FAQ for SOCOM 3 and Combined Assault:
There have been lists created and maintaned by forumers concerning bugs/glitches and fixes needed. DevGu-Echo was asked what was being done about the issues on these lists. I turned each list he mentions into a link to the post he is talking about.
DevGru-Echo wrote:
I have entered All of the "issues" that Blykmik has posted in this (Combined Assault) forum into our database.
I have entered All of the "issues" that Blykmik has posted in the Socom 3 forum into our database.
I have entered All of the "issues" that PSP Dude12345 has posted in the Fireteam Bravo 2 forum into our database.
I have entered "issues" I have found on **other** forums.
I am tracking and forwarding ranking / statistical information as either a I find it myself b it is found and posted here and c I find it on **another** forum.
Do I a have timeline for a resolution for any of the above? Unfortunately, not at this time. All of the "issues" take time to recreate, code a fix or change, compile the code, and retest.
The above quote was taken from HERE.
MAP PACK questions:
Is Map Pack 2 still in the works, or has it been scratched?
- Yes, mappack 2 is still happening.
When will Map Pack 2 come out?
Tentative......ok, tentative....very tentative.....even speculative....beginning of May for the Map Pack, (I alluded to that in one of posts referencing Hockey...) and beginning to mid - June for the patch. Those are the very tentative .....speculative....super tentative dates I have. (Click here for reference)
If the problems with the map packs was bugs found during testing couldn't maps have been switched around from the other packs that were already done? Like if Desert Glory was full of bugs and Crossroads was finished and bug free why couldn't you replace the incomplete map with one already completed? Is it that important to Zipper to keep them in some order?
Can we expect a change in Zippers ablility to put out Map Packs in a more timely maner in the future? That is to say, will map packs be release with in a few months of each other (less than 2 months aprart) in the future as apposed to the current status of over 6 months apart (as there has yet to be a second Map Pack realsed).
- We release the map packs once they are ready.
What is the official reason for the delay of Map Pack 2?
- Map Pack 2 is still being tested. When it's done, it will be released.
Can you tell us what the demand was for Map Pack #1? How many Map Pack #1 purchases have been made to date?
PATCH Q&A Some of the questions were taken from HERE.
When will the next patch come out?
- Tentative......ok, tentative....very tentative.....even speculative....beginning of May for the Map Pack, (I alluded to that in one of posts referencing Hockey...) and beginning to mid - June for the patch. Those are the very tentative .....speculative....super tentative dates I have. (Click here for reference)
I'm assuming that there will eventually be a patch released for SOCOM CA. Is there any chance we will find out (at that point or before) an actual official status on EACH OF THESE issues?
Can we ever, at least, learn that something is a dead issue that cannot (or will not) be fixed?
- I try and avoid that, because sometimes...out of no where a solution comes to a difficult problem or a solution is a by-product of something else that is addressed. I'll do what I can to say / specify what isn't going to be directly addressed. Fair enough?
Hey dev do you know if the patch is going to allow PS3 users to use their bluetooth headsets on socom?
I've asked if that can be included, as it would definately be neat. Engineers are looking into whether or not it is possible. I'm not certain if it will be, but I'm waiting to hear back.*ref*
Other questions asked:
When you enter a game late do your stats count, or not?
-Yes, but you need to complete a full round though.
Do you plan on utilizing hte SOCOM Store for more than just new maps?
-Nothing has been announced yet.
Do you own a mic?
- Yes.
What is your SOCOM online handle?
- Socom Username: DevGru-Echo (Click HERE for the source on this one)
Why were there no multiplayer maps made for S3 or S:CA? I will elaborate. The maps used for multiplayer are just straight ports of the single player maps with no intuitive changes to make them really Click with the multiplayer mode. There is no longer the feel of breaking into a safehouse to rescue the hostages in extraction(ie Desert Glory) the hostages are just placed out in the middle of the map somewhere. For breach there is no "Compound" to breach into(save bootcamp). for Demolition there is usually no clear base to blow up, just some boxes placed in random positions at either end of the map. was this laziness?, or was there pressure from higher up to get the game out?
- It was none of the above. It was by design.
Is there something truly in the works to get rid of rank ups and glitchers? If so, how soon before we see it?
- Yes. Soon.
UPDATE: Sometime during the Christmas 06' holiday there were big changes in the SOCOM 3/CA leader boards. It looks like all of the major rank up folks have been either banned or reset. There is a discusion on this CLICK HERE.
Are you satisfied with the final product (S:CA)?
- The product went through the QA process (there's actually 3 different QA Processes, believe it or not). There's Zippers internal QA, SCEAs First Party QA, and finally what is called Format QA. The first 2 are Quality Assurance while Format QA is Quality Control. Several publishers operate in this fashion or a similar one, with different names for each group. If the title wasn't ready to be released, it wouldn't have been. So, to answer your question, I would say yes. Now, can issues that are identified after release be addressed? Yes, this is why there is patching. Will issues be addressed? Yes. When? That is being discussed as to what the timeline will be.
What is the typical response when you send in the bug lists? Are they shocked so many bugs are present?
- I'm not sure what kind of answer you'd like to see for this question. Something you should keep in mind, the general public vastly out numbers the amount of QA People we have. If you were to wash your car, step back and marvel at it's nice clean and perfect shine, you'd think...Wow! That looks sharp! Now, put 300 people around your car...will someone find a spot or 2 or 3 ?
Do you personally feel there should be a patch to fix the current bugs in the game?
- I think there are always ways to improve the overall experience.
Is SOCOM a hobby for you, or a job?
- Both. I've always always been passionate about games.
How much bandwidth does being a client on CA require?
- As far the bandwidth discussions go, I'm going to answer what the title is tested on. I think discussing bandwidth thresholds is probably not in the best interest of the games nor the community. All of the games are tested on 'real world' connections. The QA groups utilize the same DSL lines, Cable Lines, routers (wired and wireless) and various different cable modems that are in use by the general populous. Part of the reason I started the thread about gaming setup was to find out / identify some of the components utilized by all of you. I think it makes sense to say that developers expect that their game is the only application that is utilizing the up / down streams of a connection due to the amount of traffic that is generated in both directions, especially a game with constant and consistent action, unless of course you have a much higher data transfer rate or faster line. QA utilizes the lower end of the spectrum which tends to be the most widely used. For instance, in terms of DSL lines, that would equate to a 384kbps x 128kbps line. 5 years ago, that would have been a 56k modem...
Why don't the developers post here?
- Of that, I'm not too certain other than to say they are very busy. Many people from here do read both this message board as well as the in game boards though, so the Communities voice is heard.
Have you in the two months since your apointment as Community Manager effectively reported and therefore cuase to be fixed any of the known bugs that have negatively effected the community of SOCOM players?
-Yes.
If so can you identify what those fixes were?
- No. But I think people will be able to identify some of the items very soon....
Was the development team already working on any items from the list that blykmik created for SOCOM 3 before you added it to "the database"? Link to the list HERE
- Yes. As I've mentioned, many people from here as well as SCEA read these message boards.
Was the development team already aware of any of the items from the above list before you entered them into "the database"?
- Some yes, some no. "the database" simply refers to bug tracking database.
Can you confirm whether or not any of the items on that list are in fact being worked on at the present? This is as far as finding solutions to the problems for a possible future patch.
- Reported issues are being looked into.
Can you tell us what, if anything, is being done to improve the SOCOM 3 and SOCOM CA games, other than what has been asked above, at the present time?
The blood was reduced to achieve the "Teen" rating. No, blood will not be added later via patch as it would then be in violation the ESRBs rating system...
Dev, what have you learned about Code Cheating so far, and is there a way it can be stopped?
I know quite a bit about it.....and yes, we are working on stopping it....In answer to another similar post Devgru Echo gave this response: Yes I do understand, empathize with, and I am actively trying to get a resolution. Solving some of the ingame issues is not something that just 'we' (Zipper) can accomplish. There are several teams within SCEA that are also needed and are actively working on the reported issues. I get plenty of PMs and ingame mail about it. I don't respond to them usually, but I don't ignore them.
I'm not implying 'bottleneck' or 'blame', as that is not the case at all. There are several groups that are actively involved with the games. In some cases, other groups control other pieces of the 'puzzle' so to speak. To name a few…SVO. There is an SVO Group that maintains a large portion of the SVO backend and in some cases, the front-end. There's also groups that maintain the servers (daily maintenance, etc), a group that oversees the prod servers (they're the first to know when there are server issues), there's an online support group that does deployment testing after the server maintenance as well as performing in game production testing, monitoring the in game message boards, etc. Once you start getting into patch testing, patch deployment, etc. more and more people and groups become involved. Does that make more sense? Also keep in mind that these same groups also support other games as well...both domestic and abroad.
I'd like to know ZIPPERs stance on Quick Sniping..
Although I haven't seen it myself, I believe this has been addressed.
Where has it been addressed? Unless that its part of the 'new' patch..
Yes, part of the patch.
They said that they are trying to fix the problem with quick sniping in the next patch. does that mean they will go back to the way it was in socom1/2 where you cant move your crosshairs as soon as you jump?
I do believe that it will be addressed. There's a few methods being discussed ... such as not being able to Zoom while jumping or increase the amount of 'wiggle' that the reticule does while jumping ... to name a few.Do you feel that a ranking systym that has a player with a high rank such as a 4 stars and loses points from killing a person with a lower rank is rair?
---It's a counter balance...otherwise you'd have the high ranked people always going after the lower ranked people...
How come you only have a Q&A here and not on the in game message boards?
--- I do occasionally post in the in game boards, but there's going to be changes to the in game boards soon...
What can you tell us about the issue with the R44M not being able to be used on the competative maps after it is unlocked as it has been stated it should be.
--- As I understand it, with the next patch, you will be able to use the unlockable R44M and the MM-1 weapons online but only within Combined Assault Maps. *ref*
Subject: Some info... 
Tue May 01, 2007 12:50 pm
