Johnn Four
Web Monkey
Joined: 12 Jan 2004 |
 Posted: Wednesday, 14 September 2005 04:45PM |
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We chat with NWN Master of the Universe and Senior Live Team Programmer Craig Welburn about the great, complex programming beast that is Neverwinter Nights, update 1.67, and more.
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Sunjammer
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Jade Empire:SE
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
NWN 2: SoZ
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 03 Jul 2002
From: Scotland |
Posted: Wednesday, 14 September 2005 05:07PM |
Quote: Craig: If you wish to report what you feel is a bug, the best way to format a bug report is as follows:
* Provide the full game version number that your game is currently at (e.g. 1.66.8074). This information can be found by either running the updater or looking at the top right of the in-game "Options" menu.
* Indicate what expansion packs you have installed.
* Provide a description of what the bug actually is.
* Provide step-by-step instructions on how to reproduce the problem.
* If you are a scripter and have found a bug in one of the BioWare supplied scripts, supplying the name of the script file with an issue is also extremely helpful.
Finally!
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Sunjammer
Code Monkey |
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Jay Watamaniuk
Community Manager
Joined: 19 Nov 2001
From: Edmonton, Alberta |
Posted: Wednesday, 14 September 2005 05:48PM |
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shadguy
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Joined: 02 Apr 2003
From: Prince Edward Island / North Carolina |
Posted: Wednesday, 14 September 2005 08:28PM |
Quote: Posted 09/14/05 17:07:32 (GMT) by Sunjammer Quote: Craig: If you wish to report what you feel is a bug, the best way to format a bug report is as follows:
* Provide the full game version number that your game is currently at (e.g. 1.66.8074). This information can be found by either running the updater or looking at the top right of the in-game "Options" menu.
* Indicate what expansion packs you have installed.
* Provide a description of what the bug actually is.
* Provide step-by-step instructions on how to reproduce the problem.
* If you are a scripter and have found a bug in one of the BioWare supplied scripts, supplying the name of the script file with an issue is also extremely helpful.
Finally!
Yip. Reposted verbatim in our PW's bug forums, and pinned.
-d.
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DLA http://www.dladventures.com/
*AKA dave @ Dreu Noctem PW Server - http://www.dreunoctem.com |
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Craig Welburn
Live Team Programmer
Joined: 25 Mar 2002
From: Bioware |
Posted: Wednesday, 14 September 2005 10:35PM |
I could swear that I've posted that at least a couple hundred times on the forums before. 
Craig. |
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Scrotok
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
NWN 2
Joined: 26 Jul 2002 |
Posted: Wednesday, 14 September 2005 11:26PM |
Click Here
Yep, looks familiar.
Craig, you are the man! Now please get back to work!
JP |
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Elidrin
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 06 Jun 2002 |
Posted: Thursday, 15 September 2005 03:46AM |
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Craig is a god. |
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shadguy
Game Owner
NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Joined: 02 Apr 2003
From: Prince Edward Island / North Carolina |
Posted: Thursday, 15 September 2005 01:41PM |
Quote: Posted 09/14/05 22:35:03 (GMT) by Craig Welburn I could swear that I've posted that at least a couple hundred times on the forums before. Craig.
Yup. I've seen variants attached to many Biopeople. A little promotional effort/reminder from time to time doesn't hurt though, I presume.
Nice to see you getting some props though, Craig.
-d.
_________________
DLA http://www.dladventures.com/
*AKA dave @ Dreu Noctem PW Server - http://www.dreunoctem.com |
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Trazik
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
Joined: 11 Jan 2003
From: Germany |
Posted: Thursday, 15 September 2005 02:40PM |
Didn't the Bioware Wednesday post imply that there might be some information about what is being worked on for 1.67? That was my impression anyways. Regardless, I saw no inklings of any hints, vague or otherwise as to what is going on in 1.67.
Anyone got any information?
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Trazik |
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Sunjammer
Game Owner
NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Jade Empire:SE
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
NWN 2: SoZ
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 03 Jul 2002
From: Scotland |
Posted: Thursday, 15 September 2005 05:31PM |
Quote: Posted 09/14/05 22:35:03 (GMT) by Craig Welburn
I could swear that I've posted that at least a couple hundred times on the forums before.
Trust me if I had seen you post this but once I would have quoted it several hundred times and so would the scripting forum vets and moderators. Alas it seems they never darkened our doors.
I wish they had because I have repeatedly requested for this information to be posted somewhere on the website. I even asked a moderator (Lilac Soul) to add a "how to write a bug report" sticky in the scripting forum. He told me he would have to check with you guys and subsequently informed me that BioWare considered it a bad idea to provide that information on the website because it may encourage people to ONLY provide the details listed.
This is probably why you still get so few bug reports and the majority of those you get are substandard. That and the stroppy auto-reply message that makes you think you've done something wrong!
Quote: Posted 09/14/05 23:26:00 (GMT) by Scrotok Click Here
Not much use unless you are posting/have posted on the self-help forums and some people have never had any reason to visit or use them. Having this information available from the Support page for example would be far more beneficial, especially since that is where the bug reporting email addresses reside!
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Sunjammer
Code MonkeyEdited By Sunjammer on 09/15/05 17:33 |
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Craig Welburn
Live Team Programmer
Joined: 25 Mar 2002
From: Bioware |
Posted: Thursday, 15 September 2005 08:04PM |
I guess that's the problem with placing information about bug reports in forum posts, they get lost in amongst the millions of other posts. Which kind of goes along with what I mentioned in the interview.
May be I should change my signature...hmmmm...
Craig. |
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Scrotok
Game Owner
NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
NWN 2
Joined: 26 Jul 2002 |
Posted: Friday, 16 September 2005 12:04AM |
Hi all,
I, too, wish that the bug reporting process was a little smoother. When I submit a bug via email, for example, I don't get a reply email of any kind. Am I supposed to?
Ideally, I'd like to get some kind of feedback (via email) like:
- "Wow, that's a real bug, thanks for discovering it!"
- "Yeah, that's a real bug and we're already working it"
- "Silly human, that's not a real bug"
- "That's the way we interpreted the D&D rules for NWN"
- "We've already fixed it"
- "Can't reproduce bug, please send step-by-step info"
It could just be a "form email" where Craig simply clicks "Reply", checks the appropriate box, then clicks "Send". This would require minimal effort, and would improve customer satisfaction tremendously. It would also cut down on repeat bug submissions by email, since most people who take the time to submit bugs properly would probably post the email feeback on the forum. Just an idea
All that aside, it's not the point of this forum to bash "the system." We're here to "meet" the Bug Smasher, so...
HELLO, CRAIG! THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! IF YOU NEED HELP BUG SMASHING, LET ME KNOW!
I mean that. Troubleshooting the "creatures sometimes occupying the same space" bug was truly a blast, and I'd love to help out any way I can!
JP |
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Craig Welburn
Live Team Programmer
Joined: 25 Mar 2002
From: Bioware |
Posted: Friday, 16 September 2005 10:53PM |
Our current system (using an email address to send bugs into) is far from optimal.
I despise it probably as much as you guys/gals do.
However, that's the system that we had to work with for NWN.
We hope to have a much better system in place for our future titles. It will be a while before we know how that pans out though.
I'll kick one of the system admins to see why the autoresponders are not working again.
Craig. |
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Sunjammer
Game Owner
NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Jade Empire:SE
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
NWN 2: SoZ
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 03 Jul 2002
From: Scotland |
Posted: Saturday, 17 September 2005 10:23AM |
Poor Craig! I bet you are wishing you never gave that interview now. If it's any consolation we are only whining because we are as passionate as you to see NWN continue to improve.
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Sunjammer
Code MonkeyEdited By Sunjammer on 09/17/05 10:24 |
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Sir Nahme
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR Xbox
Jade Empire
NWN 2
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 30 Aug 2002 |
Posted: Saturday, 17 September 2005 10:31PM |
or because we like to see you squirm 
next time im in edmonton I'll buy you a drink
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Its a matter of prescience, No, not the science fiction kind, its all about ignorance, and greed and miracles for the blind, the media parading disjointed politics, found in our petrochemical plunder and we're its hostages |
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