#day 1 patch

[askagamedev]

There’s a lot of noise online about live service games being detrimental to the quality of games, such as initial launches being bug ridden and with incomplete features. Is there any truth to this last statement? And are the spending patterns reflecting the idea that people are dissatisfied with this model of monetization?

I think that it is true that initial launches are indeed more bug ridden today than they were before day 1 patches were possible, but the reason for this is much less nefarious than most are imagining. I was already working in games before that big change happened and I saw what happened from the inside.

Before we could patch, producers would cut content and features much more mercilessly because we lacked the time to finish that content properly and still pass certification. We couldn't ever modify or add stuff to the disc or cartridge, so we had to make sure that what went out was the most stable thing we could. Stability was more important than scope, so we'd see stuff get cut near the end all the time. There were a lot of features and content that players never saw because we couldn't get them polished and stable before the game had to ship. If we were lucky we managed to save some of it for expansion packs but most of it never saw the light of day. The last few weeks of the project were mostly wasted sitting around and waiting because we couldn't ever risk making any changes that weren't addressing cert-blocking bugs and we would mostly wait around to find out if cert had gone through.

Back then, the burned and duplicated disk sent to retailers was the final pencils-down-step-away moment. The gold master is what got used to duplicate all of the discs and we couldn't make a new one. Further, all of those duplicated disks out in the wild would forever hold the "final" version of the game, bugs and all. The only way a new version was possible was another print run, and that only occurred in very rare cases where the entire first print run sold out and there was enough demand to print a second run... and the publisher felt it was worth going through certification a second time.

With the advent of internet-connected game consoles and networks, we got the ability to push out post-launch patches including day 1 content updates. With the ability to patch came the potential to finish some of that nearly-complete content that we used to have to cut for stability purposes. Instead of focusing on stability, we could actually push fixes later and fit more content into our releases. This meant that we could also shift people to work on post-launch content, rather than simply sitting around and doing nothing while waiting for cert results. We could fix bugs and work on new content and features during that time and we could leverage all the expertise and experience we had earned in the years of development up to that point.

To summarize - in the olden days, we had to cut a lot more content and features that were close to being finished because we needed to go pencils-down for certification. Today, we can continue working on content that would have been cut because we can patch fixes into the game. This results in overall buggier content and features on average at launch but it also results in significantly more content and features on average at launch than before.

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[saphizzle]

Madripoor doodles :)) so weak for these designs, they should kiss

[saltedsnailstudio]

ever more banners, doilies, brooches, bits-n-bobs

linocut prints on fabric, wool felt, dowels, twine, thread, vintage doilies, and various fabric scraps

[jajatoc]

Lacrima and Radahn as 1.0 intended

[venacoeurva]

Man the remake is kind of an unoptimized mess huh

I mean I know it's a UE game and a modern game and neither of those help in the stability department, but I just love how freezing/crashing trying to leave the sewers is a massive problem too many people are having and optimizations are happening via fans and not official patches atm bc the game is unplayable otherwise (or still not at all) <3<3<3

I'm playing it on a Lenovo Legion 5 with RAM upgraded to 32gb and it actually runs well on higher settings (I thought it was gonna chug but I stand corrected) UNTIL you try to leave, then the load screens are where the issues are with me. Screen tearing is abysmal if you don't use v-sync too

I want a refund it's so bad and I didn't even pay anything

[glittergoats]

I can't believe they killed Zato again

[the-rouxls-kaard-official]

[andrevasims]

I mean my posts are still there so you can see that I did previously say I thought it would not be likely that EA would re-release TS1, especially not TS2

But that was based on the foundational idea that it would require a decent amount of time and effort to re-release those games with any form of quality, let alone actual functionality...

If you remove that condition, then anything is possible lmao

[whitepoppyflower]

Day 1: soulmates

Qui leaning on heart and heart trying up tamarack hair mostly what me and friends would do:3

(sorry won't be coloring or digital just drawing on paper school back so I become busy more than ever ;w; but glad I had free time one of my subject to draw this)

[kayoshibe]

same

[lipglossanon]

Pumpkin Patch

stepbro!Leon S. Kennedy fem!reader - SFW

Warnings: stepcest, cute and fluffy moment with Leon 🤭

not proofread ✌️

"If I hear pumpkin spice one more time, l'm going to scream."

You fight down the smile on your face but Leon still notices and squints at you. 

“Don’t.”

“Pumpki—“

He claps his hand over your mouth muffling the rest and making you giggle against his palm. 

“Now now you two, no horseplay,” your mom chides as she shades her eyes to look around for your stepdad. 

“You know where to find us?” she asks turning in time to catch Leon yanking his hand back with a disgusted face as he wipes his palm on his jeans. 

“Real mature,” he rolls his eyes as you shrug. 

“You put it there.”

“Kids,” your mom clears her throat with a huff, “I asked you—“

“Yep,” you smile brightly at her, adjusting your coat, “we’ll find you guys once we’ve picked out our pumpkin.”

She sighs but smiles back, “Yes, well you have fun and remember—“

“No horseplay,” you all three say at the same time. 

You and Leon share a grin as she turns her back to you both, muttering under her breath as she walks over to your stepdad near the vegetable stand. 

“So princess, what’s the goal?” Leon smirks at you as he throws his arm over your shoulders. 

Instead of annoying you like it usually does, you relax into his side, soaking up his body heat to combat the chilled afternoon air. 

“We’re off to find the best pumpkin, duh,” you pat his chest, “you’re talking to an expert.”

“Oh am I?”

You roll your eyes at his snarky tone but preen to yourself when he keeps his arm wrapped around you as you both walk further into the farmstead, making your way over to the rather large pumpkin patch. 

The place is pretty busy, families and couples mingling and calling out to each other, pushing wheelbarrows laden down with pumpkins past you and Leon as you make your way down the rows. It smells like fresh dirt and growing things, making you breathe deep even though the cold air stings your lungs. 

You both walk in comforting silence as you take in everything. Even though there’s a ton of people there’s also twice as many pumpkins, so you don’t feel rushed in finding one. The people running the place have dotted corn stalks and scarecrows all along the patch and strung up cute pumpkin shaped lights to add to the festive look. 

“How about this one?” Leon pauses and pulls away from you to bend down and roll a warty looking pumpkin right side up. 

“What? No!” you shake your head, “that one’s terrible for carving.”

Leon tosses the fringe from his eyes as he stands up, “And why is that? Doesn’t this one look Halloweenie?”

“Nope,” you pop the p extra loud, “we need one that’s smooth on one side but sturdy on bottom. Oh! And with a good stem.”

Nodding to yourself as he rolls his eyes at you, you scout the area before grabbing Leon’s hand and pulling him along. 

“This one!”

You let go of his hand and kneel next to the bright orange gourd, “It’s perfect.”

You look back up at Leon with pouty lips, “Will you carry it for me?”

“That?” he scoffs rolling his eyes, but you don’t miss the way a blush dusts the bridge of his nose, “why should I?”

“Because you’re nice like that?”

He shakes his head, “Just get a wheelbarrow.”

“But I don’t wanna,” you whine, standing up.

You step in front of him, clasped hands resting on his chest as you make the saddest face possible, “Pretty, pretty please with sugar on top.”

He glares down at you but you don’t move. 

Finally with a put upon sigh, he pushes you back, “Fine, but you owe me.”

You laugh and wave him off, “Okay, okay.”

He crouches down and lifts up the pumpkin with a huff, “Please tell me I don’t have to lug this around the rest of the afternoon.”

“Of course not,” you roll your eyes as you  wrap your hand around his bicep to help guide him, “just until after we get some hot cider.”

divider: @firefly-graphics

[corvuscorona]

Gravity

( EXPLICIT | No Warnings Apply | 1/1 chapter | 11394 words )

Since this courtship's beginning, Astos has learned a thing or two about Jack's preferences—and though his preference for Astos has resurfaced only very slowly, since the first reset they've been forced to endure, and though Astos has spent every moment of that long wait suffering, all the time apart has given him the opportunity to plan ahead.

April 1st really should be 🃏 International Jackstos Day 💖, right? I'm serious. This fic is serious; I am not playing around here. I'm frolicking with wild abandon sure but that's not the same thing!!!

Rated E for Earthly. The tags on this one are pretty simplistic, which may cause you to wonder: why and how 11k of words? To which I would answer: there is a model of excruciating detail in my mind's eye regarding the Jackstos Interpersonal Relationship Progression Over Time, and for reasons that I could (but will not) get into, it is best delivered to you interwoven with. ssssssssome stuff.

Happy April Fools(-In-Love)!! 💜✨

🌟 [ Keeper ] 🌟 [ Coherence ] 🌟 [ Mortification ] 🌟 [ Asking for More ] 🌟 🌟 [ Standing Comment Exchange ] 🌟 [ 250+ posts about this stuff ] 🌟

I mention this in the endnote, too, but: this fic has existed in some form or another since November of 2023 (less than a month after I witnessed the end of the video game). Isn't that amazing. I experienced Stranger of Paradise, got possessed (oneshot demon), got possessed (monstrous longfic demon), got possessed (AFM) & got possessed (this) within, like, a couple of weeks? I think? My first draft of Keeper is from like a month and a half later, also.

Always keep Jackstos in your heart, mind, & processing vortex. I hope you have an excellent Them Day, & I hope you enjoy my new this!

[satancopilotsmytardis]

I’ve never felt so spoiled in my life let alone with fics, you’re such a hard worker tanco ily❤️❤️

Thanks! Honestly, I've felt spoiled with how wonderful it is to have people so excited about my writing that I've had things in my queue for the past few months! I'm very grateful that I've been able to create so much so far this year! I'm nearly done with my sister's birthday present and my mom's is smaller than I thought it would be, so hopefully I'll be able to free up some more time to pick back up some of my WIPS for AO3 soon! I'm already a chapter and a half into the new season of TAOCPBS and I've started on chapter 3 of Turn It All, to say nothing of the MANY one-shot WIPs that have been sitting in my docs for the past few months.

[idiotsonlyevent]

trying to determine everyone's ages has me feeling like i'm on an archeological digsite

[fatuismooches]

Response to you 🥝 anon (keeping your ask in my inbox forever so i can keep reading it) - I WAS WAITING AND EXCITED FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT CAPITANO!!!!!!! (ALSO DON'T APOLOGIZE!! IM GLAD UR OKAY!!! i remember i was checking my notifs to see if u liked my posts yet😭😭 all that matters is your health and taking care of yourself *hugs* !! <3)

ALSO. I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE CAPITANO'S HANDS GET BIGGER WHEN HE USES HIS POWERS?? THAT'S SO COOL. i also think he could be a dragon from Natlan 🤔 it could fit in with why he's insistent on taking the gnosis outside of the fatui business. (Natlan AQ spoilers UTC)

THE IMPACT FRAME AGAINST HER WAS EVERYTHING. like... damn. literally no other words to describe it. damn... i love him fr. the fight scene was SO GOOD. AND THE FLYING <333 idek where or how that came from but YA!!! capi flying while carrying you is way too cute 😔😔❤️❤️ (him confused of why you're scared because he's NOT going to drop you) I also adore his long luscious hair <3 i need to know his hair routine!!! AND HIS BIG COAT!! PERFECT FOR CUDDLES!!

ALSO IM GLAD U LIKED THE FOX/PUFFTTORE FIC!! 🫶🫶 they are currently swarming you with cuddles as we speak!! ALSO YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY... FOXTTORE AND THE PUFFLINGS DON'T GET DELETED SINCE THEY'RE NOT SEGMENTS!! THEY LIVE!!!!!

[myreia]

✦ D R A G O O N

Her lance burns bright, crackling with magic, and she plummets from the sky. Estinien and Aymeric were the first to notice her movements in combat, noting a physicality not often attributed to black mages. The years she spent in Coerthas were spent honing new techniques, following new pursuits, transforming into someone else. Though she will not admit it, the weapon is intrinsically caught up in her relationship with the Lord Commander, forever connected to her time in Ishgard. She came to the city an exiled mage and left a dragoon. —level 90 compendium