Should Ludeon release Alpha 17 as refinements, or wait for new content too?

Started by Tynan, February 08, 2017, 01:05:49 PM

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Should we release Alpha 17 as just a refinements-and-fixes update, or wait to have new content as well?

Release refinements, and then new content in two updates
497 (38.7%)
Wait until there is significant new content to release in one update
787 (61.3%)

Total Members Voted: 1282

Limdood

please please please please for the love of  [insert belief system here], cut meats and textiles down to 4-5 types each at most.

I will change my vote to "bug and balance fixes" in a heartbeat if (in my opinion) pointless space-wasters like this were fixed...when i want to make a duster and have 5-35 of 12 different types of leather....but can't make a duster which requires 80 of the SAME item, it annoys the crap out of me.

keylocke

Quote"mass" column in each character's "gear" tab, so you can tell how heavy each stack is.

^from blog update.

i was wondering if pawns would be able to craft incendiary/explosive/deadfall traps and then place it in their inventory for rapid deployment? (of course bringing items like that in inventory has movement penalties for the pawn)

or perhaps even bring a secondary weapon, that the pawn can switch to. (again, overall weight will affect movement speed)

i was also wondering, if this weight system will be expanded to allow the use of backpacks (to allows more items to be hauled by pawns when traveling)

Alenerel

Quote from: keylocke on February 16, 2017, 11:49:15 AM
Quote"mass" column in each character's "gear" tab, so you can tell how heavy each stack is.

^from blog update.

i was wondering if pawns would be able to craft incendiary/explosive/deadfall traps and then place it in their inventory for rapid deployment? (of course bringing items like that in inventory has movement penalties for the pawn)

or perhaps even bring a secondary weapon, that the pawn can switch to. (again, overall weight will affect movement speed)

i was also wondering, if this weight system will be expanded to allow the use of backpacks (to allows more items to be hauled by pawns when traveling)

irl people that carry a light backpack (a few things like some books, around 4 kg maybe) wont get a speed penalty, they instead get tired sooner and need more take more calories so... Instead of slowing down the firsts kgs in the backpack, keep the normal speed but make pawns to be just a bit more hungry and a bit more tired (rest need).

I think its an interesting idea instead of slowing down the pawn for just carrying 1-10 potatoes or a sidearm.

Sxmbra


I personally believe that you should ask the big editors of mods, since the problem of content or change supposes to start almost 0, there are mods type hardcore sk that to the minimum change supposes days or weeks of work and players that alone They play with those types of mods. A greeting from Spain (sorry for my English is very bad)

darkewrathe

tynan so my question is once you do release a17 can we still play the older versions such as some do with a14 and a15 on steam.or will be all be forced to use the new version .some of us prefer playing those until mods we use are updated for higher up versions and for our old saves

Elok

Quote from: darkewrathe on February 16, 2017, 11:08:04 PM
tynan so my question is once you do release a17 can we still play the older versions such as some do with a14 and a15 on steam.or will be all be forced to use the new version .some of us prefer playing those until mods we use are updated for higher up versions and for our old saves

JFGI...damn people are inefficient.

Selvek

I vote for getting refinements-only out sooner, but then, I neither use nor create mods. 

Speaking of refinements, can we get a "minimum skill" slider for operations?  I'm tired of my backup-backup doc accidentally cutting someone's head off while trying to fit them with dentures (...) all because I got distracted and didn't micromanage the operation.

(While I'm on the subject... options to allow medicine to be used for certain injuries, but not for, say, bruises, would be nice.  That's another big micro task)

GiantSpaceHamster

Quote from: Selvek on February 17, 2017, 03:19:25 PM
I vote for getting refinements-only out sooner, but then, I neither use nor create mods. 

Speaking of refinements, can we get a "minimum skill" slider for operations?  I'm tired of my backup-backup doc accidentally cutting someone's head off while trying to fit them with dentures (...) all because I got distracted and didn't micromanage the operation.

(While I'm on the subject... options to allow medicine to be used for certain injuries, but not for, say, bruises, would be nice.  That's another big micro task)

That's not a bad idea but Tynan said he is not looking at suggestions in this thread because that's not what the thread is for. I recommend you post in the suggestion forum.

Goryus


Grugsy

I'm on the fence about this one... but from my limited experience with modding communities on indev games, waiting for content updates may be the best choice. Minecraft for instance, when Mojang released bugfix updates deep into a release cycle like this it ended up splitting the modding community between those who wanted to wait/not wait for a major content change to update mods and kinda forced the community to split into two versions of the game... repeatedly... until you have the hot mess that is current Minecraft with legacy versions out the wazoo and different sets of mods for all of them. I don't want to go through that mess with another game. lol

ladyshrin

IMO release the bugfix patch first. Sure, it creates some community chaos, but new features inevitably also create more problems. It'd be preferable to have the game stable for a shorter amount of time while you work on newer features. Besides, it's better software development practice.

ja7833

Maybe consider making Alpha 17 a refinement build PLUS an incorporation of "vanilla" mods that want to officially be in RimWorld at this point as outlined at https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=29505.0
"Someone who is making anywhere from $300,000 to $750,000, that's middle class."  - Frederick Heineman

Edge

I voted for waiting to take longer and that is strongly based on the fact of this quote from Tynan:
"The advantages of releasing refinements only is that you get all those refinements faster.
The disadvantage is that it'll break mod compatibility, and the release itself will consume some developer time, slowing long-term progress slightly."
I am looking at the end of development of the game and the finished product. I would prefer to wait for a bigger update if it will help the game get finished sooner and with less interruptions. Mods shouldn't affect the time table on when the game updates are released. Mods are important to people and provide extra gameplay or refinement, etc., but they are built on top of the base game and shouldn't impede its progress. When a new update releases, Rimworld doesn't allow you to play an older saved game with the newer version. That would hit mod users twice if they want to play their modded game in the newer version, which would make them even less likely to play a new game right after an update(Once by mods breaking and once by the save game not being usable in the new release).

leatra

I'd rather go for a refinements-only release.

New features comes with new bugs. Having Alpha 17 as a solid bugless release sounds better to me.

All games eventually do a bugfix and balance release. Not every release has to be big and come with a ton of new features. Sometimes you need a stable base to build on.

chromos33

Refinement only is good enough for me.
What I would like to see are resizable menus. Albeit something that isn't needed in vanilla it would help in Modding as some Mods add stuff which would be outside the visible area of the menus