It has to do with how software program engineering works. At any time when we construct a system, that system doesn’t sometimes exist in a vacuum – momentary or not, it exists to deal with some specific activity or remedy some downside. A short lived answer may not deal with that activity or downside optimally, nevertheless it works nicely sufficient that the system can operate inside the larger context of the entire different programs that use it to deal with their very own duties/issues.
ALTIf sufficient different programs are constructed on high of the momentary answer, that momentary answer turns into load bearing – eradicating that momentary answer will trigger every part constructed upon it to interrupt. Any try at changing the momentary answer wants not solely to interchange the answer itself, but in addition wants to make sure that each system constructed on high of it nonetheless features correctly. Software program improvement tends to be this fixed layering of system upon system upon system as the sport comes collectively. This usually signifies that the longer it takes to interchange a short lived answer, the tougher and costly it turns into to take action. We name this price [technical debt].
Since video games should finally ship, workforce management should make judgement calls on what debt we totally repay and what debt we simply pay the upkeep price on. That willpower is commonly decided by how a lot effort it takes to repair the issue correctly and the way a lot dev time we’ve got left. Fixing tech debt is commonly largely invisible to the gamers and we have to weigh these prices towards having the builders work on new options or content material as an alternative. The momentary options work, they only don’t work very nicely. Enhancements in efficiency or workflow could not translate on to value-add for the participant.
[Join us on Discord] and/or [Support us on Patreon]
Bought a burning query you need answered?
