EU Questions & Answers

Start2, on 01 March 2012 - 02:50 PM, said: Software design has three major contributors to the process; Developers, Marketing and Sales.
Sales "listening" to the clients getting the request for "this" fix and "that" enhancement, brings it to Development.
Development says it will take x days.
Marketing hears this and starts to push out the calculated day of completion (X + Today + We always add 2 weeks =??). A target is set.
Tech trees are printed, pictures are released, everyone thinks these things are just around the corner.
Meanwhile Development is still working on the other things that were scheduled to be completed, and also finds a problem with something else that becomes a priority. This is hurting Sales, need to fix this (change a method), do not know how long, because if we knew before this would be a problem we would not of done it that way.
Fix Urgent problem, test, find that conflict with new feature (because new feature was based on old method) recode test check with other groups on their coding processes status.
Meanwhile Marketing is showing renders and screen shots while publishing the hell out of the original date ....We added 2 weeks to your calculations!
Sales is crying for the release....Marketing publishing the date with all of the features......Now people have the web to vent every minute of the day of their individual ideas on how to fix.
Yea but I have been waiting X months!!!
Yea but I requested Y and I was told it would be added and I have waited 3 releases and it is still not here.
When are you going to add Z tank that only was a sketch?
( it is so easy to get drawn into these discussions and pile on)
Sales and Marketing, waiting for the update now have to get the Developers out to the public to address the issues and delays because Sales and Marketing do not know the technical reasons for X decision and Y specs and Z calculation and the Developers are not coding, but Marketing and Selling the new features.
It is an endless cycle of discussions and compromises to get a release out and the advantage is as long as you (the client) are have some sort of fun using the software, this will go on forever.
I am having fun (US Server) on my quest for the "free" tanks that I did not think I would achieve when the information on the changes first came out, but will most likely only miss out on the T30.
I enjoy the game, with its flaws, and look forward to Brit & Commonwealth, Japan, Smaller Nations....and to the "completed" version, may it never come.