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DEVS: So, about those bugs...

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  • mandarsmashmandarsmash Member Posts: 78 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    I'd like to express support for this.

    So many times there are bugs that I know about, that Fleetmates know about, that the forums are screaming about that are not on the list. Threads get started in the gameplay bug forums, and go on for months, and don't end up on the list. The season 9 graphics problems are one example I can think of. Never ended up on the list, until it was fixed (well, improved for most).

    Perhaps not to the extent of letting us know a "projected resolution date", but at least putting the known issues on the known issues list would let players know whether or not to bother even reporting the bug again would be good.

    Known issues should also be in game, and the in game bug reporting tool could use alot of work - search the known issues list, intelligent searching etc.

    A particular post separate from release notes that list all known issues would be good. Then on the release notes, they can just link to that post for known issues. Resolution dates would probably not be worth it, as those shift all the time.

    I do agree that the in game bug reporting tool could use some work.

    Also: some bugs get squashes sooner simply because they're easier. People complaining that some small thing got fixed before some big thing usually means it was a fix that someone didn't have to take much time to get done, or did on non-allocated time, or was done by someone outside the scope of the larger bug(s), i.e. another department.

    Weird shtuff happens in development as it does in businesses in general. All that we can ask for as customers is for clarity of messaging, even if the messaging doesn't promise anything.

    I've also been forced to play STO through VPN many nights, and that resolves my lag or connection issues (except when the VPN disconnects) more often than not. I'm thinking a lot of people's connection issues are in the pipe, not on Cryptic's server side. Not that I expect people to invest in good VPNs just to play. I'm just saying that it might be an issue that is beyond what any developer can hope to fix.
  • illyrian2008illyrian2008 Member Posts: 271 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    What bugs, those are features and working as intended.
  • gulberatgulberat Member Posts: 5,505 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    A particular post separate from release notes that list all known issues would be good. Then on the release notes, they can just link to that post for known issues. Resolution dates would probably not be worth it, as those shift all the time.

    They do, but at least then we would have some indication as to what was going on. Shifting a date significantly would also be a good cue for a dev or someone at Cryptic, in general terms, to communicate about why the pushback happened. I think that simply having a free flow of information between the players and Cryptic will go a long way towards easing some of the irritation. Heck, if we see more of dev reasoning and what goes into the process, maybe it will even have the nice side effect of educating players about what they can do to file a more effective bug report and make it easier on the devs to figure out what the problem is. Which makes bugs get fixed faster because they're having to run down less information on their own and are more easily able to replicate glitches...and so on. Better communication will only benefit everyone. :)

    Christian Gaming Community Fleets--Faith, Fun, and Fellowship! See the website and PM for more. :-)
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  • prierinprierin Member Posts: 7 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    Gah! I log off for the night and miss an entire conversation! LOL

    First off, TacoFangs, thank you for responding. Although you failed to address my primary question (can we get an update on these and other common bugs in the game?) you did respond and give us some insight as to the process Cryptic takes in bug hunts. Thank you.

    In regards to the “exploit” issue, I think that’s going to be our own Kobayashi Maru. No one is going to agree that it was or was not what either side insist it was. It is what it is. I’ve learned to move on. However, with that said, I can appreciate that Cryptic wanted to put the kibosh on what they felt was a major exploit giving some players an unfair advantage over others (were there players that were denied access to Tau Dewa? I am still fuzzy on how this gave anyone an advantage over anyone else) but the major bugs that are causing gameplay instability and, as a result, negatively impacting several players are *seemingly* ignored.

    I use the term ‘seemingly’ for a specific purpose here – communication or a lack thereof. Pewcaptainsmirk posted the following on 05/08/2014:
    Hello Players!

    This is our new Master Index of Known Bugs. Here you will find the most recent list of known issues, as well as the links to the official feedback/discussion threads.

    *PLEASE CHECK THIS LIST BEFORE YOU START ANY NEW THREADS*

    Below you will find the subject of the known bug, as well as the link to it's thread. If you are experiencing any bugs and wish to leave feedback, please search this list and reply to the official thread linked below the topic. If you do not find your topic listed, add a thread only if you are sure it is not listed here. We will comb through and add missing topics frequently. We will also delete or merge repeat threads at our discretion.

    As Bugs are resolved, we will remove them from this list, but the official feedback threads will remain archived in this sub-forum.

    Thanks for your patience!
    ~CaptainSmirk
    http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=1111881

    And for this I couldn’t be happier! This is exactly what the community needs! However, this post follows with

    KNOWN ISSUES/BUGS

    Updating This Afternoon After Launch Bugs Have Been Reported

    Last edited by pwecaptainsmirk; 10-14-2014 at 10:32 AM. 2 weeks ago.

    There has been no update on the multitude of bugs repeatedly reported. Who dropped the ball?

    Look, I am tired of pointing fingers. I know you devs work hard and get TRIBBLE for it constantly. Again, I don’t ask that the bugs be fixed immediately… it wouldn’t be much of a hunt if you could just go in and flip a switch. But for the love of the Elements, GET MORE PROACTIVE IN COMMUNICATING WITH THE PLAYERS Do you know how many fires and flame wars, walkouts and customer dissatisfaction rants you can avoid just be talking to us?

    Please.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    You will forever be missed and never forgotten.
  • prierinprierin Member Posts: 7 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    Might bump this a little... see if we can get more feedback from Taco or another Dev.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    You will forever be missed and never forgotten.
  • illyrian2008illyrian2008 Member Posts: 271 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    prierin wrote: »
    Might bump this a little... see if we can get more feedback from Taco or another Dev.

    I do admire your enthusiasm, best of luck.
  • prierinprierin Member Posts: 7 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    I do admire your enthusiasm, best of luck.


    Taco already came in and posted twice.... albeit not a great deal of info, but still... I have hope that some questions will be answered at least.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    You will forever be missed and never forgotten.
  • tacofangstacofangs Member Posts: 2,951 Cryptic Developer
    edited October 2014
    Bumping is not necessary. I don't live on the forums. I check them a couple times a day. If there has been any activity in a thread I was involved in previously, I will see it.

    I have no info on any of the bugs you specified in the OP, which is why I didn't comment on them.

    Re: Smirk's known bug list, he's been on vacation for the past week or two, so that may explain the lack of updates. He should be returning to us soon.
    Only YOU can prevent forum fires!
    19843299196_235e44bcf6_o.jpg
  • prierinprierin Member Posts: 7 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    tacofangs wrote: »
    Bumping is not necessary. I don't live on the forums. I check them a couple times a day. If there has been any activity in a thread I was involved in previously, I will see it.

    I have no info on any of the bugs you specified in the OP, which is why I didn't comment on them.

    Re: Smirk's known bug list, he's been on vacation for the past week or two, so that may explain the lack of updates. He should be returning to us soon.


    Once again Taco, thanks for your response. No one is insisting you live on the forums, which makes it even more appeasing when you do take the time to post a response.

    So Smirk is the only dev that monitors/can give info on known bugs and their status? Is there no one to take this over when he’s away?
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    You will forever be missed and never forgotten.
  • tacofangstacofangs Member Posts: 2,951 Cryptic Developer
    edited October 2014
    Well, the thread belongs to Smirk.

    In general, no Dev knows all of the "known bugs."

    I may know the "known" Environment Art bugs, but I have no idea about Systems Design bugs, or UI Programming bugs. Devs are specialized into our own little corners. That's what we know, and that's what we pay attention to.

    So, no, Smirk may not be the ONLY one to comment on "known bugs." but it takes someone that is not a regulation dev to keep track of all of those things from each department, compile them, and track them. Production would be the only other people that might have a handle on that, but I really don't know.

    All in all, the Devs (including production) have been busy either working on fixes for DR, or working on the next stuff (Winter Event, future seasons, etc.)
    Only YOU can prevent forum fires!
    19843299196_235e44bcf6_o.jpg
  • prierinprierin Member Posts: 7 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    tacofangs wrote: »
    Well, the thread belongs to Smirk.

    In general, no Dev knows all of the "known bugs."

    I may know the "known" Environment Art bugs, but I have no idea about Systems Design bugs, or UI Programming bugs. Devs are specialized into our own little corners. That's what we know, and that's what we pay attention to.

    So, no, Smirk may not be the ONLY one to comment on "known bugs." but it takes someone that is not a regulation dev to keep track of all of those things from each department, compile them, and track them. Production would be the only other people that might have a handle on that, but I really don't know.

    All in all, the Devs (including production) have been busy either working on fixes for DR, or working on the next stuff (Winter Event, future seasons, etc.)


    Fair enough. And agian, thanks for taking the time to pop in and give us some sort of update. I am sure Smirk will be all too aware when he returns of the need to update the known bugs thread (if he isn't already) so I'll wait...


    Cheers.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    You will forever be missed and never forgotten.
  • bortensbortens Member Posts: 146 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    people, read all about devs try to cover up their trails by blaming dedicated players.

    people not being abled to play at all, client crashes, tray resetting itself
    or roms not being able to train their boffs are nonissues.
    even that fatty boff being customizable is more important than that.
    they dont even care about that boff being rewarded as fed boff to kdf players with no way to get it ever again.

    250 people "EXPLOITING" bugs this incompetent dev team knowingly left in game are
    apparently more important than general gameplay issues.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • semalda226semalda226 Member Posts: 1,994 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    tacofangs wrote: »
    The mac log in issue is a major issue as well. (And it is being worked on)

    But not all bugs are simple fixes. The log in issue has been very hard to track down.

    The issue is in your loading process at the first 2 screens when the data resource files are being loaded...why don't you start there....
    tumblr_mxl2nyOKII1rizambo1_500.png

  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Member Posts: 35,236 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    Uhmmmm....I agree it's hard to move release dates, but I'm sorry, this is not fact-checked.

    Vista was delayed.

    http://news.cnet.com/2100-1016_3-6052270.html

    Windows Mobile 7 was not ready when originally intended.

    http://www.cnet.com/news/windows-mobile-7-release-delayed/

    Windows Server 2003 was delayed a long time.

    http://news.cnet.com/Windows-Servers-identity-crisis/2100-1012_3-979878.html

    All ancient history? Just this summer Microsoft bumped the re-introduction of the start menu to Windows 10!

    http://www.computerworld.com/article/2476548/microsoft-windows/pointless-windows-8-1-update-2-shows-microsoft-has-given-up-on-windows-8.html

    The "big guys" delay products and features all the time when they are not ready for public consumption. In the case of Vista, I'd personally say they didn't delay long enough!

    Sometimes the results of Testing and QA require delays. It hurts, but sometimes it does. Whether or not DR is bad enough that it should have been pushed is up for debate, but big software companies do push back dates when necessary.
    Truthfully, this says a lot more about just how buggy Vista was than it does about how willing Microsoft is to delay a product launch. IE, for Microsoft to delay a product launch it'd have to be pretty much unusable.
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    My character Tsin'xing
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  • suuperduudesuuperduude Member Posts: 367 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    bortens wrote: »
    DEVS: "what bugs you bunch of cheating scum!"

    ^ after reading OP.

    OMGROFL

    ^ after reading tacos response.

    they keep calling us cheaters FFS,
    what about you fix bugs on tribble when they get reported huh?

    wouldnt make you look like a bunch of lazy liars.

    look for another job taco, do it please.

    this is what you get for
    "we cant tell constructive criticism from whining so we ignore it CAUSE WE MAKE THE GAME!"

    tell us more about your work procedures, rofl.


    No. Let Taco stay. If there is one thing in this game that's awesome, it's some of the worlds.
    --
    Lion Heart of Hammer Squadron
  • maxvitormaxvitor Member Posts: 2,213 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    Let's be very careful not to lash out at one of the few Developers willing to communicate with us. I seriously doubt that Taco is high enough in the food chain over at Cryptic to be in a position to have any bearing on Cryptic's managerial actions and his department had absolutely nothing to do with the issues involved in recent events, so any vitriol thrown in his direction is entirely unfair.
    If something is not broken, don't fix it, if it is broken, don't leave it broken.
    Oh Hell NO to ARC
  • peterconnorfirstpeterconnorfirst Member Posts: 6,225 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    tacofangs wrote: »
    Well, the thread belongs to Smirk.

    In general, no Dev knows all of the "known bugs."

    I may know the "known" Environment Art bugs, but I have no idea about Systems Design bugs, or UI Programming bugs. Devs are specialized into our own little corners. That's what we know, and that's what we pay attention to.

    So, no, Smirk may not be the ONLY one to comment on "known bugs." but it takes someone that is not a regulation dev to keep track of all of those things from each department, compile them, and track them. Production would be the only other people that might have a handle on that, but I really don't know.

    All in all, the Devs (including production) have been busy either working on fixes for DR, or working on the next stuff (Winter Event, future seasons, etc.)

    Thx for posting on forums taco!

    I just want to congratulate your environmental artist guys on the awesome job you have put into the expansion!

    The game looks more amazing than ever. You not only managed to make it look beautiful but also transport the Star Trek feeling with every detail you ad.

    I am truly impressed by it. You make playing this game worthwhile.
    animated.gif
    Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
    felisean wrote: »
    teamwork to reach a goal is awesome and highly appreciated
  • peterconnorfirstpeterconnorfirst Member Posts: 6,225 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    Gotta agree with the above. No matter what other problems there are in the game the environments are a shining light of brilliance, nice work Taco and co.

    Right and I did a lot of complaints lately because of current conditions at and game. Bugs like “not being able to upload the virus Manu’s room” are really frustrating on 3 years old maps as well as a lot of other stuff like simply hindered to play with the majority cuz of the design of advanced queues.

    Nevertheless the looks of the game itself is more beautiful than ever and I think we have some very talented and busy developers to thank for that :)
    animated.gif
    Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
    felisean wrote: »
    teamwork to reach a goal is awesome and highly appreciated
  • bobbydazlersbobbydazlers Member Posts: 4,534 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    coolheadal wrote: »
    This new type Game Server Software they're using not like what I use to use on Windows API for my 67 Arcade Game Titles from 1991 to 2001. I had did all the debugging myself. I felt why would someone want buy my software games for Windows OS if it was buggy. What I've learn in this industry is that cost out ways the time it would take to figure out the riddles to the bugs. Of course there are work around these bugs.

    Right now the biggest one in STO is Space Skill Trays #1 and #2. You get 10x slots, 10x, rows, 10x columns and 10x items. I am not saying I am using them all, but only what my BOF, REP Tier 5, Consoles Perks, Weapons, Shields, Speed, an etc I am using on my Risan Luxury Cruiser Battle-Star ship. The layout won't lock and can get corrupted and using additional Shuttle if you don't have one will really be a disaster. I know this has happen to me for the Shuttle Mission for DR. Discharging the Shuttle didn't make the problem go away.

    So every day when I am playing STO under my FED SCI Admiral I have to make sure I save the layout prior to leaving the space doc, planet or even beaming down to planet. It has to be like this because if I don't then way to much redoing of the task over again an again. I do take a screen dump (screen capture) so I can see what I was using prior.

    I guess they can't fix the issue with the layout since Delta Rising Patches changed layout memory storage by user game player data accounts. Or they changed the limits size or they did someone or they just don't know how to fix it. They need to hire for that issues. If you got a new ship you're okay don't have to worry. Once you gain more ships and then changes or update skills, weapons an etc then you'll start seeing items drop or get rearrange by themselves.

    there is also a similar maybe related bug with ships weapons slots, you slot a new weapon like a torp, beam or consoles or even things like shield or weapon power battery and when you change map you find they have been removed and placed in your inventory.

    When I think about everything we've been through together,

    maybe it's not the destination that matters, maybe it's the journey,

     and if that journey takes a little longer,

    so we can do something we all believe in,

     I can't think of any place I'd rather be or any people I'd rather be with.

  • prierinprierin Member Posts: 7 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    there is also a similar maybe related bug with ships weapons slots, you slot a new weapon like a torp, beam or consoles or even things like shield or weapon power battery and when you change map you find they have been removed and placed in your inventory.

    I hate that bug, but at least there's a fix.

    Organize the tray as you like it, save the loadout. Then remove an item, replace it, save the load out.

    You will need to do this when you equip a new ship weapon or console. Save the loadout.

    Then if it messes up again, load the loadout and voila!
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    You will forever be missed and never forgotten.
  • vormagnonvormagnon Member Posts: 8 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    prierin wrote: »
    I hate that bug, but at least there's a fix.

    Organize the tray as you like it, save the loadout. Then remove an item, replace it, save the load out.

    You will need to do this when you equip a new ship weapon or console. Save the loadout.

    Then if it messes up again, load the loadout and voila!

    Yes I finally got mine working using that approach. The part I was missing was the need to redo the procedure.after you make *any* change to ship equipment, boffs, space doffs, or tray. It is ugly and time consuming but it does work.

    The problem seems to be that the code barfs on anything that it can't find to fullfill the requested loadout - at which point it reverts back to some 'known good' point for the entire loadout. [EDIT: This happens even if you've never created a loadout as evidently it creates a hidden default one for you.]

    What it should do is just notify the player, skip the problem, and continue on. That way if you do something like change your boff layout while in a ground/station scene (say buying a new purple and dismissing the old green) you don't lose everything in the rest of your setup like you do now. Similarly it is extremely easy to TRIBBLE everything up when upgrading/replacing weapons and other modules.

    You pretty much have to put everything new in your inventory, go to space, make the changes, save the changed layout, and then go back to ground and sell off the old junk.
  • kagasenseikagasensei Member Posts: 526 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    tacofangs wrote: »
    Well, the thread belongs to Smirk.

    In general, no Dev knows all of the "known bugs."

    I may know the "known" Environment Art bugs, but I have no idea about Systems Design bugs, or UI Programming bugs. Devs are specialized into our own little corners. That's what we know, and that's what we pay attention to.

    So, no, Smirk may not be the ONLY one to comment on "known bugs." but it takes someone that is not a regulation dev to keep track of all of those things from each department, compile them, and track them. Production would be the only other people that might have a handle on that, but I really don't know.

    All in all, the Devs (including production) have been busy either working on fixes for DR, or working on the next stuff (Winter Event, future seasons, etc.)

    In this case, I would like to point out the following:

    Masterlist: Wrong contact backgrounds (http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?p=16324441)

    I keep it up to date, including recent Delta Rising findings, but it has not received any attention :-/ Any assistance would be very welcome!
  • bortensbortens Member Posts: 146 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    maxvitor wrote: »
    Let's be very careful not to lash out at one of the few Developers willing to communicate with us. I seriously doubt that Taco is high enough in the food chain over at Cryptic to be in a position to have any bearing on Cryptic's managerial actions and his department had absolutely nothing to do with the issues involved in recent events, so any vitriol thrown in his direction is entirely unfair.

    UNFAIR? WTF?
    im sorry he lashed out first by calling dedicated players "cheating scum" yet again,
    i know he just parroted the bull his executive producer dropped, but still.
    as far as im concerned he can go flip burgers, sick and tired of getting insulted by cryptic.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • sennahcheribsennahcherib Member Posts: 2,823 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    All in all, the Devs (including production) have been busy either working on fixes for DR, or working on the next stuff (Winter Event, future seasons, etc.)

    we need a season only for the bugs, they must be fixed, some missions are unplayable and there are a lot of boring bugs; most of them are very old.
  • boosbcboosbc Member Posts: 44 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    prierin wrote: »
    I hate that bug, but at least there's a fix.

    Organize the tray as you like it, save the loadout. Then remove an item, replace it, save the load out.

    You will need to do this when you equip a new ship weapon or console. Save the loadout.

    Then if it messes up again, load the loadout and voila!

    That is not a fix, that is a workaround. Different things. A fix would be: correct the programming, so that you do not have to load the loadout.
  • tacofangstacofangs Member Posts: 2,951 Cryptic Developer
    edited October 2014
    bortens wrote: »
    UNFAIR? WTF?
    im sorry he lashed out first by calling dedicated players "cheating scum" yet again,
    i know he just parroted the bull his executive producer dropped, but still.
    as far as im concerned he can go flip burgers, sick and tired of getting insulted by cryptic.

    Uh. . . what? I'm fairly certain I didn't lash out, or call anyone "cheating scum."

    If I did, I'm sure it was during one of my Pie blackouts. I can't control myself during those.

    Anyway, apologies if what I said somehow came across as "cheating scum."
    I'm sure I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to be insulted all the time.
    I'll go apply at Burger King now.
    Only YOU can prevent forum fires!
    19843299196_235e44bcf6_o.jpg
  • christianmacchristianmac Member Posts: 359 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    tacofangs wrote: »
    Uh. . . what? I'm fairly certain I didn't lash out, or call anyone "cheating scum."

    If I did, I'm sure it was during one of my Pie blackouts. I can't control myself during those.

    Anyway, apologies if what I said somehow came across as "cheating scum."
    I'm sure I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to be insulted all the time.
    I'll go apply at Burger King now.

    If he doesn't like what's going on he can stop playing the game. There are plenty of us to like the game and don't hate.
    77TH FIGHTER SQUADRON
  • christianmacchristianmac Member Posts: 359 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    reyan01 wrote: »
    Lesson here. Don't mess with Taco this close to Halloween, lest you have to deal with Count Tacula!

    Im a great supporter of the Taco
    77TH FIGHTER SQUADRON
  • rsoblivionrsoblivion Member Posts: 809 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    tacofangs wrote: »
    Uh. . . what? I'm fairly certain I didn't lash out, or call anyone "cheating scum."

    If I did, I'm sure it was during one of my Pie blackouts. I can't control myself during those.

    Anyway, apologies if what I said somehow came across as "cheating scum."
    I'm sure I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to be insulted all the time.
    I'll go apply at Burger King now.

    I don't recall you said that either :D

    It's more the comments on exploiters and the inference of cheating from your EP that have gotten a few tempers riled up.

    Maybe you should buy him a beer, then he might cool down enough to realise that a Dev cockup does not equal players exploiting or cheating. I've seen cases like the DR release in many MMO's, all were handled in a much different and IMO better manner. If there was an exp exploit, then it got plugged and the players who benefited from it either got rolled back and given some method of compensation, or didn't get rolled back, but the bug was fixed and normal play resumed.

    That didn't happen here, there was no comprehension of the issue, there was not communication, then to top it all everyone got bent out of shape when punishments were meted out for something that was never within the realms of the players control in the first place.

    Oh and the 3K exp booster price issue, that was all Dev's too (maybe not you ;) ).
    Chris Robert's on SC:
    "You don't have to do something again and again and again repetitive that doesn't have much challange, that's just a general good gameplay thing."
  • jam3s1701jam3s1701 Member Posts: 1,825 Arc User
    edited October 2014
    Taco don't take any notice man.

    People just don't know manners.
    JtaDmwW.png
This discussion has been closed.