Dear Tolero,
We have asked in the past for an improved release plan and testing model to ensure that game updates are released with minimal issue and disruptions to our enjoyment of the game. This request appears to have fallen on deaf ears and here are again with a release that leaves a poor impression in your customers. Since it appears that our concerns are not worth acting on let me address this from my development team manager perspective.
It appears that your team is rushing to fix some issues and restore the game play that is currently not performing. (https://forums.ddo.com/forums/showth...ate-56-0-1-TBA). To get this out your developers are probably working extra time under extra pressure and with some uncertainty that they will achieve success. This is not the best way to run your development team. Your best will get fed up and the mediocre will cease to care. A proper release strategy of your product is not just to make sure customers are content but also to ensure that your development team is equipped to produce their best results. Your developers will appreciate being able to release a product that does not create this kind of drama.
Your current release model is not working as is evidenced by the consistent need for emergency patches immediately after the release. From the outside I cannot state why your product is coming out the way it is but I would guess that release dates trumping other concerns are part of the problem. I am sure your team will be able to come up with a strategy to ensure that releases go more smoothly (and if not there are plenty of resources that can help them). Your job is to make sure they have the correct goals and then defend the plan and let them execute it.
This may mean delayed releases. Since the player base has repeatedly stated that we don't care I would guess that the release pressure is coming from inside the company (or parent company). That is where your job comes into defend the plan. Do it while you still have a player base who cares. And a development team that cares.
Thanks.