these are two that come to mind as having happened recently, and provide two extremes examples of game changes that were not mentioned in the Release Notes.
Please stop this Stealth Update practice. Please inform your customers of changes you are making.
Thank you.
Some are real minor, even beneficial. Like in today's patch you've fixed the Lohlunat Tribble so that it has it's own icon in the power tray (instead of looking like a Winter Tribble). Others are major, include new unannounced (on your own forums/website) restrictions, and introduce horrible bugs, like the Mail update.
There have been others in the last few months, but these are two that come to mind as having happened recently, and provide two extremes examples of game changes that were not mentioned in the Release Notes.
Please stop this Stealth Update practice. Please inform your customers of changes you are making.
Thank you.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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I'd rather it be in the patch notes than sprung on me. Ship releases should be in the patch notes as well. And everything that cryptic says on twitter should be said on their OWN FORUMS/GAME/WEBSITE before it makes it to twitter.
My guess on the stealth nerfs/lack of patch notes is that if they put all of their bug fixes that we would see that the game has some serious problems.
1) Doff stacking exploit fix with the Risa Summer release.
2) Start assignment button behavior change for S7 release (probably to mitigate #1).
3) Season 7 release change to the way you pick assignments to cancel. It would default to the one above the one you just cancelled, the changed it to be the top and therefore newest one.
4) They somehow screwed up with the Exchange's code with today's patch, because the lag this afternoon was beyond horrible.
5) Stealth behind the scene mail update a couple of weeks into LoR
Now for #1 and #2, I understand hiding the updates, but you should release the info once it's completely fixed (The delay is still there, they just implemented a duplicate assignment checker). For stuff like #3, I know you guys think it's minor, but if you accidentally press the cancel button twice, you end up canceling the assignment about to end. If it was a 2 day assignment, poof, gone. Updates #4 and #5 annoy the heck out of everyone and we have to start threads up to figure out what the heck is wrong.
I do miss zero's occasionally funny notes that got slipped in.
The doors, Mister Scott!
Salami did it before her so he knows what he is doing. However he collects the notes from other people so somewhere along the chain certain things can just get put in but someone just forgot to list it.
the risa tribble for example. not only would that be incredibly easy to forget to mention on anyone part, im surprised anyone even finds that an issue. changes to how the mail work are far more important and should be included.
Like the Trophy feature being missed on the new Romulan/Reman Ship model interiors or KDF allied Rom/Rem having the ability to Replicate Photonic Duty Officer via your CXP Rank/s.
As well as making sure good intell is posted on changes and/or fixes. As they'll note some but not others, which I do find strange.
Its sad but I dont think there's anybody keeping track of what feature are already in the game and what has and has not been done. It sorta feel like they are targeting stuff that people just "remember" or is fresh on 1 or 2 peoples mind in place on whats wrote down on a white board/chart.
-V
Still, there should have been some kind of documentation.
Even if it's a relatively crude footnote, these changes should be listed.
"This is Admiral BumBleBush!..Captain of the U.S.S. Prometheus!..I order you to lower your shields and weapons or ill be forced to fire upon you!!!"
"This is Fleet Commander BumBle!..
Vice Admiral of the U.S.S. Prometheus!..
I order you to lower your shields and weapons or ill be forced to fire upon you!!!"
As CaptainRevo pointed out, Salami did the Release Notes prior to Zero, but I agree Tpolebreaker, she had a funny sense of humor about it that I miss, too.
The fact that it wasn't properly imaged or that it got fixed, you're right, is incredibly minor especially when compared to the Mail fiasco. The reason I brought it up though is because it's still an example of an update/fix that occurred in-game, but was not included in the Release Notes.
As I tried to explain in my OP, I'm simply demonstrating that the lack of transparency in this Stealth Updates Issue run the gambit from tiny to huge.
You can find/contact me in game as @PatricianVetinari. Playing STO since Feb 2010.
In other words, people are going to ***** about the patch notes no matter what you do, but, they will complain even more if you patch stuff and try to hide it (unintentionally or not).
Sad really that STO is trying so hard to be like every other MMO out there but in their defense 'stealth' changes to the game does play into the entire Romulan transformation of STO- shady, silent and self-serving just like a good Romulan. Heck, they even changed the name of the game to 'legacy of Romulus'.
Sheesh, I feel so dirty defending those devs
Awoken Dead
Now shaddup about the queues, it's a BUG
What changes were these?
And I agree, all offical cryptic messages should be on the forums, not twitter or facebook, and all changes in a patch should be noted at some point in time. If its an exploit you are fixing, I can understand not putting it in until later, but everything else should be in there.
Nouveau riche LTS member
In regards to the latter, I think it should still be noted (as they've done in the past) with Release Notes that read something like: "A fix was made to XYZ to prevent an exploit. The current version of XYZ is now working as intended." Often this would be followed by a one-line "friendly reminder" that utilizing exploits are bad, Mmm'kay, and can get your account-banned, so just say No.
Honestly, I think the chief reason for the missing Release Notes probably boils down to human "error". Someone forgot to list a change on their turn-in report, someone didn't follow-up, someone wasn't keeping proper notes while updating... Stuff like that. I really doubt there's any malice behind the failings.
You can find/contact me in game as @PatricianVetinari. Playing STO since Feb 2010.
Having been through the whole SWTOR thing back in beta and launch, missing release notes will never boil down to human error in my mind again. They can tell you if they want.
Take STF's for example:
- are the drones on dope whizzing around as intended in the conduit or is it a bug?
- is the hive bugged or is that intentional? Or did some intention go wrong?
We'd like to know! And we want it fixed! Fixed before you care about unimportant things like nerfing discoballs!
Please stop the Stealth updates. Whether you think it will or won't affect the gameplay... chances are that it WILL.
Welcome to the world of software development and customers relations. Full disclosure, full trust.
SCE ADVISORY NOTICE: Improper Impulse Engine maintenance can result in REAR THRUSTER LEAKAGE. ALWAYS have your work inspected by another qualified officer.
As you say, is it WAI (ie Stealth Update), or a bug we should be reporting/expecting to be fixed. (I sincerely hope the latter. It's not the spheres are really that much tougher to kill (for "good" players), but it is incredibly annoying and insanely stupid to watch.
You can find/contact me in game as @PatricianVetinari. Playing STO since Feb 2010.
Did the new NPC powers upgrade (Their constant spamming of EPtW 2) get listed in any release notes? Not sure...
You can find/contact me in game as @PatricianVetinari. Playing STO since Feb 2010.
I do think that they need to be more public with their patching as well as with their list of known bugs as well. There are way too many in game right now and it would be nice if they had a place on the forums were we could see them all as well as what's being worked on.
>shakes head<
I may as well wish to win the Lottery, I probably have a better chance at that.
:rolleyes:
You can find/contact me in game as @PatricianVetinari. Playing STO since Feb 2010.
If you read the first section of the terms of use. It does clearly state that they reserve the right to eliminate, discontinue or change content at their discretion, with or without giving players notice. No matter what is said regarding the point you have raised, by creating an account and playing STO you have electronically agreed to allow this to take place. Yes I agree it would be nice to know everything, but we have basically signed an agreement to allow PWE to make changes at their discrestion.
Frankly.... I don't care. Those "agreements" aren't read by anyone and a lot of the stuff that is usually to be found in such agreements is legally doubtful anyway. Furthemore I am a customer. As a customer I like to know my product. With any other product in the world you get informed of changes. Even if not required, it's a matter of respect. Something I'm missing here.
Maybe we should start a "stealth update thread" ourselves to keep tabs on PWE/Cryptic. I can add another one:
- Floaters don't show inertial behavior anymore when started up