Approximate Expansion Date

[Ssneakykills]

Unfortunately the walled garden of Apple won't permit iOS users to work on a TS without their approval. Trust me I have been frustrated by the TS situation because it boxes out a lot of people, and then a large majority of people who can get on TS go and do things like open locked or PvP and not actually TEST the content.

Which is partly why I bought a new android tablet....

Nexus 9 in case anyone is looking for one, it runs AL amazing!

Imagine being in my position and trying to run al on the first iPad which is like a brick and so slow compared to the new ones

[Fyrce]

Actually I usually run in and out of the test server on my kindle. I've done this for years. So use kindle.

[Serancha]

In some capacity yes. There's a lot of new stuff in there that we'd like to test in a "live" environment and get your feedback. Sounds like you're concerned about that Dragoon?

I am concerned about that. Expansions are a huge deal for everyone, and the biggest aspect of the expansion game is deciding whether to race to level or explore first.

Also, it's no fun if people have already worked out the tricks and runs. It leaves the rest of us with nothing to do but follow what the test-access people have already done for us. We want to be able to all figure things out together. Letting people do it all in advance will take the majority of the fun out of the experience.

[Ravager]

ETA for public test server at least?

You mean ETA so we know when we can crash the 41 gear on the market? Its nice to know but sometimes a bad idea.

[Kingofninjas]

You mean ETA so we know when we can crash the 41 gear on the market? Its nice to know but sometimes a bad idea.

I wouldn't be so quick to crash your level 41 imbued sets or mythic weapons. It's unlikely STS will release mythic weapons of lvl 46 along with the expansion and last time an expansion was announced. Items went back and beyond their pre expansion value once people came to terms with the fact that the new legendaries were not as good as old mythics.

[Serancha]

I sincerely hope they don't do another "itemization plan" that was such a failure last time round.

[obee]

Why would there be a public test server for expansion? I don't think that would be good. As long as you don't reveal anything...the problem is, people are gonna make tricks for stuff, so it's easier for expansion when it actually comes. This isn't like an event, and honestly, enough with the test servers, I think the developers should test it themselves. There are just some things you don't test. And again, not everyone can test it (iOS), making it kind of a disadvantage for those who can't.

[bedmaster]

Yep test server is full of average players wanna be maxed out (me included). Farm plats, max out gold cap, buy myth weap and max stuff for like 500m, and go pvp. Almost all guild in TS is pvp guild, but at least android users can test and screenshot and tell to the guildies that dont have one. And this is the only place we can see everyone run around with solid gold.. its like al in golden times lol

[Madnex]

A better idea to avoid all those is follow something similar to COC alpha. Make a thread where people that are interested can drop their applications. For those running iOS, you can emulate on computer. I'd rather have some people take a peek before everyone else than get an unplayable game to play for a week or two before it's patched up. Internal testing is inadequate unless we want to wait until Q4 for the release.

[Ladysophie]

I prefer a favouritsm that's extended to nearly everyone than one that's given to a few & its not true that android players don't carry out the tests they are asked to. Sure some go to test servers just to PvP and look for max gears but wouldn't apple players do the same too? I believe its sts that doesn't listen to the reports we leave & launch the events still full of bugs we told them several times to fix. X)

[Haligali]

Howdy all. There are a variety of reasons we can't tell you exactly when the expansion will arrive. It's not because we don't want to, we just don't know. For one, getting an update out is contingent upon approval from Apple. We're also going to put the new content up on a public test server prior to release. That testing process could take a week or it could take three or four, we don't know. We've put a lot of thought and effort into making this expansion new and different, but we never know what feedback or additional work will come out of the public test and how much we'll have to iterate and test again.

This test server causing a lot of lag on live server, please dont tell me we gona lag for a month just because some people wanna enjoy legal plat farming by making multiple accounts and convert the starter 2000 plat to gold and pop locks. Do not fool ourselves, this is what happening mostly under 'testing'. There was many fail test in the past, like breeze, imbued helmets, etc, still many bug when the things go live, it would be better if a small amount of people (less lag) testing the new, but give them the new stuff directly so dont need to waste time of farming/looting it first.
Like an alpha test, what madnex suggested.

[ilhanna]

In some capacity yes. There's a lot of new stuff in there that we'd like to test in a "live" environment and get your feedback. Sounds like you're concerned about that Dragoon?

Please do not make a public test server for expansion. Keep it a surprise for everyone to figure out. There had been several test servers for Planar content and event in the past and they had done very little if nothing to create a well-balanced, trouble-free, fun content to play. If you recall, the series of tweakings to the Planar content were done on the live server after the uproar that followed the launch, not before the launch itself as follow up to test server.

Also, personally test server kills, destroys, totally annihilates the fun of the actual content when it's finally released. I played briefly on the test server for the winter event and just got fed up with it before the event was even launched.

[Ssneakykills]

A better idea to avoid all those is follow something similar to COC alpha. Make a thread where people that are interested can drop their applications. For those running iOS, you can emulate on computer. I'd rather have some people take a peek before everyone else than get an unplayable game to play for a week or two before it's patched up. Internal testing is inadequate unless we want to wait until Q4 for the release.

Sounds like a pretty good idea imo

[Psycthe]

I would suggest to only have the top players in the leader boards to have the luxury, other than them people, just throw them under the bus, for now. I mean it's hard to be in that damn board what more to maintain your position.

[Dragoonclaws]

I would suggest to only have the top players in the leader boards to have the luxury, other than them people, just throw them under the bus, for now. I mean it's hard to be in that damn board what more to maintain your position.

Do you know how many people are in the Leaderboard?

Not more then 150 different people. Even Alpha test for a smaller game needs more people.

Why specificaly LB people? Not the smartest thing I read... Since STS needs people to test it, then let's test it. The surprise will be sooner then expected afterall lol.

[Overweightank]

No test. stay the way we always did it. See if its working well and release. No one wants to wait for some waste test server that's wasting time. A giant majority of people only go on it for the 2000 platinum. I feel 2 weeks of this will cause some huge problems with the community. STS do as we always used to do and release the expansion as a whole. Honestly a day of bugs then being fixed next day is much better than 2 weeks set back because of a "Test" server. It's an expansion, not a Event. :/

Matter fact, I'm against test servers, they're fun for 10 minutes, then you just go inactive for a week cuz game gets boring when 60% of players aren't online on Live servers and 2 weeks you gotta wait for the real deal.

Answer of the community; "Don't do a test server for the expansion!"

[Dragoonclaws]

No test. stay the way we always did it. See if its working well and release. No one wants to wait for some waste test server that's wasting time. A giant majority of people only go on it for the 2000 platinum. I feel 2 weeks of this will cause some huge problems with the community. STS do as we always used to do and release the expansion as a whole. Honestly a day of bugs then being fixed next day is much better than 2 weeks set back because of a "Test" server. It's an expansion, not a Event. :/

Matter fact, I'm against test servers, they're fun for 10 minutes, then you just go inactive for a week cuz game gets boring when 60% of players aren't online on Live servers and 2 weeks you gotta wait for the real deal.

Answer of the community; "Don't do a test server for the expansion!"

You get payed 2k plats for testing???

[Overweightank]

You get payed 2k plats for testing???

.... the test server gives you 2k plats to play around with.... that's the only reason people go on the test servers. No one cares for the test. Just release and don't test.

[Ravager]

You get payed 2k plats for testing???

The 2k plat is only on the test server and does not transfer to the real server.

[Serancha]

A better idea to avoid all those is follow something similar to COC alpha. Make a thread where people that are interested can drop their applications. For those running iOS, you can emulate on computer. I'd rather have some people take a peek before everyone else than get an unplayable game to play for a week or two before it's patched up. Internal testing is inadequate unless we want to wait until Q4 for the release.

I would agree with the first part.

As far as testing, have they ever actually fixed the bugs found in the test server before going live? I know the last 2 events were released with bugs that had been reported. I don't pay a lot of attention to the event test server stuff, preferring to experience things myself, so am not sure if any were actually fixed or not.