"Console development continues behind the scenes with an Autumn release still on schedule"

[Agony_Aunt]

Odyssey was planned for more than 2 years, to deploy in December 2020, on both consoles and PC at the same time. When people say "Frontier don't know how much work is left, so they can't tell you", they're imagining a world without development lifecycles.

Of course a software development company has an estimate of the work remaining to deliver a console port of their flagship DLC, that they've worked on - at this stage - for at least 3 years.

Of course, a project manager has a milestone on his/her future timeline that delivers that work item in some form or other, and there is an estimated hours to complete metric alongside that milestone.

The decision to provide "no information" is a conscious one, and is likely informed by facts that console CMDRs may or may not like, once they are finally revealed.

They could quite easily offer an estimate, just like they are doing with Update 9's implementation date. They're choosing not to.

Development cycles don't mean squat if your devs are telling you they don't know how to fix the issue and they need more time to see if they can.

EDIT: of course, if that is the case, someone in management has to make the call sooner or later to give up and give the bad news.

 

[Northpin]

They could quite easily offer an estimate, just like they are doing with Update 9's implementation date. They're choosing not to.

Right
They announced Update 9 for early December, and they did it... one week ago?
So a 2-3 weeks in-advance announcement?

I guess they will do the same for Console announcement - as in announce it 2-3 weeks prior release date

Odyssey was planned for more than 2 years, to deploy in December 2020, on both consoles and PC at the same time. When people say "Frontier don't know how much work is left, so they can't tell you", they're imagining a world without development lifecycles.

Yea.
But you know... plans might change.
Remember Carrier announcement from Summer 2019? Carrier Support Vessels? Carriers planned to launch before the end of the year?
2 Months later it was obvious that plans changed - no more support vessels and carriers postponed to summer 2020.


I guess the same happened for EDO.
It is entirely possible EDO was planned on Horizons Engine, then for whatever reasons they decided that older Cobra Engine used for Horizons will not quite cut it for EDO.
So, new Cobra engine for EDO, but that Engine was not optimized enough - so we got EDO as we got it...

Or maybe EDO was planned to run on a new engine from the begining, but developing the new engine took way more than expected.
It is obvious EDO is running on a different engine, right?

So what i'm trying to say, plans change, but at least FDev delivers, sometimes later, but they do deliver.
Not like some other company that will remain un-named

 

[[Cancelled Consoleer] boppa_]

Development cycles don't mean squat if your devs are telling you they don't know how to fix the issue and they need more time to see if they can.

Which issue..? This is where it goes back to the question of at what point is the PC version considered fix/up to scratch/working as intended. Is there a frame rate target for the minimum spec, for example?

 

[[Cancelled Consoleer] boppa_]

I guess they will do the same for Console

I guess the same happened for EDO.

It is entirely possible

Or maybe

So what i'm trying to say

...is that your guess is as good as mine?

I wish Frontier would sprinkle some facts on this layer cake - it's getting old and stale and a bit musty.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Which issue..? This is where it goes back to the question of at what point is the PC version considered fix/up to scratch/working as intended. Is there a frame rate target for the minimum spec, for example?

Performance is the issue isn't it? Odyssey in general is in a pretty good state now (at least by FD's standards).

Performance is still an issue on PC, and i think by comparing what performance PCs with equivalent specs to consoles get it can give a rough indication of how well consoles themselves would perform.

I don't know what the target for consoles would be. I guess more or less stable 30 FPS would be the target. If it was worse than that Sony/MS would not approve it for release.

 

[Factabulous]

Brabs already clearly stated the initial target is 30 FPS. Seems some people just don't read what fdev say

 

[SCiARA]

on every single pc eva

 

[Snowymonk]

....

I guess the same happened for EDO.
It is entirely possible EDO was planned on Horizons Engine, then for whatever reasons they decided that older Cobra Engine used for Horizons will not quite cut it for EDO.
So, new Cobra engine for EDO, but that Engine was not optimized enough - so we got EDO as we got it...

...

It's been so long that I can't quote source but I have a vague recollection when the initial deferral of consoles was announced that Frontier had planned on releasing Odyssey on it's own set of 'new' servers / instances and then promote Horizons / consolidate when consoles received EDO.
I vaguely remember that the separate servers / instancing was used as the root cause for why some of the previously fixed bugs re-appeared on PC.

it would make sense to up-issue the code if possible as part of a major patch release.

 

[LeoBartlet]

I think that does tell us who is more important in Fdev's eyes. And it ain't us :-(

If you expect a company to put you before profits then you're asking for disappointment.

 

[MarcusLancaster]

If you expect a company to put you before profits then you're asking for disappointment.

I know. I know. The men in suits win again.

 

[SasaThargoidsHunter]

Any other company? I can look at any other company and see them explaining their technical challenges?

[X] Doubt

Some companies are more open than others. Some can and do talk about technical challenges they are facing. Public listed companies tend to have to be more careful about what they say than other companies.

FD have been very open in the recent months, but they still have to tread carefully on what they do and don't say.

Ok other company’s are quite like Fdev when it’s comes to technical issues ? Like cyberpunk? They are quite ? Or Ubisoft ? With their constant information for RS6?

As you pointet out, they was in the pst open no doubt, but not with the HRZN/console community and this is a fact!!

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Ok other company’s are quite like Fdev when it’s comes to technical issues ? Like cyberpunk? They are quite ? Or Ubisoft ? With their constant information for RS6?

As you pointet out, they was in the pst open no doubt, but not with the HRZN/console community and this is a fact!!

I don't know as i don't follow any of those game's development. I follow Rockstar with GTA who are pretty closemouthed about things until they are close to release.

Do any of those you have cherry picked talk about negative issues they are having which they are not certain about the outcome?

Even companies i follow which are not public companies don't tend to talk about negative things until they have a solution.

 

[Pigletslastand]

At the beginning of this debacle I was basically pleading that Fdev would do a 'Hello Games' and fix it.. they just basically said nothing for months while they fixed it.. so maybe that's the way. But then the other side of me wants to know everything and wants to know yesterday lol

 

[SasaThargoidsHunter]

I don't know as i don't follow any of those game's development. I follow Rockstar with GTA who are pretty closemouthed about things until they are close to release.

Do any of those you have cherry picked talk about negative issues they are having which they are not certain about the outcome?

Even companies i follow which are not public companies don't tend to talk about negative things until they have a solution.

Yes they do it, openly for an example, Ubisoft speaks open about high ping issues or cheating and hacking issues, or broken maps. All of them and a lot of more are complete open with their games and they are by far not the only one. Bethesda with fallout 76 was a mess with the start of the game, but they was open to it and communicate a lot. Now it’s in a vital stadium.

or specially CD project own manager, speaks open and advises peoples that they should not play cyberpunk on the normal ps4.

rockstar is a cherry-pick. Anyone knows for decades that they are short mouthed.

i mean Fdev isn’t short mouthed over all, but with the consoles there is a huge Question mark since they have change their direction.

 

[[Cancelled Consoleer] boppa_]

Brabs already clearly stated the initial target is 30 FPS. Seems some people just don't read what fdev say

For minimum spec PC's wasn't it? A 2018 APU can hit that with the right resolution and display settings. So Odyssey is fixed then, right?

Don't think they mentioned any FPS target for consoles. If 30FPS is the target on PS4 then they should pull Elite Dangerous as-is. Any system with more than 10 fleet carriers absolutely tanks the frame rate, as does simply being in a wing.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Yes they do it, openly for an example, Ubisoft speaks open about high ping issues or cheating and hacking issues, or broken maps. All of them and a lot of more are complete open with their games and they are by far not the only one. Bethesda with fallout 76 was a mess with the start of the game, but they was open to it and communicate a lot. Now it’s in a vital stadium.

or specially CD project own manager, speaks open and advises peoples that they should not play cyberpunk on the normal ps4.

rockstar is a cherry-pick. Anyone knows for decades that they are short mouthed.

i mean Fdev isn’t short mouthed over all, but with the consoles there is a huge Question mark since they have change their direction.

Interesting. I haven't seen that myself.

Hard for Rockstar to be a cherry pick since its one of the few games i follow the development of.

 

[[Cancelled Consoleer] boppa_]

I know. I know. The men in suits win again.

Releasing Odyssey on consoles would save profits, unless they leave it too long, or don't utilise common-place features such as cross play. The PC market is underperforming for Frontier at the moment: they placed their eggs in the wrong basket with Odyssey. Console is where the primary retail opportunities are.

 

[Northpin]

Releasing Odyssey on consoles would save profits, unless they leave it too long, or don't utilise common-place features such as cross play. The PC market is underperforming for Frontier at the moment: they placed their eggs in the wrong basket with Odyssey. Console is where the primary retail opportunities are.

At least i put "i guess" in front of my guessings

 

[[Cancelled Consoleer] boppa_]

At least i put "i guess" in front of my guessings

All demonstrable facts based on data - no guessing.

 

[Northpin]

All demonstrable facts based on data - no guessing.

What facts? what data?
ED sold way more copies on PC than on consoles. That's the fact, even before taking Epic Games into equation.