Is Ns Actually "beta" Still?
devicenull
Join Date: 2003-04-30 Member: 15967Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
Join Date: 2003-04-30 Member: 15967Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
Come on... how long are you going to drag on about NS being "beta", just release it as 3.0 and get started on whatever's next. Its kind of annoying as beta software usually has frequent updates to fix bugs and stuff... but when was the last time we saw a NS update? It's pretty sad.. "beta" software with a ton of stuff that needs to be fixed, and no updates in site. I'm not trying to insult the dev's but at least give us something to work with, we report all the bugs, we give long posts on balance, hell we even make plugins to try out different aspects of the game play (Unchained chambers).
What would be wrong with making NS open source? Would it really hurt anything.. its a free mod, and we will never have to pay for it, so what would making NS open source hurt? I can't see the point of having a few dev's who obviously have a lot of work to do. Instead of many dev's who can focus on new features and new balance systems.
Ok, now that I am done ranting, why are we still considering NS beta software. A few months ago I was playing on one of the last 2.0 servers, which has since moved on to 3.0
Can 3.0 really still be considered beta?
What would be wrong with making NS open source? Would it really hurt anything.. its a free mod, and we will never have to pay for it, so what would making NS open source hurt? I can't see the point of having a few dev's who obviously have a lot of work to do. Instead of many dev's who can focus on new features and new balance systems.
Ok, now that I am done ranting, why are we still considering NS beta software. A few months ago I was playing on one of the last 2.0 servers, which has since moved on to 3.0
Can 3.0 really still be considered beta?
Comments
2) The delay with a patch is mostly due to the fact that Flayra is moving. He has no access to the 'net and can't work on NS at the moment. Just be patient and B5 will be out sooner or later.
Well there's your answer right there. THEY'RE STILL FIXING STUFF! Bugs AND balance.
What does it matter to you if it's beta or not, as long as they're working on it? It sure doesn't matter to me. I just play it.
I think to write hooks/ hacks you would need the HL engine's code, not the code in NS.
Can 3.0 really still be considered beta? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Think Action Half-Life, it was beta for years.
Yes, NS is still in beta status. Flayra is moving at the moment, Cagey used the time to fix as many 'minor' bugs as possible (Flayra having no internet connection atm, there's no way of reliably fixing bugs with implications on multiple parts of the code since no new releases can be compiled), so you can look forward to a beta 5 with a lot of the glitches that were object of joint frustration for a long time resolved.
We will see a few rather drastic changes in NS' development later this or early next week; since I'm none of the concerned persons, I will however leave it to Charlie to announce the specifics.
Why will NS not be made into open source? Well, you see, our team leader is, as you might have noticed by now, not some under-challenged sysadmin coding NS on payed time, he has to make a living on his own. The latest step in Operation Rice Sacks for Charlie was, as you all know, the founding of a development studio. This studio relies on investors and publishers to get funding for its projects, one of them quite certainly the long-discussed NS2. To get such people to fork cash over to <i>you</i>, as opposed to the half dozen competitors, you need what is called 'assets'. NS is Charlies most valuable asset. Open-sourcing it would be comparable to Frodo throwing the Ring into the next river and hoping that it'll lead into Mount Dooms general direction.
Please excuse me if this reply is a little harsher than justifiable. As you might imagine, answering such questions pretty much every day chews on your nerves.
'Beta' is just a label given to some thing - it's some what of a scape-goat for the Dev team so they can say "well of course there are bugs / balance issues... it's still in a beta release".
If they turn around and say "THIS IS VERSION V3. LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT"
People will say "omg there is X bug and Y bug and Z bug still in it, and now you've added G bug and O bug and my god W bug is just killing me in every game.. how can you call this a final release?! /me downloads CS and goes off to be called a hacking script kiddie"
Just enjoy the game... the next version will change more things. again the community will be split into 3. Those who love it, those who hate it, those who aint fussed. On the chance that you hate it, make the most of what you have now, enjoy it, relish it, play it to death, but under no circumstances feel like you are owed a new version the next morning.
Edit - bear in mind that B4a was released less than 2 months ago and Flayra has been out of action for more than 2 weeks. Net effect? He's had some 6 weeks - you want a new version that quick? can't change any balance issues in that time as you need more playing time to find out the current issues. Bugs? not my area... Exterminators have been making great progress even in Flayra's absence - to save our bandwidth, they don't release a new little build every other week.
As long as myself and many other NS gamers can play the game, have fun at the same time, and shoot aliens, or eat marines, it's all good.
Bugs can take time to beet out exp if ur having to test it with other people over the net. And with out any internet and moving.... its almost impossible to test the changes to the code that you do have standing.
Sit back... relax... and kill a few mariens/skulks
NS 3.0, NS 3.01, NS 3.02, NS 3.03, NS 3.04, NS 3.041
yeah be graitful you 2 can have a hand in ruining a great game...
Open source would be bad for Flayra, it woud be like taking your 3 year old child out the door and saying good luck. How would you expect that child to survive or even support you later on?
If ya cant wait, then go on and play some other mind numbing FPS game, nothing stopping you. Everyone should be greatfull that we have this game, for free may I add. One of the most complicated mods for HL and your complaining you havent had an update for 3 months.
If I was a or your parent this is about the time you would hear, "Sit down and shut up, you can get your candy when I say the time is right"
Ouch... Poor kids...
Good point about the "beta" but most servers who wont let beta software propally wouldn't let people run free software off the internet. In terms of calling it a beta or not doesnt really affect the security of the system.
Well let Flay call it what ever he wants.
NS isnt going to be open source anytime soon, if it went opensource it would be chaos, constant patches taking the game in wierd directions, different patches that arnt compatible, so it wouldnt be like 2 modes, it would be like 2 games with the same charaters.