Are CA making another patch?

[Sarge]

If CA has no plan of making a patch, why do we have a community buglist stickied anyway?
Whats the point of that if it isn't going to be fixed?

I file it under the "Faint Hope" category. If we scream loud enough, annoyingly enough, and loud enough, we just might scare them away. No, wait... that's not right.

Er, what I meant to say is that we all love the CA and we do this out of the goodness of our hearts, hoping that that CA will grace us with a patch someday soon.

All hail the mighty CA and the gods who labour there.

[SenseiTW]

Hi guys,

First of all apologies for the delay in a response on this. We have been working behind the scenes and talking to the CA OZ development team about the situation but I wanted to be clearer on where things are before posting.
Each of our titles has a scheduled development time on which we can work on them, and we did not anticipate the few issues that surfaced with Kingdoms after release. The Oz team have since begun work on a new project, which is why a previous post stated that at the present time there are no scheduled updates in the pipeline for Kingdoms.


We are however listening to your concerns, examining the issues in question and are currently looking into ways to support you to the fullest extent with the resources at our disposal.


Thanks,

Mark O'Connell
(aka SenseiTW)

[Garbarsardar]

Thank you for your reply. I think everyone is satisfied with the present level of CA's interaction with the gaming and modding community and I'm sure you will do your best to address the concerns expressed by the TWC members.

Thank you,

[Space Voyager]

I agree with Garbarsardar on all accounts!

And I'll be most happy if I am proven very wrong in my "CA thinks it's not worth it" attitude. Sometimes it's just good to be wrong.

EDIT: BTW, is there a statistic that shows number of sold products/downloaded patches ratio? Or are the numbers available to calculate it? I'm just curious what % of people actually patches the game at any time. I know my two friends never do...

[CaesarCS]

I agree with Garbarsardar on all accounts!

And I'll be most happy if I am proven very wrong in my "CA thinks it's not worth it" attitude. Sometimes it's just good to be wrong.

EDIT: BTW, is there a statistic that shows number of sold products/downloaded patches ratio? Or are the numbers available to calculate it? I'm just curious what % of people actually patches the game at any time. I know my two friends never do...

I know that I never knew what a patch was until I bought Civ3 conquests. I was looking up scenarios for the game and came across these things called "patches" that fixed problems with the game. I thought hmmm... but I only had a 56 kb modem at the time so I decided not too. So I'm guessing that many, if not most, gamers don't download and install patches. At least until the expansion pack.

And thanks Mark, for the update.

[Sarge]

Hi guys,

First of all apologies for the delay in a response on this.

Apologies accepted

We have been working behind the scenes and talking to the CA OZ development team about the situation but I wanted to be clearer on where things are before posting.

At least you guys are talking about is. That's something, anyways.

Each of our titles has a scheduled development time on which we can work on them, and we did not anticipate the few issues that surfaced with Kingdoms after release.

The few issues? Few? Have you taken a long look at the bug lists that have been complied around here? I realize that 'Few' is a relative term, but it doesn't seem like there just a 'few' issues that need fixing. We wouldn't be complaining so much if it was only a 'few' bugs. And, what do you mean you didn't anticipate them? There's ALWAYS bugs with whatever software that gets released. That's one of the laws of computer games, don't you know.

The Oz team have since begun work on a new project, which is why a previous post stated that at the present time there are no scheduled updates in the pipeline for Kingdoms.

We gathered that, but thanks for re-stating it.

We are however listening to your concerns, examining the issues in question and are currently looking into ways to support you to the fullest extent with the resources at our disposal.

Yeah? And?:hmmm:

[irishron]

Okay, let's throw out the idea of another patch and bring it the idea that my and everyone else's "little annoyances" about can be modded. Then IF they can be moddified by us, the unlearned of modding, where is this information and why is it not readily available? I am all over the forums here, .com, .org and for a while Strat Commander. All I get for my efforts a lot of times are short curt answers that don't say anything to a thick-skulled newbie except "If you don't know I sure ain't gonna tell ya". Some of us have life responsibilities that take precedence over ripping a game apart the first day it is sold. These "kids" that have miniods for a game I don't even have on my harddrive yet isn't giving rest of us to learn about the game.
My point is simple:
!. If it is fixable by me, make the info readily accessable and leave the attitude out of the answers. I have no problem learning how these upgrdes work if you put the info in a place I can find it. I have no problem slowing down a pope if someone will let me in on how.
2.Need a list of 'bugs" that can only be fixed by CA. This way we know the limitations.
You're right about almost all gamers. They buy the box, install the game, play with it a little, uninstall it, and install the next one totally oblivious there is a whole new world out there. This is the crowd gameco goes after and that is the one that pays the bills. No argument about that but I have a problem with short, curt answers or being ignored when I try to make it better just because i am "late to the party".
So either fix the game or cut us newbies with time constraints some slack.

[Robot Porter]

I'm all for bug fixes. But we know that fixing one bug often introduces another.

Most of the so-called "balance problems" I don't agree with. And balance patches are always a mixed bag as a PR tool. Die hard fans scream for them, and then whine about them almost the hour they're released.

This is my first Total War game. But I've gotten more hours of enjoyment from this game than any five other games combined. And though I've probably played around 100 hours on this game in the year I've had it, I don't feel I've exhausted it yet.

I haven't patched since 1.1, and probably won't until I buy Kingdoms. For me the enjoyment I get from this game outweighs any annoyance over the various bugs.

[Juggernaut]

Hi guys,

First of all apologies for the delay in a response on this. We have been working behind the scenes and talking to the CA OZ development team about the situation but I wanted to be clearer on where things are before posting.
Each of our titles has a scheduled development time on which we can work on them, and we did not anticipate the few issues that surfaced with Kingdoms after release. The Oz team have since begun work on a new project, which is why a previous post stated that at the present time there are no scheduled updates in the pipeline for Kingdoms.


We are however listening to your concerns, examining the issues in question and are currently looking into ways to support you to the fullest extent with the resources at our disposal.


Thanks,

Mark O'Connell
(aka SenseiTW)

So...
Does this mean there is going to be a patch??

[SenseiTW]

Hi guys,

Here is the current situation. CA Oz are currently working towards a critical scheduled deadline for their next project until the end of the week. Next week, the Oz project lead is going to be devoting time to this issue, and I hope to be able to bring you further news then. We are separately continuing to look into this at the UK office, and together we are working towards a resolution.

Thanks,

Mark O'Connell
(aka SenseiTW)

[zxiang1983]

Hi guys,

Here is the current situation. CA Oz are currently working towards a critical scheduled deadline for their next project until the end of the week. Next week, the Oz project lead is going to be devoting time to this issue, and I hope to be able to bring you further news then. We are separately continuing to look into this at the UK office, and together we are working towards a resolution.

Thanks,

Mark O'Connell
(aka SenseiTW)

I'm looking forward to the update on the update!

Kalmer Union, Welsh reinforcement, catapult bugs can all be fixed by ourselves, but the crusades stone forts bug seems hardcoded! We need that fix!

[Evolution]

No they are not.

They are concentrating on the new total war game.

[irishron]

Just in case anybody's curious, both M2TW.exe and Kingdoms.exe are version 1.3 and 8/4/2007. They still have not fixed the unit upgrades since 1.0 and the pope excommunicating because I've got a settlement under siege and refuse to move away when I was there long before his intervention. And it's not even a Crusade. Holdover from RTW. Another bug, offer me a candidate for adoption and then kill him. RTW did not fix that one until 1.5. Check the records.
No more patches? I think somebody at CA and SEGA are looking at the wrong set of figures and where their fanbase is. EA killed SimCity trying to incude things majority of the players didn't want. CA/SEGA are going to lose fans not taking care of the obvious things.

[Aketi]

No more patches? I think somebody at CA and SEGA are looking at the wrong set of figures and where their fanbase is. CA/SEGA are going to lose fans not taking care of the obvious things.

They really don't have to care (and I think they don't). The hardcore fan base (mostly us, the people on several fan forums) only make up a tiny portion of the actual buyers.

They don't see the point in pouring more money into developing patches for a title that's already sold about as much as it's going to.

Exactly.

If they're not gonna patch it, then they should release the dev tools and the source code under a restricted license and let the molding community take a crack at it. At least that would keep the hard-core Total War fans happy.

That would be indeed very nice. But there is no way in hell that's going to happen. There's just to much confidential know-how in the code which would make the competitors very happy.

[Sarge]

The publisher (Sega) just doesn't see the point in patching something that's not at that same kind of popularity as a twitch-gamer titles like Halo 3. They don't see the point in pouring more money into developing patches for a title that's already sold about as much as it's going to. I'm sure the CA would like to patch everything to perfection, but that's how you bankrupt your dev studio; so they have to play ball with Sega if they want to continue to produce games.

If they're not gonna patch it, then they should release the dev tools and the source code under a restricted license and let the molding community take a crack at it. At least that would keep the hard-core Total War fans happy.

[God-Emperor of Mankind]

If CA leaves M2TW like this then no way in hell am I gonna buy ETW.
Simple as that.
I put up with this lousy treatment through RTW because I saw the great game underneath and with all the patches it became a good game.
I saw the same great game with M2TW but right now it has not quite reach the status of "good game", too many issues.
If this is the way things are developing then ETW will fail hard since it will most likely be even bigger and more complex then M2TW and just thinking about how buggy it will be makes the hair on the back of my neck stand.

[Juggernaut]

I remember quite alot of people were joyed when they heard CA is now owned by Sega, because that would mean the Activision's "2 Patch policy" no longer applied to CA.
BUT, that turned out quite differently.
RTW had 4 patches(1.1,1.2,1.3 and 1.5).
M2 had 3(1.1,1.2 and 1.3).
If CA is going to dump M2 as it is, it would mean that M2 received less support than RTW!
Quite ironic isn't it?

[Garbarsardar]

I am pretty sure that CA will not repeat past mistakes, as in underestimating a "tiny" (but vociferous) minority of users.

Patching their product is not a moral obligation, since those concept do not apply to the gaming industry.

Patching is simply good Public Relations. And good PR pays off big time for the next game.

They are aware that part of the lack of appeal of M2TW was the bad perceptions of users about CA. They corrected that in the end of RTW's life cycle but it was probably too late.

In that sense both CA and SEGA have to look at Paradox, a tiny company that excels in PR.

It all comes down to profit; I'm sure they realise that the required investment on a decent patch is a fragment of the profit they will get from it.

[irishron]

Are you saying that with SEGA's deep pockets they are going to treat CA like EA has treated Maxis? That is to say there is a game out there that is not a red-hot kid shoot-em-up, they won't support it and if we the buying public don't buy the sequels they'll just let the series die? So much for big business and ******* the buyer. Wal-Mart/China rule the world and it shows.

[Space Voyager]

I am pretty sure that CA will not repeat past mistakes, as in underestimating a "tiny" (but vociferous) minority of users.

Patching their product is not a moral obligation, since those concept do not apply to the gaming industry.

Patching is simply good Public Relations. And good PR pays off big time for the next game.

I don't think CA is very worried with PR. Their games sell in huge quantites and MOST people are ok with mediocre. I am prepared to bet that most people NEVER EVEN INTALL A PATCH. Because they buy a box, install, play and that's it. That's where their gaming knowledge ends.

Compared to TW sales the TWC community IS tiny and pretty insignificant. What CA is able to get here is most serious and in-depth feedback to the game but that's it. This is always the case with hardcore gamers. We are feedback but otherwise a very small percentage in sales. "Normal" gamers never even bother to think about what could be much better, they take the game "as is" and are only annoyed at CTDs, blue screens of death and corrupted saves.