What pisses me off about recent updates

.trixX..trixX. Budapest Join Date: 2007-10-11 Member: 62605Members
I don't wish to be toxic, but here it goes: I'd like to kindly ask the dev team at UWE responsible for recent NS2 updates to piss off and leave the game alone.

Since february all I've seen is a steady decay in game quality, without a hint of improvement. You're concentrating on micro stuff that would or would not appeal to future players. What about current players? I bloody payed for this game, and haven't had a decent match since february because of the bugs and crashes. The important stuff is ignored and degrading.
- I keep getting random crashes in every 5-10 mins with the message that my game files do not match that of the server's. (reinstalled the game already, remote srv doesn't matter)
- Hitreg is shit as ever (40ms / perf good srv)
- The recent changes feels like a 4 year old trying to improve on a particle collider with lego blocks. Would you mind keeping the game playable? We're not a bunch of guinea pigs, I'd like to enjoy the precious 4-6 hours that I have a week, especially since I PAYED for the game and IT'S NOT A BETA.
- It WILL NEVER BE A POPULAR BLOCKBUSTER. Deal with it. It has too much complexity for casual gamers to enjoy, and the last months had been about making it appealing for new players, and all you've achieved is messing up the current player base and killing a tournament, without any increase in player count. I'd bet it's actually decreasing.

We don't care about bloody skulk foot badges and other pointless stuff, trust me. Go get a group of playtesters if you want to change mechanics, run it for weeks at a time in mentioned testing group, and THEN push out the build. Please don't dissapoint us into deleting it altogether.

One last time: PLEASE don't fuck up this game anymore and pay attention to feedback. As of current affairs, I'd happily go back to a half-year-old build and stick with it.

Comments

  • NordicNordic Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited June 2016
    .trixX. wrote: »
    - I keep getting random crashes in every 5-10 mins with the message that my game files do not match that of the server's. (reinstalled the game already, remote srv doesn't matter)
    - Hitreg is **** as ever (40ms / perf good srv)

    On the first point, that sounds like a technical issue. I have not heard of crashing like that. If you would like to get that fixed, make a technical support post in the tech support forums. Read this first, to learn how to make a proper technical support post.

    On the second point, hitreg has been really great in my testing. If your experience tells you otherwise, try out the hitreg tool. With it you can objectively test hitreg. The instructions are here.

    Edit: What is there to disagree with @migalski. Is it that hitreg is really great? If you think it is not, then test using the instructions I posted and prove it is not.
  • woozawooza Switzerland Join Date: 2013-11-21 Member: 189496Members, Squad Five Blue
    edited June 2016
    .trixX. wrote: »
    - I keep getting random crashes in every 5-10 mins with the message that my game files do not match that of the server's. (reinstalled the game already, remote srv doesn't matter)
    Sad fact: This issue will help the player retention in the eyes of UWE because the charts the developers have, are measured by how many times clients open the game.
    .trixX. wrote: »
    - Hitreg is **** as ever (40ms / perf good srv)

    Hitreg became even more awful since build 279 and no one cares about. I setup an archive collecting performance data that the devs could use to find the issues. Nothing has be done, they did not even checked the archive once. The netcode is basically a fragile fundament UWE is building on. I expect 4-5 more builds till most servers have a bad performance score.
    (Halucination change is a good example of how worse performance became).
  • migalskimigalski Boston Join Date: 2014-07-02 Member: 197181Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    aeroripper wrote: »

    Disagree with this assessment. I often play more than 4-6 hours a week and can point to these improvements made over the past few months:

    - Better rookie experience more or less. I've heard some rookies wish they could stay on the rookie servers longer, which is something that can be tweaked, but overall the rookie experience is significantly more developed than it was. The HP bars proved controversial with some players, but for me, its not that big of a deal.

    Maybe because after rookie servers the game turns into crap? PDT's goal was to improve rookie experience, it would be a joke if it wasn't better. The problem is when the changes implemented make playing on a regular server an unbalanced mess.
    aeroripper wrote: »
    - Many abilities have been reworked so they're no longer novelties. Grenades, Bone Shield, Webs, etc... are all better. New chamber abilities/re-works (especially focus) have made different 2nd hive options more viable.
    Actually id argue the complete opposite, shift hive is 1st hive every time. You took the 2 strongest upgrades in the game (celerity and silence) and put it on 1 hive ??????????; its really not worth going any other hive.
    Crush really doesn't make crag worth it enough to go it first hive, Shade hive is the only hive you'd probably consider going first but its really not worth when you can have shift.

    Bone shield is now insanely overpowered, blocks damage, uses no energy and heals you armor ???????????? Any good onos should never die now.

    The reworks have only made the game insanely easier for aliens, late game is insanely hard for marines and the focus on 3rd hive = gg is only making it worse.
  • IeptBarakatIeptBarakat The most difficult name to speak ingame. Join Date: 2009-07-10 Member: 68107Members, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow
    migalski wrote: »
    You took the 2 strongest upgrades in the game (celerity and silence) and put it on 1 hive ??????????; its really not worth going any other hive.

    Using celerity and silence(phantom) together was broken, putting silence in with the shift upgrades was a much needed change.
  • aeroripperaeroripper Join Date: 2005-02-25 Member: 42471NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
    edited June 2016
    migalski wrote: »
    Maybe because after rookie servers the game turns into crap? PDT's goal was to improve rookie experience, it would be a joke if it wasn't better. The problem is when the changes implemented make playing on a regular server an unbalanced mess.

    Yes, its pretty harsh once rookies exit the rookie servers and get thrown in with games with guys who have 1000s of hours of experience with the game. It's up to the guys playing to try and get rookies evenly split on the teams, although that is harder to identify now that rookies no longer show green on the scoreboard. Outside of that, the only option I can see is to give rookies the option of staying on the rookie servers past the initial period but also join normal servers at their discretion.
    Bone shield is now insanely overpowered, blocks damage, uses no energy and heals you armor ???????????? Any good onos should never die now.

    Bone shield wasn't very useful in its former implementation. A skilled onos can stay alive a lot longer if he's careful of his surroundings and uses bone shield to get back into the fight faster. I don't think its as OP as you describe if marines look for opportunities to kill the onos (he's overextended, watching the minimap to pinch him, etc...). A good onos could stay alive for a long time even before bone shield was buffed, and I don't think it makes them unkillable. The same thing was said when fades got metabolize.
    The reworks have only made the game insanely easier for aliens, late game is insanely hard for marines and the focus on 3rd hive = gg is only making it worse.

    I think the experience varies greatly depending on the quality of players you find yourself with. If aliens get 3 hives, marines should be in a lot of trouble now that they've lost 75% of map control. Late game 3rd hive alien tech is designed to end the game unless marines organize a major offensive or ninja PG.
    Using celerity and silence(phantom) together was broken, putting silence in with the shift upgrades was a much needed change.

    ^ This. Silence vs. Celerity is a pretty good trade off decision for aliens on shift hive now. Shift hive first is still going to be very common, but shade/crag hive starts are still viable if the team is good at using their strengths.
  • DaphistoDaphisto Hive Janitor Join Date: 2002-11-16 Member: 8917Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    I am thoroughly enjoying the updates. HMG all the way, baby! (or I guess they are just calling it MG for now...) :)
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    edited June 2016
    Daphisto wrote: »
    (or I guess they are just calling it MG for now...)

    Blasphemy! Bloody heresy! *hands out pitchforks and torches*
  • .trixX..trixX. Budapest Join Date: 2007-10-11 Member: 62605Members
    edited June 2016
    HMG as an improvement? It had been in v1 of NS... v2 should've started already including it, and not wait for the community to create a mod, and then implement it in the vanilla game,2 years later.

    I'm all for improvements trust me. But when the devs decided to roll out fast paced upgrades without any serious play and performance testing, now that's ignorance on the capital level.
    Sorry about being generic on the issues, but I've sent logs to UWE before and since nothing was done with it, I won't waste my time "debugging" their crap.

    Also, my post is not about balance issues - it's pretty hard to achieve perfect balance in an asymmetric game, I don't deny that. My problem is that I simply can't play because the game keeps crashing. I've been through the forums and all, so don't think I haven't tried solving it before complaining here.

    We prayed and payed for this game, and I would be willing to pay even twice that amount if the devs would finally get their shit together. When the game was maintained by CDT things were MUCH MUCH better off.

    Not to mention that they broke an ongoing tournament because Hugh had a fantastic idea on the toilet.
  • IronHorseIronHorse Developer, QA Manager, Technical Support & contributor Join Date: 2010-05-08 Member: 71669Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Subnautica Playtester, Subnautica PT Lead, Pistachionauts
    .trixX. wrote: »
    I won't waste my time "debugging" their crap.
    So you won't send useful data that could improve your experience (and everyone else's), but you'll still come here to complain?

    Same deal with your crashing issues; I see no thread from you in the technical support forums and you've never visited our discord chat to report any issues.
    How exactly do you expect them to be fixed if they are not reported and data is not given?

    Also, it's hard to take you seriously when you say there isn't any testing or performance benchmarking going on.. where do you get your info from?
  • SupaFredSupaFred Join Date: 2013-03-03 Member: 183652Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    Just lock this already.
  • moultanomoultano Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    It sounds like you are having hardware issues.
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