Star Citizen: Death of a Space Thread?

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ComfyPants: Mar 20, 2002

ManofManyAliases posted:

-We're going to see 3.0 release much earlier than "mid-year."
-SQ42 will, at the very least, have a level (or few levels) drop this year. Though, I'm optimistic for a full release before end-of-year.
-Certain evocati will begin testing 3.0 very, very soon.

Quote the poo poo out of this if you want.

'kay

# ? Apr 15, 2017 06:36

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# ? May 29, 2024 01:16

Kosumo: Apr 9, 2016

Tokamak posted:

2017 Overview Schedule

So 3.0 is going to have the full Stanton system except none of the planets will be finished in time for 3.0. Arc Corp won't be done until late July, Hurston and Crusader until Christmas, and Microtech sometime next year 🤔🤔🤔

Is it just me or is the user interface called gameplay?

Where is the gameplay in this graph.

I'm dumb and I know it, someone please point out where they mean gameplay as in playing a good game?

# ? Apr 15, 2017 06:46

AbstractNapper: Jun 5, 2011; I can help

I am going to go with the wild guess that this new totally not put together at the last moment schedule is poorly thought out and none of the "tasks" will be finished "on time".

But it will be interesting to watch this new trainwreck unfold throughout the year (and the next).

And again. This is for an pre-alpha build patch. Of a four (but arguably really six) years-in-development project.

# ? Apr 15, 2017 06:47

Mirificus: Oct 29, 2004; Kings need not raise their voices to be heard

https://twitter.com/TheRealGremlich/status/853077983552262145

# ? Apr 15, 2017 07:17

BigMouthSingers: Oct 15, 2015; I still subscribe because the puzzlebox tells me to.

Star Citizen.... you're playing right now.

Star Citizen: It's nobody's fault

# ? Apr 15, 2017 07:22

Cave Adapted: Jun 13, 2012

Look at the number of bars that extend into the past and compare to the new ones that start in april. Apparently 90% of the team have been sitting around doing nothing since january. Also you might notice that most of those that started before april don't end in april, meaning that after all those months of focusing on a couple things they haven't even finished them.

But they are totally gonna start getting 10x as much stuff done at once now!

# ? Apr 15, 2017 07:22

trucutru: Jul 9, 2003; by Fluffdaddy

What, the schedule was released and MoMA is not here for a victory lap?

First Derek, now MoMA, the mysterious disappearances continue!

# ? Apr 15, 2017 07:46

Dooguk: Oct 11, 2016; Pillbug

When is the next schedule, scheduled to be scheduled?

# ? Apr 15, 2017 07:55

Canine Blues Arooo: Jan 7, 2008; when you think about it...i'm the first girl you ever spent the night with; Grimey Drawer

trucutru posted:

What, the schedule was released and MoMA is not here for a victory lap?

First Derek, now MoMA, the mysterious disappearances continue!

It must mean 3.0 is literally a ~~week~~ ~~month~~ soon away!

# ? Apr 15, 2017 08:01

One in the Bum: Apr 25, 2014; Hair Elf

Woo boy! 3.0 just around the corner! Starr citizen is good, let's all buy back in.

# ? Apr 15, 2017 08:03

Chin: Dec 12, 2005; GET LOST 2013
-RALPH

They put together a video explaining how schedules are made:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOjXfNnhxf0

Turns out modern game development is complicated!

Any one feature involves multiple studios, so it's a good thing that the people who need to work together are on different continents.

"You know, the interesting thing about scheduling is, they're living entities, you can't just say, 'Oh we've made a schedule we're done!' it's, 'Oh, we've made a schedule, now we can start.'"

Now they can start.

# ? Apr 15, 2017 08:04

One in the Bum: Apr 25, 2014; Hair Elf

Chin posted:

They put together a video explaining how schedules are made:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOjXfNnhxf0

Turns out modern game development is complicated!

Any one feature involves multiple studios, so it's a good thing that the people who need to work together are on different continents.

"You know, the interesting thing about scheduling is, they're living entities, you can't just say, 'Oh we've made a schedule we're done!' it's, 'Oh, we've made a schedule, now we can start.'"

Now they can start.

My god, the shitizens were right. Development really didn't start 5-6 years ago like we all thought. They didn't start until literally just now.

# ? Apr 15, 2017 08:11

AbstractNapper: Jun 5, 2011; I can help

Chin posted:

Any one feature involves multiple studios, so it's a good thing that the people who need to work together are on different continents.

...and have to exchange 20 or 30 gigabytes of data each time a change is made by someone apparently.

Is there any mention of their upcoming patcher in the new schedule? I couldn't find it.

# ? Apr 15, 2017 08:16

Samizdata: May 14, 2007

The Titanic posted:

I think it's funny that you can direct your character to do a thing and instead of do a thing they slowly go "yeeeeaaaaahhhh... no."

Imagine a game where you give commands and if your avatar doesn't feel like it they don't do it. But I guess if it's a regenerating bar it won't be any different than like a mana bar or something.

But all this mocap can't go to waste. It's what makes games.

Not to mention a cover-based shooter, which Space Crysis-That-Sucks seems to be largely composed of, where the cover works when it wants is both ridiculous and yet more proof Crobber has not the least idea how to design a game that isn't Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe BUT IN SPAAAAAAAAACE! (since latter day Nazi Germany was just about as good at design as CSI (Since I don't like the show and I refuse to acknowledge CIG and RSI as separate entities)).

Samizdata fucked around with this message at 08:27 on Apr 15, 2017

# ? Apr 15, 2017 08:22

Sarsapariller: Aug 14, 2015; Occasional vampire queen

Tokamak posted:

2017 Overview Schedule

Ahahaha, this is a complete goddamn abomination and I love it. No project manager would ever sign off on this horseshit. What does a horizontal row mean? I mean in one row you've got weapons, "item 2.0", in-game chat use, and ship to ship refuel system. So a row can't possibly represent a single team or a series of deliverables that have to be done in sequence. It kind of looks like they just told everyone "In order to put out a minimum viable product, please list all of the work you'd have to have finished" and then crammed all of that end-to-end on a "Chart" with no regard for actual timelines or whether or not any piece of it was dependent on any other. Not only is it poorly designed and visually confusing, with bars apparently scattered randomly up and down the chart but it assumes massively parallel work flows that just aren't loving possible. Some highlights:

"Network/Backend" has as many as eight simultaneous priorities in May alone. And it's not small stuff! "Server Migration" and "Network Bind/Unbind" and "New Message Queue" and "Physics Serialization" are all going out at the same time. Well! I'm sure your database won't be a right clusterfuck after you do all of those simultaneously through different people in the span of a couple of weeks.
"Fist Combat" is on a different track from "Throwable Weapons" which is apparently happening in parallel with "Knife Melee." "Takedowns (Front, Side, Rear)" are happening simultaneous with "Knockdown/Knockback." So that's at least 5 separate takes on how players are going to do physical damage to each other, all in the space of a loving month, all scattered willy-nilly around the chart. No reason to put those back to back or maybe even combine them into one cohesive system! Nope!
It sure is a good thing that basically everything is going to be done by May! I was a little worried because we hadn't seen one bit of planetary tools, or solar system tools, or object container: load and unload, but it turns out they've just been working on them all at once, this whole time, for five years, and they'll all be finished in the next month! What a nice and satisfying unit of time- just far enough out to be a little vague, but close enough to feel like real progress is happening. It's definitely not a massively telling visual representation of your own project managers lying to you about when poo poo will get done. It's just that literally everything they've ever worked on is about four weeks from completion, right now. Whew!
They promised us a ship pipeline and boy are they set to loving deliver! Look at that, as many as 12 simultaneous ship projects at once! They're finishing an average of four a month, every month, for the next 8 months! Half of these ships are marked as finished before things like Ship To Ship Refuel or Cargo System or Player Manned Turrets are done! How the gently caress are you going to deliver rovers years before you have your planets?
Also, on ships: I'm really enjoying how individual variants are assigned different tracks with randomized completion lengths. See how many times you can find the words "Cutlass" and "Freelancer" on that chart, ships that have been in the game for 3+ years. It's weird, I don't see the Javelin that they just put out a 30 minute video about on there at all! Or the Idris! Or the Bengal carrier! In fact it looks like it's mostly
variants of existing small craft from here to 2018.
Also also on ships: glad to know that they're done selling ships forever, since apparently they have not made any time for new ship concepts or development on this chart.
I'm loving the loving time they assign to some of this stuff. Tell me more about how "Game Persistence" is apparently a two week project but your "Omnisky Laser Cannon" art or whatever the gently caress is going to take six goddamn months of work?!?
"Inventory System UI" apparently starts a full month before, and takes twice as long as, "Inventory System Gamecode." Okay!
"In-Game Chat To Use Spectrum" apparently starts months before, and takes longer than, "Spectrum Integration In Game." Sure am glad this schedule passed a rigorous review process!

Yes, this is definitely a fully realized diagram and not the last-minute throwing together of about 5 overwhelmingly untruthful department reports from completely buried project leads. Given the last 5 years of delivering 1 to 2 minor changes per month, I am completely unsurprised that they found yet another way to promise that literally everything is right around the loving corner. I look forward to the celebratory ship sale.

Sarsapariller fucked around with this message at 08:43 on Apr 15, 2017

# ? Apr 15, 2017 08:26

alf_pogs: Feb 15, 2012

lol wheres moma when all the good news is flyin around

# ? Apr 15, 2017 08:26

Samizdata: May 14, 2007

The Titanic posted:

I can't believe they are making this big of a deal out of a schedule.

I guess they think if they schedule real hard the work will magic itself finished as well?

In the history of CIG, they met like one or two deadlines early on? Are people supposed to actually take this seriously?

Yes. Yes, friend. Of course they are.

Because don't you see CR looking at it? His magic touch is there.

They are only working on it now because

- It doesn't require any functional new code and
- Crobber just bought Project Management For The Complete Drooling Moron Who Needs A Adult Diaper and he has been INSPIRED!

# ? Apr 15, 2017 08:33

Morningwoodpecker: Jan 17, 2016; I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE TO BE THIS STUPID

BUT HERE YOU ARE

Momas work here is done, with Derek out the way its just a matter of time before everyone jumps back onto the gullible fuckwit train.

# ? Apr 15, 2017 08:33

Samizdata: May 14, 2007

Kosumo posted:

Is it just me or is the user interface called gameplay?

Where is the gameplay in this graph.

I'm dumb and I know it, someone please point out where they mean gameplay as in playing a good game?

Now, I don't understand anything about software development (actually, I do. A couple of failed startups I worked for in the past), but I imagine you can't schedule to complete something you have no clue how to do.

# ? Apr 15, 2017 08:38

TheLastRoboKy: May 2, 2009; Finishing the game with everyone else's continues

Sarsapariller posted:

I look forward to the celebratory ship sale.

They're going for a referral event or something aren't they? Try to get the word out the game is totally going to get everything done and ready in two months.

# ? Apr 15, 2017 08:48

Daztek: Jun 2, 2006

lol, look how long 2.6.2 took, now they want to do 5x more work in the same time? Amazing

# ? Apr 15, 2017 08:57

his nibs: Feb 27, 2016; Welcome to the
Dream Factory; Grimey Drawer

lol

# ? Apr 15, 2017 09:09

his nibs: Feb 27, 2016; Welcome to the
Dream Factory; Grimey Drawer

~~Content~~ Every-other-game-has-it locusts

# ? Apr 15, 2017 09:11

his nibs: Feb 27, 2016; Welcome to the
Dream Factory; Grimey Drawer

# ? Apr 15, 2017 09:17

Thoatse: Feb 29, 2016; Lol said the scorpion, lmao

# ? Apr 15, 2017 09:23

his nibs: Feb 27, 2016; Welcome to the
Dream Factory; Grimey Drawer

it's fun watching citizens try and reconfigure their brains in real time

his nibs fucked around with this message at 09:27 on Apr 15, 2017

# ? Apr 15, 2017 09:25

his nibs: Feb 27, 2016; Welcome to the
Dream Factory; Grimey Drawer

his nibs posted:

it's fun watching citizens try and reconfigure their brains in real time

e: not fun now

# ? Apr 15, 2017 09:29

Tank Boy Ken: Aug 24, 2012; J4G for life; Fallen Rib

his nibs posted:

it's fun watching citizens try and reconfigure their brains in real time

Yeah: "3 moons confirmed. 1 planet a definite maybe"

# ? Apr 15, 2017 10:02

Ghostlight: Sep 25, 2009; maybe for one second you can pause; try to step into another person's perspective, and understand that a watermelon is cursing me

They are still laying the foundation and a year from now they will still be laying the foundation because they're building on a swamp.

# ? Apr 15, 2017 10:07

Sarsapariller: Aug 14, 2015; Occasional vampire queen

his nibs posted:

it's fun watching citizens try and reconfigure their brains in real time

"Stop acting like the rate at which they've produced this system is going to be even remotely indicative of how they produce the rest of the systems."

Okay, that's reasonable. I'll stop as soon as you stop acting like the rate at which they produced the schedule for producing this system is even remotely indicative of them actually producing the system.

Citizens seem to genuinely believe that to say a thing is to have done a thing, if you're a developer. Prediction: this schedule is going to be a giant millstone around CIG's neck when they start missing every single deadline on it in about a month. Citizens will assert that the schedule is still completely accurate, it's just... shifted to the right somewhat. For everything. Two months after that, it will be removed from the website without a trace.

# ? Apr 15, 2017 10:14

TheAgent: Feb 16, 2002; The call is coming from inside Dr. House; Grimey Drawer

lol

# ? Apr 15, 2017 10:17

TheAgent: Feb 16, 2002; The call is coming from inside Dr. House; Grimey Drawer

so instead of one small rear end desert planet you get three

loving lol

# ? Apr 15, 2017 10:19

ComfyPants: Mar 20, 2002

Sandworms sold separately.

# ? Apr 15, 2017 10:22

Some dumb idiot: Jun 6, 2012; Step by step
Hop the mountain
Step by step
Hop the ocean
Step by step
Hop the rainbow
I'll be running

Didn't the last schedule we get from CIG conveniently keep sliding to the right date-wise without a word?

I imagine we'll see a repeat of that with backers going "SEE CIG SAID THEY'D FINISH WORKING ON [RESKIN OF A SHIP] IN 2019 ALL ALONG, THE PROJECT IS ON SCHEDULE!"

# ? Apr 15, 2017 10:38

Tijuana Bibliophile: Dec 30, 2008; Scratchmo

Sarsapariller posted:

Ahahaha, this is a complete goddamn abomination and I love it. No project manager would ever sign off on this horseshit. What does a horizontal row mean? I mean in one row you've got weapons, "item 2.0", in-game chat use, and ship to ship refuel system. So a row can't possibly represent a single team or a series of deliverables that have to be done in sequence. It kind of looks like they just told everyone "In order to put out a minimum viable product, please list all of the work you'd have to have finished" and then crammed all of that end-to-end on a "Chart" with no regard for actual timelines or whether or not any piece of it was dependent on any other. Not only is it poorly designed and visually confusing, with bars apparently scattered randomly up and down the chart but it assumes massively parallel work flows that just aren't loving possible. Some highlights:

"Network/Backend" has as many as eight simultaneous priorities in May alone. And it's not small stuff! "Server Migration" and "Network Bind/Unbind" and "New Message Queue" and "Physics Serialization" are all going out at the same time. Well! I'm sure your database won't be a right clusterfuck after you do all of those simultaneously through different people in the span of a couple of weeks.

"Fist Combat" is on a different track from "Throwable Weapons" which is apparently happening in parallel with "Knife Melee." "Takedowns (Front, Side, Rear)" are happening simultaneous with "Knockdown/Knockback." So that's at least 5 separate takes on how players are going to do physical damage to each other, all in the space of a loving month, all scattered willy-nilly around the chart. No reason to put those back to back or maybe even combine them into one cohesive system! Nope!

It sure is a good thing that basically everything is going to be done by May! I was a little worried because we hadn't seen one bit of planetary tools, or solar system tools, or object container: load and unload, but it turns out they've just been working on them all at once, this whole time, for five years, and they'll all be finished in the next month! What a nice and satisfying unit of time- just far enough out to be a little vague, but close enough to feel like real progress is happening. It's definitely not a massively telling visual representation of your own project managers lying to you about when poo poo will get done. It's just that literally everything they've ever worked on is about four weeks from completion, right now. Whew!

They promised us a ship pipeline and boy are they set to loving deliver! Look at that, as many as 12 simultaneous ship projects at once! They're finishing an average of four a month, every month, for the next 8 months! Half of these ships are marked as finished before things like Ship To Ship Refuel or Cargo System or Player Manned Turrets are done! How the gently caress are you going to deliver rovers years before you have your planets?

Also, on ships: I'm really enjoying how individual variants are assigned different tracks with randomized completion lengths. See how many times you can find the words "Cutlass" and "Freelancer" on that chart, ships that have been in the game for 3+ years. It's weird, I don't see the Javelin that they just put out a 30 minute video about on there at all! Or the Idris! Or the Bengal carrier! In fact it looks like it's mostly
variants of existing small craft from here to 2018.

Also also on ships: glad to know that they're done selling ships forever, since apparently they have not made any time for new ship concepts or development on this chart.

I'm loving the loving time they assign to some of this stuff. Tell me more about how "Game Persistence" is apparently a two week project but your "Omnisky Laser Cannon" art or whatever the gently caress is going to take six goddamn months of work?!?

"Inventory System UI" apparently starts a full month before, and takes twice as long as, "Inventory System Gamecode." Okay!

"In-Game Chat To Use Spectrum" apparently starts months before, and takes longer than, "Spectrum Integration In Game." Sure am glad this schedule passed a rigorous review process!

Yes, this is definitely a fully realized diagram and not the last-minute throwing together of about 5 overwhelmingly untruthful department reports from completely buried project leads. Given the last 5 years of delivering 1 to 2 minor changes per month, I am completely unsurprised that they found yet another way to promise that literally everything is right around the loving corner. I look forward to the celebratory ship sale.