10 Years of Cities: Skylines

[Civ5rako]

That would only be valid for some features which are not impactful (like the announced assets) but barely for fixes on existing bugs, especially on anything affecting the simulation as that stuff can only really be tested as a whole with everything else being in place. Changing one end can lead to unpredictable reactions on another end, so things which are currently planned can be removed last minute due to unwanted effects.

Exactly my point.

If the upcoming patch does include fixes to the game (and frankly, I am not expecting anything big), they are available now already. They will not change anything anymore this week, even less so considering the fact that they allegedly have to wait for third party certifications for their patches.

Given the timelines it becomes clear that PDX/CO are trying to buy time. March is the last month of the quarter, so they seemingly are trying to create the best quarter result possible under the given circumstances.
The last patch has been three months ago. It can be safely assumed that the release of any new "functional" patch has been and will be planned ahead, given the disastrous results of recent patches.
This planning includes (better: should include) that any patch has passed the PDX QA before it was transferred to the above mentioned third parties. That would have been last week - and may have been the reason why on Monday it was something "BIG" to come while on Wednesday it was downgraded to "a little something" - which, as far as CS2 is concerned, was the correct term.
This week is at its best meant for those third parties to do their job - but PDX should be pretty sure about their own assessment.

The pure fact that this patch will not be released at the anniversary date but a week later leads me to assuming that they indeed did have to downstrip it and to adjust the release date accordingly. In turn that would mean that CO did mess up once again - which does fit to the pattern.

 

[RedRalphWiggum]

What engagement? The patch? That's the only thing the devs are involved with and we don't know what it'll fix or what new bugs will be introduced. The rest is all Paradox and subcontractors.

Yes?

 

[prismaticmarcus]

Certification for the Microsoft Store/Gamepass takes 1 to 3 days for minor hotfixes and 3 to 7 business days for larger fixes. CO said this themselves it takes longer on release of CS2 and you can find a lot of information from other developers how publishing updates there is a much lengthier experience than the one button press on Steam.

Which is the reason patches will sometimes go live on MS later than they do on Steam.

 

[Licenturion]

Which is the reason patches will sometimes go live on MS later than they do on Steam.

These won't. The manifests for the radios and creator packs are already present in the Microsoft Store and have a release date of 18/3 on them.

I assume they game need to be patched first to include UI elements for these packs and radio stations. So the patch is likely already submitted for certification by now and will release also on 18/3. Until now only the hotfixes the first weeks after release of CS2 had asynchronous releases. They quickly lined these up.

 

[Cardinal Herue]

That's what all companies I know at least do (or can you point me to Windows KB patch notes about any "fixes" (not features) a week prior to release?

Sure! That's an easy one. Just off the top of my head? FFXIV, all the Total War franchises, Anno games, and most other Paradox-published games, in fact!

 

[[Delta ²k5]]

Certification for the Microsoft Store/Gamepass takes 1 to 3 days for minor hotfixes and 3 to 7 business days for larger fixes.

True, that is something I didn't keep in mind as in my projects we are in full control (so basically we flick the switch). Still, also if CO already uploaded the "final" version of a large patch, they may be able to push a small additional until Friday. That still would fit the 1 to 3 day assumption - if it would take longer they still can lable that one as being a "Hotfix".

That said, nobody asked for detailed patch notes. People want highlights of fixes. I assume after more than a month of radio silence about game updates, there should be stuff already done that will be in the patch.

In any case patch notes are usually not published public way ahead of the release - it's also pretty questionable what the benefit would be otherwise.

People still won't have any hands on experience with the patch, so all it creates is rumors and beating the usual dead horses early ("why did they not fix xyz? xyz will still be bad! Why did they not fix my favorite bug? That list is short so devs are lazy).

To me it's fine the beating starts when the patch is there, so I know from which point I can again avoid this place to just enjoy building

 

[[Delta ²k5]]

Btw. they are live:

 

[Cardinal Herue]

I think my favorite thing about this announcement (that already had its own announcement last week) is that they used so much space highlighting the fact that...CO's city-building games will be included in Steam's City-Builder Fest.

 

[Solsbeary]

Underwhelming.

A missed opportunity. Hoping beyond hope that the patch notes includes serious fixes for CS2.

 

[Licenturion]

Btw. they are live:

I am watching.

Summary: so far questions about the editor, optimizations, bugs are 'we are working on it and we released a statement last week about this. We won't say anything more about this.'

All other questions from chat are ignored so far.

 

[TripleAgent]

We’re also introducing three brand-new Creator Packs and three radio stations — a new wave of exciting content to expand your city. Whether you’re crafting a bustling Chinese market quarter, restoring the sun-soaked facades of the Mediterranean, or designing the ultimate entertainment hub, each of these packs bring their own unique flair to your urban landscapes. These packs are included in the Cities: Skylines II - Ultimate Edition.

So to be clear, this constitutes the $39.99 value DLCs that are the replacement for Beach Properties announced a year ago?

The very first thing we’re doing is to compensate those who purchased Beach Properties. We will change the pack to be a free addition to the game, refund it to the extent possible, and provide additional content within the Ultimate Edition. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to offer refunds for Ultimate Edition buyers. This is due to the distribution of the Ultimate Edition across digital and physical storefronts, which create significant complexities for executing a partial refund. We realize that this is far from ideal, especially given the dedication those who have stayed with us since launch have shown. We are committed to repaying that loyalty, and therefore, we will compensate Ultimate Edition holders by adding 3 Creator Packs and 3 Radio Stations which, together, sum up to a value of USD 39.99. This solution hopefully ensures that you, regardless of purchase method, feel you receive fair compensation.

Call me underwhelmed with that value proposition.

 

[Cardinal Herue]

I am watching.

Summary: so far questions about the editor, optimizations, bugs are 'we are working on it and we released a statement last week about this. We won't say anything more about this.'

All other questions from chat are ignored so far.

Lolol, I must've tuned in at the same time. This is hilarious.

The team that keeps on disappointing. Just incredible.


EDIT: dudes! I am literally watching them delete questions in real-time from the comments section. Some people are complaining that they are observing the questions get deleted. In short order those comments also get deleted. GOD. This studio has no respect for its players.

 

[Licenturion]

Lolol, I must've tuned in at the same time. This is hilarious.

The team that keeps on disappointing. Just incredible.


EDIT: dudes! I am literally watching them delete questions in real-time from the coumments section. Some people are complaining that they are observing the questions get deleted. In short order those comments also get deleted. GOD. This studio has no respect for its players.

Yeah this is laughable

They just picked a question about bikes because everyone kept asking for it. The developer response: <long silence><awkward laugh>If Marina said there will be bikes, at some point, there will be bikes. - Okay, that is all about what we have to say about bikes.

They are basically having a coffee corner chat that happens to be on camera while ignoring their public. They do a live stream and ignore peoples questions and comments. Instead they have prepared 2 paper pages of premade questions that add nothing to the conversation. This could have well been pre-recorded. There are only about 300 viewers. Hype!

 

[prismaticmarcus]

Just quietly, a running commentary on the livestream won't be terribly helpful for people reading this in the future and is OT.

 

[TripleAgent]

I am watching.

Summary: so far questions about the editor, optimizations, bugs are 'we are working on it and we released a statement last week about this. We won't say anything more about this.'

All other questions from chat are ignored so far.

It's absolutely wild how secretive they're being over a dang asset editor. "We will only tell you that it is cooking and that we are continuing to work on it, refer back to the previous announcement" is just really weird. If they were actually making progress you would think that they would actually want to describe it given how much of a sore point this has been in the community. How are they this bad at communications and community management after all of this.

 

[Solsbeary]

The avoidance of mentioning anything about the 'patch' ahead of time, even some key highlights, gives me the thought that it will not be too substantial.

 

[BoraBora]

So to be clear, this constitutes the $39.99 value DLCs that are the replacement for Beach Properties announced a year ago?

Call me underwhelmed with that value proposition.

Modern Architecture and Urban Promenades are sold 8$ each and I don't think these CCPs will be pricier. The radios are sold for 5$. So the total value of these 3 CCPs + 3 radios would be 43$. Maybe the CCPs will be sold for less than 8$. I don't think UP and MA were big sellers outside of the UE owners who paid them way before their release.

 

[Cities: Skylines Official]

If they have set a date for that patch, the content is already fixed. So the notes could have been released by now as well.

We don't usually post the patch notes until the patch is out, and like I saw someone else comment, sometimes there are last-minute changes, so we will wait until that version is out before we post the Patch Notes.

So it looks like this is the 3 free content creator packs deluxe orders were promised. Cool. Any updates on the bridges & ports DLC/the asset editor?

We shared as much as we can about the Asset Editor on Thursday, and as to Bridges & Ports, all we can say is that we're working on it (as unsatisfying as that both is to hear as it is to say). More news will come as soon as we can share it!

 

[JustJustan]

We don't usually post the patch notes until the patch is out, and like I saw someone else comment, sometimes there are last-minute changes, so we will wait until that version is out before we post the Patch Notes.



We shared as much as we can about the Asset Editor on Thursday, and as to Bridges & Ports, all we can say is that we're working on it (as unsatisfying as that both is to hear as it is to say). More news will come as soon as we can share it!

So, I'm safe to assume that Bridges and Ports will be pushed yet again? Originally slated for last year, then pushed to Q2 of this year, and now "news will come as soon as we can share it"? So it won't be coming soon.

 

[Qualiall]

probably not a popular opinion, but I would love to see these things be previewed by the usual youtubers a day or two ahead-obviously a major patch would mean some mods wouldn't work, but that is often true even on public launch day-it could build a bit more hype if the tubers showed us early-patches, ccps and so on. They could even say "some things are still subject to change" on public release as a disclaimer