If there were no patches then they''d be invented.

Look at it this way.. games grow increasingly complex in their design (and therefore attract bugs and inbalance more easilly) yet companies afford less and less testing time..

Lets imagine there''s a game for release.. it looks pretty and uses all current graphic capabilities, but haven''t been tested that much. Either the company takes 6 to 12 months of exstencive testing and optimizing, or releases it now. The release now would be complained over, but bought.. since it does look cool and today. What is that game in 6-12 months? It''s OLD.. has second-rate graphics and will most certainly be beaten down by the hype from some company that didn''t bother take the testing time.

Console game-makers technically hasn''t got a choice.. and they don''t have hardware that radically increase power every 6''th month. Even so, there''s been several console releases that has had bugs too.. (Therefore gotten several revisions/versions)

And:
"Secondly, simple genetic algorithms and CPU vs CPU testing can work wonders for RTS games."
For basic rush yes.. but I''ve never seen a game where the AI plays like a player. An AI works by the way that it masses up units and ship them over to your base.. They never do something really sneaky.. just plain ''ol overwhelming. AI''s don''t drop siege tanks, reavers or lukers around your harvesters. And most of all - AI''s cheat! The Starcraft AI for example - it doesn''t need to scout where you are.. it knows already.. (that''s why they always go straight for you, no matter if they know where you are or not). The Tiberian Sun AI is even worse - it doesn''t need money to build buildings.. (and builds them at a faster rate than the player can).. and it ALWAYS places them on the SAME PLACE.

No RTS AI can substitute for actual online/LAN multiplayer games. Only certain kinds of players can use certain kinds of units well.

"Goodness reflects the light; and evil, bears the seed of all darkness. These are the mirrors of the soul, the reflections of the mind. -Choose well..." (Unknown)