scarycave Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 I've been updating a few mods in versions, and I think that it's becoming a bit of a problem. I'm releasing like a version once a day which has to be getting annoying for people using the mod in question. I find a problem, fix it, upload it. Find another problem, change my mind etc. Upload another one. I think I'm addicted to uploading. :ohdear: So I gotta ask, when do you guys consider a file to be ready to upload? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maskar Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 It kinda depends on the purpose of the update. If it's only fixing bugs it should be uploaded asap. Real updates however are best released a day or 2 after finishing the update, so you can properly test it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetradite Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 It kinda depends on the purpose of the update. If it's only fixing bugs it should be uploaded asap. Real updates however are best released a day or 2 after finishing the update, so you can properly test it first. Yep, and holding off on the VERY FIRST publication is key - it means you're less likely to need to keep uploading bug fixes on a regular basis (excepting when official patches break everything obviously!). My rule of thumb for the first release is "Am I as sure as I can be that it's no more buggy than the vanilla game?". If the answer's yes, upload it. And myself I like at least a week of varied play to find out the answer. Even bug fixes I'd say you should hold on to for a while sometimes, depending on what kind of bug it is. If your mod is causing CTDs or something then yeah get a new version up asap, but if the "bug" is just a spelling mistake or a slight redesign or something minor like that then I wouldn't release it straight away (because as you say you just find something else to fix straight after). As an author, I find it's better to wait, unless it's a critical fix. As a user I find I'd rather someone waited than my version # keep going out of date every few days for some piddly little fixes that I probably didn't notice anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarycave Posted July 2, 2012 Author Share Posted July 2, 2012 Thanks for the tips. I never got any complaints from the constant uploading so I was unsure how people felt about them, I can't imagine anyone wouldn't get annoyed by having to update everyday. I'll just hold on to the next update for a couple of days then. I changed the mesh files and texture paths, some slight dialogue, and changed the quest variables to script variables, so that's minor and can wait then? :yes: Though this is the third time I've changed file names for textures and meshes. :ermm: I wish I had planned this out more before the initial release... :dry: Though really, Thanks a lot you two. I really needed to hear this. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brittainy Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 (edited) I think just about everyone, no matter how careful they are, has had an 'oh s***!' moment when they find little flaws have slipped through. From a modder's perspective, I think it's best to always put in plenty of testing time before you release anything and make it as solid and stable as you can. And also just accept that very often - best intentions and hours of testing aside - something will usually slip past that you won't find until you're having some recreational playtime and then you'll want to kick yourself. :facepalm: I consider a mod 'ready' when...well...when I think it 'feels' right. When I can't find any truly obvious flaws, when nothing jumps out at me as being annoying, when I've given it a long, non-stop bout of playtime to make sure it doesn't crash, etc. These days, I force myself to wait a few extra days after I 'feel' it's done and give that extra time to make sure it's all as ideal as possible. (And damn those days are painful! I am always itching to upload in a rush, but it pays not to.) From a user's perspective, I think we're lucky to get any fixes at all! It's very much a personal thing how you manage your updates, revisions, fixes, etc. Generally, when there gets to be a lot of the infernal things, it's time to move from v1.0 to v1.1 or start bundling fixes together. But that's entirely up to your taste how you handle it. The pace will change over time, too. Generally, I find after an initial release I end up pumping out little tweaks, fixes, etc quite heavily. Then things tend to smooth out and you can eventually - once you think you've found most of the obvious bugs - treat yourself to that v1.1 or a bundled update pack and let things rest for a while. If your early stages involve a lot of little fixes and updates, there's nothing wrong with that. And if you're willing to put the effort in to fix them, the users of your mods should consider themselves very lucky :turned: Edited July 6, 2012 by Brittainy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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