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GeneralRe: Who moved the Start Page? Pin
sibling12318-May-17 2:59
sibling12318-May-17 2:59 
GeneralRe: Who moved the Start Page? Pin
Daniel Wilianto18-May-17 15:22
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GeneralRe: Who moved the Start Page? Pin
Brisingr Aerowing17-May-17 6:53
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Kevin Marois17-May-17 6:58
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User 842017-May-17 7:32
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Kevin Marois17-May-17 7:52
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Bruce Patin18-May-17 4:06
Bruce Patin18-May-17 4:06 
GeneralDo Video Games Employ Stealth Change/Options/Mechanics in Games that Significantly Impact Individual Player Experience Pin
YSLGuru17-May-17 5:39
YSLGuru17-May-17 5:39 
This may sound like a dumb question but I was told by a somewhat reliable source that video game studios do in fact make stealth changes to games (changes explicitly excluded from any patch notes or documentation available to players) that can significantly impact/change individual user experience and that sometimes those individual changes can be permanently spread to others if they co-op/multi-play with another player who has been impacted by one or more of these stealth changes/mechanics in the game.

For example in TOM CLANCY'S THE DIVISION there are numerous changes made in each update that are (presumably) fully documented in the Patch Notes. In addition many say there are other undocumented changes (offten referred t9o ass stealth Nerfs/Buffs) that can significantly impact the players experience. Usually these are Nerfs and not buffs because those are more often perceived as negative changes by a majority of the games player base. I'm told these mechanics are primarily used to keep more experienced players (i.e. the top %1 of the games player base) challenged so that when they reach end game and have obtained the best gear/weapons they still can experience some level of challenge. By using stealth Nerfs/buffs that are applied to individual players it prevents the changes from being applied to less experienced players who otherwise would find the game unplayable if these changes applied to the top %1 were applied to all players.

I understand the need for player specific changes that increase difficulty but what concerns me is when they are done in stealth (undocumented) and especially if/when they get permanently applied to other players who are not at the level of the top %1 and who have received these kinds of changes simply because they grouped or co-oped with a player in the top %1 or some similar high-level/More-experienced player base.

<b>SUMMARY</b>
Are there any former or current developers working in the video game industry that comment on whether or not studios do in fact employ stealth changes that can significantly impact individual players and if they do then do they also (sometimes) make it so that player B's experience is permanently altered by one or more of these stealth mechanics because they co-op'd with another player who is more experienced but when they got back to single player those stealth mechanics persists and thus continue to impact player B's experience?

Ubisoft's MASSIVE Studios that designed TOM CLANCYS THE DIVISION has hosted 2 Events they call ETF's (Elite Task Force) were 12 -15 of the games player base are invited to a 3 day on site feedback/testing/discussion about upcoming changes to the game. They are like a steering committee four the game. I was lucky to be one of the 12 that attended the last ETF that was at RED STORM studios; a Ubisoft partner/studio that lead the development of the games 3rd DLC. They are hosting another ETF in a week and those who attended the first 2 are participating in the 3rd one remotely. I'd like to raise the topic of stealth changes but only if I have confidence that these are real and not something a small percentage of video gamer's believe is real so any feedback on this especially from someone with experience in that industry would be greatly appreciated. A google search on stealth changes to video games has so far not returned any useful links so I don't know if this is simply a well guarded secret in that industry or if it is indeed just conspiracy theory created by players.

Thank You
GeneralRe: Do Video Games Employ Stealth Change/Options/Mechanics in Games that Significantly Impact Individual Player Experience Pin
lopatir17-May-17 5:45
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GeneralRe: Do Video Games Employ Stealth Change/Options/Mechanics in Games that Significantly Impact Individual Player Experience Pin
harold aptroot17-May-17 5:49
harold aptroot17-May-17 5:49 
GeneralRe: Do Video Games Employ Stealth Change/Options/Mechanics in Games that Significantly Impact Individual Player Experience Pin
F-ES Sitecore17-May-17 5:50
professionalF-ES Sitecore17-May-17 5:50 
GeneralRe: Do Video Games Employ Stealth Change/Options/Mechanics in Games that Significantly Impact Individual Player Experience Pin
  Forogar  17-May-17 6:18
professional  Forogar  17-May-17 6:18 
GeneralRe: Do Video Games Employ Stealth Change/Options/Mechanics in Games that Significantly Impact Individual Player Experience Pin
Vark11117-May-17 6:52
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GeneralWe need more cat videos... Pin
CDP180217-May-17 5:14
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ZurdoDev17-May-17 5:33
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Nathan Minier17-May-17 6:44
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W Balboos, GHB17-May-17 5:58
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Hooga Booga18-May-17 2:50
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Munchies_Matt17-May-17 6:38
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Mark_Wallace17-May-17 7:55
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GeneralThought of the day Pin
OriginalGriff17-May-17 4:46
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lopatir17-May-17 4:57
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jeron117-May-17 5:17
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