from CM:
Patch 2 - Just a quick update for you all on where we are currently with the 2nd patch.
Step 1 of the patching process is now nearly finished and work on Step 2 is roughly halfway completed. As I'm sure you'll be glad to hear we'll be in a position middle of next week once we've done some more testing to start talking about specific fixes made by the 2nd patch, so please bear with us whilst we continue to work on getting Steps 1 & 2 completed.
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Step 1:
When the game is released we increase our monitoring of various forums and social media channels in order to gather widespread user feedback. This feedback is then passed to our QA team who log it in a database before attempting to reproduce any potential issues in a test environment which is KEY to fixing any confirmed issues. If our QA team are able to successfully reproduce a reported issue this is then assigned to specific members of the dev team responsible for that particular area of the game.
Note: As mentioned above it is KEY that QA can reproduce any reported issues in their test environments before they can be addressed. F1 2011 will have hundreds of thousands of users playing the game, and an issue reported by a small handful of people may not be easily reproduced or may simply be a game or technology based decision. This is why we ask that any game issues reported on the forums are accompanied by as much helpful information as the person experiencing the issue can provide.
Step 2:
Once step 1 has been mostly completed and an initial patch is created, the patch is then applied to the game in a test environment which then undergoes an extremely thorough testing cycle. If during this test cycle any new issues arise or the proposed fixes do not work as expected, more time is then allocated to further research the issue and come up with new solutions to the problem. Due to the complexity of modern games every single change we make could potentially impact another aspect of the game, this means that the whole game has to be tested with each update and not just the features that are being updated.
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Step 3:
After we have internally approved the update we then must submit the update to Microsoft and Sony who will then put the update through their rigorous internal testing and approvals process. We have no further input at this stage and just have to wait to see if it passes their submission process.
If the update passes the relevant Microsoft and Sony submission process it is then prepped for release. However, if the update for whatever reason fails the submission process, we are informed of the reasons why and then steps 1and 2 must be covered again, albeit at an accelerated rate.
Step 4:
As soon as the update is universally approved (by our QA team, Microsoft and Sony) it’s then prepared for release, however this doesn’t happen instantaneously and can take a few days.
Patch 2 - Just a quick update for you all on where we are currently with the 2nd patch.
Step 1 of the patching process is now nearly finished and work on Step 2 is roughly halfway completed. As I'm sure you'll be glad to hear we'll be in a position middle of next week once we've done some more testing to start talking about specific fixes made by the 2nd patch, so please bear with us whilst we continue to work on getting Steps 1 & 2 completed.
------------------------------------------------
Step 1:
When the game is released we increase our monitoring of various forums and social media channels in order to gather widespread user feedback. This feedback is then passed to our QA team who log it in a database before attempting to reproduce any potential issues in a test environment which is KEY to fixing any confirmed issues. If our QA team are able to successfully reproduce a reported issue this is then assigned to specific members of the dev team responsible for that particular area of the game.
Note: As mentioned above it is KEY that QA can reproduce any reported issues in their test environments before they can be addressed. F1 2011 will have hundreds of thousands of users playing the game, and an issue reported by a small handful of people may not be easily reproduced or may simply be a game or technology based decision. This is why we ask that any game issues reported on the forums are accompanied by as much helpful information as the person experiencing the issue can provide.
Step 2:
Once step 1 has been mostly completed and an initial patch is created, the patch is then applied to the game in a test environment which then undergoes an extremely thorough testing cycle. If during this test cycle any new issues arise or the proposed fixes do not work as expected, more time is then allocated to further research the issue and come up with new solutions to the problem. Due to the complexity of modern games every single change we make could potentially impact another aspect of the game, this means that the whole game has to be tested with each update and not just the features that are being updated.
========================================
Step 3:
After we have internally approved the update we then must submit the update to Microsoft and Sony who will then put the update through their rigorous internal testing and approvals process. We have no further input at this stage and just have to wait to see if it passes their submission process.
If the update passes the relevant Microsoft and Sony submission process it is then prepped for release. However, if the update for whatever reason fails the submission process, we are informed of the reasons why and then steps 1and 2 must be covered again, albeit at an accelerated rate.
Step 4:
As soon as the update is universally approved (by our QA team, Microsoft and Sony) it’s then prepared for release, however this doesn’t happen instantaneously and can take a few days.
