Curse

Masseur · Jan 18, 2007, 08:57 PM // 20:57

Doesn't matter if they show what's in the update or not, whether it's something we even need to be concerned about or not, people are going to post whatever they wish. This update did "this" to my "whatever", etc...., even if it's not a listed change, you get the point.

And you're not tracking every file downloaded to your pc. If you were, you wouldn't be taking the word of someone saying, we downloaded updates that did "this". You'd want the filenames downloaded and/or changed and you'd check that against a program that shows you every file on your computer and any additions added, date ( if such a thing existed), etc... you get where I'm going.

Not sure why this thread is left open......

Kool Pajamas · Jan 18, 2007, 09:01 PM // 21:01

I think they should have a separate update notes section that lists the minor updates such as this one. That way the more important updates can be kept together and we can still know what each update is.

trobinson97 · Jan 18, 2007, 09:26 PM // 21:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh

Why you ignorant, selfish, little [bleep]. You don't know [bleep].

Yeah...that was a much better post.[/sarcasm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sophitia Leafblade

I think Anet does a great job with updates. Ok sure they keep some quiet but at the end of the day its there game, were lucky they tell us as much as they do. Alot of other companys are far worse.

You pay money to Anet to play a game on your PC, yet you're the lucky one. Yeah you're so fortunate. Blessed even.

Guild Wars is my game, I paid for it. I'd like to know what's going on (or what's not going on) with it. I'd like to think that my investments make me privy to that.

Liberations · Jan 18, 2007, 09:28 PM // 21:28

Maybe its just a server fortification or refresher? I don't how you would do something like that but that could have been all it was. The removal of the Vabbian Arena seems likely as well. Most likely, however, it's just preperations to the changes to Heroes' Ascent.

Kakumei · Jan 18, 2007, 10:00 PM // 22:00

I don't see the big difficulty in updating the /gameupdates/ page to say "Changed a server configuration in China", but then, I'm not privy to Anet's website policy.

What's wrong with detailing changes when they're made?

lightblade · Jan 18, 2007, 10:11 PM // 22:11

Gaile said they're changing on configuration on China's server and what she said is true. Here's some more insight. The China server is preparing for limited open beta starting on the 19th.

GrendelScout1 · Jan 18, 2007, 10:32 PM // 22:32

Regardless of the contents of the update, it would still be appreciated, by myself at least, to know what's going on within an update.

This supposed "Updated server configuration in China" has me locked out of the game currently. I can login, select my character, and then either look at a loading screen indefinately, or minimize the game and see that I've suffered a crash.

I've submitted a ticket to support already, however, I find it odd that a China server update has screwed me over. Maybe this is one of the reasons why some people would like to know what happens during an update. Not everyone's machines respond the same way to this game running, especially following an update. I had guildies who were suffering from the err7 portals, but I wasn't affected personally. Now I'm in troubleshooting mode, and every little bit of information helps.

Personally, I believe they also tweaked their settings on their diagnostic filters which determine whether our machines are capable of running the game. I've had this problem in the past, during the update in October when they were putting in content for the Shing Jea monestary. The only difference then was my game would crash on launch of Gw.exe. Anyways, a day or so later following the Shing Jea update, apparently through a stealth update or whatever, my problem went away, and I haven't had any problems, that is up until yesterday.

So for all you people who could care less about the contents of an update, that's fine, don't look at the update notes if it doesn't affect you personally. But for those who are now suffering from problems as a result of an update, well then, that information becomes a bit more important.

Y.T. · Jan 18, 2007, 10:53 PM // 22:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaile Gray

We updated to change a configuration on a server in China. Seriously.

Do you really think that we need to post this as an update note? Would it be fair to think that everyone (or at least the reasonable ones

) will trust that if something that is going to impact players is changed, we will tell players on the update notes?

I say let's not bury the good stuff -- the important updates -- under needless nuisance update notes. I say expect and trust us to post, when something impacts players, but not post when we're doing something that is invisible and non-impacting upon players. If it will have any impact on you, we'll let you know.

What do you think?

one can answer only for oneself of cos

but personally i'd like to know what was in this update cos it crashed my GW file.... i cant play atm and after wasting some time on contacting tech support (no human answer yet tho) i decided to just try to reinstall it, it means that i'll be spending considerable time on i could otherwise spend on playing GW (and i dont have enought free time to start with) so whats wrong with me knowing why do i have to do all this?

Andy_M · Jan 18, 2007, 11:05 PM // 23:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Y.T.

one can answer only for oneself of cos

but personally i'd like to know what was in this update cos it crashed my GW file.... i cant play atm and after wasting some time on contacting tech support (no human answer yet tho) i decided to just try to reinstall it, it means that i'll be spending considerable time on i could otherwise spend on playing GW (and i dont have enought free time to start with) so whats wrong with me knowing why do i have to do all this?

None whatsoever.

n00kie · Jan 19, 2007, 08:32 AM // 08:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terra Xin

Anyway, I was playing in RA, while I was gaining faction, I noticed that the "amount of Balthazar faction that you have earned" in the "H" screen now only increases when you actually spend faction. It used to accumulate with every kill, it doesn't do that anymore :P.

At least... that's one update note you can take to bed with.

Not new. Read the Notes sections on the Game Updates on Guildwiki.

Gaile Gray · Jan 19, 2007, 09:05 AM // 09:05

To share some information that you might find of interest:

I have written Mike O'Brien, one of the co-founders of ArenaNet, to ask if we can begin to publish update notes for each and every update that we produce. I will furnish more information after I hear back from him.

One thing to think about is that we are presenting Guild Wars in a global setting, with servers at half a dozen centers on three continents, content localized into 10 languages (11 if you count Bork ), and with official website presentations in about a dozen languages. What this means is that what seems a simple request -- post notes about every tiny tweak and change, even if it's just changing the texture on the Warriors kneesocks -- requires a very complex process. For every set of update notes goes through one or two of more than a dozen localization specialists, through website teams in more than half a dozen locations, across multiple time zones, and so forth.

We have a policy of not shorting players. We feel that if we publish update notes in Sevilla, we should do our best to publish update notes in Seoul and in San Francisco. That is, we have a vow to attempt to localize and simultaneously publish as much website content as possible. (Just FYI: the in-game content, like the join screen, undergoes the same processes, so please don't think it's as simple as tossing a few notes into the game.) If we follow that course--and we are committed to that course out of respect for our global player base--we need to wait for people to wake up and get into their offices in Europe or Asia, and we need to wait for them to localize the update notes into the language in which they work. Then, they need to pass that localized content to the web team, the web team needs to encode/HTML it, and then put it live. So let's stop and think about theory taken to practice: We want to publish notes for every update. If we attempt to do that, then we will have necessary delays caused by the very process of creating and then publishing the update notes. If the update was to repair something critical, like "Fixed bug that was crashing players," then clearly waiting 24 hours to sync up, and even as many as 72 hours and more in some cases, given weekends, time differences, etc., would be very bad indeed.

Now, sometimes we can publish urgently in Europe and the US in the same day, or in the US and Asia in the same day. But honestly, if something needed to be updated on a Friday evening in the US, we might be looking at Monday before all the teams could localize the notes. So adopting a policy of "We publish notes for all updates," which leads to "We don't update until we can publish update notes" sounds very dangerous to me.

In the end, we'll see if we can adopt a more informative process, sure. For major updates like tomorrow's Testing Weekend, we will be sure to have notes out simultaneous with release of the update, maybe even a bit before if that can be arranged. (I know I asked if we could post earlier than the actual update itself, if at all possible, but I have no idea if that will be feasible.) But for some updates -- small ones that do not impact the players; emergency updates that must be done as quickly as possible -- it remains to be seen if notes can and will be published in all cases.

Alya · Jan 19, 2007, 10:12 AM // 10:12

It is not clear why couldn't you (meaning whoever manages the update process) prepare the update notes in advance? Coding an update takes some time. It's not that the fixing team comes up with the fix suddenly in an hour time... I mean, they know what they are going to work on, long before they have finished, right?

Just wondering.

Alex Weekes · Jan 19, 2007, 11:05 AM // 11:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alya

It is not clear why couldn't you (meaning whoever manages the update process) prepare the update notes in advance? Coding an update takes some time. It's not that the fixing team comes up with the fix suddenly in an hour time... I mean, they know what they are going to work on, long before they have finished, right?

Just wondering.

Not always, that's why the streaming tech is so good. The team is usually working right up to the very last minute trying to get as much into an update as they can. Now, for a major update (like this weekend coming) then yes, you're right - in general the update notes are prepared in advance.

For something like an emergency update or a simple config change such as the one on Wednesday it's quite possible that the coding was started and finished in a very short time frame immediately before the update rolled out.

n00kie · Jan 19, 2007, 01:32 PM // 13:32

Gaile, we don't ask that with every minor update there should be an immediate follow-up with update notes (no offence, but this was almost never the case, even with normal/major updates). Just queue the notes and when they're ready (localised, etc.) publish them. I don't think that's going to delay the updates one bit. As for the delay between the actual update and the notes, well, we've gotten used to it so it's not such a big deal.

TheDragoon · Jan 19, 2007, 03:34 PM // 15:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Weekes

Not always, that's why the streaming tech is so good. The team is usually working right up to the very last minute trying to get as much into an update as they can. Now, for a major update (like this weekend coming) then yes, you're right - in general the update notes are prepared in advance.

For something like an emergency update or a simple config change such as the one on Wednesday it's quite possible that the coding was started and finished in a very short time frame immediately before the update rolled out.

Does this mean that you don't test your code before you roll them out.
usually this is how I thought a patching system work:
1. identify the problem
2. find the solution
3. test the solution
4. roll out the solution

So usually between testing the solution and rolling out the solution, that's where most organization place their update note. Heck most company would know what they are going to fix before they fix it.

So unless your bug fixing team is the same as your web development team, I don't see why those two tasks can't occur concurrently.

arcanemacabre · Jan 19, 2007, 04:41 PM // 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Weekes

Not always, that's why the streaming tech is so good. The team is usually working right up to the very last minute trying to get as much into an update as they can. Now, for a major update (like this weekend coming) then yes, you're right - in general the update notes are prepared in advance.

For something like an emergency update or a simple config change such as the one on Wednesday it's quite possible that the coding was started and finished in a very short time frame immediately before the update rolled out.

I'm not sure I'm following this... How long can it possibly take to write one sentence: "We updated to change a configuration on a server in China." and slap that on the site? One minute? Two minutes?

Compare that to how long it takes for you or Gaile to come onto several fan sites and explain why it wasn't posted on the site to a bunch of concerned customers. See my confusion?

Savio · Jan 19, 2007, 04:59 PM // 16:59

I don't feel like writing up a lot of PMs for deleted posts, so I'll keep it short: discussion about EULA legality has nothing to do with this thread, and acting as if the rest of the forumgoers are complete retards is not a good way to win friends here. If you can't keep it civil, your ability to post will be taken away. Carry on.

Smile Like Umean It · Jan 19, 2007, 05:49 PM // 17:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by arcanemacabre

I'm not sure I'm following this... How long can it possibly take to write one sentence: "We updated to change a configuration on a server in China." and slap that on the site? One minute? Two minutes?

Compare that to how long it takes for you or Gaile to come onto several fan sites and explain why it wasn't posted on the site to a bunch of concerned customers. See my confusion?

Gaile answered that about 5 posts up.

Sir Skullcrasher · Jan 19, 2007, 05:59 PM // 17:59

Gaile and Alex, you don't necassary need to fill us in about each little updates or patches out there. I mean, if it doesn't affect the client side, we don't need to know about it.

Chewbacca Defense · Jan 19, 2007, 06:32 PM // 18:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by arcanemacabre

I'm not sure I'm following this... How long can it possibly take to write one sentence: "We updated to change a configuration on a server in China." and slap that on the site? One minute? Two minutes?

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA!!!!!

That's funny. If it only took 2 minutes. Not sure if ANet works the same by at my work place to change one line of text requires the following workflow. Usually takes half a day to approve and deploy a simple change.

Change Request Documentation, Localization of text, Localization Project Manager Sign-off's, Delegation of task by PM to Coder, Coding, Testing, QA Sign-off's, Implementation Request, Build, Deploy, Implementation Sign-off, Done!