In Robotron3000′s absence I, Reto.megaman, have been doing his duties. But since I do not have many stories from the front, for this week’s Intelligent Bulletin, I give the word to Mr. KenSolo

The upcoming Hansen build is now being tested on our internal test-server and Reto.Ratamahat and Reto.Dave are currently racing against time in order to finish a new Skirmish map that didn’t make the “feature lock” deadline.

Usually it is forbidden by Reto-Moto governmental law to work past the feature lock deadline, but we really want to deliver a new map for you brave soldiers out there, so we try to see if we can fit it in for the Hansen build.

Speaking of feature lock and builds – let me give you a short brief about our production cycle:

We devide each build into two main phases: Development and Test & Deploy. In the Development phase we hammer away on all the new features, tweak old ones and fix occasional bugs on the live server. And at some point we set a “feature lock” deadline, which is where all developers are to deliver what they have been working on in the development phase.

Then Reto.hal9k starts integrating all the different features and tweaks and move the build from our development servers onto our test server. Reto.Splixxen and his QA team now tests the build from a-z (and sometimes even beyond that) and report bugs. Then the developers fixes the bugs and QA verifies the fix, and so on… At some point we find the build mature enough to put to the next step, which is the “stable” server, and we put more testers on the stable build for more testing. Occasionally we also jump into the chat-channels on the live server and invite players in to stress test the build on the stable server.

And when we feel that the build on the stable server is ready, we release it to the live server for all of you… :)

Reto.KenSolo Over and Out!

Onwards to Developer Blogs of the Week and Team Debriefing:

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Developer Blogs this Week

Featured Developer Lene Jung Kjær (Reto.CrazyCat)

By CrazyCat, Game Analyst
“Meet Reto.CrazyCat” Read More

Featured Developer Christian Sinding Nellemann (Reto.sNell)

By sNell, Mobile Programmer
“Meet Reto.sNell” Read More

Team Debriefing

Design

Reto.RedBjarne Game Director	“- More work on the terrain.” “- Simplifying the GUI on the flashsite.” “- Design meetings regarding battlesystem.” “- Design work on voucher packs/bundle packs.” “- Some meetings.” “- Some other meetings.” “- Spotting Heinz, the new inhabitant in the large fishtank, for the first time.”
Reto.Fleck Level Designer	“- R&R”
Reto.Ratamahat Level Designer	“- Testing and tweaking new Skirmish level with the team.” “- Running around alone in the new Skirmish level checking every possible angle.” “- Wondering how scary it would be to suddenly see someone in an offline multiplayer level you’re alone in.”
Reto.Robotron3000 Community Manager & Game Designer	“- Expeditioning undiscovered islands.”

Artists

Reto.Hr.Wille 3D Artist	“- Working on GUI functionality and new vehicles.”
Reto.Mato Lead Character Artist	“- This week I made Recon uniform parts, fixed texture maps and managed outsourcing.”
Reto.Owleater Art Director	“- Art directing the ▀▀▀ out of HnG.”
Reto.Colding Lead Animator	“- This week I have done various smaller tasks. Continued working on trailer stuff and started up a team for doing screenshots.”
Reto.Dave Environment/Props/ Concept Artist	“- Been Working on new Skirmish level.”
Reto.BombeBo Effects Dude	“- Lots of tweaking on dust, dirt, and explosions. New damage fire and smoke for post explosion tank wrecks..”
Reto.Scratchliquid 3D Artist	“- I have been texturing the G43 and checking the details on some new weapons.”

Coders & QA

Reto.Goonstah Programmer and Technical Lead	“- Been working on ▀▀▀▀▀▀.”
Reto.Hal9k Render Programmer	“- Render: work on portals/sectors.” “- Implemented backend part of voucher package system.” “- Feature locked Hansen.” “- Design meetings about Battle system.“
Reto.Ogssan Gameplay Programmer	“- Hansen: New chat tweaks.” “- Hansen: Capture info built into HUD stuff instead of separate box.” “- Hansen: Localization fixes.” “- Hansen: UI colour tweaks.” “- Gameplay code restructuring.”
Reto.Leto Gameplay Programmer	“- Bug fixes for hansen build and more tweaking of the vehicles.”
Reto.Injection Senior Programmer	“- New resource system – everything seems to be running, except problem with sound system and gunmounts.”
Reto.Splixxen Lead Tester	“- Meetings.” “- Test planning.” “- Test hotfixes.” “- More test stuff.” “- Verify fixes.”
Reto.Indusninja IT Architect	“- Working on skirmish feature.” “- AT reset and deploy now automatically resupply them as well.” “- Bug fix – ATs in mission lobby don’t always match in action game (only when there are more than 12 ATs on each faction).” “- Work on “id” field conversion in the war server.”
Reto.Vashu Flash Programmer	“- Bundle handling implemented for promotions [Guderian].” “- Fixed bug for Help window’s close button being blank and cleaned up that code [Guderian].” “- Login window has been merged into start screen, cleaner design and simplified the code [Hansen].” “- Added graphical representation of Access Points on Campaign map and handling of skirmishes on Access points [Irwin].” “- Finalizing design on new combat system and discussing how to make both Action Game and Strategy game meaningful [Design].” “- Met new colleague who will start working here soon [Misc].”
Reto.masterdisaster17 Server Programmer	“- Bugfixing.” “- Investigating new performance monitoring software.” “- Writing (and rewriting) design document for new strategy battle system.”
Reto.stenum Server Programmer	“- Did some more int64 conversion.” “- Had some interesting meetings about the new battle system.” “- Added functionality to the warmap editor to find cities via a webservice, to ease creation of new cities on the campaign map.” “- Began work on a new triple currency system.”
Reto.sNell Mobile Programmer	“- Fixed a lot of bugs in the Android application.” “- Increased performance greatly by optimizing draw routines for battlefields and AT’s.” “- Tested on multiple devices, and it seems to work anyways!” “- Fixed bugs in the iOS app.”

Sound

Reto.Draebesmoelf Lead Sound Designer	“- Been working on and editing sounds for some of the vehicles.” “- Followed up on the bullet impact sounds (when bullets hit water) – they now sound the way they should.” “- Tested the game.” “- Started to work on a new trailer.”
Reto.Lord Audio Programmer	“- Bugfix for ping logic change.” “- Flash client handling of string ids -> to 64bit ids.” “- Fixed so flash GUI state updates correct with first blood replay feature.” “- Corrected site audio behaviour when replaying first blood.”

Management, IT & support

Reto.KenSolo Producer	“- Marketing meeting.” “- Production meeting.” “- PR meeting.” “- PR meeting.” “- PR meeting.” “- Privacy Policy meeting.” “- Meeting with Square Enix.” “- Ate a Shawarma dish.” “- PR meeting.” “- PR meeting.” “- Production meeting.”
Reto.Hansg IT Admin	“- 1. Backup of servers.” “- 2. New services check in nagios.” “- 3. Tune/test some servers speed.” “- 4. Change of Amsterdam server more cpu power to handle more players.” “- 5 .Some internal it stuf.”
Reto.Lusa Project Coordinator	“- Beside coordination and meetings I have been looking for merchandise stuff.”
Reto.Bacon Support Manager	“- Support tickets.” “- Support Gargamel.” “- Support Bacon.” “- Reports, schedules and other fun stuff.”
Reto.CrazyCat Games Analyst	“- Analyses and stats for different beta key giveaway campaigns.” “- Meetings:”

 

NOTICE

The Intelligence Bulletin is designed primarily for the use of the members of the Heroes & Generals community. It is a vehicle for the dissemination to them of the latest information received from Reto-Moto Intelligence sources about the development of Heroes & Generals. Readers are invited to comment on the use that they are making of the Intelligence Bulletin and to forward suggestions for future issues.

Reto-Moto Intelligence Division,
Developer Department