Late Changes

[Avaris]

I was wondering if anybody has ever heard of an important unit/feature getting axed several weeks before gold?

[Le Jedi Fou]

It happens all the time in MMORPGs.

In solo games, I remember Vampire Bloodlines where backgrounds (story of characters) were cut off because Activision didn't have enough time to test them before launch.

I'm sure there are many other examples but the public is usually not aware of this.

[Cobra848]

I assume you are talking about the Venator. Since you put this topic in the EaW section.

 

The thing is that it most likey it was not a "important unit/feature" . Just an extra. May be important to SW but not for EaW.

[SirNuke]

I think a better question is "Is there anything that is off limits a few weeks before going gold?"

 

But to answer your question, in a lot of ways it wasn't axed a few weeks before going gold. I suspect they having fiddling around with versions that did and didn't include the Venator, and simply came to the conclusion that the Venator didn't fit in (or didn't add to the fun, or whatever), and switched to a/the non-venator version.

[Xenomorphine]

It happens all the time in MMORPGs.

In solo games, I remember Vampire Bloodlines where backgrounds (story of characters) were cut off because Activision didn't have enough time to test them before launch.

I'm sure there are many other examples but the public is usually not aware of this.

 

The designer of that actually wanted more time to test and cut things from the game, because some were overly long.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn 889]

Yeah, well Delphi-PG has said about why they have Axed the Venator and i think that it sould have gone if it unbalenced or didn't fit in with the game. but in answer as well, KOTOR 2 is an 'incomplete' game, they axed several lines of code and Changed the Ending because it wouldn't have been ready for the Release date that they wanted.

[Garbageben]

But to answer your question, in a lot of ways it wasn't axed a few weeks before going gold. I suspect they having fiddling around with versions that did and didn't include the Venator, and simply came to the conclusion that the Venator didn't fit in (or didn't add to the fun, or whatever), and switched to a/the non-venator version.

Spot on SirNuke. The Venator was removed from the site all the way back in early December. They were probably trying to work with it for a month and decided that they couldn't. We just learned about it and thought they had just decided to take it out on a whim, but I assure you that they had probably been working very hard on it to make it work.

[Avaris]

Good feedback, thank you. I guess I am just a bit confused about the alpha testing and beta testing. I would think (though obviously never having been a part of the process) that it would become clear that something had no place in the game, especially a unit, much earlier in the testing phase. Or is the testing phase of balance really that short and that close to the final product?

[Popcorn2008]

Yeah, well Delphi-PG has said about why they have Axed the Venator and i think that it sould have gone if it unbalenced or didn't fit in with the game. but in answer as well, KOTOR 2 is an 'incomplete' game, they axed several lines of code and Changed the Ending because it wouldn't have been ready for the Release date that they wanted.

Same game came to mind for me to. They never really finished the whole HK droid part of the story seeing as the exed the droid factory in KOTOR 2. A lot of character interaction was cut out as well as they werent able to give it the ending they wanted.

 

Other games: even some of the C&C games have had units scrapped out of them. Of course, you wouldnt know unless you looked inside the actual .ini files. But it wasnt really controversal because they didnt release these units and kept them under-wraps. Besides it wasnt like Star Wars were you had already seen the units you wanted to play.

[Nevets]

Yeah, well Delphi-PG has said about why they have Axed the Venator and i think that it sould have gone if it unbalenced or didn't fit in with the game. but in answer as well, KOTOR 2 is an 'incomplete' game, they axed several lines of code and Changed the Ending because it wouldn't have been ready for the Release date that they wanted.

 

Never finished the hk story? the hardly started it

 

Also the whole Gangleader probed droid thing hardly made any sense.

 

The sith lords were also way underdeveloped.

 

I'm sorry if I have been sounding negative towards lucasarts lately about EAW, but following SWG, KOTOR 2, and Battlefront from start to finish will make you strongly question any game they produce.

[Avaris]

Other games: even some of the C&C games have had units scrapped out of them. Of course, you wouldnt know unless you looked inside the actual .ini files. But it wasnt really controversal because they didnt release these units and kept them under-wraps. Besides it wasnt like Star Wars were you had already seen the units you wanted to play.

 

Why is this different then? Why did they release the units existence, and then photos, and then change their mind? I agree that things generally happen behind the scenes that we never know about. But this is different. Is this a sign of disorganization? Slow balancing process?

[Grand Admiral Thrawn 889]

Because they were probably planing on having a unit on the Rebels to Counter it but then discovered that this also brought things out of Balence and then just scrapped it.

[Avaris]

Yeah, that would make sense.

 

The space battle field is divided into three plains. Does this mean that the Rebs only have one ship on the heavy plain?

 

Would have made perfect sense in my mind, to start the rebs out with a dreadnaught and the imps with a venator. Then, have the rebs move towards moncals and the imps towards the ISD. But, this is beating a dead horse at this point.

[The Saint]

Its been said before but it can be said again, KOTOR 2 was one of the most rushed games LEC has ever had the misfortunte of putting out. The HK factory was still in the game, there were even references to it, but nothing came about of it. The main reason anyone knows about it is because the folks who made the game ended up complaining over how LEC handled things with the production of KOTOR 2, a game which could have used at least 4-5 months of more development and 2-3 months of ironing out. LEC smelled money in the water after KOTOR was a success and rushed it to fast to the table.

 

As for EaW, no one knows whats going on behind the scenes. If Petro is having problems with LEC, then it isnt showing(yet). Games can change slightly before going Gold..but when they do expect things to be rushed. If many more changes are made you'll definately be able to tell(like a mission you hear about in game, but can never really quite reach..). Typically though the Gold period of a game is devoted to production, and searching for bugs in the finished product as well as last minute manuvering and hammering out of code.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn 889]

ut has been said by many about KOTOR2 being Rushed but i also have to say about the Dreadnought it was never going to be on the same level as a Heavy Capital Ship like the ISD and the MON Calmari Cruiser it would at most have been a Heavy Frigate nothing more than that the rebels have never had more than one Type of Heavy Capital Ship until the introduction of other Mon Cal designs introduced at the beginning of the NJO.

[The Saint]

ut has been said by many about KOTOR2 being Rushed but i also have to say about the Dreadnought it was never going to be on the same level as a Heavy Capital Ship like the ISD and the MON Calmari Cruiser it would at most have been a Heavy Frigate nothing more than that the rebels have never had more than one Type of Heavy Capital Ship until the introduction of other Mon Cal designs introduced at the beginning of the NJO.

 

Wrong, the rebels had other heavys before NJO, the small Black Fleet Crisis series came out before NJO and detailed a Republic fleet made up of designs for heavy warships not made by Mon Cal. (Republic SD, Defender SD, Majestic Heavy Cruiser, Defender Assault Carrier etc etc). Of course all of that is EU and wont be in the game..well at least until the mods come out that is.