Vell0cet
Dirt Nap Squad
Dirt Nap Squad.
1391
   |
Posted - 2014.04.09 19:37:00 -
[1] - Quote
I think the complainers really don't understand how software/game development works. It's not like assembling pogo sticks in a factory. It's immensely complicated. You can stare at a code for 3 hours straight and not find the problem, and go take a crap on the toilet and the solution might randomly pop into your head. It's an unpredictable, erratic and messy process. You also can't throw lots of people at a problem and expect it to get done more quickly with programming, like you can with most other things. You need VERY smart people in the top coding positions.
CCP doesn't get a free pass. They've made some major mistakes at the top levels in terms of direction that have been very costly in terms of setbacks. I think they need to put in place a test server on the PC running in a ps3 emulator.
There is a ton of low-hanging fruit that hasn't been picked: e.g. Making ISK-efficiency the most important stat (trivial to code) in the end of match list and on the leader boards, which would create a lot of social pressure to run economical fits, and discourage protostomping (via shaming and social mechanics). There are some simple fixes to the UI (e.g. If you only have 3 possible choices in your radial equipment menu, then it should be evenly divided into 3rds to make selection dramatically easier). They could easily add an optional 2nd tier academy mode, for players under 5 mill SP to give them a safe harbor to develop their characters some, before being thrown to the wolves. Adding militia variants for all weapons would make a huge positive impact on the NPE with very little development time required.
Also remember that this game is pretty radical in many ways. It's interfacing 2 separate games from 2 separate genres, on 2 separate platforms. It has the most extensive and complex skill, module, vehicle/suit fitting system ever created in a FPS, which will continue to get even richer and more complicated over time. This stuff is tricky to get right, and in many ways they're doing a lot with a pretty small team with a limited budget and not a lot of experience. Changes are necessary though. The current pace of development is too slow to get DUST to where it needs to be to really take off in the market. If they can hit the "tipping point" and start to see significant growth, then we can expect the team to grow and development accelerate.
Best PvE idea ever!
|