It shouldn't be a big issue. They are making problems for themselves with this very discrete overly modular approach. They are new to multi studio development and it shows.
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It shouldn't be a big issue. They are making problems for themselves with this very discrete overly modular approach. They are new to multi studio development and it shows.
The modular approach was a way of getting us to shut up about progress for a while and get us testing in a controlled environment. They take the gubbins from the FPS module and place them inside the PU module, it won't be a standalone module unless it's kept as an in-game "game" like Arena commander.
The whole point of testing FPS is doing so in a controlled area where they can look at functionality etc without ships, planets and so on getting in the way.
Also remember they may have hundreds of staff but a lot of those are artists, designers etc. Not coders who will possible also be split between 3.0 and SQ42.
The whole point of testing FPS is doing so in a controlled area where they can look at functionality etc without ships, planets and so on getting in the way.
Also remember they may have hundreds of staff but a lot of those are artists, designers etc. Not coders who will possible also be split between 3.0 and SQ42.
Maybe releasing modules is good for keeping punters happy, but it's a crap way of developing a game. Not doing themselves any favors trying to develop in silos and cram it back together down the road.
We've been doing multi-studio development a lot longer than CIG...we run continuous integration and do everything we can do minimise barriers between teams. It may appear to be easier to manage at first if you give each studio full autonomy and let them just get on with it....but it comes back to kick you in the ass.
Don't expect CIG to ever meet a deadline if they continue with this siloed approach, that's all
In fairness, every game goes through modules though. They are the tech demos that each team produces be it in one studio or multiple. They still stitch them together as it progresses through Alpha. This is for pretty much any game as well. Not just here.
The only difference is that they have given us access to see and play the tech demo/modules. Not sure how many games you have worked on etc but your whole principle that they would work in serial and parallel is wrong in terms of game mechanics, tech and requiring stitching. Not to mention they would need to rework it more than now.
You see you would get a cycle that every time you bolt the next part on then they would have to reiterate what they have done already.
By having teams work in modular they can all build to spec and import together. There is already massive cross over between teams and you can see that from when blockers occur and teams are pulled in and similar. That is literally part of games development 101.
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We've been doing multi-studio development a lot longer than CIG...we run continuous integration and do everything we can do minimise barriers between teams. It may appear to be easier to manage at first if you give each studio full autonomy and let them just get on with it....but it comes back to kick you in the ass.
Don't expect CIG to ever meet a deadline if they continue with this siloed approach, that's all
Reading this makes me wonder what you do because you seem to be missing that they are working of course modular but they still work with integration because they are required too for the tech to actually communicate.
And you clearly don't understand the schedule report either if you ever think they will hit the end date total since each module is their target date and the schedule just shows the end date to the last module expected to be complete. The hasn't stopped them from hitting specific target dates to specific modules.
Also when you say they are building modular, of course they are to a point. That doesn't stop them from testing internally integration as new tech comes. In fact take the FX teams that are all working on different stages, different games even and yet they are still integrating the tech/tools between it in their live 3.0 build which by the way they have had for at least 2 months integrated and working through because the press has played that integrated 3.0. Add to that the fact other teams are stating and showing they are using the same tools and integration to 3.0 shows they have a fully integrated build. It just so happens 3.0 is the first build of this.
With that it means as new things on the schedule are being complete they are bolted into 3.0 and tested again. That is clearly how an Alpha build would be produced. Actually it is more pre-Alpha but I have explained why calling anything pre-alpha is hard work for marketing.
The fact they are still implementing the tech in engine and making significant changes to said tech is to show they are in pre-alpha though and that you always start in modular tech builds. You stitch them together during you Alpha process and then you re-iterate on that because then you can replace the small modules in the build as QA and similar work through them.
So 3.0 is their first integrated build. That is why we have seen what we have for a few years. If you miss understood that we was later down the development and so expecting it to be different than fair enough but I think you have very much misunderstood where they are relative in their development schedule overall and I do think it is down to CIG miss communicating this and using what would be considered as incorrect development stages due to marketing requirements as people buying into a Pre-Alpha right up to 3.0 Alpha release would be a much harder pill to swallow.
I have probably repeated myself a few times here but I am trying to explain the principles of where we are at.
2.6.X branch is modular because they are tech demos like you would show your publisher initially
3.0 is the first integrated build - this would have been an internal build for over 18 months now where they have all of the 2.6.X modules in it. We just haven't seen 3.0
During that though they have re-introduced current tech and adding new tech. This has allowed certain teams to work on items independantly and then intergrate them as they are ready. We are seeing in the schedule these being complete. Every time a part of what has been complete on schedule since it's public showing those parts will have been in 3.0.
To suggest they are throwing it all together last minute and haven't been integrating it, frankly seems silly.
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Well I'll admit I don't follow development that closely, the last significant pieces I read were describing the ballsup with outsourcing the FPS module to 3rd party studio and apparently not having any clue how to manage that kind of development and integration process. i.e. they were throwing it all together at the last minute and hadn't been integrating
Glad things have changed!
Well I'll admit I don't follow development that closely, the last significant pieces I read were describing the ballsup with outsourcing the FPS module to 3rd party studio and apparently not having any clue how to manage that kind of development and integration process. i.e. they were throwing it all together at the last minute and hadn't been integrating
Glad things have changed!
That was over 2 years ago now.
Forgive me, I tend to only pop in to keep an eye on when the next significant chunk of game is released to try out. I've lost all track of time since this "wait for 3.0" phase started 
Just joshin
On the upside if Vega doesn't get swallowed by miners I might actually have a decent GPU at home by the time 3.0 arrives
Just joshin
On the upside if Vega doesn't get swallowed by miners I might actually have a decent GPU at home by the time 3.0 arrivesWell I'll admit I don't follow development that closely, the last significant pieces I read were describing the ballsup with outsourcing the FPS module to 3rd party studio and apparently not having any clue how to manage that kind of development and integration process. i.e. they were throwing it all together at the last minute and hadn't been integrating
Glad things have changed!
No problem. That I think is the biggest problem with info on SC. People see something a few years ago and haven't followed how it has changed. But yeah 3.0 has certainly been doing what you thought it should be for at least 18 months.
Soldato
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Well I'll admit I don't follow development that closely, the last significant pieces I read were describing the ballsup with outsourcing the FPS module to 3rd party studio and apparently not having any clue how to manage that kind of development and integration process. i.e. they were throwing it all together at the last minute and hadn't been integrating
Glad things have changed!
My favourite part of that fiasco is the fact that this firm didn't even go by cigs scale guidelines so cigs own character models and such were far to big/small for the environment.
Soldato
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To be fair neither have CIG in the past, the Mustang had to be redone because they made it to scale using the wrong height avatar
Doesn't surprise me haha!
Just fired it up for the first time in a while. Ordered my connie in Olisar, walked to the window to watch it come in. Watched it collide with another ship and then spiral off in flames. Good start
Framerates much better, and it was stable which is a step up from the last time I fired it up when I couldn't call the ship. Still haven't figured out the controls!
Framerates much better, and it was stable which is a step up from the last time I fired it up when I couldn't call the ship. Still haven't figured out the controls!