Patch Notes 1.1.7f1 - Hotfix

[TetraDax]

So, after two and a half weeks back in office - Could we get some updates on what you are currently working on? What are the next steps, is there a timeline, what is the general roadmap?

 

[co_avanya]

So, after two and a half weeks back in office - Could we get some updates on what you are currently working on? What are the next steps, is there a timeline, what is the general roadmap?

I'm afraid that isn't up to us. If/when/how to share timelines or roadmaps for Cities: Skylines II is entirely up to Paradox.

 

[Caprea.Berlin]

This is not a forum for CO alone, so if CO cannot answer this question, what about Paradox? Could Paradox say something about the future steps for CS2?

 

[TetraDax]

I'm afraid that isn't up to us. If/when/how to share timelines or roadmaps for Cities: Skylines II is entirely up to Paradox.

Then may I ask, could Paradox give an update on what is currently being worked on? You guys just turned the corner on properly communicating with us before the holiday period, it would be really annoying if we go back to radio silence.

 

[speedbrake]

Then may I ask, could Paradox give an update on what is currently being worked on? You guys just turned the corner on properly communicating with us before the holiday period, it would be really annoying if we go back to radio silence.

Not to troll, just trying to understand. What would knowing they are working on change?

 

[TetraDax]

Not to troll, just trying to understand. What would knowing they are working on change?

It would help gain back the trust that they are heading into the right direction, that they are capable of getting this game into the state it was promised to be in at launch. They have gotten their direction and priorities wrong in the past, and missed bugs that were (pardon the pun) really bugging the community. Open communication and transparent development would enable a more productive feedback cultures between CO and the player base.

 

[Tatsutsuki]

Are you alive? No sign of life since your return from vacation? Have you abandoned your community and your projects? We would have liked to have the word weekly. Not necessarily as soon as you return. But your silence is becoming heavy. Where are you ?

 

[co_avanya]

Are you alive? No sign of life since your return from vacation? Have you abandoned your community and your projects? We would have liked to have the word weekly. Not necessarily as soon as you return. But your silence is becoming heavy. Where are you ?

We're working on the next patch for Cities: Skylines II, and once we have something concrete to share, we'll have a news post with more information.

 

[Civ5rako]

We're working on the next patch for Cities: Skylines II, and once we have something concrete to share, we'll have a news post with more information.

May I conclude from this that you are holding back the hotfix for the homeless bug until you have enough stuff for your "next patch"?

 

[ClemiMD]

I hope so.
Instead of just one lollipop, I prefer to have a big meal which fills me up for the rest of the day.

 

[Civ5rako]

I hope so.
Instead of just one lollipop, I prefer to have a big meal which fills me up for the rest of the day.

In that case I assume you would prefer to have a finally fixed and updated game with all missing elements next year?
After all, why should they release "lollipops" beforehand when you can have that whole meal, say in May or June?

 

[ClemiMD]

After all, why should they release "lollipops" beforehand when you can have that whole meal, say in May or June?

Okay, my fault, that wasn't a good comparison.
By “lollipop” I meant a hotfix for a specific bug. The big meal is an update with numerous patches, like the one from June 24.
And yes, I would love to have a finished and bug-free game next year. Who wouldn't?

 

[co_avanya]

May I conclude from this that you are holding back the hotfix for the homeless bug until you have enough stuff for your "next patch"?

We always try to bundle things in a patch as it makes sense and as fixes are confirmed to work as intended. The reason we haven't hotfixes the homeless issue yet is because the fix wasn't a simple/quick one, but we're working on getting it out as soon as possible.

 

[Civ5rako]

We always try to bundle things in a patch as it makes sense and as fixes are confirmed to work as intended. The reason we haven't hotfixes the homeless issue yet is because the fix wasn't a simple/quick one, but we're working on getting it out as soon as possible.

I have to disagree with your statement "as it makes sense".

The more different items you pack into one bigger patch attempt, the more complicated it gets to find out why it didn't work as intended.
Allow me to introduce exhibit A to the court: "patch 1.1.5 F1".

As a result of your policy we have got that homeless bug.
Speaking of which: I seem to recall your company announcing how you were waiting for the "certifications" for said patch. Seems to me they did miss quite something.

Have you taken efforts to improve the certification processes?

 

[Mjud]

2 months without a patch? Have they given up already?

 

[Potoroo]

2 months without a patch? Have they given up already?

The answer to your silly question lies in this very thread, posted barely a day ago.

Ed: what the hell are people "disagreeing" with? What I said is a fact. Roughly a day before this very silly comment Avanya, in this very thread, had already replied to another person that yes, CO are back and working on the next update (this proving that they have not given up). How can people "disagree" with facts?

 

[gizzamaluke]

I have to disagree with your statement "as it makes sense".

The more different items you pack into one bigger patch attempt, the more complicated it gets to find out why it didn't work as intended.
Allow me to introduce exhibit A to the court: "patch 1.1.5 F1".

As a result of your policy we have got that homeless bug.
Speaking of which: I seem to recall your company announcing how you were waiting for the "certifications" for said patch. Seems to me they did miss quite something.

Have you taken efforts to improve the certification processes?

I couldn't agree with this more.

The people who are all, "I want one big meal instead of little snacks," have a blatant misunderstanding of the software development lifecycle. And it would appear that so too does Colossal Order.

There are several SDLC models (see below), and it feels like they're not following any of these... it's like they're trying to take pieces from each and make them work together, but nearly a year of experience is showing us that this clearly has not worked for them. Perhaps they should pick one of these (I would suggest the Agile Model, based on customer feedback from this forum) and stick with it.

Waterfall
The waterfall model arranges all the phases sequentially so that each new phase depends on the outcome of the previous phase. Conceptually, the design flows from one phase down to the next, like that of a waterfall.
Pros and cons
The waterfall model provides discipline to project management and gives a tangible output at the end of each phase. However, there is little room for change once a phase is considered complete, as changes can affect the software's delivery time, cost, and quality. Therefore, the model is most suitable for small software development projects, where tasks are easy to arrange and manage and requirements can be pre-defined accurately.

Iterative
The iterative process suggests that teams begin software development with a small subset of requirements. Then, they iteratively enhance versions over time until the complete software is ready for production. The team produces a new software version at the end of each iteration.
Pros and cons
It’s easy to identify and manage risks, as requirements can change between iterations. However, repeated cycles could lead to scope change and underestimation of resources.

Spiral
The spiral model combines the iterative model's small repeated cycles with the waterfall model's linear sequential flow to prioritize risk analysis. You can use the spiral model to ensure software's gradual release and improvement by building prototypes at each phase.
Pros and cons
The spiral model is suitable for large and complex projects that require frequent changes. However, it can be expensive for smaller projects with a limited scope.

Agile
The agile model arranges the SDLC phases into several development cycles. The team iterates through the phases rapidly, delivering only small, incremental software changes in each cycle. They continuously evaluate requirements, plans, and results so that they can respond quickly to change. The agile model is both iterative and incremental, making it more efficient than other process models.
Pros and cons
Rapid development cycles help teams identify and address issues in complex projects early on and before they become significant problems. They can also engage customers and stakeholders to obtain feedback throughout the project lifecycle. However, overreliance on customer feedback could lead to excessive scope changes or end the project midway.

 

[gizzamaluke]

We always try to bundle things in a patch as it makes sense and as fixes are confirmed to work as intended. The reason we haven't hotfixes the homeless issue yet is because the fix wasn't a simple/quick one, but we're working on getting it out as soon as possible.

This is not working for your player base. It's becoming clear that most people would prefer the incremental updates. It would at least show us that some progress is being made.

It's also worth noting that when you release updates in big chunks like this, rather than smaller increments, you risk creating more issues than you solve. It's easier to mitigate and react to problems when your updates are smaller and more manageable. You're less likely to break different parts of the simulation when the updates are smaller (the homelessness bug is the perfect example). And if something still breaks, smaller updates make for easier hotfixes.

 

[Darthgrim]

This is not working for your player base. It's becoming clear that most people would prefer the incremental updates. It would at least show us that some progress is being made.

It's also worth noting that when you release updates in big chunks like this, rather than smaller increments, you risk creating more issues than you solve. It's easier to mitigate and react to problems when your updates are smaller and more manageable. You're less likely to break different parts of the simulation when the updates are smaller (the homelessness bug is the perfect example). And if something still breaks, smaller updates make for easier hotfixes.

Agreed, start giving us stuff as its ready, and let us play it. We're all more than happy to provide constructive feedback on things. But ignoring us for weeks and months and leaving blatant bugs around in the game for months is just killing your game....

 

[gizzamaluke]

I couldn't agree with this more.

The people who are all, "I want one big meal instead of little snacks," have a blatant misunderstanding of the software development lifecycle. And it would appear that so too does Colossal Order.

There are several SDLC models (see below), and it feels like they're not following any of these... it's like they're trying to take pieces from each and make them work together, but nearly a year of experience is showing us that this clearly has not worked for them. Perhaps they should pick one of these (I would suggest the Agile Model, based on customer feedback from this forum) and stick with it.

Waterfall
The waterfall model arranges all the phases sequentially so that each new phase depends on the outcome of the previous phase. Conceptually, the design flows from one phase down to the next, like that of a waterfall.
Pros and cons
The waterfall model provides discipline to project management and gives a tangible output at the end of each phase. However, there is little room for change once a phase is considered complete, as changes can affect the software's delivery time, cost, and quality. Therefore, the model is most suitable for small software development projects, where tasks are easy to arrange and manage and requirements can be pre-defined accurately.

Iterative
The iterative process suggests that teams begin software development with a small subset of requirements. Then, they iteratively enhance versions over time until the complete software is ready for production. The team produces a new software version at the end of each iteration.
Pros and cons
It’s easy to identify and manage risks, as requirements can change between iterations. However, repeated cycles could lead to scope change and underestimation of resources.

Spiral
The spiral model combines the iterative model's small repeated cycles with the waterfall model's linear sequential flow to prioritize risk analysis. You can use the spiral model to ensure software's gradual release and improvement by building prototypes at each phase.
Pros and cons
The spiral model is suitable for large and complex projects that require frequent changes. However, it can be expensive for smaller projects with a limited scope.

Agile
The agile model arranges the SDLC phases into several development cycles. The team iterates through the phases rapidly, delivering only small, incremental software changes in each cycle. They continuously evaluate requirements, plans, and results so that they can respond quickly to change. The agile model is both iterative and incremental, making it more efficient than other process models.
Pros and cons
Rapid development cycles help teams identify and address issues in complex projects early on and before they become significant problems. They can also engage customers and stakeholders to obtain feedback throughout the project lifecycle. However, overreliance on customer feedback could lead to excessive scope changes or end the project midway.

You are more than welcome to disagree with this but it’s a legitimate model in the world of IT.