Sunny days and game development

Just random ramblings

Published on May 21, 2007 By Draginol In GalCiv Journals

So beta 4 of the upcoming new version (v1.6) of Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar has resulted in massively improved performance for most users. Yay. I can't really explain why we decided to go and do it other than the fact that we have learned so much new stuff in the past several months working on the unnamed fantasy strategy game that we wanted to incorporate some of the techniques into Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar.

On the downside, a small % of users have found no speed increase and a few have had weird graphics glitches. Which is a bummer. Down the line we hope to resolve it but since we need to get this show on the road, we're going to have to put in an option to let people choose between the existing engine and the new Enhanced Graphics Engine. On my somewhat wimpier home machine, when I'm playing in a large galaxy with lots of ships I was getting around 20 frames per second when enough ships were on the screen. Now, I get 60 (it's capped at 60) on the same screen.

A couple people have emailed asking what Stardock's building looks like. Here's where we work:

The game team is on the top floor. The web team is on the main floor. The bottom floor is empty right now as we prepare for expanion in the next year or two (we're always hiring).

On the West side of the property we're located on

When I was a kid I lived next to a wetland and always thought it was a great place to grow up by. As the company grew and became more successful, I saved up and bought this property with a wetland and fields for the company. I just like critters (My main handle is "Frogboy" after all <g>).

Controversies

One controversy in the forums has to do with a "bug" in how turns are handled. Right now, turns go like this (where 0 is the AI and 1 is the human player):

0101010101010

So when I load a game, the AI plans his moves, then turns it over to the human player. The human player then takes his or her turn and then the AI takes their turn and so on.

But you may understand the issue: If I save a game where the AI has already taken their turn, load up the game and the AI gets to take another turn, you've got a slight disavantage for the human. I use the word slight here. The AI doesn't get to actually move ships or get additional production. What they do get is the ability to pick planetary social and military projects. It's a slight advantage but an advantage nevertheless. Of course, compared to the fact that human players get to save and restore games, I'd say humans still end up with the better deal. How many times has someone loaded a saved game because they got a random event they didn't like or an engagement went poorly? The AI doesn't get to do it.

But still, it's a bug and it's in the database now. It's actually been this way since the original beta of GalCiv 1 back in 2002. That's one of the reasons why nobody wants to touch it. It's ancient code.

Getting 1.6 done and moving to 1.7

There's been a lot of very good tweaks and changes in 1.6 that I think will make the game even more fun. For 1.7, there's a number of new features that we're looking to add. I want to tackle some of the constructor management and starbase handling.

Cranky people and private companies

One thing that I've noticed recently is that as our games get more popular, we get a higher incidence of cranky people. I sometimes think it's one guy who has many different names and goes on all forums because they seem to have the same background.

Cranky person post goes like this:

Game is buggy
Product should never have been released
I have been a programmer/IT manager/developer for 20 years (and it's always 20 years -- not 5, not 10, not 25, but 20)
Vague description of problem and little to no information on system.
Expect prompt and courteous support

But someone buying our game doesn't give them the right to be rude and nasty and condescending. It's an equal proposition -- someone wants a product or service and is willing to exchange money for it. No one has leverage over the others. It's an equal trade. Someone insulting me personally or being obnoxious on the forum is not going to be put up with. I have no incentive to put up with it. We'll absolutely jump through hoops and bend over backwards to help people. But we don't expect to be treated with utter disrepect or have our work insulted. It's one of the reasons why so many game companies don't have forums, they don't want to put up with nasty users.

Luckily, our forums are full of helpful gamers who are really part of our team. We are all in it together making cool stuff. We put out extra updates because we like to. Privately held companies can do that -- do things simply because they want to. And we like doing it because we like interacting with the players as much as we can. It's something I hope we can expand on.

But any users who thinks that they have the right to insult us should think twice. We don't want those people playing our games and I'd prefer they never bought anything from us ever again. I hope that doesn't sound elitist. But I just don't want to deal with people who think it's okay to be nasty to other people simply because they bought a product.

Future Community Features

I suspect that down the line that we'll make a system in which only active people in the community can participate in post-release betas. Right now, some people download these betas and I guess I don't know what they're expecting but apparently they expect them to be the same as releases. Beta 4 of 1.6 introduces a new graphics engine for instance. I'd like to see people thorugh their stardock.net account be able to go to a page to get private beta builds. It probably won't happen for GalCiv II but maybe for Sins and definitely for the fantasy strategy game.

Comments (Page 2)

Camaero

on May 23, 2007

You guys are by far the best game devs I have ever come upon. I fully support yall and will continue to do so. Companies like UBIsoft and EA just can't touch the quality of what we have here.

HydroAC

on May 23, 2007

Flame wars and nasty visitors can sour the milk. I recall this happening to the developer forums for one of my favorite games, SMAC. The environment got so caustic that the devs simply abandoned it and it eventually sank under its own weight.

That said, the vast majority of folks here are polite and helpful, and the forums are well monitored. It is unfortunate that cranky folks can be so oblivious to common decorum. The only cause I can think of is they have an easily triggered Big Red Button. Or, sadly, they lash out just because you and your team are approachable – no small amount of irony there, as you already know.

All I can say is that the efforts of you and your team are appreciated.

Hydro

jangerel

on May 23, 2007

I like this game a lot. I also like these forums very much. Thanks for all your hard work. It makes the game more enjoyable for me.

Nice facility, where is it?

Archonsod

on May 23, 2007

I have been a programmer/IT manager/developer for 20 years (and it's always 20 years -- not 5, not 10, not 25, but 20)

Yeah. Go ask anyone it IT precisely how much computer knowledge people in those roles have and see what response you get (actually, you might want to take some lead shielding along

). To quote an old website, in most industries you get made a manager for being good at your job. In IT, you get made a manager because you can't do any other job.

No offence to any IT managers out there

You know, I reckon it's the same guy who keeps submitting those ridiculous service requests I get at work too.

But we don't expect to be treated with utter disrepect or have our work insulted. It's one of the reasons why so many game companies don't have forums, they don't want to put up with nasty users.

There seems to be a certain misconception out there that the only way to get fast, decent service is to make the most noise. A bit bizzarre when you think about it, the guys providing the support you're looking for are just as human as you, and how would you treat someone who is basically acting like a jerk?

ToS Iceman

on May 23, 2007

I sometimes think it's one guy who has many different names and goes on all forums because they seem to have the same background.

Ooohh, it's a conspiracy... (insert X-Files theme here) Maybe you should give Mulder and Scully a call?

Don't you find this "theory" a bit paranoid? Or is this just a diversion? To think that someone would go to all the trouble...

I have been a programmer/IT manager/developer for 20 years (and it's always 20 years -- not 5, not 10, not 25, but 20)

Maybe there's actually a reason for the number 20?
(so this guy goes to such enormous trouble covering his tracks and then all of a sudden gets stupid?!)

Actually I haven't seen any posts that go like that, let alone detect any such pattern, but then again, I don't read all of it. Is there a specific example?

If someone wants to be cranky to someone, they should probably go to the store and yell about it there. I'm not a clerk.

Not that the poor guy there has anything to do with the game...

I hope that doesn't sound elitist.

Nope, not at all.

FarAway Galciv

on May 24, 2007

Nice pic of the surroundings. So, like, in Michigan, don't you have to call them "Icelands about half the year?

Sorry, went to college in Minnesota, the whole genre of "Lick the Stop Sign" jokes never grow old...

Watching cultures evolve on various Internet bulletin boards is an interesting thing. The Internet, as a medium, is conducive to lots of insecure guys acting like total twits. And they get to hide behind anonymous user names like "HugeThrustingPhallus" that don't conjure up pleasant images for any of us! But that's beside the point.

What does matter is that Internet bulletin boards create a community of sorts. While any good board requires some Admin intervention, the communities that really work are the ones where the citizens (i.e., the posters) set the tone and use social pressure to discourage undesirable behavior. There's always a give-and-take in those kinds of situations, and in the extreme examples, an Admin has to step in.

BUT, by and large, the reward of participating in a community like the forums here is... the ability to participate in a community like the forums here. Stardock sets a good tone for respectful, constructive feedback by taking some time to explain their philosophy and openly acknowledge when they make mistakes. That's a luxury that privately held companies have, which publically run companies don't, but it's still definitely worth appreciating!

Perhaps more important, as Brad hints in his original post, is that they take that feedback and use it to produce a superior product. Bottom line: If the game sucked, most of us wouldn't hang around here just because Brad and the developers are nice to us.

As is, we get a good game, we feel better about the company that's getting the money, and we have a better understanding for why a game works the way it does (with all the trade-offs involved in those design decisions). It takes A LOT more time and a lot more transparency than most companies are willing to endure: The public can turn very nasty as soon as any project team runs into adversity.

Transparency isn't the kind of thing you can do halfway, either: Once you start giving fans a look under the hood of your game, you need to be willing to explain all kinds of stuff. Otherwise, you just give them enough information to misinform them, and then they go off on ranting posts all over the Internet. Al Gore's claim to the contrary, sometimes I feel like it should have been titled "The Misninformation SuperHighway"!

Getting back to Stardock, though: Ultimately, I like the product, and I like the process that Stardock goes through to create the product. I have no idea what their financials look like, but judging from the companies' growth and high-quality products, they're clearly doing plenty of things right.

At this stage, the company name carries more clout with me than any other game developer name on the street: That alone is hard to put $$ to, but definitely will show up in your revenue stream whenever I buy that turn-based fantasy game, sight unseen!!

Evil Muppet

on May 25, 2007

I know it sucks Brad, but you will get some sucky customers. I worked for a telecom company for a while, and I was amazed by the number of rude people who call in. My favourite was a woman who had not paid her bills for like 6 months and got cut off. She finally paid, but there was a 24 hour delay in reconnecting her line. She got really nasty about it and started telling me how the phone box she was in was dirty and we don't take care of it. LMAO.

Actuarian

on May 25, 2007

Wow! A company that doesn't do a cost benefit analysis before every patch. My company's IT department could learn a thing or two from you.

RoPa

on May 25, 2007

Nice photos.....look at all those Turtles!!!

Philocthetes

on May 26, 2007

Like I needed another reason to order my Stardock cheerleader outfit. I'm really glad to see a staunch capitalist like Brad put his money into providing a workplace where folks can have some wild kingdom time when they're taking a break.

I had a brief fascination with social space literature in my school days and the Stardock site seems to be an architectural reflection of their superior awareness of "the environment" (which includes all us talking nekkid apes--we're as natural as uranium or termites). Plus, knowing that Brad appreciates land that's just doing its own thing makes it easier to understand how he's been supporting this "chaos testing" stuff

drawfour

on May 26, 2007

Any plans to relocate to Seattle?

General Pants

on May 28, 2007

couple people have emailed asking what Stardock's building looks like. Here's where we work:

Frogboy, that REALLY looks computer generated. Very well done, though, like something Stardock would produce

Cranky person post goes like this:
Game is buggy
Product should never have been released
I have been a programmer/IT manager/developer for 20 years (and it's always 20 years -- not 5, not 10, not 25, but 20)
Vague description of problem and little to no information on system.
Expect prompt and courteous support

Dollars to donuts these are mostly kids who haven't learned how to comport themselves properly. Etiquette is, of course, much easier mess up online anyway... It doesn't excuse their behaviour, but it might take some of the edge off.

And, for those of them out there who aren't kids... grow the heck up!

I-Mod Stefan

on Jun 01, 2007

nice area to live and work in!

really this is a place where creativity will be born

and you can see that in the games!

-Stefan

Mighty Mongoose

on Jun 03, 2007

Just random ramblings

Its nice to ramble once in a while isn't it?

I sometimes think it's one guy who has many different names and goes on all forums because they seem to have the same background.

That's probably true.

Now, a few things about that. Stardock isn't a store. If someone wants to be cranky to someone, they should probably go to the store and yell about it there. I'm not a clerk. I make games because I enjoy it. I enjoy hanging out with people like you guys. It's fun. It's rewarding.
But someone buying our game doesn't give them the right to be rude and nasty and condescending. It's an equal proposition -- someone wants a product or service and is willing to exchange money for it. No one has leverage over the others. It's an equal trade. Someone insulting me personally or being obnoxious on the forum is not going to be put up with. I have no incentive to put up with it. We'll absolutely jump through hoops and bend over backwards to help people. But we don't expect to be treated with utter disrepect or have our work insulted. It's one of the reasons why so many game companies don't have forums, they don't want to put up with nasty users.
Luckily, our forums are full of helpful gamers who are really part of our team. We are all in it together making cool stuff. We put out extra updates because we like to. Privately held companies can do that -- do things simply because they want to. And we like doing it because we like interacting with the players as much as we can. It's something I hope we can expand on.
But any users who thinks that they have the right to insult us should think twice. We don't want those people playing our games and I'd prefer they never bought anything from us ever again. I hope that doesn't sound elitist. But I just don't want to deal with people who think it's okay to be nasty to other people simply because they bought a product.

My God, someone finally said what other companies are afraid to say. Its not elitist its...its...glorious.

I find the Halo 3 beta a prime example of these particular individuals. Forums caught fire when the beta was delayed for Crackdown users. And, while annoying, did not warrant the response. I was amazed at how quickly Bungie's loyal fan community turned into a spitting, venomous monster expecting Bungie and Xbox Live to react at inhuman speed to an unforeseen problem.

Some people just don't get that these game companies employ humans, not robots.

TLHeart

on Jun 03, 2007

A great journal, and a good insight into why I enjoy playing your game so much.

Now dealing with the angry public who thinks just because they have some machine, that they should have NO problems with any game, is just naive.

Dealing with the public day in and day out in the service industry, a pattern emerged on the angry customer who thinks the loud obnoxious attitude gets the results they want. Most of the angry customers are setting in a dead end job, one they really did not want, but took, and now are in debt, and can not get motivated to change their own lives, so they take it out on everyone else. You will usually find this angry person setting in a cubicle, or in the corner of a wharehouse, complaining about their crap wages, their crap boss, and how the company owes them so much for working so hard, while they surf the internet on company time, instead of being a productive employee.

Most of the posts that critize the game are from people who actually do not understand how computers work, and what a program does. I play your betas, and I rarely have anything constructive to add, as I have so few problems with your game.

Some day I would LOVE to play GCII at 60 frames. for now I enjoy playing at 10 frames.

One happy employee, in a job I love, who deals with hateful, disrespectful people everyday who think being rude and crude will get them what they think they want.

Thank you stardock for taking up so much of my free time

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