Patch Work Explained

[Andromeda]

Even before the release of the game officially with the re-launch of FFXIV, Yoshida confirmed plans for patches and plans that would extend out to about a year from the release date. He made it clear new content would be coming soon and patch 2.1 would bring it. However, server congestion and higher traffic than plan delayed all of that as he explained today. One of the concerns voiced on the forums was the lack of new content, promised for patch 2.1 and the long time between the launch and eventual release of 2.1. He explained 2.1 was originally planned a release in late November, but the work needed to improve the servers and player experience from the launch lost them a month of work. So the patch is now coming out in December.

Because of the delay, many asked why the content was not broken up and given out in small bits at a quicker pace. Yoshida explained how things work from the development side of the game and why it was not possible to do what they asked about.

Patch Operation and Cycle

It’s been three months since the launch of FFXIV: ARR. If you’ve have been focusing on a single job and leveled it all the way to the cap, there’s a chance that you’ve hit a dead end in content. We’ve envisioned a two and a half to three month patch cycle for FFXIV, with patch 2.1 originally scheduled for late November.

However, due to my inadequate planning for the massive congestion that occurred at launch, we’ve had to allocate nearly all of the server team’s resources to adding Worlds and data centers, and improving the stability of instance servers. As a result, we’ve fallen four weeks behind schedule.

The FFXIV team employs a “branch” method of development. Simply put, multiple versions of the game are being developed simultaneously. For example, the development team is currently working along the following development lines:

(1) Patch 2.05 Public Testing (Current)

-> The exact same environment as our players.
-> Bug reports you submit are verified in this environment.

(2) Patch 2.2-2.3/PlayStation4 Version Development (Future)

-> The forefront of development.
-> Includes patch 2.2 elements and PlayStation 4 version data.

(3) Patch 2.1 Testing (Near Future)

-> A separate line that includes elements from 2.1 through to (2).
-> Development of all content and systems for 2.1.
-> Debugging and balance adjustments for 2.1.

There are even more test lines than above, but it would get overly complicated, so I won’t touch on them.

Basically, development work on (1) flows into (2), but in order to ensure that 2.1 is properly tested and balanced prior to release, we’ve created a dedicated branch for it, that being (3).

When a patch release date draws near, we create a master branch for that patch wherein the final touches are made (2.1 has already been branched, by the way). In so doing, we prevent patches from going live with unfinished and unstable elements from future patches.

Work on 2.1 has been in progress since the launch of FFXIV: ARR. However, due to the large-scale measures we’ve had to implement to address issues in (1), the branching of (3) from (2) has been delayed.

Moving forward, we will endeavor to stick to our original plan of one patch every two and a half to three months, and commence a steady patch cycle.

Splitting Patches

In a large-scale game with simultaneous development such as ours, the meticulous management of content and programs is critical. The branch method of development allows us to prevent data from getting jumbled up.

For a single patch, 2.1 features an unprecedented amount of content, most of which will add depth and variety to the game. As such, we judged that it should be released all at once.

While it isn’t impossible to release a patch in installments, i.e. 2.1a, 2.1b, and so on, 2.1 doesn’t lend itself well to this. This is because many of the things being planned either require a long time in development, or affect a broad range of game elements. For example:

• Housing system and related UI
• The Wolves’ Den and related UI
• Large-scale update for the Duty Finder
• Full-fledged Party Finder system

If we were to release 2.1 in installments, the risk of unfinished elements accidentally finding their way in would be increased significantly.

It takes a number of days to cleanly separate a branch, and if you include the time needed for debugging and master testing, we’re looking at 7-12 days to prepare it for release. As a result, the time it takes to deliver all of patch 2.1 would be stretched out another 2-4 weeks. For this reason, we've decided to release everything in one batch—ultimately the shortest route in the long run.

Now, I’m aware of the requests to release minor tweaks first—improving existing functions and adjusting jobs, for instance. However, most of the functions being discussed are closely tied to the server code, and requires more work than it seems. And as for the jobs, time is needed to ensure that they are balanced, as well as test them in the context of new content. If we try to push these tweaks out too early, we risk disappointing our players.

Some of you have also expressed the concern that people will leave the game during this downtime. Naturally, we’ve also taken this risk into consideration, and have been monitoring the forums closely. But ultimately, rather than risk destroying balance by splitting the patch, we’ve decided to stay focused on the mid- and long-term enjoyment of our players. Releasing 2.1 in one batch, we believe, is the best way to do so.

2.1 will usher in sweeping improvements across the board, thus laying a solid foundation for the possibility of patch series in the future. We’ll continue to monitor the situation after patch 2.1 and review our operations policy as we go along.

2.1 is just a few weeks away, and we ask for your patience just a while longer. With countless additions and refinements to battles, crafting, and gathering, not to mention the introduction of PvP, housing, and new soloable content, I promise that it will live up to your expectations.

Source: Concerns about Content Patch 2.1 - Page 20