Longer development

[Thedebe48]

....I am thinking why players need to wait half year, till Giants get this game fixed? This time it took almost 6 month to get bugs fixed
and machinery added as mods what was missing from base game...

...Giants needs to not listen the Focus Home too much and release the game when it is ready,...

At this point, a fundamentally new approach is in order. On console, FS19 is eerily comparable to FS15 with previous generation consoles with its limitations. I don't need to hear the "switch to PC" chatter. If half the sales come from console, it should perform there. Giants needs to top playing to one audience and expect funding from another. Be decisive, genuine, forthcoming and self-reliant. This far, the approach seems to be "keep quiet and all will be okay". All hype when a new release is coming and dead silence afterwards.

^^^^This. Thank you. Could not have said it any better.

[malachi6]

I have no idea of the costs, resources, skills and techniques involved in games development. I have no idea of the pressure applied by the publisher. I have no idea of the financial pressure of having to make money for stakeholders, publishers and shareholders.

For me to assert that a specific time period is required to develop the game is to ignore all of my ignorance. Do I wish the game were better developed? Yes. Do I know how to go about that?. No. Your poll is moot to me as there is no, I do not know option.

[PrincessJessi84]

that's the smartest response ive seen on here in ages.. GG malachi6

[wombles]

I have no idea of the costs, resources, skills and techniques involved in games development. I have no idea of the pressure applied by the publisher. I have no idea of the financial pressure of having to make money for stakeholders, publishers and shareholders.

For me to assert that a specific time period is required to develop the game is to ignore all of my ignorance. Do I wish the game were better developed? Yes. Do I know how to go about that?. No. Your poll is moot to me as there is no, I do not know option.

They release the game every two years, and you have said you wish for a better developed game, so two years isn't cutting it. So the poll isn't moot for you, you could have answered any choice from three up, to give more time for better developed game.

[Shuffy]

3 years seems about right its about 2 years into the game that the modders bring out the magic .. then the next game comes out and they have to do it all again .. i just hope they dont re-do the whole engine again for 21 ... just make it better ... the new engine is awesome the new fx are great ... just hope they continue to improve it ... also as said above ... the devs only no this answer really .. i mean can we really argue with there plans ... they always work .. and never fail ...

[fenixguy]

As long as people keep pre-ordering unfinished products, paying to be testers, getting "hyped" for a new game cover or color of virtual tractor, "working around" bugs, relying on mods to "complete" the game, etc... there will not be any change in the development of FS.

This is true for the industry as a whole, not just FS.

I do wonder though, if Giants moved to a longer development cycle, would we be happier buying new content for the current game through DLCs to keep their cashflow up? Because if they're selling half as many games (4 year cycle vs 2), they're either going to have to sell a lot more DLCs or downsize.

[michele1048]

Hi, I agree in the future never

[Miketeg]

What about developing concept such as SCS software uses for the development of ETS2/ATS ? They are constantly developing, improving, addding new features. You buy base game, they keep updating it in lets say 3-5 moths periods. And finance they companies with different DLCs and expansions.

SCS is the best gaming company, period.

They have one of the best support forum, they listen to their player and they are really active on social platform.

They took the perfect direction by developping a game that can be improved for YEARS and decade!

This is how they made their name, but they are the only one using this strategy !

[theMavric]

SCS is the best gaming company, period.

They have one of the best support forum, they listen to their player and they are really active on social platform.

They took the perfect direction by developping a game that can be improved for YEARS and decade!

This is how they made their name, but they are the only one using this strategy !

Tell them to make a farming game.

[fenixguy]

They took the perfect direction by developping a game that can be improved for YEARS and decade!

This is how they made their name, but they are the only one using this strategy !

*cough* Kerbal Space Program *cough*

[Tomazius96]

What about developing concept such as SCS software uses for the development of ETS2/ATS ? They are constantly developing, improving, addding new features. You buy base game, they keep updating it in lets say 3-5 moths periods. And finance they companies with different DLCs and expansions.

SCS is the best gaming company, period.

They have one of the best support forum, they listen to their player and they are really active on social platform.

They took the perfect direction by developping a game that can be improved for YEARS and decade!

This is how they made their name, but they are the only one using this strategy !

Agree! They approach to developing is really unique but effective. I think such approach fits more to the simulation games and Giants should definetly look in such options (if Focus would let them do that though, thats antoher question).
As I said it would be way more player and specially modder friendly. Current dev. periods are too short for sure, no real time to bring something new to the game other than revised graphics and new machines.

[redglasses]

3 years seems about right its about 2 years into the game that the modders bring out the magic .. then the next game comes out and they have to do it all again .. i just hope they dont re-do the whole engine again for 21 ... just make it better ... the new engine is awesome the new fx are great ... just hope they continue to improve it ... also as said above ... the devs only no this answer really .. i mean can we really argue with there plans ... they always work .. and never fail ...

They didn’t make a new game engine, they simply patched it. At this point they’re just putting bandages on a gunshot wound.

[malachi6]

I have no idea of the costs, resources, skills and techniques involved in games development. I have no idea of the pressure applied by the publisher. I have no idea of the financial pressure of having to make money for stakeholders, publishers and shareholders.

For me to assert that a specific time period is required to develop the game is to ignore all of my ignorance. Do I wish the game were better developed? Yes. Do I know how to go about that?. No. Your poll is moot to me as there is no, I do not know option.

They release the game every two years, and you have said you wish for a better developed game, so two years isn't cutting it. So the poll isn't moot for you, you could have answered any choice from three up, to give more time for better developed game.

Congratulations on missing my point. Could another solution be to remove the pressure from the publisher? What about a new lead designer? What about better technical resources? What about throwing more money at the problem or more people?

If the issue is more systemic than how much time they have to develop the game. Throwing time at it while being a possible solution may not be the correct one. Given I have clearly stated I have no idea of the issues involved. Stating adding time would be a solution, would be an obvious post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. I.E. A false correlation.

The poll lacks validity as it makes an assumption that time is a solution and does not give me the option to say I do not know.

[livesea72]

What about developing concept such as SCS software uses for the development of ETS2/ATS ? They are constantly developing, improving, addding new features. You buy base game, they keep updating it in lets say 3-5 moths periods. And finance they companies with different DLCs and expansions.

I kind of wish Giants would take such approach to developing. Its more modder and user firendly. That way you dont end up, with useless version of mods and FS every 2 years. They could do whole bunch of updates and DLCs (like South American DLC, or Australia DLC, or SugarCane DLC, John Deere DLC, AGCO DLC, Placables DLC, USA style DLCs etc.) ž
I wouldnt mind paying few more bucks for a solid base game that gets constantly improved.

Just a thought? Whats your view on this guys ?

Thats bordering a live service game (Minus the always online requirement ) which in recent memory hasn't faired too well. We could be waiting months for updates and patches (OOPS) and giants would potentially get overwelmed possibility asking focus for help in getting content out in timly manner.

[SGOrcs]

We would need to know actual current development timelines.
I doubt that it is anywhere near 2 years of actual dev work, it probably even less than a year