Marvel: Crisis Protocol – June Update Delayed To August
Atomic Mass Games is making sure the update is ready for the masses. The big update for Marvel: Crisis Protocol has been delayed again.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks like the update we were all hoping would come out in June has been pushed back another month to August. At least according to their Facebook page:
“The upcoming Marvel: Crisis Protocol update is now planned for August. We know many players have been eagerly awaiting this update, and we truly appreciate the community’s continued patience as the team takes the extra time needed to ensure everything is ready for the tabletop.
The studio is working hard to make sure this update lands with the clarity, care, and impact players deserve. We look forward to sharing more soon and cannot wait for you to see what’s ahead.”
Marvel: Crisis Protocol June Update Delayed …Again
Now, if you couldn’t tell, this is actually the second delay. The first was supposed to push the release back to July. Well, we’re more than a few days into the month of July, and now we’re going to have to wait even longer.
I’m really of two minds here. Firstly, yeah, I’m bummed. I was hoping to get my hands on that rules refresh and see what’s new. I’m excited to try out the old heroes with updates, just like everyone else who’s already playing.
But, on the other hand, I’m also okay with the delay. I’d rather AMG get the rules right than put out an update that’s just not good. I also know for a fact that regardless of what changes, there’s going to be players and fans out there that aren’t happy with it. Should they just let a busted version out and then walk it back later? No one ever does that, right!?
Eh…I actually like that train of thought. Personally, I think that will do more harm than good. I guess we’re just going to have to be patient and wait this one out. Hopefully AMG will get it right, and it will have been worth the wait.
One Big Update vs More Frequent Smaller Tweaks?
I’m sure this is a question that gets floated a ton in their studio and in game studios in general. Is it better to do one massive update or to do smaller, more frequent updates? Honestly, I think it’s going to depend on the type of game. I think it also depends on just how massive these changes are.
From what was teased by AMG during their panels and previews, it seems like there are some pretty major stat reworks inbound. That’s another issue to consider: the timing of the release. I think when you couple that with the new batch of Crisis Cards that just launched, you’re bound to get some muddied data. Maybe they should wait to see how the new cards and missions are being handled a bit before finalizing the update.
Think about it. If the update was designed for how the game was based on the previous “season” of missions, are those tweaks and changes still going to work in the “new” season? Plus, there were some other big shifts that happened in the rules not too long ago. Shoot, I’ve been playing that whole time, and the new Crisis Missions really do make the game feel different.
So yeah, turns out game design is complicated. If you change everything all at once and things still feel “off” you might not be able to tell where the problem actually is. But if you don’t update things at all you are in danger of the game getting stale. I don’t think anyone likes or wants a “stale-meta” for Marvel: Crisis Protocol.
Delays aren’t fun. Let’s just hope that when the update DOES come out, it’s done right!
