Previously on FS
All events take place in real time...
Following my last entry, there were a few comments along the lines of "we don't care about sandwiches, we want to know what is happening behind the scenes!" Well today is your lucky day. You want behind the scenes? You've got it. As I write this our office manager is currently running around fixing the net connection to our building. Which just goes to show that you can be a nice and shiny internet company with the best technology available, but there are times when you are still at the mercy of third party net providers.
Anyway, it gives me some time to catch you up on what has been happening here in the last week or so.
What a mad couple of weeks it has been. We all knew that this was going to be a huge patch, not just in terms of data size, but the sheer importance of the content. PMCs alone were bound to have a huge impact on the game, but subscriptions were included as well. On top of that there were a whole heap of game mechanic changes which were addressing many of the issues which have been discussed at length on the forums.
Great Expectations
Understandably, there was a huge amount riding on this patch, not only from us as developers, but in terms of expectation from you guys. The previous week, I was able to release a bunch of information on what was coming and the reaction on the forums was excellent, much to our extreme relief. It's always nice to know that the patch you've spent month working on is actually giving the players what they want.
The days since have largely been filled with everyone getting used to the changes. On Monday I had my weekly meeting with the dev chaps and we went over the feedback you guys have been giving on the forums. I spent a huge amount of time leading up to that collating the feedback from various sources and doing my best to categorise it. The response was great, with Steve B and Adam C both eating up the feedback and working out where to go from there based on that. There were some awesome ideas put forward which they have leapt on. Now it is just a case of seeing what is possible and when it can be done.
Next week will be a biggy. We're working out the plan for the next few months in terms of development and the like. On the Monday I'll be going in and presenting all of the feedback, suggestions, complaints and comments that you guys have been passing our way for the last few months. We'll be discussing your reactions to the patch, what worked, what needs further work and so on.
Big items on the agenda will be the further development of PMCs, including leagues, localisation into new territories, changes to the match finder, balancing issues and general game mechanic reviews, including (dare I say it) the use of TAB in game.:@
Dev team win shocker!
In other news, I would like to extend a big thank you to the Guardian Angel crew who helped us out with a game demonstration last Wednesday night. We were showing off the game to some business partners with an eleven a side match. Somehow, we're not quite sure how, but the dev team won.
I know! We were as shocked as you.
I suspect that GA were being easy on us, but for the sake of the CS team's egos, I will put it down to excellent game play and superb teamwork. Yep, that's what it was. It may also have had something to do with me dropping out at the last minute to make way for more experienced players. One less noob to drag them down.:(
/Win
The next morning I had call from TMB letting me know that the new PC Zone was in the shops, so I detoured from my usual route to work (no croissant and coffee for me) to pick it up. It's an extra special issue this month as we are in it! Not only in it, but on the disk to boot! Huzzah! We have a double page spread on the inside with the game client included on the cover disk. As I write, we are already seeing a mahoosive upsurge in registrations, so we expect very good things to come from this.
You can expect to see more from us in the press over the coming weeks and months, both online and on the shelves. We'll be sure to keep you updated so can continue adding to your FS scrapbook.
Community Happenings
So what is happening on the community right now? Well, the first of the PMC leagues has been announced. We're really looking forward to this as it is one of the best parts of the PMC feature. Thamightyboro is weaving his magic around this while I sort prizes out.
I'm also at a stage where I'll be able to get some regular community news going out. I'll be using this to keep everyone informed on what is happening within the community on a regular basis, so keep your eyes peeled.
At the same time I am working on a couple of fun things regarding third party sites as well as getting some updated dev diaries on the go. If there is anything you are desperate to ask the dev team, or indeed any member of the CS crew, about then drop me a PM on the forums and I'll break out the thumbscrews. More news on this to follow.
OK, that's your lot from me for now. I'm off for some grub and to get a practice game in. Lord knows I need it.
