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[Footkerchief]

e: nm

[Capntastic]

While more self-control and sticking to tight goal markers would be awesome, I'm content with viewing DF as a game that has a new version come out about once a year.   Obviously, more reliable release dates would be better for the project/community/creator symbiosis as a whole.  But we have little control over that.

[magistrate101]

I wonder if it doesn't actually make more sense to program all the features first and fix problems/interfaces later.

Honestly, I'd like to have the features first, and the fixes later, but I suppose that's a preference, and the fact that I hardly ever come across a bug, even reproducing them is hard... But I suppose my methods of trying NOT to break anything helps... Or not, depends on the views of the dorfs...

[Mike Mayday]

Magistrate, so you don't use crossbowdorves?

[powell]

Waiting is perfectly fine, I didn't have a problem with the 2010 wait.  Although I do have a problem when reading the dev blog, and then being unable to play because I keep thinking about the new version.

[vassock]

I prefer occasional complete updates rather than frequent incomplete ones with bugs followed by 3-4 updates fixing said game-breaking bugs.

[Footkerchief]

I prefer occasional complete updates rather than frequent incomplete ones with bugs followed by 3-4 updates fixing said game-breaking bugs.

DF releases don't work like that.

The "frequent incomplete" releases preceding this release cycle generally required one (1) followup release, not 3-4, and that release came within a couple days.  In contrast, the 31.01 release required months of followup work -- 31.02 through 31.12 (July 25, almost 4 months later) all had fixes for game-breaking crashes (with the exception of 31.04, which integrated the 40d* rendering updates).  19-month release cycle => 4 months of bugfixing.

32a (the first 3D release) followed a similar pattern -- it was followed by 6 bugfix releases over almost 2 months.  9.5 months of work => 2 months of bugfixing.  Actually, that's more than similar -- it's almost exactly the same ratio, 1 month of bugfixing for every 4.75 months of work.

So, to follow up on my earlier prediction of a Jan 23 release, I'm predicting about 2.2 months of bugfixing after that, putting us right back at April 1st for a reasonably playable version.

"Occasional complete releases" don't happen in DF.  A longer release cycle means a longer bugfix cycle, no getting around it.

[Organum]

putting us right back at April 1st for a reasonably playable version.

We're lucky Toady isn't as cruel as some of the people who play his game. At least if he ends up releasing a clean version on that date, we'll know he isn't just joking.

[cephalo]

Personally, I think we benefit from long periods of version stability. 40d had all kinds of cool utilities and massive forts built during that era. The rapid fire versions we had from 31.01 to 31.25 made it hard to see a large fort to its end. I've gotten more fun out of this 31.25 stretch.

[YetAnotherStupidDorf]

But in the specific case of Dwarf Fortress, I wonder if it doesn't actually make more sense to program all the features first and fix problems/interfaces later.

No, just... no. Trust me on this one.

[Genoraven]

In that situation you would have problems built on problems. Which would cause more problems. It would make it nearly impossible to fix bugs. it would be like a workshop cluttered with a million items.

[hiho216]

Look at this game as a work of art.  Of course he's doing it for us, but he's mostly doing it cause he likes doing it.  There is a reason he is the only developer working on it.  If he gets inspired with a feature, then he's gonna put it in regardless of when we want the scheduled stuff.  I would love another release, as I haven't played the current version of DF in several months now, but I don't mind taking breaks when I'm satisfied with what I've done with the new releases.  In the meanwhile, I just lurk on the forums and check out the cool stuff everyone else is doing.

Toady is gonna do his thang the way he wants.  We're just gonna have to live with it.

[King DZA]

Not that it's a bad thing, though.

It's obvious that he puts a large amount of time and effort into DF, then allows anyone to experience it free of any cost whatsoever, and even takes what other people would enjoy into consideration, when he could simply go, "it's my game, and I'll do whatever the hell I want with it".

It wouldn't be fair if he didn't get to build it how he wanted.

[JJtoocool]

Toady gave us Dwarf Fortress. Whatever is easier/funner/less fun/preferable/best for him is alright with me.

[tolkafox]

Honestly? I don't miss it at all, I actually missed the 31.18 update entirely because I hadn't checked the site in three days. I heard geese were laying iron chairs in that update too :/

Downloading DF more than once a month is kind of annoying, and I'm sure it's annoying for the developers of those DF utilities that we love. If I can get 10-15 'rapid' updates in one big update I would be ecstatic. Those of you who dislike suspense can remain content, and if you tantrum I'll have my militia commander beat your head in with his iron crossbow.