New frontiers timescales?

[Case]

Any chance we could have some info regards whats happening atm?..from what I understand open beta was for 15 days from 14/10/04 but there's been no news for a while.

Any update at all would be much appreciated.

 

[Zoolis]

patience young padawan - GoA will probably say something about NF tomorrow at the weekly news.

 

[Serbitar]

use the free time to GET A JOB Case

 

[cHodAX]

NF is 6 weeks late already and I expect it to be at least another week The lack of updates from GOA is becoming a joke.

 

[IainC]

NF is 6 weeks late already and I expect it to be at least another week The lack of updates from GOA is becoming a joke.

The updates will be, and have been for the last few weeks, in the Friday News where we put all our non-urgent updates.
We aren't going to announce a release date until we are very sure we can meet it, to do otherwise would be to invite trouble.
As for unofficial updates, myself, Zenythe and Erivoss have all replied to several of the more-or-less identical messages on these forums explaining how the process works.

 

[Zenythe]

You mean other than the nearly daily responses Requiel and I make concerning this same topic on any of a number of active threads here? Fair deal, the web team haven't put any updates on the news site... we'll point it out.

The testing team are working on the last set of files as well as on the bugs that have been reported. We anticipate bringing it live within about the next 7 days.

As far as Frontiers being late I don't recollect ever giving a hard launch date so how exactly can we be 5 weeks late?

 

[Flimgoblin]

Delay more!

my heretic won't be 50 by then

 

[cHodAX]

As far as Frontiers being late I don't recollect ever giving a hard launch date so how exactly can we be 5 weeks late?

That is how a lawyer would respond, using a technicality as a cover rather than give a straight answer. There was never a hard date but a late September date was implied a number of times on your website. Now of course I understand that wasn't a fixed date and that problems can occur during the translation/testing period that cause further delays. That happens with many games and I have no problem with that, my issue is the lack of 'official' updates and the GOA's reluctance to set a hard date for patching, instead we the customers are left in limbo for weeks on end.

All we want are regular 'official' updates but more than that we want the truth, if there are delays in the translation/testing process then please just tell us. I am certain that everyone would much happier if we were kept informed on a more regular basis and then perhaps we could all wait for patch day rather than getting annoyed at what happens now which is 'unofficial' updates that give no clear indiction of when the process will be complete. That is not a personal attack on either yourself Zenythe or Requiel, infact I think you are both doing a good job and I commend you for it. I just want the management at GOA to make more of an effort to communicate with it's customers when it comes to patches and there deadlines/delays.

 

[Icebreaker]

Who cares! It comes when it comes. xD

 

[Zenythe]

We are dealing with a dynamic nearly living thing (grins) and we wind up with choices like setting hard dates and releasing a buggy as hell patch -or- missing the hard date and getting harrassed unmercifully by you lot -or- being fluid and making sure as much as we can find and fix gets done and getting the patch out to you as soon as we can. We go with option C. Yes the communication issue needs resolving and we have brought it up but as odd as it sounds the little (in the grand scheme) things like 3 lines on a webpage get missed out because of the big things like getting a product ready for release.

 

[IainC]

That is how a lawyer would respond, using a technicality as a cover rather than give a straight answer. There was never a hard date but a late September date was implied a number of times on your website. Now of course I understand that wasn't a fixed date and that problems can occur during the translation/testing period that cause further delays. That happens with many games and I have no problem with that, my issue is the lack of 'official' updates and the GOA's reluctance to set a hard date for patching, instead we the customers are left in limbo for weeks on end.

All we want are regular 'official' updates but more than that we want the truth, if there are delays in the translation/testing process then please just tell us. I am certain that everyone would much happier if we were kept informed on a more regular basis and then perhaps we could all wait for patch day rather than getting annoyed at what happens now which is 'unofficial' updates that give no clear indiction of when the process will be complete. That is not a personal attack on either yourself Zenythe or Requiel, infact I think you are both doing a good job and I commend you for it. I just want the management at GOA to make more of an effort to communicate with it's customers when it comes to patches and there deadlines/delays.

Update last friday
Update from 26/10
Another update from26/10
Update from 22/10
Update from 20/10
Update from 15/10
That's the updates after the test went live on the 14th, not including the news announcing the beta or the various friday news articles before that telling people about the progress of the closed testing (it's been in practically every news since we recieved the files from Mythic). I'd love to know how this constitutes 'not communicating' to be honest.

 

[cHodAX]

...I'd love to know how this constitutes 'not communicating' to be honest.

That is all well and good but where are the news posts thats says 'we estimate that we will go live in the next X days' or 'we have experienced further delays due to new bugs being found'? It doesn't, yes you are communicating sure but not in the way that people want, just be straight with us and give us a rough timescale. If there is a slip just tell us, at the end of the day as long as you keep us informed on how the process is developing then the majority of people will be satisfied. It is being left in limbo that is so frustrating, I read all the news updates and I still have no clear idea of when we can expect the patch or even a rough idea. Surely you can understand that frustration Requiel?

Before I finish I just wanted to say this, those news links you provided were a massive improvement on the old days and I will admit that GOA are moving in the right direction. The thing you guys need to do is learn to set dates and not be afraid to miss them, if the reason is good enough then the customer will understand. Usually an unhappy customer is the un-informed customer, if you are straight with them and keep them updated then you find that the customer will be happy even though they will have to accept a delay.

 

[scorge]

......... just be straight with us and give us a rough timescale........I

This year

 

[Alan]

Chodax - while your posting.. go signup your theurg for ML10

and as im here, the friday news pretty much reads as "new frontiers is comming soon, try the beta and get the client here" for the last few weeks <shrugs> dont mind too much, more chance to get some ML's in <grins> but please Req/Zen its been said on nearly every whine thread that you do an excelent job, critisisms are with the organ grinder.. not the monkey....

<cant believe i just said that>

 

[cHodAX]

We are dealing with a dynamic nearly living thing (grins) and we wind up with choices like setting hard dates and releasing a buggy as hell patch -or- missing the hard date and getting harrassed unmercifully by you lot -or- being fluid and making sure as much as we can find and fix gets done and getting the patch out to you as soon as we can. We go with option C. Yes the communication issue needs resolving and we have brought it up but as odd as it sounds the little (in the grand scheme) things like 3 lines on a webpage get missed out because of the big things like getting a product ready for release.

I can completely understand and respect that but as paying customers we are entitled to a certain degree of clarity, even if that means using dates that may be missed. As I said in the last post, as long as you explain why it slipped then people will be satisfied, it is the not knowing that is annoying. I know that setting an ETA can be tricky but it is better to give yourself some breathing room by setting a later date and then delivering early rather than setting no date and thus not having the pressure of a deadline to work to. Generally having no deadlines means longer delivery times and that is when customers get rightly annoyed.

 

[cHodAX]

Chodax - while your posting.. go signup your theurg for ML10

Think I was banned from the public ML10 raids for missing one, the sheer cheek of actually having a real life and having to miss the raid at the last minute with no notice.

 

[Malena]

if other mmorpgs can update freq may I ask what so special with GOA ??
updates are done daily.


a side note please hire some at the Right Now support who can understand
English please

 

[IainC]

That is all well and good but where are the news posts thats says 'we estimate that we will go live in the next X days' or 'we have experienced further delays due to new bugs being found'? It doesn't, yes you are communicating sure but not in the way that people want, just be straight with us and give us a rough timescale. If there is a slip just tell us, at the end of the day as long as you keep us informed on how the process is developing then the majority of people will be satisfied. It is being left in limbo that is so frustrating, I read all the news updates and I still have no clear idea of when we can expect the patch or even a rough idea. Surely you can understand that frustration Requiel?

Before I finish I just wanted to say this, those news links you provided were a massive improvement on the old days and I will admit that GOA are moving in the right direction. The thing you guys need to do is learn to set dates and not be afraid to miss them, if the reason is good enough then the customer will understand. Usually an unhappy customer is the un-informed customer, if you are straight with them and keep them updated then you find that the customer will be happy even though they will have to accept a delay.

We tried that and I'm afraid it just didn't work. You might think, as a reasonable and thoughtful adult capable of higher cognitive functions that everyone would think this way. Unfortunately what actually happens is this:

1: We post 'New Thing will be available on date x'
2: Unforeseen problem occurs which prevents us from releasing the New Thing on date x.
3: We post 'We are sorry but there has been a problem. New Thing has been delayed and we will let you know when New Thing will be available.
4: Entire World plus Dog flood RightNow and various forums with complaints accusing us of ruining their lives because New Thing wasn't released at the exact second we'd predicted three weeks earlier.

Think I'm making it up? Look at what happened when the NF beta was delayed by about 4 hours...

 

[Elcain]

We tried that and I'm afraid it just didn't work. You might think, as a reasonable and thoughtful adult capable of higher cognitive functions that everyone would think this way. Unfortunately what actually happens is this:

1: We post 'New Thing will be available on date x'
2: Unforeseen problem occurs which prevents us from releasing the New Thing on date x.
3: We post 'We are sorry but there has been a problem. New Thing has been delayed and we will let you know when New Thing will be available.
4: Entire World plus Dog flood RightNow and various forums with complaints accusing us of ruining their lives because New Thing wasn't released at the exact second we'd predicted three weeks earlier.

Think I'm making it up? Look at what happened when the NF beta was delayed by about 4 hours...

lol So True..

 

[Alan]

Think I was banned from the public ML10 raids for missing one, the sheer cheek of actually having a real life and having to miss the raid at the last minute with no notice.

Pahh ignore bans IMO Bubbles leading it now sure the slate is clean... and snapped in half never to be used again

 

[Overdriven]

4: Entire World plus Dog flood RightNow

My dog says Hi ^_^



EDIT: would help if I have a dog

 

[Brelakor]

Its so nice that we have gm's now that can stand up towards the masses of retards

Keep up the good work Requiel and Zenythe and the rest of the team, and try not to care about the stupid whine too much.

 

[Marcus75]

Excellent feedback once again from the GM's - I promise you that most on FH really appreciate the work, news and info you guys give, even if its unofficial as usual.

I think and hope that GOA, with the making of the new 2 sites, will improve the official updates both in frequency and content.

I have moaned quite a bit about this thing taking the time it takes and I really hate guessing games since I have tried Gorre alot and I like the expansion - with the the unofficial news in this thread Im happy...I got no problem even to wait 1-2 weeks depending on how fast you guys get it ready since I got enough meat on the bones now to gnaw at them for a while longer.