Information regarding Update 42!

[Spyderbite]

Feel the love!!!!! And, it only took 10 pages Now where's that Domino hiding?! rawr! ^^

[Gnobrin]

Domino hiding?  It's midnight here, I'd imagine that she's sleepin' like all good tradeskill masters are right now. 

Wait, what the heck am I still doing awake?

~Gnobrin!

[dawy]

So dare i ask..any news when LU 42 is going live?

[Catria]

Gnobrin wrote:

I told ya that it'd be a BIG update in my announcements...  Sorry if you chose not to believe me.

/shrug

~Gnobrin!

Sorry Gnobrin!  I was just joking!  *hug*

[roces9]

Calthine wrote:

Stuff happens.  Like California burning down.

I'm from San Diego in the same town that the SoE team is, and I'm not sure if this is morbidly hilarious or wildly unfunny. Give me some time to think about it.

[Slacka]

So... any news on when Runnyeye/Splitpaw can expect to go down for update? there seems to be nothing posted about us on the network status page or in the server boards....

Just wondering as its now less than 45 mins till the US update starts....

Or is this lack of a posted time because we are in fact going to be waiting an extra day and not getting it until tomorow morining?

[Vonotar]

Slacka@Runnyeye wrote:

So... any news on when Runnyeye/Splitpaw can expect to go down for update? there seems to be nothing posted about us on the network status page or in the server boards....

Just wondering as its now less than 45 mins till the US update starts....

Or is this lack of a posted time because we are in fact going to be waiting an extra day and not getting it until tomorow morining?

EU servers are always updated the following morning, nothing new there.Either accept it, or move to a US server (I did!)

[Kel]

Slacka@Runnyeye wrote:

So... any news on when Runnyeye/Splitpaw can expect to go down for update? there seems to be nothing posted about us on the network status page or in the server boards....

Just wondering as its now less than 45 mins till the US update starts....

Or is this lack of a posted time because we are in fact going to be waiting an extra day and not getting it until tomorow morining?

Never.

[Anthise]

Not such a funny comment on the San Diego burning....SOE was NOT that far from the fires this last time. San Diego is a beautiful place to live except for during fire seasons... been evacuated twice now. The price we pay to live here I guess. Finding your house standing in the middles of a charred moonscape... or worse losing your house is not fun.

 Looks like something is happening this morning, 5 hour estimated update time... Game came down at 6 am.

 Are they just getting ready for the patch? Or patching...*ponders*

[powerplay]

i like pie

[England]

Reading this thread, or in part, reiterates why game companies should never give the players a definite date/time about anything concerning development: 'It will happen when it happens', should be the official line.  In the meantime, the stupid amongs you, can entertain yourselves with tantrums and pompous grandstanding. Best line I have read in one of these games: "I used to like mankind, until I started playing MMORPGs'. Brilliant!

[Sayne]

LadyGalasya wrote:

but I wanna know from a red name......cause no offense mum but....we trusted someone else before...and it for us these 2 threads. I dun wanna know the up time....I wanna know what time they will be swept out from under our collective feet.

If Niami says it, it's as good as any SoE dev saying something in my opinion.  She's got more than a sparkling reputation, she never states anything as fact unless she has something conrete, and she's always cautious with rumors.  After all - it was her and her fabulous website that the devs chose to unveil the cloaks before that information was available anywhere.  If that doesn't make her trustworthy, I don't know what does

Niami's my hero ^_^

[Kwibble]

You know?  There will always be a conflict of interest between any software/services company and its user base when it comes to communication of release dates.  A company like SoE hesitates to provide release date information because it is inevitably interpreted as firm information by a customer base that gets excited about the release, and the customer is then set up for disappointment if that expectation is not met.  If SoE were putting up buildings or fabricating pipes, that would be one thing.  But software is a tricky, complicated business, and although you build a schedule based on how much analysis/coding effort there is to do, there is ALWAYS an unknown variable amount of time and uncertainty associated with meeting quality objectives, which we the customers certainly DON'T want compromised.

On the other hand, the customer (us) wants (and needs) mostly reliable information about release dates as they come available.  Whether SoE or other people agree with the lifestyle choice or not, many people DO make plans and sacrifices centered around releases, especially something like EPIC weapon quests.  And therein lies the conflict.  We've all rehashed this for nearly a dozen pages now, and I hesitate to add to it.  But, I'd like to make a constructive suggestion for consideration.

Part of the problem with mentioning ANY date in ANY context is that there will always be many people who read what they WANT to read and read the date as more firm than intended.  It's human nature.  However, rather than not communicating anything, I think there is something SoE could do that would HELP the customer base while not BINDING their own hands.  What I'd like to suggest is something like a dashboard of the release pipeline.  The dashboard would contain a release "name", maybe a quick blurb about possible/probable content, release timing information that could vary from very specific (2/6/2008 6am PST) to very general (late 2009), and MOST IMPORTANTLY, a status of that forecast that could range from PROPOSED, LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, and FIRM.  So, for example, such a dashboard might look like this:

GU42                      Epics and such                 2/62008 6:00am PST     FIRMPatch                      To be determined           2/12/2008                       LOWGU43                      To be determined            April, 2008                      MEDIUMGU44                       Guild Halls                       Summer, 2008                PROPOSED        (wishful thinking on the Guild Halls, I know - please dont' flame me)Expansion              To be determined            4Q, 2008                        PROPOSED

Information on the content would only be released as SoE saw fit to announce it, so most might just say To Be Determined.  The way this might have worked in this case is that in mid-January, when Mr. Hartsman announced that GU42 would include epics and hinted at the 1/29 date, it could have read

GU42                      Epics                               1/29/2008                      LOW

When it got supposedly delayed, the status could have been updated to

GU42                      Epics                               2/5/2008                        MEDIUM

or even

GU42                      Epics                               DELAYED                          UNKNOWN

until a new projection was available.  Last night, when Gnobrin announced they were definitely coming this morning at 6am PST, it would have been then, and only then, updated to a FIRM status.  If anyone chose to schedule vacation/time off based on non-FIRM information, they did so at their own risk, but then they could take responsibility, knowing that at best, SoE was projecting only a medium likelihood of the 2/5 date being actual.  From SoE's perspective, their only obligation would be to keep the dashboard updated with projections as previous projections expired or information changed.  This could even be presented on the current network status page, with FIRM events bolded for emphasis, meaning that the downtime was scheduled.

I believe such a system, while not perfect from either side, would be a good compromise between SoE's need to have the maneuverability they need for release and content planning, and the customers need for information for not only planned release dates, but the degree of risk they are assuming if they make plans based on those dates.  When SoE tries to make a dates like 2/5 and the customer plans time off based on it, and then that date is not met, there HAS to be some shared responsibility - but if SoE did their best to communicate the date but indicated a moderate degree of risk that that date might not be met due to the complexity of the release, then the responsibility shifts to the customer to be accountable for the actions they choose to take based on that information.  Of course, if SoE chooses to communicate nothing, then maybe they don't share any of the blame, but it's then pretty poor customer service from where I'm standing.

Anyway, Grimwell, Gnobrin, I humbly offer this suggestion as one possible method of improving the situation for not only the customer base, but also for you.  Thanks for listening.

                         

[Rashaak]

Aw man!

Grimwell!!!! Why'd you have to calm the flames  

I was enjoying this thread......    /cry

[Vonotar]

Kwibble wrote:

everything he said                 

Works for me!!

[Freliant]

Actually, LUs are done almost on a montly basis.. not every 4 months, like what you have up there

 What will the next update have? My guess, fixes to the Epics and their questlines

[D-lirium]

Gnobrin wrote:

Get ready, GET SET!

Set your clocks early since Game Update 42's coming tomorrow morning!  Will YOU be the first to get your Epic?  Will you be the first to get your hands on a house mannequin?  Will you be the first that lord Karana smites down with his relentless lightning?

See you ingame!

~Gnobrin!

When is the release for "international" servers?

[Gladiia]

Banedon@Antonia Bayle wrote:

Kwibble wrote:

everything he said                 

Works for me!!

That apears to be a stable idea.

[Kwibble]

Freliant wrote:

Actually, LUs are done almost on a montly basis.. not every 4 months, like what you have up there " width="15" height="15" />

Hehe, yeah, I probably should have put a bit more thought into my example to make it a bit more realistic..      Heck, who know?  This might start the rumor going that it was going to be April before the next GU comes out, and Guild Halls are coming this summer!?  lol

[Catria]

Wyntre@Kithicor wrote:

LadyGalasya wrote:

but I wanna know from a red name......cause no offense mum but....we trusted someone else before...and it for us these 2 threads. I dun wanna know the up time....I wanna know what time they will be swept out from under our collective feet.

If Niami says it, it's as good as any SoE dev saying something in my opinion.  She's got more than a sparkling reputation, she never states anything as fact unless she has something conrete, and she's always cautious with rumors.  After all - it was her and her fabulous website that the devs chose to unveil the cloaks before that information was available anywhere.  If that doesn't make her trustworthy, I don't know what does " width="15" height="15" />

Niami's my hero ^_^

Couldn't have said it better myself!

[Vonotar]

Actually I have to ask... has anybody seen Domino and Niami in the same room?Just to quash a wild idea a friend keeps bugging me about...

[Kiara-]

Banedon@Antonia Bayle wrote:

Actually I have to ask... has anybody seen Domino and Niami in the same room?Just to quash a wild idea a friend keeps bugging me about...

Yes.  Nice try

[Spyderbite]

Banedon@Antonia Bayle wrote:

Actually I have to ask... has anybody seen Domino and Niami in the same room?

I haven't.. but I know for fact that Rijacki and Calthine have.

[Zanadi]

Happy dance for GU42! Woo Hoo!

[Calthine]

roces9 wrote:

Calthine wrote:

Stuff happens.  Like California burning down.

I'm from San Diego in the same town that the SoE team is, and I'm not sure if this is morbidly hilarious or wildly unfunny. Give me some time to think about it.

It wasn't intended as either, really.  Just reminding people that stuff DOES happen, and while they may be god-like in Norrath, Devs are people too.

[Kiara-]

Calthine wrote:

roces9 wrote:

Calthine wrote:

Stuff happens.  Like California burning down.

I'm from San Diego in the same town that the SoE team is, and I'm not sure if this is morbidly hilarious or wildly unfunny. Give me some time to think about it.

It wasn't intended as either, really.  Just reminding people that stuff DOES happen, and while they may be god-like in Norrath, Devs are people too.

To make a further point on this... Someone made the comment that a week long fire was delaying content by several months.

Cal, and any other rational person, understands that just cause the fires themselves were only a week's worth of nightmare, the aftermath still hasn't been overcome in some situations.  That was the point she was making with her comment.  Not to make light of the tragedies people have gone through, but to remind people that just because you don't still hear about it doesn't mean it's gone away. 

Understanding of life outside of one's own day to day existence is something too often neglected.