Regarding the 0.9 update:

[u/JagexDoom]

We’re excited to release our 0.9 update with you, but we’ve encountered some bugs that we are simply not happy shipping the update with.

Our QA team are working right now to identify the source of these bugs and fix them.

We’re delaying the update until later this week, to give the team time to get these fixes out of the door. We’ll be sharing news about when the update is releasing, so please stay tuned.

Thank you.

[u/Japanese_Squirrel]

This style of communication is golden, wish more games were confident like this.

[u/Xiagax → u/Japanese_Squirrel]

Literally.

[u/LinkGoesHIYAAA → u/Japanese_Squirrel]

Seriously, i really hope the tides of the industry are shifting so that this becomes the norm. Delaying a release really isn’t a big deal for consumers. It’s just the execs who need to recognize that.

[u/Primoris_ → u/Japanese_Squirrel]

Lol

[u/High247UK]

Better than shipping broken as hell, good decision imo

[u/nappa1984 → u/High247UK]

amen brother

[u/Big_Guthix → u/High247UK]

I will always support devs that make hard decisions and do delays, over devs that feel like they need to stick to schedule no matter what cough cough epic games

[u/Primoris_ → u/High247UK]

Then why did they shadow drop early access with the alpha build?

[u/High247UK → u/Primoris_]

Exactly that, it’s early access.

Helps the community shape the game.

[u/Apprehensive-Tale-36]

Respect for recognizing the issues and postponing it. Points to Jagex

[u/Gnomechils_RS]

I'd rather wait then deal with a bunch of bugs. I love how open the development of this game has been. It's refreshing, thank you!

[u/Bearodactyl88 → u/Gnomechils_RS]

Than

[u/nascentKiller → u/Bearodactyl88]

reddit moment holy shit

[u/Sehgsu]

Yellowish text. Blackish background. Message passes.

[u/JagexDoom → u/Sehgsu]

I was so tempted to put black text on yellow background to take us back to the glory days.

[u/Sehgsu → u/JagexDoom]

This is perfect. Polished and fancy in a poetic way considering the Dragonwilds’ aesthetic. I see what the aim was, and I’ll speak for the entire community. We approve this message.

[u/Kruse002]

QA just reports the bugs. The developers identify the sources and fix them.

[u/KK_35 → u/Kruse002]

In some companies the QAs also help fix code. I’ve seen a company structure where the QAs would identify the bug and then get together with the devs and they would pair program to review issues and fix the code. Then, after the new code was in place but before it released to user acceptance testing or prod they would do code review/comparison with the entire team to show the difference between the initial bug/issue and the fix.

It was a bit time consuming but it helped to ensure the fix would not result in new issues and the entire team benefitted from knowledge transfer on how the new code was developed. Everyone learning from one another (but especially from senior devs) significantly increased the quality of the code and reduced the amount of bugs on initial release.

[u/Kruse002 → u/KK_35]

I've done that too, but I have never seen any expectations of QA to change the code directly (I have heard of it, but only as an early 2000s thing). QA only provided consultation when I did those kinds of meetings. They were actually kinda fun. And I would argue that that process is significantly less time consuming than having to wait around for rejected fixes to be rectified over and over.

[u/KK_35 → u/Kruse002]

I think the time consuming part was the team-wide code review and knowledge transfer.

But yeah, usually the QA themselves didn’t directly change the code, they were developers themselves and would work alongside the original dev to fix and review code and test on the spot. It allowed the dev to see testing methodologies as well so they knew how to test in dev/sqa environments.

It was an interesting model and one I try to advocate for. The teams I’ve been part of who really put the energy to adopt this way of working have been very successful. The only issue is that it has a high technical floor/requirement for the QAs to be able to review code and not every company has QAs well versed in development.

[u/Stygma]

Absolute legends.  Keep it up guys!

[u/WhipRealGood]

Awesome to see you guys wanting to shit a good product. While also alerting and trusting the player base to understand why behind your decision.

[u/DayOneLux]

Good call

[u/Significant-Stock425]

Quality over quantity any day!

[u/Different_Iron_3790]

Controller support???

[u/Jagexbitf0x → u/Different_Iron_3790]

I posted this elsewhere, so please excuse the copy and paste job:

A lock-on function for enemy targeting will be added, all menu navigation and action inputs are implemented (you’ll be able to get through all menus, etc), and some input bindings have been reshuffled. There is also a mode you'll be able to switch between in settings that sets how you attack (camera oriented or character oriented). You won’t be able to update bindings YET (I’ve played through the staging build today), but will be coming in future once we’re happy with the baseline feel on controller.

However, the current state of controller support is that the dev team don’t yet feel like it’s great on the sticks and we’re going to continue iterating. To make it feel amazing, it will take a little bit more time.

TLDR: Core functionality comes with 0.9, which is better than what’s present in the live version, so we are going to ship what we have in 0.9 and keep tinkering in the background to get that correct feel.

[u/Different_Iron_3790 → u/Jagexbitf0x]

Thank you for not doing a half assed job!!! I’m very excited to play once controller settings get implemented!!!

[u/IAmOgdensHammer]

What's coming with 0.9 again? Archery and new mining rocks? 

[u/KK_35]

So refreshing to see this type of communication and dedication to actual QA and shipping a non-broken update.

Meanwhile you have absolute shitstorms like Helldivers 2 devs dropping great updates that are nearly unplayable so they get reviewbombed to filth. You think they’d learn after the first few times but instead they’re so focused on deadlines they’d rather lose players who are frustrated.

[u/Wings_of_Absurdity]

I am happy to wait for a fleshed out update instead of a rushed one

[u/Skiper21]

Respectable choice

[u/Narmoth]

I'm really glad this is being done. I wish Runescape would do this as well, instead of just shipping a knowingly bugged update to say "we know there are bugs".

[u/osrs_addy → u/Narmoth]

Every update is bug filled and effects something completely unrelated

[u/my_name_rules]

Out of curiosity, what was the bug(s)?

[u/Jagexbitf0x → u/my_name_rules]

There are a few, but one that was particularly alarming us was one where building pieces were disappearing. There's others of course, but that one we want to make sure didn't creep in and mess with people's builds.

[u/my_name_rules → u/Jagexbitf0x]

Makes sense, would be alarming to get back to your base and see the roof is gone 🤣

[u/[deleted]]

I haven't played since release, I know there was a magic drop, did they improve much?

[u/RbotUnicornAttck]

Will the "linked" be fixed too?
Apparently "Linked" doesn't work when using Eye of Oculus, or was this never intended?

[u/Solrex]

Did they add /gamerule keepInventory true yet? That's all I want

[u/JagexDoom → u/Solrex]

It's a custom world setting coming with the 0.9 update!

[u/Solrex → u/JagexDoom]

Fricking finally I can play the game! Thank you!

[u/Lord-Ice]

Out of curiosity, do you guys have a bit more precise of an estimate than 'later this week'? I get that you might not yet have a firm date since the bugs seem to be rather major, but a ballpark of a day or two would be nice.

[u/JagexDoom → u/Lord-Ice]

We initially eyeballed Thursday morning, but I'm personally erring on the side of caution to give the team any time they may need. I would always expect it later than earlier, because these bugs can be, and often are, cans of worms that are more than initially meets the eye.

[u/Lord-Ice → u/JagexDoom]

Reminds me of the oldest joke/song in programming history:

99 issues of bugs in the code, 99 bugs in the code

Take one down, patch it around,

126 bugs in the code!

Team can take all the time it needs, far as I'm concerned - quality must not be rushed. I just wanted an estimate so I can plan for it.

[u/L0ki_D0ki]

Did you try asking ChatGPT? ;P lol jk

[u/Staleyffxi]

Almost forgot about this game. They dropped the ball with this. How big the dev team?

[u/Narmoth → u/Staleyffxi]

It was made about double the size. The updates are suppose to come out more frequently. Jagex didn't expect to have sold 600k in April and last I heard it was at 900k copies.

Mid-early December will be the first big update.

[u/novaw1se]

Give the characters the option to fart

[u/JagexDoom → u/novaw1se]

Thanks novaw1se, I'll be sure to definitely, 100% for sure pass that feedback along to the team.

[u/novaw1se → u/JagexDoom]

This is why I gave you guys my money

[u/ScaryTransportation4]

People still defending jagex after they fired the majority of their developers after making millions from this game. The real story is their 2 person team can’t get it all done on time.

[u/Alxndr27]

How?? There’s nothing in the game 😂😂

[u/Narmoth → u/Alxndr27]

Don't get the game confused with your head. I know it is easy to do, but try harder.

[u/javiergame4]

I mean I’m glad you’re fixing it without shipping it broken but please work on content. Open up the game to more than 4 players as well, add RuneScape specific elements like add castle wars or like a duel arena where we can PvP each other and stake some items.

[u/Japanese_Squirrel → u/javiergame4]

I think that dragonwilds biggest potential is to lay foundation for modders to make a game mode that is so good that it eventually becomes big on its own.

Like how Dota used to just be one of many game mods for Warcraft and then it became a whole genre. (Anyone remember all the different mods RTS game lobbies used to have in 2003?)