Should the test server be used for the upcoming expansion?

[Serancha]

Test Server Usefulness

The test server is only available on android, if I am correct. There is some question as to whether the use of this new tool is actually helpful or not. From the Halloween and Ursume events, I am going to say (from a player's point of view) that it is really not.

- most of the bugs reported on the test server were released in the live version in both cases

- people used the advanced information to get a jump on the markets

- when the content was released to everyone else, those who has been given advance access already had strategies and knew all the new items and pets - even being able to test them

- it is pretty clear that the test server is somehow interlinked with the live one, and adds some major lag and DC issues to both


Regarding the Expansion

The problem with using this pre-run test server for "some" players before an expansion, is that expansions are a really big deal, especially now when they are now so few and far between.

The race to cap is always a challenge, mostly because you also want to explore the new maps and discover what the devs have done. If a percentage of the population has already seen and experienced the new content, they have no choice to make. They know what is there, where everything is, and will likely already have runs mapped.

This kind of advance information for an expansion is unacceptable, in my opinion. It is bad enough that a select group of players gets to run every event first without giving them the expansion while the rest of us have to sit and be fed what they feel like sharing from the test server.


Summary

In short, expansions are all about the surprises of new maps, gear and pets, along with the "level first or explore first" struggle. Competition vs Curiosity.

I would like to appeal to the devs to make the expansion a one-release situation with no test server preview. If you need to hold it an extra week to do your own testing in house, so be it, but when the release comes, everyone needs to start together with the same knowledge.



Open to discussion but please keep it constructive and on-topic, thank you.

[Jirikjurasek]

Agree with all points.
-There is contest for the first new cap players, test server will get unfair advantage to android users.
-In economy point of view there are example with dragonite bar when tombs test server go live, GL to android device owner.
-The most fun part of the game is to explore new things. I dont log in the test server because its always exploration full of bugs and when contest goes to live server, its not so much fun anymore.
-Most of bugs should be foung during inter-STS-control proces. As few examples of what I cant understand till today: 100% Bael II spawn bug, 9.0 dmg ring from elusive shark, missing pendant recipe.

All new contest should be tested ONLY by STS.
Public test server should be used only for testing if there is some bugs appear in old maps with blocking new contest

Note: I play on android device with e-mail sign in (Im able to play on test server), so my post isnt write as jealous

[Enterradora]

Test Server Usefulness

The test server is only available on android, if I am correct. There is some question as to whether the use of this new tool is actually helpful or not. From the Halloween and Ursume events, I am going to say (from a player's point of view) that it is really not.

- most of the bugs reported on the test server were released in the live version in both cases

- people used the advanced information to get a jump on the markets

- when the content was released to everyone else, those who has been given advance access already had strategies and knew all the new items and pets - even being able to test them

- it is pretty clear that the test server is somehow interlinked with the live one, and adds some major lag and DC issues to both


Regarding the Expansion

The problem with using this pre-run test server for "some" players before an expansion, is that expansions are a really big deal, especially now when they are now so few and far between.

The race to cap is always a challenge, mostly because you also want to explore the new maps and discover what the devs have done. If a percentage of the population has already seen and experienced the new content, they have no choice to make. They know what is there, where everything is, and will likely already have runs mapped.

This kind of advance information for an expansion is unacceptable, in my opinion. It is bad enough that a select group of players gets to run every event first without giving them the expansion while the rest of us have to sit and be fed what they feel like sharing from the test server.


Summary

In short, expansions are all about the surprises of new maps, gear and pets, along with the "level first or explore first" struggle. Competition vs Curiosity.

I would like to appeal to the devs to make the expansion a one-release situation with no test server preview. If you need to hold it an extra week to do your own testing in house, so be it, but when the release comes, everyone needs to start together with the same knowledge.



Open to discussion but please keep it constructive and on-topic, thank you.

BUY AN ANDROID DEVICE

[Serancha]

BUY AN ANDROID DEVICE

Yes, because most people who play a free-to-play game have so much extra money lying around, that they are going to buy a device to use 3 times a year for advance info about upcoming content. Thank you for your highly constructive post.

[Enterradora]

Yes, because most people who play a free-to-play game have so much extra money lying around, that they are going to buy a device to use 3 times a year for advance info about upcoming content. Thank you for your highly constructive post.

srry but so bored to see ur complain/cry posts for ALL they do.

[Avaree]

I agree that test servers should be played by the developers/mods only. However, I think by allowing the community to play on the test server many more bugs and glitches are found that could potentially be a game breaker. Like the Krom glitch, and a few more..

If STS has a test server for the next expansion, a few ideas could be used as in keeping all loots/items epic during the test server & not unveiling all of the items that are marketable.

There are many pros & cons to the test server. I do know this, when expansion is released, we all want to play the game with no interruptions due to a major glitch in the system. Adjustments can & will be made either way.

For the record, I don't own an Android device

[Serancha]

srry but so bored to see ur complain/cry posts for ALL they do.

I was not complaining or crying. My post was laying out the facts and suppositions that have been discussed by a lot of people recently. Opening a discussion is not crying or complaining, it is merely feedback so the developers know what the community is thinking. That is why it is a forum, which is a place for the exchange of ideas.

And, just for the record, many of the things discussed in topics of this sort have been heard by Carapace and the rest of the team, and they have adjusted the way they do things to better suit the community. If nobody made threads like this, they would not know how we felt, would they?

I agree that test servers should be played by the developers/mods only. However, I think by allowing the community to play on the test server many more bugs and glitches are found that could potentially be a game breaker. Like the Krom glitch, and a few more..

If STS has a test server for the next expansion, a few ideas could be used as in keeping all loots/items epic during the test server & not unveiling all of the items that are marketable.

There are many pros & cons to the test server. I do know this, when expansion is released, we all want to play the game with no interruptions due to a major glitch in the system. Adjustments can & will be made either way.

For the record, I don't own an Android device

I agree there are pros and cons to both methods, but I do believe it would be better for an expansion to put off the launch for a week or two and have the devs properly test it, rather than rushing through and releasing a new cap and map set with only a portion of the players running it for a brief time.

There's no way they would have caught things like the Architect drop on the test server anyways, since you need to be capped to run the elites.

[illwilly]

as i see it u want em to not post info on forum eighter.. its unfair for the ones just playing the game and not using forum.. stop beeng jelly.. o.o

Illwilly 41 illevil 41 ekkorn 41 illvill 41 and more 41s and lots of twinks
Proud member of Brute Squad wkwkwk

[Serancha]

[sarcasm]Yes, I'm jealous and frequently make unproductive threads like this due to it. [/sarcasm]

I never said they should not post info on the forums, I have frequently stated that I believe any information that is released should be released to everyone via the forums. Not by limited access trials, hints by devs in game, by pm or on line.

That is the kind of thing that leads to players announcing things as facts that are perhaps just a posibility, and then STS needs to come back later and deal with a ton of complaints when something isn't what they either said or implied it would be.


Again, please keep it on topic, thank you.

[Avaree]

This has been discussed several times in our guild chat --->

it would be better for an expansion to put off the launch for a week or two and have the devs properly test it, rather than rushing through and releasing a new cap....

With the communitys' help STS can receive information gather input, fix bugs, adjust what is needed...

[illwilly]

Well.. maby they should do like all other games.. invite beta testers from a list u need to apply for? Or better yet, only arcane ring players.. atleast they have payed to play... tiny bit of sarcasm..

Proud member of Brute Squad

[GoodSyntax]

I'm going to have to agree with Sera here and say that, given the way the test server is utilized, I do not want the expansion to be made available early.

The problem is that half the population go in to open locked crates with the 2k platinum, so there is no benefit from a testing point of view. Also, for the players that actually TEST the game there, the bulk of the feedback doesn't seem to make it's way into the production release.

Sure, this ends up creating is a situation where perhaps 5% of the production population are intimately familiar with the new maps and can farm or generate XP far better than the rest. Then, once capped, farm the new elites and wind up with a distinct advantage over everyone else. Granted, the race to cap for elite map access is what we will all be doing anyway, but unfortunately (or fortunately for those that can do it), the test server gives you a penalty free environment where you can use combo elixirs, platinum revives and master the new maps before both the PC and Apple users even have a chance to access it. If this test server were available on all platforms, I would have absolutely no issues with the early access part of this.

My real issue is the premise that this is a TEST server. The reality is that testing generally implies that if you find something wrong, it will be fixed before it gets into the live environment. Further, it also means that there won't be any new wrinkles added (such as significantly increasing the difficulty of the arena) after the testing server has been shut down.

On top of this, the mere presence of the test server has actually had a massive, negative impact on the performance of the live server. Whenever the test server comes online, DC's and lag become a major issue for many players. So, basically, you are crippling the live environment and not incorporating feedback from the test environment, so where is the value of having the test server?

If access to all platforms were offered, feedback was actually incorporated during the testing phase, and the added server did not hurt the live environment, then I see no issue. Everyone has the ability to access the information in the forums, but not everyone does, so the fault for a lack of knowledge lies with the player in that case. The same would go for players that don't know about the new maps. If it is accessible, but you don't/won't utilize it, then shame on you.

Until we can get to the point where testing and updates are occurring and it is accessible on all platforms, I will continue to say No to the test server because there really isn't any value created by it.

[Tatman]

If STS has the manpower to run proper in-house testing, then I agree with the OP. However, I have my doubts about that. In my opinion, a number of select players with the knowledge, skills, reputation, time and desire to help, should be invited by STS to do some pre-release testing. I have absolutely no problem with a player like Madnex, whose thread about bugs I visit regularly, being granted access to new content before me.

[carmine_blade]

If STS has the manpower to run proper in-house testing, then I agree with the OP. However, I have my doubts about that. In my opinion, a number of select players with the knowledge, skills, reputation, time and desire to help, should be invited by STS to do some pre-release testing. I have absolutely no problem with a player like Madnex, whose thread about bugs I visit regularly, being granted access to new content before me.

Respectfully disagree; pre-release content should be for everybody or nobody.

(I am an Android user).

[Yumisa]

This makes perfect sense.

[Tatman]

Respectfully disagree; pre-release content should be for everybody or nobody.

(I am an Android user).

I'd rather have 3 people do proper, thorough testing, than 1000 people pop locks and pvp.

[GuardianTwo]

But when event is to explore then its fun, in this way due to test servers, that thing will be missing in actual live thing....

If you don't want spoilers, then just wait for the event to go live

We have found Public Testing to be an invaluable asset. The feedback can help us better prepare the content for everyone to enjoy it. It reduces the chances of bugs affecting everyone's fun. So, that's why we do public testing. Thanks for your feedback!

So even I told in similar perspective once when winter test server came, and this was the reply, so I think they will do the test server thing...

[SacredKnight]

I actually don't like test servers purely because they ruin the surprise and feeling of anticipation of new content. Sure, your eager to get things done for real! But after testing it out you know what you need to do, what grinds, story etc. The fun of that first time experience is lost :/ But sure, T.S. are great for bug combing..

[Soundlesskill]

For this to be good they have to release it for the whole community. How much fun is favorism?

[Serancha]

For this to be good they have to release it for the whole community. How much fun is favorism?

Even though we all know it's logistical issues and not actually favouritism, you're right because the results are the same. Whenever a specific group is given access to something ahead of time, whether it is advance information (this or that may be coming next season), special privileges, or a head start on a major part of the game, there are economical and social ramifications, among other issues.

(The situation reminded me somewhat of Dr. Seuss' humorous commentary - especially when people say "get an android" as a solution to the problem).

Humour aside, the main problem isn't superiority or jealously or unfairness, it is game issues, as Kali said so eloquently. The test server screws up performance on both servers, and the bugs found on the test version are almost never fixed before the actual release. We mostly see posts only saying it's either too hard or too easy, and then the version that is released usually has changes that have nothing to do with the feedback posted on the forum.

I have rarely seen actual bugs posted from the test server stuff, and the ones that have been put up are bugs that would easily be caught if the devs did a day or two of actual playing on the new content, rather than rushing it out before it's completed.