Can we get a soundbite from Max or Charlie on their response to Valve releasing their new SteamWorks SDK, namely on the possiblities it might hold for NS2 in terms of:
- matchmaking (a hot topic for the community of late)
- publishing and anti-piracy
- internal alpha/beta testing and public beta testing
- VAC (Valve anti-cheat)
- pre-loading (i.e. digital pre-order sales)
Your thoughts?
Full Version: Steamworks SDK released
Seeing as they are using the Steam service to distribute the game, they will have access to all of these tools regardless of the steamworks service. The steamworks service is meant for people not distributing on steam to still have access to all of this functionality. So I am guessing:
- publishing (not actually part of steamworks, this requires a contract with valve whereas steamworks is free)
- testing
- VAC
- pre-load
Will all for sure be part of the game as it's part of their distribution package
As for matchmaking, no idea.
- publishing (not actually part of steamworks, this requires a contract with valve whereas steamworks is free)
- testing
- VAC
- pre-load
Will all for sure be part of the game as it's part of their distribution package
As for matchmaking, no idea.
QUOTE(Crispy @ May 2 2008, 06:52 AM) 
Can we get a soundbite from Max or Charlie on their response to Valve releasing their new SteamWorks SDK, namely on the possiblities it might hold for NS2 in terms of:
- matchmaking (a hot topic for the community of late)
- publishing and anti-piracy
- internal alpha/beta testing and public beta testing
- VAC (Valve anti-cheat)
- pre-loading (i.e. digital pre-order sales)
Your thoughts?
- matchmaking (a hot topic for the community of late)
- publishing and anti-piracy
- internal alpha/beta testing and public beta testing
- VAC (Valve anti-cheat)
- pre-loading (i.e. digital pre-order sales)
Your thoughts?
I thought you said the matchmaking in the steamworks site was a lobby?
QUOTE(Crispy @ Mar 28 2008, 09:56 AM)
Not trying to be snide or anything, has this changed?
QUOTE(locallyunscene @ May 2 2008, 03:01 PM)
I thought you said the matchmaking in the steamworks site was a lobby?
Not trying to be snide or anything, has this changed?
It seems like it's basically just a way to describe the fact that the server list has filters (big woo!) and with an integrated Friends list. Other than that, I haven't seen anything to indicate otherwise. But, I am wondering if Valve give any support for combining the persistent stats package with the server filters. This would create quite a powerful matchmaking facility.Not trying to be snide or anything, has this changed?
Pity the two questions I was most interested in haven't really been considered judging by the podcast (matchmaking and invitational testing).
On the topic of matchmaking, see the above post. But I can understand how that would (and should) take a backseat to core development.
On the topic of Beta Testing, I was hoping for a bit more. See, the way I look at it, Steamworks allows you to do exactly what Valve does (invitational 'virgin testing'), but without having to cover the cost of flights and so on.
With Steam you can distribute a version of the game so it can only be played by a given Steam account and for a limited amount of time. It's clear that NS2 will need a LOT of testing on it, and it's clearer still that UWE doesn't have the budget to hire a dedicated testing team (20 testers+) for the 2 months minimum full-time testing it will take to test a game like this to a shippable state. This becomes even more important if you are only going to have a few maps ship with the game: these need to be incredibly well balanced if NS2 hopes to keep interest with a short mapcycle.
So, why not go the route that TF2 took with a Steam Beta? You could even do invitational private Betas, in the same way you've handled the NS2TR Alpha. Zero cost, maximum results.
On the topic of matchmaking, see the above post. But I can understand how that would (and should) take a backseat to core development.
On the topic of Beta Testing, I was hoping for a bit more. See, the way I look at it, Steamworks allows you to do exactly what Valve does (invitational 'virgin testing'), but without having to cover the cost of flights and so on.
With Steam you can distribute a version of the game so it can only be played by a given Steam account and for a limited amount of time. It's clear that NS2 will need a LOT of testing on it, and it's clearer still that UWE doesn't have the budget to hire a dedicated testing team (20 testers+) for the 2 months minimum full-time testing it will take to test a game like this to a shippable state. This becomes even more important if you are only going to have a few maps ship with the game: these need to be incredibly well balanced if NS2 hopes to keep interest with a short mapcycle.
So, why not go the route that TF2 took with a Steam Beta? You could even do invitational private Betas, in the same way you've handled the NS2TR Alpha. Zero cost, maximum results.
QUOTE(Crispy @ May 4 2008, 08:05 AM)
Pity the two questions I was most interested in haven't really been considered judging by the podcast (matchmaking and invitational testing).
On the topic of matchmaking, see the above post. But I can understand how that would (and should) take a backseat to core development.
On the topic of Beta Testing, I was hoping for a bit more. See, the way I look at it, Steamworks allows you to do exactly what Valve does (invitational 'virgin testing'), but without having to cover the cost of flights and so on.
With Steam you can distribute a version of the game so it can only be played by a given Steam account and for a limited amount of time. It's clear that NS2 will need a LOT of testing on it, and it's clearer still that UWE doesn't have the budget to hire a dedicated testing team (20 testers+) for the 2 months minimum full-time testing it will take to test a game like this to a shippable state. This becomes even more important if you are only going to have a few maps ship with the game: these need to be incredibly well balanced if NS2 hopes to keep interest with a short mapcycle.
So, why not go the route that TF2 took with a Steam Beta? You could even do invitational private Betas, in the same way you've handled the NS2TR Alpha. Zero cost, maximum results.
On the topic of matchmaking, see the above post. But I can understand how that would (and should) take a backseat to core development.
On the topic of Beta Testing, I was hoping for a bit more. See, the way I look at it, Steamworks allows you to do exactly what Valve does (invitational 'virgin testing'), but without having to cover the cost of flights and so on.
With Steam you can distribute a version of the game so it can only be played by a given Steam account and for a limited amount of time. It's clear that NS2 will need a LOT of testing on it, and it's clearer still that UWE doesn't have the budget to hire a dedicated testing team (20 testers+) for the 2 months minimum full-time testing it will take to test a game like this to a shippable state. This becomes even more important if you are only going to have a few maps ship with the game: these need to be incredibly well balanced if NS2 hopes to keep interest with a short mapcycle.
So, why not go the route that TF2 took with a Steam Beta? You could even do invitational private Betas, in the same way you've handled the NS2TR Alpha. Zero cost, maximum results.
I have a feeling the reason they haven't really thought about it is that they're not near a point where they can beta/alpha test. I wouldn't be surprised if they did take advantage of this at some point in the future. It's possible they would just try and pool applicants from their local area since they're in such a development hotspot, but I'd say it's entirely likely they'd do both.
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