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Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); In-development patch notes for Starsector 0.98a (2/8/25)

Author Topic: Pre-Announcing Update Release Dates?  (Read 743 times)

Emanon6

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Pre-Announcing Update Release Dates?
« on: December 03, 2024, 08:46:38 AM »

Even if the game is not looking for hype at the current stage of development, pre-announcing an update date could really help mod makers plan their updates, and players to plan their runs.

Win-win, right?
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nathan67003

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Re: Pre-Announcing Update Release Dates?
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2024, 09:02:32 AM »

More like lose-lose, since that means Alex and Dave get to have a deadline and rush things while we wind up with an update that isn't what it could've been.
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Phenir

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Re: Pre-Announcing Update Release Dates?
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2024, 10:04:40 AM »

When an update is imminent we usually get a thread like a month (or more) in advance with patch notes. Observe the various patch notes thread in the announcements forums. Look at when the thread was made and when the first hotfix was made (which is usually on the same day the patch was actually released).
« Last Edit: December 03, 2024, 10:07:03 AM by Phenir »
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Nettle

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Re: Pre-Announcing Update Release Dates?
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2024, 10:38:58 AM »

If you can help it, don't pressure the devs for updates.

We've all seen what rushing for deadlines under pressure from inventors wanting their quick buck does to AAA titles for the past 5 years.
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Lukas04

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Re: Pre-Announcing Update Release Dates?
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2024, 10:48:35 AM »

Even if the game is not looking for hype at the current stage of development, pre-announcing an update date could really help mod makers plan their updates, and players to plan their runs.

Win-win, right?

As a mod dev, knowing when the updates release would not really help me with updating mods in advance.
I think there some arguments for alex announcing the release for an update around a week in advance, so that releases are less sudden, but anything more is silly since as people mentioned that just puts them in to time constraints that arent really needed.
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Spyro

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Re: Pre-Announcing Update Release Dates?
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2024, 10:50:14 AM »

I mean to be fair there wasn't any news about the game development after July this year. IMO it's okay to ask for news, checking what's going on and such. But yeah asking for a specific release date won't bring anything good, both for the consumer and the devs.

So the good old "it's done when it's done".
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Phenir

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Re: Pre-Announcing Update Release Dates?
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2024, 11:40:16 AM »

I mean to be fair there wasn't any news about the game development after July this year. IMO it's okay to ask for news, checking what's going on and such. But yeah asking for a specific release date won't bring anything good, both for the consumer and the devs.

So the good old "it's done when it's done".
There was news, just not front and center with a blog post. You can find details not shared in blogs on Alex's social or from his posts here occasionally. Like the hardpoint aiming fix. That's not in any blog but a lot of people know it's coming because Alex specifically said he fixed a bug related to hardpoint aiming in a thread. Or the new enemies that are going to be using some very nifty laser and lightning effects which you could only know about from his social media accounts.
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TK3600

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Re: Pre-Announcing Update Release Dates?
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2024, 05:36:25 AM »

I mean to be fair there wasn't any news about the game development after July this year. IMO it's okay to ask for news, checking what's going on and such. But yeah asking for a specific release date won't bring anything good, both for the consumer and the devs.

So the good old "it's done when it's done".
There was news, just not front and center with a blog post. You can find details not shared in blogs on Alex's social or from his posts here occasionally. Like the hardpoint aiming fix. That's not in any blog but a lot of people know it's coming because Alex specifically said he fixed a bug related to hardpoint aiming in a thread. Or the new enemies that are going to be using some very nifty laser and lightning effects which you could only know about from his social media accounts.
Would be nice if blog return. It is like social media replaced it.
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Lukas04

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Re: Pre-Announcing Update Release Dates?
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2024, 09:08:20 AM »

I mean to be fair there wasn't any news about the game development after July this year. IMO it's okay to ask for news, checking what's going on and such. But yeah asking for a specific release date won't bring anything good, both for the consumer and the devs.

So the good old "it's done when it's done".
There was news, just not front and center with a blog post. You can find details not shared in blogs on Alex's social or from his posts here occasionally. Like the hardpoint aiming fix. That's not in any blog but a lot of people know it's coming because Alex specifically said he fixed a bug related to hardpoint aiming in a thread. Or the new enemies that are going to be using some very nifty laser and lightning effects which you could only know about from his social media accounts.
Would be nice if blog return. It is like social media replaced it.

...The social Media posts dont replace blogs? Not everything is worth a whole blog post, and not everything fits in to a Social Media post, so Alex uses both.
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Linnis

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Re: Pre-Announcing Update Release Dates?
« Reply #9 on: December 05, 2024, 01:41:43 AM »

Even if the game is not looking for hype at the current stage of development, pre-announcing an update date could really help mod makers plan their updates, and players to plan their runs.

Win-win, right?

Sounds good. But in reality when dev is working on things its often its ready when its ready even alex don't know when update might be done, very possible while making something goes wrong, or is not good enough, and end up being revisited within the same build. Often studios can do the whole release date thing is because they are essentially done with the game, and just spend the remaining "grace" period bug fixing and QC testing. Which for an alpha current in development game is not a great idea.
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