Rrrr, where be PTR notes?

Not from a coding perspective they aren’t. For this particular change, both the follower code in-game and on the website had to be changed. That means the core changes, and then two sets of API changes (the website uses the API to read from the game data files, and had to have its API updated to match the new in-game API). Believe it or not, the work for the followers was actually likely more taxing than the typical seasonal themes were individually. Incidentally, the length of time it took to code the follower changes would account for why we have such a small list of items that can be used for Emanation and also why the Broken Crown doesn’t operate the way we expect (it uses the character’s gem to determine the gem drop and not the follower’s gem in the crown).

If you think this was a “small” change, then go try coding something like even a seasonal theme and then tell me it was small with a straight face. I can guarantee you won’t be able to do that.

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I thought for PTR notes to be released first season has to end or at least near the end. We’re only mid-way.

And in turn if the Blizzard developers were asked to write a brief to quash a subpoena served by a creditor on an unrelated creditor of the entity owned by the debtor, they would need about 100 hours to do, but I can do it in…10?

That is how being an expert in your profession that is paid for your skills works. That excuse makes no sense, because they are, in fact, developers.

Patience. As TheTias said, the follower system revamp entailed a major code rewrite, which necessitated the uptick from 2.6.x to 2.7.x. It remains to be seen what’s next for D3. I am not going to speculate, but I would imagine the Classic Team D3 division will get the green light to start meeting soon to plan for the next patch. What we don’t know is whether the meeting is next week before Memorial Day or after Memorial Day.

And unlike your (not so good) example, development requires testing in addition to the base job of coding. Then they get to go find the bugs they saw in testing and work them out and then re-test. That procedure usually goes on for many cycles. Writing a brief on a known subject takes little time relative to development, something you’d know if you knew anything about actual development, which it is quite apparent you do not.

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The followers update dramatically changed single player gaming experience, it was the biggest patch in years.

I believe no season theme comes even close to it in both, the difference that it actually makes in the game and development time.

I much prefer bigger development times with such updates than what was being done with season themes.

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or every 3 years

You’ve taken the OP and turned it sideways.
In other words you’ve gone way off topic.

Yes, but I wasn’t talking about OP, but with what the conversation becomes in the replies.

Don’t you guys love the radio silence from devs and blues?

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business as usual, no?

With a 2 week PTR period plus 1 week of internal testing, PTR notes being released near the end of the season would be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too late. PTR has to open at least one month (bare minimum) before the end of a season.

Since we are now midway through the season, it is very reasonable to expect the PTR notes to be released fairly soon, within the period of the next couple of weeks.

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Exactly the follower revamp was an entire game mechanic, a season theme is just a 3 month gimmick.

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How appropriate that this post got liked by somebody named “Vermonster”!

Then clearly legal work is an enigma to you. It requires research, drafting, editing, Shepherdizing…

I agree that certain coding is harder than what it seems solely by final product. I simply disagree that this upgrade was one such thing. Emanate is a Kanai Cube extension for a limited group if items. Your reasoning does not apply to your example.

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On the interwebs anybody can claim to be an expert…

I think the issue is that they have relegated this game, which is a shame, because it really has become a winner after RoS.

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With the exception of PTR for Patch 2.6.10, they had roughly 5 weeks between start of PTR and start of the following season. Depending on projected season durations for S23, the next PTR could start somewhere from early/mid June or early July. The announcement blog usually is maximum 1 week from the start of PTR.
So in my opinion, the absolute earliest would be 2 weeks from now, latest would be first week of July. Unless S23 is even longer than the last 2 seasons, then it obviously getting later.
I also think in regards to the version number, that at least Blizzard thought the change warrants the increase to 2.7. And it sometimes is more marketing and how a developer wants an update to be seen by people outside their company. For them internally, I think the build number (last 5 digits after the 2.7.0) is way more important. And last time we had a similar increase of the build number, we got the buffs to the crafted items as well as new legendary powers (2.6.6).

We have raised many valid points here, like the how and why the version number has to update to what it has been, and that followers rework is indeed a major change for solo players…I mean I don’t see a need to join public for keys anymore, unless I need to socialize. I do hope the devs recognize that s23 at current stage has effectively no difference to ns, and that they would not let it run as long as previous season, to reduce game fatigue amongst active season players.

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We will be seeing more nerfs to WDs and DHs, oh sorry… i meant new patch notes, in a couple of months probably.

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