Krovven wrote on May 15, 2010, 02:45:
Actually when it's caused by a user disabling a font, that doesnt need to be disabled, and could easily be re-enabled by the same user...it's a non-critical bug.

First, the problem could also have been caused if the font were simply missing or corrupted. The patch notes on the issue aren't very elaborate but it is likely from the description and symptoms. Second, you are being presumptuous in first assuming that the user knowingly disabled this font and second that he could simply re-enable it. To my knowledge Windows doesn't have a command or menu to "disable" a font. Fonts can be easily deleted, but reinstalling them after doing so wouldn't necessarily be easy. Finally, it's still a critical bug because it makes the game not run properly, and the user may not know why. That still makes it a potentially significant support issue which would require resources to resolve. So, blaming the user and expecting him to fix the problem is misguided or wrong and doesn't make the effect less critical on the game. So, as I wrote below, it is in fact a critical but uncommon bug.

No, it's a fact of ALL software development.

No, releasing software with copious, obvious, and/or significant bugs is NOT a fact of all software development. It's only a fact for that of companies and developers like Valve which aren't thorough and disciplined in their testing and quality control. Whether or not they choose to be this way for economic reasons is irrelevant as far as the end result to the customer is concerned. Sure perfection is unrealistic, but there is a huge chasm between perfection and the shoddy job Valve has been doing with regards to quality control.

What Valve has done is not just release software with a few innocuous or inconspicuous bugs. It has frequently released software and even patches with significant and obvious bugs which could have and should have been rooted out before being rolled out to the public. Dev gave some good examples below, and those are far from comprehensive.

No software is released without bugs

While you can't be absolutely certain that is true in the history of computer software, it's also irrelevant here because I didn't contend or expect otherwise. But, excusing Valve's behavior because you think it can't or shouldn't do better since software can't be perfect is ridiculous.

This comment was edited on May 15, 2010, 06:36.