0.9.12 Information and Incomplete Patch Notes (Updated)

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Axebane wrote:

People like Hilbert are the reason the devs don't normally release patch notes early.

They hop on the forums and use their mystical psychic powers to foresee the future and give useless feedback on a patch they haven't even played yet.

Chris asked for you guys to please wait until you actually play the patch before giving your feedback on it, but some people lack willpower and always think they know better than the developers. It's sad but true.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Being in a closed beta, even one as generous and productive as this one, can sometimes be a seriously double-edged sword of opportunity and disappointment.

On the one side, you get to be a part of something as it evolves, giving feedback and experiencing it before the 'public'. That's cool. That makes you feel special, and awesome, and generally creates a nice experience for someone who truly cares about a game even before it is 'released'.

But when the blade swings the other way, you come to see that most of your suggestions will be dismissed, a lot of ideas you think might be good are going to be countered, and occasionally ground into the dirt. Your vision of the game, both present and future, is not going to be what happens. This applies to everyone, as well: Chris Wilson doesn't always get his way either -- that much should be obvious! The other devs probably disagree at times, but that's part of the creative process. The ability to disagree and still come away with a product that they all find satisfactory is part of why they're making the game and we're not.

SO what makes a good beta tester? I'd say the definition starts somewhere near the idea of a person who is not afraid to put forward their opinion and argue it *to a logical extent* but is also aware of the necessity for compromise. Someone who can jump from build to build and does not get attached to any one type of play because it is entirely possible that type of play will need to be modified before release.

So that's the double-edge of being a beta tester. Yes, you get in early; yes, your voice counts...but unlike the public, you will have had the chance to see the game slide away from what YOU wanted; you might even be able to see the steps. That's when you need to decide: are these changes too great for me to linger? Should I try to fight them? Am I arguing for the game or for MY personal desires?

This happened with D3 for me, when the skill rune system changed. Instead of putting up a fight (I didn't feel as though there was any fight to put up, really), I just walked away. I wasn't prepared to hope for change and I didn't think this simplified skill system was something that I'd want to play. I held no illusion that D3 would fail because of this change, of course, so while MY idea of a better D3 would have included the original skill rune system, the actual D3 would not. That was that.

With PoE, well...my post count alone should attest to how often I've not simply walked away, because GGG make it clear that the fight is worth fighting. I don't often win personally, but I think the game wins everytime a good suggestion (mine or anyone else's) is taken up, and it's certainly not losing when a not-so-good one isn't.

I think if a person is not prepared to deal with the changes within a beta rationally, they should simply bow out of the beta process and wait for the 'release.' Then they'll have far less 'opportunity' to change the game, far less room for disappointment too. All they will know is what is, and the what-may-have-beens will not be their problem.

Ignorance is bliss? Sometimes, yes, it really is.

This is the contract we all signed when we joined the closed beta: our feedback is appreciated. It is not guaranteed to go any further than that. We are here to attempt to make PoE as good as it possibly can be. That might mean, like it or not, the reduction in power of our 'favourite' builds.

Oh, and while I say 'contract', any of us can walk at any time.

If a person stops caring about the game overall, if something fundamental happens at the structural level (again: skill rune change to D3), then that's fine. Farewell, best of luck to you. What is, is.

If a person leaves over a change to one particular build, however, then I'd raise an eyebrow and wonder why that person was in a closed beta in the first place.

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Huaojozu wrote:

I would just like to point out Arcen Games as a company with an incredible patch process.

Patches come every few days, every change in a patch is documented before applied, the community gets to vote on nerfs/buffs and everyone ends up happy.

I have no idea, why gaming companies do not use their forum communities as a source of ideas/feedback for the patching process. Its the main reason why I still actively play all of their games and I know if another such developer arrives, I will support their games as well.

I would second this as well. Arcen is quite the awesome company, even if they've slowed down on the patch notes recently since they increased the work they're currently doing.

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No, because I don't get too attached to my characters and builds when the game is still in beta and everything is subject to change. You could learn a lot from me.

That's why your high characters are duelists and maradeurs? Good to know.

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You claimed earlier in this thread that you "didn't see any problem with the AI" of minions. Everyone who has ever used minions, including the developers themselves, could tell the AI needed serious improvements.

If you have been far away then Zombies just ran away killing some monsters off screen and skeletons just walked aimlessly yes.

But if you are really close they will all attack!

I am just pointing out issues that will certainly come.

As you can seein the Raise Spectre Discussion everybody thinks the spectre is too weak. But 1-2 stronger spectres still do less damage than 4-5 weak ones-->Becomes an unused skill.

You can't summon skeletons at the corner of your screen but being able to summon only 2 is risky for a summoner.
Result->A summoner uses Totem also to prevent high mana usage and make the Totem serve as cast helper.
Additionally he will use a second summon skeleton gem to fill the gaps.

Summons are really weak in normal->Weakening the Zombie for Endgame purposes only makes it weaker during leveling.

This is how gameplay gets affected without including the Skill Tree.

Person doesn't read the repeated mention of 'Don't freak about the patch until you've tried it please' -> Is less interesting to listen to.

Your reasoning works on plenty of other things that can count as speculation. :P

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Chris wrote:

EDIT: Added the following line:

• Damage conversion effects from the same damage type are scaled if they would convert more than 100% of that damage. All damage conversion which does not come from skills is scaled down such that the total damage conversion (including the conversion from skills) is 100%.

Can anyone explain this to me please? I have no idea what does it mean. To me is sounds like:
Damage conversion effects something something something something does something to something in different way than something before something. 100%.

(Yes I should level up my english skills.)

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xinomahc wrote:

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xinomahc wrote:

are there plans to fix desync which happens around 10 times per map?

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zzz

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xinomahc wrote:

-quote quote quote-

zzz

If following schedule is still relevant, they plan it for 9.13. (not sure how will the numbers go but as you can see that fix is coming;)

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Chris wrote:

Here's the plan for the last remaining patches before Open Beta. The patches will take approximately three weeks each, and will be available to Alpha testers a week before they are deployed to the Beta realm.

0.9.10: Will be deployed Tuesday, June 5. I've discussed its contents here.

0.9.11: Among other changes, this patch will enable the new end-game (which we have been hinting at for a while) and the Act Two final boss. It will include the ability to swap between weapon sets.

0.9.12: This patch will fix most of the issues with Minions. It will also introduce PvP arenas and the ability to challenge other players to duel. We expect to improve the Brutus fight in this patch as well.

0.9.13: A secure trade screen and substantial update to server stability and capacity is scheduled for this patch.

0.10.0: The official Open Beta release, which we expect will be deployed a week or so after 0.9.13. It will have Act Three enabled, voice acting for most of the NPCs and characters, as well as a range of cosmetic micro-transactions to purchase.

Well i think this Updates have changed, since pvp will come in 0.9.9.13 and not n 0.9.9.12 anymore, there will be new updates i guess..

I'm glad GGG is taking their time, if anything I feel honored to be a part of this growing piece of art.

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wiggin wrote:

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Chris wrote:

EDIT: Added the following line:

• Damage conversion effects from the same damage type are scaled if they would convert more than 100% of that damage. All damage conversion which does not come from skills is scaled down such that the total damage conversion (including the conversion from skills) is 100%.

Can anyone explain this to me please? I have no idea what does it mean. To me is sounds like:
Damage conversion effects something something something something does something to something in different way than something before something. 100%.

Quite simply: you can't have more than 100% damage conversion. Chris is explaining how they plan to implement the cap, specifically. Like, when you are over-cap, his explanation describes exactly how much damage conversion you get instead.

If I have 50% conversion to cold from glacial hammer,
30% conversion to fire from a unique,
and 30% conversion to lightning from another unique,
that would be a total of 110% damage conversion.
The game will now scale back the fire and cold conversion from my equipped uniques so total is 100%.
Both sources will become 25% conversion instead of their advertised 30% (they get "scaled back so the total is 100%")