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Weekly Development Update: 10/23/2013


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#1 [HWK]HUGHES

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Posted October 23 2013 - 06:01 PM

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Hello Everyone!
 
Here we are again with what's intended to be a weekly development update! Which day will these posts be released on? Will they move to Monday? Wednesday? Maybe Friday? You could cut the suspense with a knife (well... maybe not).
 
So what’s going on? In short, we’re getting ready to release the October update and wrapping up development on the November update. Actually, since we’re getting close to the release of this next patch let’s talk about patch notes.
 
Patch notes go through multiple revisions and usually aren't finalized until the day they go live. The last few days leading up to the release of the notes is mostly about phrasing, while the week prior is about updating them based on development progress. Our QA lead Tracie spends a good amount of time compiling the first draft based on the work checked in since the last update and maintains the list until it’s time to pass it off to others for review and approval. ZamboniChaos spends lots of time on the notes in those last few days, chasing down little bits of remaining details and following up on last minute inclusion or revision requests. Moving forward, we’re going to try and put a greater focus on explaining why certain design decisions were made and share more specifics around value changes so hopefully you will get a bit more out of the upcoming notes than you have previously.
 
So where are the notes?
 
I mentioned on another thread here that the next patch was planned for a Tuesday release (10/29) but that we were shooting for Thursday (10/24) as a stretch goal. We won't be able to reach that stretch goal so you'll have to wait just a little while longer for the update. The notes are almost approved for posting and revisions were being made as recently as last night. ZamboniChaos will be able to keep you up to date with note progress but we'll post them as soon as we are able to.
 
Last week at the studio we had more people than expected working for longer than expected on our October release. There’s no question team number balancing was… how shall we say… out of whack and we were very much aware. It took a very dedicated network engineer almost a week and a half of working on very little else to solve all the edge cases surfacing related to that functionality. I explained on another forum post a few weeks ago that we can't just add a Switch Teams button due to changes that have taken place to the platform recently. While it may have worked “better” previously, these platform changes were necessary in order to pave the way for the introduction of future social features like parties, clan support and other competitive focused pieces of functionality. The platform must grow along with the client.
 
We will be watching very carefully once the update is released to see how the team number balancing changes are holding up.
 
So I think in light of this recent state of team number balancing, I’ll take an opportunity to briefly talk about the status of the game. The discussion of removing the BETA tag comes up quite often in questions and I can appreciate why since it can easily be used as a barometer for the community to gauge how close we are to achieving our goal. Now while we were targeting to remove the BETA tag this year we aren't going to do so until we feel it’s ready and that is looking like 2014.
 
Development happens.
 
Priorities change, things break, systems need to be revised and dependencies get revisited. We don’t look at the BETA tag as something to hide behind. In fact, we embrace it and what it stands for. It’s not some sort of thinly veiled blanket term for us to take lightly or something to be used as a net. We see it rather as an opportunity to iterate upon what’s there and introduce new ideas. Many other games don’t get that opportunity and we don’t take it for granted. It’s an especially important process with our limited resources, being a small team and not having enough QA members to completely fill a match on their own.
 
I’m very proud of what this team does on a daily basis but we aren't done and to show that, as a very high level view (in rough order of importance) these are the priorities at the studio for HAWKEN right now. These are not the company priorities but the priorities for the studio:


    [*]MATCHMAKING IMPROVEMENTS: Get players into balanced and even matches quickly


    [*]BUG FIXES / ONLINE PERF: Make sure what we have is polished and improve the overall online experience / performance


    [*]IMPROVE ACQUISITION / RETENTION: Get as many new players playing as possible and keep our current players playing


    [*]GAME BALANCE: Ensure weapons, items, mechs and maps are balanced


    [*]MORE GREAT CONTENT: Modes / Mechs / Maps



    [/list]
    Now some of these aren't possible to address immediately and there is work to be done that applies to multiple of the above bullet points but this is what everyone is working towards. As mentioned these are very high level and while I won’t dive down into the details right now, I do hope they’ll give you some insight on what’s important to us.
     
    Oh, and as a reward to see who stuck with it and read this far, we’ll (finally) be rewarding the Vanguard Cupcake chassis pieces to those that own them as global items in the November update.
     
    I didn't focus a lot on what’s actively being worked on for November since the focus right now really is about getting the October update out there to you. This week is the final week of development for the November patch so next week I’ll talk more about its progress since we will have passed the content lock date by then. We also hope to have some big website functionality updates to share with you soon.
     
    We move as fast as possible, each team member wearing multiple hats and give it everything we have to make the game better each day, each week and each month. It was great to see the positive response to the posting last week and I hope you get something out of this one too.
     
    Thanks Everyone!


    Click here to view the article

    Jason Hughes
    Producer || Adhesive Games || twitter: @digitalHUGHES


    #2 MexichanMan

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 06:06 PM

    YAY!!!
    Black Steel Brotherhood: http://bsb-gaming.com
    Stream: http://twitch.tv/mexichanman
    Join the first competitive Hawken league!  
    http://www.tpgleague.org/hwk/

    #3 Silverfire

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 06:06 PM

    Well done, Hughes! Glad to see the devs continue to step it up in increased transparency.  It really allows us greater insight into what you all are doing, and it builds trust and reassurance that the devs are doing work.

    I hope those priorities you listed are in order in most important.  Matchmaking is really out of whack.

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    #4 Analysis

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 06:38 PM

    View Post[HWK]HUGHES, on October 23 2013 - 06:01 PM, said:

    • IMPROVE ACQUISITION / RETENTION: Get as many new players playing as possible and keep our current players playing
    • GAME BALANCE: Ensure weapons, items, mechs and maps are balanced
    • MORE GREAT CONTENT: Modes / Mechs / Maps

    If you want to improve retention Hawken needs to have better tactics. Since the inception of the technician the game has devolved into mech blob vs mech blob. Remove the technician and watch as people learn to once again flank as opposed to wonder when the tech will heal them.

    Sometimes simplicity of a system leads to complexity(game of life).

    Since Hellfires and HEAT have continuously been broken I don't see how game balance will ever occur.

    Out of curiosity what the the expected delivery of mechs now? Back at the start of the open beta the team was hoping to release a mech every month and a map every 2-3 months. The team seems to be delivering the map quota, but the mech releases are very slow. The wicked brown skin from the closed beta is not in the game...

    #5 Krellus

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 06:54 PM

    thanks for the update Hughes. So the Oct update is very close then it seems :)

    #6 Gunmoku

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 07:00 PM

    View PostAnalysis, on October 23 2013 - 06:38 PM, said:

    View Post[HWK]HUGHES, on October 23 2013 - 06:01 PM, said:

    • IMPROVE ACQUISITION / RETENTION: Get as many new players playing as possible and keep our current players playing
    • GAME BALANCE: Ensure weapons, items, mechs and maps are balanced
    • MORE GREAT CONTENT: Modes / Mechs / Maps

    If you want to improve retention Hawken needs to have better tactics. Since the inception of the technician the game has devolved into mech blob vs mech blob. Remove the technician and watch as people learn to once again flank as opposed to wonder when the tech will heal them.

    Sometimes simplicity of a system leads to complexity(game of life).

    Since Hellfires and HEAT have continuously been broken I don't see how game balance will ever occur.

    Out of curiosity what the the expected delivery of mechs now? Back at the start of the open beta the team was hoping to release a mech every month and a map every 2-3 months. The team seems to be delivering the map quota, but the mech releases are very slow. The wicked brown skin from the closed beta is not in the game...


    Hellfires and HEAT aren't broken.  Just because you keep getting killed by it doesn't mean it's broken.  You want broken?  How about the Technician about 1-2 patches ago?  The current one isn't as bad, but the nerfs to it can't get here fast enough.

    View PostRED_FIVE, on September 04 2013 - 08:20 PM, said:

    YER A RAIDER, HARRY.

    #7 ShadowWarg

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 07:25 PM

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    ILLAL'S GOD HAS SPOKEN!

    (for those who don't get it Illal is the name of the world Hawken takes place in)


    Edited by ShadowWarg, October 24 2013 - 12:09 AM.


    #8 Analysis

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 07:27 PM

    View PostGunmoku, on October 23 2013 - 07:00 PM, said:


    Hellfires and HEAT aren't broken.  Just because you keep getting killed by it doesn't mean it's broken.  You want broken?  How about the Technician about 1-2 patches ago?  The current one isn't as bad, but the nerfs to it can't get here fast enough.

    I have still haven't heard a viable tactic on beating either the hellfires or the Heat. The technician has been terrible since its inception, but no where near as broken as either of the other weapons. I've been hit by plenty of hellfires that have done 90 degree turns. The Heat is basically a hit scan weapon with splash damage.

    #9 ShadowWarg

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 07:33 PM

    Hellfire missiles are weird now. They don't actively track you down rather the try and move to the position you will be rather then to the position your are currently. Solution: The easiest way to avoid them if you have the distance but no cover is to move/walk/run/whatever sideways in one direction, they'll instantly curve, than side boost in the opposite direction. Solution #2: Stay near cover.

    Edited by ShadowWarg, October 23 2013 - 07:35 PM.


    #10 comic_sans

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 07:49 PM

    This much transparency is totally unexpected (I am jaded, not a comment on Adhesive) and greatly appreciated.  Your game caters to my mech fetish, and your staff is honest.  I'll be here a while, yeah.

    #11 ShadowGTR

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 08:03 PM

    View Post[HWK]HUGHES, on October 23 2013 - 06:01 PM, said:

    It’s an especially important process with our limited resources, being a small team and not having enough QA members to completely fill a match on their own.

    Don't forget about HAB. HAB bug reports might sometimes be limited in terms of details. But there are plenty of HAB pilots to fill up servers and put anything that you want to the test. I understand that generating HAB builds splits off developers and generates additional work load. But if you want to bring any bugs to the surface prior to a patch's release, tossing the patch at HAB pilots is a good way to do just that as well as get feedback on possible balance issues.

    Edited by ShadowGTR, October 23 2013 - 08:04 PM.

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    #12 Spliff_Craven

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 08:08 PM

    Hoping, waiting, wanting, wishing...

    Impress me...

    #13 Ikaking

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 08:10 PM

    Dear DEVs.

    Thank you for the excuse for a long. I did not know well talk also abstract.
    Friends and I do not play this game now. It took the contents of the update and return or also, or leave as it is.

    When DEVS say...It seems to not be implemented team change switch. OK, I understand.
    But design Is not it because they fundamentally wrong it? don't think it?
    MEC is attractive indeed. Setting of the game interesting. But I referred to as a "Kusoge" in Japan this kind of game.

    It's a simple story.
    Yes, Do play against each other 30 level players only. Beginners should  play just beginners server.
    May be multiplied by a limit on the server for the levels and skills. I do not need such cumbersome algorithm.
    I think The problem is very simple. Why do I get this game to just one-sided?
    This game is because that kind of specification. It's the design.

    Though it is about this fascinating game, a person so little. Because this is "Kusoge" indeed.
    Whether can the development team recognize this simple mistake?
    I think just it's hope.

    #14 Pastorius

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 08:44 PM

    Great work guys! I echo the positive comments about the way you are sharing your progress and engaging with the community.

    Fantastic stuff.

    I can't wait! :D
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    #15 L0111101

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 08:59 PM

    Thanks for the update, it's always exciting to learn more about the game. Can't wait to play the next patch

    #16 draco7891

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 09:32 PM

    View Post[HWK]HUGHES, on October 23 2013 - 06:01 PM, said:

    Oh, and as a reward to see who stuck with it and read this far, we’ll (finally) be rewarding the Vanguard Cupcake chassis pieces to those that own them as global items in the November update.

    Quoted to preserve for all time. Promise made!

    Draco

    #17 VacuumTube

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 09:42 PM

    Quote

    Oh, and as a reward to see who stuck with it and read this far, we’ll (finally) be rewarding the Vanguard Cupcake chassis pieces to those that own them as global items in the November update.
    i think rewarding is not the right word here

    #18 Zdragow

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 10:26 PM

    I can't wait~

    #19 ReachH

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 10:42 PM

    I love everything about this. Nice one Hughes!

    Game balance was mentioned, the recent problems with matchmaking was addressed, the mentality going forward of the devs was elaborated on. The state of development was commented on, which explains a lot - a good reassurance. All very positive, all very reassuring.

    And mad love to ZC for doing the patch notes and including more dev perspectives so we get an idea of what they are tryying to accomplish. I know we have been asking for this for a while, and its nice to see it considered and included.

    View Post[HWK]HUGHES, on October 23 2013 - 06:01 PM, said:

    Development happens.


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    #20 ReachH

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    Posted October 23 2013 - 10:55 PM

    This was my favorite part, which I think can be combined into one point as far as I'm concerned:

    View Post[HWK]HUGHES, on October 23 2013 - 06:01 PM, said:

    • IMPROVE ACQUISITION / RETENTION: Get as many new players playing as possible and keep our current players playing
    • GAME BALANCE: Ensure weapons, items, mechs and maps are balanced

    Posted Image

    View Post[HWK]HUGHES, on October 23 2013 - 06:01 PM, said:

    Development happens.


    Posted Image





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