Release a game + making more content?

[Worldofjimmy]

Hi,

 

Im planning ahead and thinking of how a release of a game would work out.

If I release a game, how do I keep working on making more content without interrupting the online game? 

 

If I press save in Editor the game implements the changes directly.

 

What would be the most appropriate way of releasing a game + making more content?

 

________

Summary of answers

 

1. work on areas not accessible by online players (Beefy Kasplant).

  - If editing npcs or items that are in accessible areas, those changes would take immediate effect when saving (jcsnider).

2. work on local db version and then push to live server while doing scheduled maintenance (wishy).

 

How to push local db version to live server? shut down server, replace gamedata database, then start server (Joyce).

 

Thank you so much for contributing for explanations.

Edited April 27, 2020 by Worldofjimmy
summary of answers.

[wishy]

I would have an online version and a local version, you only work on the local version until you are happy with your new additions.

The local version goes to a test server so other people can test and look for bugs. (this step can be skipped if you did extended bughunting yourself)

Once that test version seems bugfree, you push the changes to the live server, probably best during a short maintenance window.

[Beefy Kasplant]

3 minutes ago, Worldofjimmy said:

Hi,

 

Im planning ahead and thinking of how a release of a game would work out.

If I release a game, how do I keep working on making more content without interrupting the online game? 

 

If I press save in Editor the game implements the changes directly.

 

What would be the most appropriate way of releasing a game + making more content?

 

Probably best to only work in areas that aren't accessible if your game is online already. You'd most likely already have natural ways to block off players, so just work behind those natural borders and when the new content is finished, edit the maps to make it accessible. (Assuming your world doesn't just end randomly)

[jcsnider]

If you are modifying npcs or items that are in accessible areas then those npcs/items will immediately respawn..

 

If that's too disruptive your other option is what wishy just posted:

Just now, wishy said:

I would have an online version and a local version, you only work on the local version until you are happy with your new additions.

The local version goes to a test server so other people can test and look for bugs.

Once that test version seems bugfree, you push the changes to the live server, probably best during a short maintenance window.

 

That's closer to how the bigger industry games tackles it.

[Cheshire]

You could essentially just replace the gamedata database, if you change anything.

 

Player data is stored in playerdata, so it would not affect their data.

[Worldofjimmy]

1 minute ago, Beefy Kasplant said:

 

Probably best to only work in areas that aren't accessible if your game is online already. You'd most likely already have natural ways to block off players, so just work behind those natural borders and when the new content is finished, edit the maps to make it accessible. (Assuming your world doesn't just end randomly)

Oh that is a clever way. Is it something else that should be kept in mind while creating more content on released games? 

Will players notice anything that saving in editor does? For example, item respawns.

[Worldofjimmy]

So two different options

1: work on areas not accessible by online players (Beefy Kasplant).

2: work on local version of online db and then push new changes to live server db (wishy).

 

 

How would you push new changes to live server db? via migrate between mysql and sqlite?