Should we ask CA to take a longer developing time next time?

[ray243]

With so many people complaining about bugs and all sorts of problems, should we ask CA to take a longer developing time for their games next time?

[hurricaneez1]

I guess I got a "good" copy of the game because I'm not seeing anymore bugs than a normal PC release. This is much better right out of the box than Medieval II was IMO.

[General Baldrick]

I would prefer a more polished game but CA cant really win. If they set a release date no matter how general ie march 09, people will always moan if that date gets pushed back because it's not ready.

[Larry Blackmon's Codpiece]

You've got one board full of complaints. Does that represent every single person around the world and their experience with the game?

[Gaidin]

I guess I got a "good" copy of the game because I'm not seeing anymore bugs than a normal PC release. This is much better right out of the box than Medieval II was IMO.

Same here.

You guys aren't going to see a very grand decrease in bugs on a release of a project this size. Ever. QA staff only gets so big, and that only gives them a limited probability of finding any given bug before a release goes gold. Once user base increases exponentially, so do the amount of bugs found. It's something that's happened for every program since the start of software engineering, and it's something you won't ever find a solution to.

In fact, you are the solution.

[Juggernaut]

Since it's SEGA who decides when the game is released, there is no point.

[Bema]

Since it's SEGA who decides when the game is released, there is no point.

I imagine a company like CA, peddling an IP like the Total War series, but have a fair old ammount of input.

[OTZ]

Don't set a release date...

[Franz Von G]

Don't set a release date...

Sure, that's how it works..

[centurie]

the answer is no the the op's question..i don't have any problems , no crashes no bugs seen as yet and played about 20 hours so far....iv not even see the trade bug yet ,so i really don't know whats going on.

[OTZ]

Sure, that's how it works..

Don't set a "public" release date.

What happened with ETW from January until March 3rd wasn't what I would call "smooth sailing."

Deadline was pushed back to "iron out a few things" - so, during the month it was delayed, I am sure they had to make a decision about time management - squashing the major bugs only?, get the minor ones as well?, playtest, etc etc...

It should be pretty clear that there are problems with this game. I love it - despite its obvious flaws - but how much of an effect did trying to meet an unrealistic deadline have on the end product?

I don't buy excuses from peeps who say "every game has bugs" or "compared to M2TW, this runs like a dream" - those are irrelevant.

It "might" be more beneficial to stick to general release dates externally, ie Q4 or Summer 2009!, but internally, as all corporate projects go - have a an established deadline that could be subject to change (as most corporate projects are)...

[deadlyshadow187]

With so many people complaining about bugs and all sorts of problems, should we ask CA to take a longer developing time for their games next time?

I don't care about the bugs, i care about the complete lack of content, it's bullshiz.

No blood, dirt, speeches, unit's all look the same, sea battles though cool looking are comp roflecopter easy, oh and comp lack of unit's also, and theres so much more, it feels more like a Civ game now than total war.

Lets just hope, that modding ETW isn't going to be as hard as they say, cause the amount of suck in this game so far, is monumental.

[joedreck]

They needed for a handful models 4 years. How much time should we give them for a normal number of units for 12 factions.

12 years?

[centurie]

I don't care about the bugs, i care about the complete lack of content, it's bullshiz.

No blood, dirt, speeches, unit's all look the same, sea battles though cool looking are comp roflecopter easy, oh and comp lack of unit's also, and theres so much more, it feels more like a Civ game now than total war.

Lets just hope, that modding ETW isn't going to be as hard as they say, cause the amount of suck in this game so far, is monumental.

so your problem is to do with how the game looks?? you would rather a great looking game but crap gameplay like crisis and farcry2??....the reason why gameplay in games these days are crapis because of people like you, you want eye candy over everything else...........if you want realism go look out the window

[deadlyshadow187]

so your problem is to do with how the game looks?? you would rather a great looking game but crap gameplay like crisis and farcry2??....the reason why gameplay in games these days are crapis because of people like you, you want eye candy over everything else...........if you want realism go look out the window

What does that have to do with anything, i said i wanted more content, maybe you should look up the word and get a clue.

Content is everything nub cake, not just the mechanics, I'm sorry that you don't need, blood, dirt, speeches, an AI that doesn't suck, oh ya a complete lack of units, also if most of them all didn't look exactly the same would be nice also, Complete lack of maps, and more bugs than i can even begin to name.

I'm sorry that you don't find these things important, I'm honestly sorry that your that easy to please, you must be the perfect gamer...you don't need anything, good for you.

[Gaidin]

What does that have to do with anything, i said i wanted more content, maybe you should look up the word and get a clue.

Content is everything nub cake, not just the mechanics, I'm sorry that you don't need, blood, dirt, speeches, an AI that doesn't suck, oh ya a complete lack of units, also if most of them all didn't look exactly the same would be nice also, Complete lack of maps, and more bugs than i can even begin to name.

I'm sorry that you don't find these things important, I'm honestly sorry that your that easy to please, you must be the perfect gamer...you don't need anything, good for you.

I shudder to think of how long my download would've been if your wish had been fulfilled. Not to mention the list of bugs they wouldn't have had time to fix. That's right. More material means more bugs. And showstoppers are a priority. Not these little annoyances about the stupidity of AI when it's trying to maneuver 500 man units instead of the scripted 160.

[griminald]

Content is everything nub cake, not just the mechanics, I'm sorry that you don't need, blood, dirt, speeches, an AI that doesn't suck, oh ya a complete lack of units, also if most of them all didn't look exactly the same would be nice also, Complete lack of maps, and more bugs than i can even begin to name.

The game has a massive amount of content -- new technology tree, ability to recruit generals on the fly, entirely new campaign map system that brings new economic, governmental and strategic options, and a brand new naval combat engine.

That doesn't mean everything's peachy, just that not "everything" is content.

Think of a game as if it's a novel. Graphic features -- skins, blood -- are like the cover. They're not content, like the text is. Bugs are like typos -- they're not content, but they get in the way of enjoying the content.

I have yet to CTD, but there are plenty of bugs. Why so many? Because this was an ambitious release with a ton of new content. Should they have waited on release? No, because it takes much less time to find these bugs when a huge number of paid customers delve into it.

Doesn't make it "right". But I'd rather play it now than wait 3 months for CA's QA to find some of the bugs.

I'm not particularly bothered by smaller unit diversity. This isn't the medieval era -- units simply were less diverse.

[GustavusAdolphus]

People need to understand deadlines. Companies can't keep spending millions of dollars pushing their release date forward to get it 100% right on release day.

There's a patch coming, what's the big deal? Would you rather see gamebreaking glitches go unfinished?

Relax.

[[Grognard]_Arjan]

I don't care about the bugs, i care about the complete lack of content, it's bullshiz.

No blood, dirt, speeches, unit's all look the same, sea battles though cool looking are comp roflecopter easy, oh and comp lack of unit's also, and theres so much more, it feels more like a Civ game now than total war.

Lets just hope, that modding ETW isn't going to be as hard as they say, cause the amount of suck in this game so far, is monumental.

Agreed.

[Conquistatore]

With so many people complaining about bugs and all sorts of problems, should we ask CA to take a longer developing time for their games next time?

Should make this into a poll.
And I would say no.
People were crying that they delayed the game a month so telling them to delay and postpone the next one will not likely happen or be accepted.