Gameforge's Neglect of Third-Party Tool Developers

    As a member of the Tech Team / Testing Team, I have access to future versions on internal servers. Since the rework of the message page was announced and then installed on the internal test servers, I have emphasized the importance of accessibility for third-party tools. Specifically, I advocated for a way to allow third-party tool developers to parse the data displayed in messages independently of localization, by implementing some kind of inline API through data attributes.


    Previously, tool developers had to parse message text to identify the data within the messages. For example, to determine if an Expedition result is small, medium, or large, a tool would need to parse the text. Each result size has a set number of possible phrasings, so a tool could look for those and identify the size. The problem is that the tool needed to recognize every possible phrasing in every possible language, which was a tedious and complex task.


    With the message page update, the inline API we requested was added to each message. Of course, it wasn't perfect or bug-free from the start. Since the update hit the internal servers, I have reviewed all possible messages and compiled a list of bugs and necessary changes. Gameforge did not include changes to this API (or any API) in the changelog (which should ideally help tool developers see if they need to adapt to changes), so I had to repeatedly go through this extensive list every time a new patch was installed on the internal test server. I did this to ensure that tool developers could easily adapt to the changes. My free time was devoted to testing the new inline API, updating the list of issues, and staying in touch with other tool developers to ensure nothing was missed. This effort left me with little time to work on my own tool, AntiGameReborn.


    Things were progressing well, and the issues were being addressed one by one. I was optimistic that we would have a working inline API that met our requirements before the update hit live servers. However, someone at Gameforge decided the inline API was "good enough" and pushed the version with the unfinished API to live servers. As a result, much of the data was available in the inline API, but not all. For example, expedition results still need to be parsed through the text because the size isn't included in the inline API. Therefore, tools like OGame Tracker need to parse the results both through the inline API and the localization, which is why we still don't have a fix for the OGame Tracker.


    After this debacle, and following some very firm feedback from players and tool developers, Product Manager WeTeHa posted a statement apologizing for the issues and promising that fixing the existing issues was a top priority. Upon reading this, I compiled an updated list of things that needed fixing, changing, or adding.


    However, as it turns out, WeTeHa lied to us. It has been a month since this statement, and the issues still persist. We receive patch after patch, but none address the issues with the inline API.


    Third party tool accessbility is not a priority and it has never been a priority. I remind you of the debacle of missing lifeforms in the spy report and combat report APIs. We got these added over a year after lifeforms release. This. needs. to. change.



    As a third party tool dev, I request the following:

    1. Third party tool accessbility needs to be a priority. New features and every change needs to made with accessibility in mind. We really don't want to be required to burn the house every time new things are added so we get at least some sort of accessibility (mostly in an unfinished state).
    2. We need the APIs finished and ready on the PTS. And we need it to stay on the PTS for long enough so that we have ample time to adapt our tools. Currently, new features and APIs are added to the PTS in an alpha state. And once they reach a state that you could call "beta", they are pushed to live rounds. This is horrible for tool development because it means everything keeps changing while it's on the PTS (so you can't start adapting your tool), and then it hits the live rounds and you're under pressure to fix your tool as soon as possible because players keep complaining.
    3. We need changes to data structures, endpoints and APIs to be visible in the change log. Tools depend on these and we need to be able to see in the change log if we need to adapt our code.

    2rabnrop.png

    Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.


    Developer of AntiGameReborn - Link to the AGR Discord

    3rd party tools, for many, keep the game alive/playable. GameForge need to acknowledge that and support these volunteer devs/tools for the benefit of their own game.

    This post summarised the state for every third-party dev in this community.


    GF should take their feedback and comments into consideration since all of those devs are working to help with the quality of life in the game.

    When consumed by utter darkness, there is nothing left but forward.

    Our immediate focus is on delivering the required metadata for addons, ensuring that the community can once again enjoy the game as intended.



    meanwhile we Receive these Patches, and Not What We Really Needed.
    Patch 11.16.0

    Patch 11.15.8

    Patch 11.15.4

    Patch 11.15.0



    if your Immediate Focus is on Delivering the Required Meta-Data, Then Why was it not Focused On Immediately.

    SAVE THE COMMUNITY,

    GF, you have to accept the fact that thoses tools are making your game still playable today. Thid-party tools fix a lot of lacking features of your game.


    Please be concerned by tool maintenance (and make your developers and testers REALLY try and play the game in order to see it).

    Game Forge won't listen because they don't care.

    giphy.webp


    They have the Bill O'Reilly version of devs for gaming...

    giphy.webp


    ...and always seem to do the complete opposite of what the community wants or needs to make the game more enjoyable. I'd like to think WeTeHa had every intention of being helpful, he used to be anyway. But he probably got steamrolled by Game Forge and sent out to deliver that original statement of apology like Colin Powell going before the UN to make a case for war.

    It's a shame that the third-party tool devs seem more passionate about the game than the actual devs for the game are, maybe Game Forge needs to reconsider its staffing.

    I obviously support Tirnoch post.

    After the failure of this update, the negative impact on tools and consequently on the community, WeTeHa 's message left me with a small glimmer of hope. "GameForge was probably going to worry about tooldevs, at least for a short while".


    I was completely wrong.

    Only four days after their apologies, the live servers were updated to v11.15.4 while the PTS was still in v11.15.1. All this without any information on the differences between these versions having been communicated.


    At this point, the PTS cannot be used as a beta... or even as an alpha... It's just completely ridiculous.


    We've had no information on the progress of our requests for a month now. Some data is still missing and others simply don't work.


    - How can they leave buggy things in this state?

    - How can they ignore the community of one of their most profitable games so much?


    GameForge's behaviour is totally disrespectful and intolerable.

    GF listen to the man, without him and others alike you won`t have a game to start with cause we won`t play.

    Lies can only take you this far and think we`ve had enough of those.

    If only there was a way to organize the biggest strike in browser games history,simply the entire game going blue until they do exactly what needs to be done.


    Cheers for the hard work mate, saying we appreciate it can`t being to explain how thankful we are for all that you do.



    As a software Architect, coming from a developer baclgroung, I can't understand how in a month, simple values weren't add to API's.

    It's spitting in the face of third-party developers, that are in most, the reason why this game is playable in the first place.

    Just get your game fixed...I don't understand what type of incapable people you have developing this game, but maybe it's time to hire new ones.

    As another member of the Testing Team, an FR Admin and a player, I can only endorse every points raised in this topic.


    Gameforge needs to take in consideration that for a lot of players, OGame Vanilla UI/UX is simply not polished enough to be played without third party tools.

    This fact is regularly stressed out at several levels, and has been even more regularly in the Testing Team during the messaging redesign, starting in early private beta versions. But following classical OGame project management habit, needed adjustments were half implemented, making it an absolute pain to work with from a tooldev perspective.


    Seeing the current OGame development pace, this habit indeed needs to change, among other issues also raised in the topic, in order to make tooldevs life easier and keep them motivated to maintain their projects, to the whole community, and by extension Gameforge, benefit.

    GameAdmin_ogame_fr_8ec7411906480855fa1654c505a96a4d.png

    FR Community

    Edited once, last by Ehwo ().

    Been with this game since 2008. I can't say much about the technical side of the third party apps except they are one major reason people keep coming back. They make life so much easier and more fun to play. Don't make the mistake of you have a player base without these guys. It may not happen over night. But people will start leaving. For once in the games life listen to the players. You may find it beneficial.

    Mess with the best, Die like the rest!

    Quote from Gremory

    Just get your game fixed...I don't understand what type of incapable people you have developing this game, but maybe it's time to hire new ones.

    I need to emphasize that the issue at hand isn't an issue with the actual developers or their capabilities. I am talking to both QA and developers and this isn't an issue of capability. It's an issue of (mis)management. Developers are told to work on something else rather than on meeting the accessibility needs of tool devs. The issue is wrong priority, and that has nothing to do with the developers themselves.


    I am sorry if my initial post sounded like an attack on the developers. It wasn't meant as such. The problem clearly lies with the management.

    2rabnrop.png

    Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.


    Developer of AntiGameReborn - Link to the AGR Discord

    It is amazing that you ppl fail to realize that all you do is fix the game (business of a company) so that ppl play the game and make GF money where if all the ppl would stop supporting this gam... bussines they would start to give so fuc....

    Tirnoch you must be in the bdsm stuff (like you like torture) to waste your free time for this ... whatever ogame has become.

    Quote from Tirnoch

    It's an issue of (mis)management.

    A yes... management.Probably one of the few words missing in GF vocabulary (or the meaning of it) ... right to the word "sorry".

    I hate to say it, but I think the only way to get change is for all 3rd party devs to stop supporting the game and leave it in the mess GF has made the vanilla game. The only time GF did changes with urgency was after the carnage of the new message system and the community was in uproar. 3rd party Devs have been far too tolerant of how awful GF have been (and I absolutely take my hat off to them for their hard work and dedication) but GF won’t listen whilst YOUR hard work props up THEIR game and makes it semi playable. The only way to show them your value is to show them the cost of the status quo.


    I imagine with the kind of people you are - giving up your time for free to improve this game - you won’t fathom the idea of “letting the community down” but you owe GF and the community nothing. If the only way to get change is to act, that might have to be it. I don’t want it. The game without addons is shockingly taxing to play. I hope GF make the correct moves to fix this

    Space Pyrate

    Everything Tirnoch has said is spot on, and I hope WeTeHa and others will listen.


    And really, I would love to understand the priority that is being made for Ogame.


    1. You mess up all addons, and even apologize for the stress it put on your support staff, so why is this not #1 priority on your backlog?

    2. You messed up the #1 sim for ogame making it a pain in the ass to fleet, and you release a beta version of a sim, nearly half a year ago, where is the real release of that tool?


    Please for the love of ogame, stop messing around with the priorities around ogame, your 3rd party tool developers are your bread and butter for this game to be playable in 2024 and beyond, start to act like that is the case.