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[Capntastic]

I criticize very visible negligence of bugs by Toady.

No one cares this is a Christmas Fun Thread.   This isn't the place to air your venom.

[Ale and Axes]

+1

Anyway, I already know what Toady's Christmas present to me will be: mounds of elf corpses rotting in my refuse pile. 

[Unnoskol]

Elf corpses notwithstanding, as long as updates keep coming, and Toady doesn't get tired of making updates, I'll be happy.

[scriver]

Even if it would be fitting, I understand if Toady isn't able to finish the next release in time for Christmas. However, if Threetoe does not churn out a Christmas story for us, I'll be very disappointed. I mean, a caravan-tale in Santa-time? Doesn't get more fitting.

[Musashi]

Negligence of bugs? Sure, must be easy dealing with bugs when you're the only developer, it's not like thousands of programmer teams who are paid to do exactly this never took more than a couple months to fix benign bugs.

Anyway. I don't care if Toady updates in time for Christmas, however, all I hope is that the next releases comes before the fall of my current fortress and that it includes more fun stuff. Can't celebrate properly, there's apparently no elf in my world. Alas!

[G-Flex]

I criticize very visible negligence of bugs by Toady.

No one cares this is a Christmas Fun Thread.   This isn't the place to air your venom.

Yes, we do care, and this thread is about trying to get Toady to rush a release, which isn't conducive to good practices here. madciol's complaints are fairly reasonable and relevant to a thread about when Toady will/won't release feature updates, and I think you're being unnecessarily vitriolic with your kneejerk reaction to it.

Negligence of bugs? Sure, must be easy dealing with bugs when you're the only developer, it's not like thousands of programmer teams who are paid to do exactly this never took more than a couple months to fix benign bugs.

I'm going to be perfectly honest here: My problem is that Toady works on implementing new features before making sure the recently-implemented features work. Many things about combat, creatures, and so forth are buggy or otherwise seriously flawed/broken (not to mention lingering military/healthcare bugs and that sort of thing), but he's pushing on nonetheless to develop new features. To me (and programmers I've spoken to), the more reasonable thing to do after you implement a set of features is to clean them up to the best of your ability before moving on. I understand that Toady does need to wait on user feedback for much of this, but there are plenty of serious outstanding issues that are already well-known and documented. So really, it's less about how he should work faster/more, and more about prioritizing his time. This is my impression of the situation, at least, which good be flawed somehow.

This really is the one major thing preventing me from playing DF recently. Is it playable? Sure, why not, but the damage model still doesn't really make much sense in a lot of ways, creature bodies are still a bit messed up, and there are lingering usability bugs/problems with the military and hospitals and so forth, and it's significant enough to make me want to wait. My fear here is that this situation will never change, because new features will only get fixed up once there are other new features with serious problems during the development of even newer features than those.

[LoSboccacc]

oh please, this is a one man project, toady is never ever going to fix a bug on a section of the game which is going to have a major code rewrite!

it doesn't make any sense, and you and the programmer you've spoken should try to apply some logic instead of pursuing your pet pewee

combat bugs? there is the combat rewrite coming down in the near future, why spend a month on fixing combat bugs when a month could be used to move toward the rewrite?

there is the stockpile/restacking push, so no healthcare bugs related to piles right now

and then there is the custom workshop/room push, so no real gain in fixing healthcare bug right now

heck, why should toady spend a month fixing the current economy preventing bug when he's totally throwing off the economy code to write the brand new caravan arc?

there is no real gain in fixing this throwaway code which was added as a limited prototype in the first place.

now, toady is doing a great job of fixing game-breaking bugs, and I can concede that the actual meaning of 'game breaking' is debatable. from the point of 'working enough' I managed to fight countless battles, to operate tons of patients and even to survive the rot, so I'd say that combat and healtcare works.

but

if you want to debate what is and what is not game breaking, please go forth and open your thread, because this is not the thread about what breaks the game and what doesn't.

if you or your fellow programmer can't understand what a prototype is, please stick to 40d. this release was released 'for the brave' and not with any implied warranty of quality - pretty much the opposite: it was released as-is just because the forum pressure was exceedingly great, from people who wanted to play the latest and the greatest no matter the bugs.

now you have it: the latest and the greatest, so please, as you knew it, there is no much point in debating bugs. enjoy the features, and open your own thread if you think you have something important to say about what bug is or not game breaking.

and if your thread is ignored, please, don't take it as a personal crusade polluting other unrelated thread with useless complaining. it won't get you anywhere; instead stop and think: why my 'this xxx bug is game breaking and should be fixed now' thread is getting ignored?

hint: it's because we don't care.

[freeformschooler]

if you or your fellow programmer can't understand what a prototype is, please stick to 40d. this release was released 'for the brave' and not with any implied warranty of quality - pretty much the opposite: it was released as-is just because the forum pressure was exceedingly great, from people who wanted to play the latest and the greatest no matter the bugs.

Plus it's released entirely for free. Toady gives us free updates to a free PROTOTYPE of a probably also free game that will inevitably have bugs fixed, eventually, for free.
Either way there are a few issues with your post but you're spot on in some things. For example: I'm making a turn based strategy game, and I just got the tile logic sort of working. I also already had in an earlier bit of prototype code for moving characters around on the eventual grid that I just implemented. There are more likely way more bugs with the tile logic than there are for the prototype code, so do I go back and try to fix the prototype code with the probably buggy tile system? No, that would just create a headache and more bugs. I fix the tile logic to where it works, then I go back and fix the codependant prototype code to work with the tile logic that is already working. That way I can reasonably test out the bugs with moving characters and sprites around on the grid while feeling safe that I won't hit a snag on the tiles being displayed backwards suddenly, and have to shift over AGAIN to fixing the tile logic code. HEADACHES.
No, it's not the best way of programming. Toady does not necessarily use the best time organization for his pet project. But it works to an extent, it's playable to an extent.

Did I mention that everyone's getting all self entitled over a FREE prototype for a game?

PS: On topic, I like the idea of a Christmas Threetoe story. His stories are great.

[UnrealJake]

I don't mind, DF can be played on Christmas day and that's like a present so there!

If it is released in January, please be the 23rd. I would explode from hapiness.

[Rowanas]

The Great Toad should come to Britain for Christmas. Devon, specifically. Exeter, more specifically. That would give me a reason not to attend any christmas party, which would be the greatest gift of all.

[Sowelu]

I hope we get reindeer.

[Frosty_Dorf]

But arent the bugs not really bugs, but rather interesting features that make the game more challenging and unexpected?

[Urist Imiknorris]

Bugs are opportunites to cause unprecedented amounts of destruction.

[monk12]

Really don't care when he releases it but I demand that he makes us all a Christmas card.
I'll make him one in MS paint when I wake up.

I propose this thread become the MS Paint Christmas Fun Times Thread.

*Monk12 Works Furiously!*

[Durin Stronginthearm]

The Great Toad should come to Britain for Christmas. Devon, specifically. Exeter, more specifically. That would give me a reason not to attend any christmas party, which would be the greatest gift of all.

Or nearby Zummerzet, then he could visit Wookey Hole Caves and get some inspiration. Ello moi lovarrh...