PTS a Ghost town

[Theclaw25]

I just logged on and que'd up in Tier 4 and....nothing?
I did a /who but only found my name:confused:

[Artek]

Lots of people prefer playing their normal char as the stuff they do is progessing their char.

Rolling on the test realm, you play a char that gets deleted soon after the test is over.

Only way to get the masses to flock too the test server would be (sadly) reward them for joining it.

Be it a trophy or a title unlock, some random crap, you will see more people using the test realm.

or

It could just be off-peak playtimes :P

[Saimhann]

There were several players when the test server first launched. Those people played and realized A) not all the changes were in yet B) what had been changed really wasn't worth testing for more than an hour or 2 C) lagging while do anything sucks.

Expect players to return with the next update.

[Fitzwarren]

I played on the PTS for a while, but the changes make the game very unenjoyable.

There are enough posts about the 3 button press duration of combat now for me not to whinge, but unless I see some changes posted I don't see any reason to go back on.

If the changes actually made the game play more enjoyable more people would be on there.

I know on other MMOs, if the PTS gameplay was good, many people would be on the PTS in preference to live.

Probably says more to Mythic than all the forum threads combined.

[Viktorr]

Lots of people prefer playing their normal char as the stuff they do is progessing their char.

Rolling on the test realm, you play a char that gets deleted soon after the test is over.

Only way to get the masses to flock too the test server would be (sadly) reward them for joining it.

Be it a trophy or a title unlock, some random crap, you will see more people using the test realm.

or

It could just be off-peak playtimes :P

Unless I missed something, the test server is permanent, and so are the characters you put on there (with any test server, in any game, character wipes are a possibility though).

[Deeva]

I logged in to a whooping 8 people on the test server, so I'm not hugely enthusiastic. As it is, I'm just waiting to see what they'll be making happen in 1.0.5b (I can't seem to find the notes anywhere) so there's no reason for me to waste my time in the test server.

[Nary]

I tried it out.

It's really a chicken/egg thing. People go to the PTS, find no one there to test with, stop logging on. New people come to PTS, find no one there to test with, stop logging on.

Ultimately though, it was sort of depressing. Watching everyones damage go skyrocketing upwards told me that things were not going as I'd hoped.

[Viktorr]

I've been logging on to the PTS the past few days at various times. First day PTS was live, I got into 1 T3 scenario. After that, I waited for about 2 hours just dinking around with stuff with nothing popping, and no RvR going on. Logged off. Next day, no scenarios popping at all, but was able to get into a small RvR skirmish in Avelorn for a little bit. Unfortunately it didn't last very long. Logged off. Next day after that, absolutely nothing. No RvR. No scenarios.

Not worth logging on for just PvE. I can do that easily enough on my Engie as it is now on Live. I'll keep logging on every day to the PTS to see if anything is going on, but unless Mythic provides some sort of incentive for going to the PTS and testing this stuff out, this 1.05 patch will go live with very little testing and feedback in regards to RvR (I'm only recounting the T3 stuff, perhaps T4 is more active? Doubt it though with only like 8 - 13 people on Order side coming up in the Social window).

[Zeebie]

the first day it was live, t4 got alot of scenario's pop, and what we found was very dishearting for some, good for other, but after 5-6 scenario's you knew what it was going to be like, so you go back to main were things count.

As they will be wiping the test characters once in a while etc.

basicly, t4 scenario's went like this

"RDSP --> smash everyone-->healer get yelled at for not keeping anyone alive-->healers standing there going :confused: as they tried there hardest.

the problem is the new changes which might make things kinda bearable isn't on test center yet. when that comes on I'm sure others will be back

[FatherAnderson]

I played on the PTS for a while, but the changes make the game very unenjoyable.

There are enough posts about the 3 button press duration of combat now for me not to whinge, but unless I see some changes posted I don't see any reason to go back on.

If the changes actually made the game play more enjoyable more people would be on there.

I know on other MMOs, if the PTS gameplay was good, many people would be on the PTS in preference to live.

Probably says more to Mythic than all the forum threads combined.

This pretty much sums it up, the game has become a frag fest. Players already died incredibly quick, to make the game so players die any faster, its like sudden death in quake or something. Mythic's logic on this is escaping me.

[Aeona]

Unless I missed something, the test server is permanent, and so are the characters you put on there (with any test server, in any game, character wipes are a possibility though).
You missed something. It is not server to roll your main on unless you really enjoy testing/leveling.

[Viktorr]

You missed something. It is not server to roll your main on unless you really enjoy testing/leveling.

Never said anything about rolling a main on, but character wipes on test servers aren't very common in any game that I've played on. Not saying that it doesn't happen, but it's just not enough of a concern. Heck, there are a couple games out there that have an active enough test server that whole guilds are formed and actually are played as if on a regular server.

I generally have one character (usually the same class as my main on live, or in the case where character copies are done, the same character) so that I can test out changes that will affect how I play my character. As far as this game's test server, I'm not concerned about character wipes anyways. First, there hasn't been any mention about character wipes in the PTS notes that I've seen (I could be wrong and have missed where it was stated, but I'm not gonna search every place to find it), and even if it does happen, we have the character copy to use to put another character on there.

[Ralsar]

They specifically said that test characters will be wiped often. That it is a place for testing and not for playing.

Tai-Daishar_MT posted:
I am thinking long and hard about moving to the PTS as well. I always liked that kind of environment.


No, you won't be able to do that. We'll be wiping toons from that server regularly. Unlike Pendragon we want people to play the game elsewhere and just help test patches here. And since we will have a pure PTS, if we need to wipe in order to test major new versions or even some crazy ideas, we don't want to worry about people losing the time that they put into a toon on the PTS. I'd love to put in a two-way transfer as well but I don't want to have a problem on PTS that could be taken to another server.

Mark

[Jimbaker]

I actually logged in, tried to fly to IC from Reikland 3 times and CTDed every single time. I did submit feedback.

[Shadygrove]

Put in a few hours on the test server now, constantly flagged for T3 Scenarios, nothing popped.

Is there a decent time to look for people on the PTS? I thought that 3 - 8:00 PST would be good but seems not.

[Shadygrove]

Oh bump.

Anyone planing on being there this weekend?

[tenorhammer]

It seems as though the PTs is a ghost town. nothing popping in T2 or T3 (Rank 18 RP) no RVR even signing out and shceking the server pop its Low/Low not going to help mythic this rate. Again at this rate the changes will stay without anyone testing it. Try testing it out guiys its a simple process of copying your character to the PTS server. I have 3 on right now but they are only 12 13 and 18

[tenorhammer]

I can't even test the game even at rank 18. So far I do appreciate their time in providing balance to all the classes. Still the effectiveness of healers arent up to par when the DPS is so high these days. I don't want another WOW where you can get killed by 1-3 shots. Even though its not 1v1 balanced. (I don't want it to be) This test server is a ghost town. I've qued for scenarios in tier 2 and 3 and nothing is popping up. No ORVR to be seen. How can we test the changes when there is no fighting to begin with? I'm sure there is plenty in T4 but I'm in tier 2 going on 3. If they have listened to the player base. Healers need to be able to..... well .....heal and tanks and MDPS need to survive the RDPS onslaught. Even though I haven't had a chance to test it out If a majority of the players say that melee and healers need work,than by all means do so.


More dayly changes could be neccessary to get more people on the PTS and test. right now all I'm doing is PVE and even then i'm a RP so killing MOB after MOB will still be slow no matter how effective the DPS may have become.

[Nicholette]

I transferred my witch elf over at level 30. I queued up for all scenarios in T4 range and what do you know...SP kept popping up. For a documented change to certain scenarios constantly coming up, I wasn't impressed.

I then tried out RvR as a way to test my graphics out. It was a pure slideshow. I wasn't impressed.

I also spent the better part of my time on the PTR to make sure that the witch elf changes that were documented were actually implemented. It was the only thing I was the least bit impressed with.

[Sahrokh]

I recall being on other games PTS servers.

They were full to burst, with queues.

The players were eager to test the new, juycy features.


Now, why someone would want stopping levelling up in the normal servers and go test first hand how:

- If melee you die worse and quicker

- If healer now you suck

- If IB now you are worse

- If magic DPS now you are a sad joke and after all the time wasted grinding T3+T4 you want to delete your T4 character and go play some other game.

- Fixes to obvious bugs that should have been squeezed out before public beta.


On the other side of the table sits WoTLK.
More of the same boiled stuff, but still better than /wristing on this patch.

[Smoke and Powder-WHA]

The reasons would be to see how the changes actually feel, play test them out, and get them pushed to live or tweaked/reversed.

[Orochimaru]

After spending months testing only to see it go live without many of the bugs and problems that were frequently and correctly reported upon even acknowledged, let alone fixed gave me an insight as to how they would run their 'PTS'. I logged into the PTS, checked things out, despaired, submitted my feedback and left.

[Sahrokh]

The reasons would be to see how the changes actually feel, play test them out, and get them pushed to live or tweaked/reversed.



Please let me disagree here.

I have studied a philosopher called Plato in my youth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato

He talked about the existance of a separated and parallel "universe", Hyperuranum made with the abstract and clean ideas of earthly beings / things.


Now, in this game, we can talk about the "should do" and "would be" till we get greener than orcs in face, but it does not work so. This is not Hyperuranum.

If Mythic put a single fun thing to entice people to bother with the (pretty understandable) download, crashes, settings reset etc, they'd go there.

As of now, there's just nerfs to test, and I am completely sure exploring Northrend is way way way more fun and fresher than going to check if your WAR career has been gutted and how much.

[Tuco]

Its just that a test server.. people have tested there votes are in.. Back to leveling with you =D.

Its not other games where people forever live in there and are the first to feel the hurt. This is test and move on server... you dont need a scenario to test some of things--if not all.

Again.. Back to leveling for you!! =p

[FuriCuri]

Maybe if Mythic allowed EU players to join PTS it wasn't so empty. I got series of test to run but I'm on EU servers, so I hope for others testers to get all bugs that we EU players could possibly found.

[RaHVeNge]

Unless I missed something, the test server is permanent, and so are the characters you put on there (with any test server, in any game, character wipes are a possibility though).

Actually they stated that the PTS wasn't going to be a permanent playing server, they were going to have frequent wipes, how frequent I don't know though

[Rotciv7]

I've tried to play on the PTS, but everytime I manage to actually get in the game I CTD as soon as I move my character if not before.

[Taargkrizzt]

I just logged on and que'd up in Tier 4 and....nothing?
I did a /who but only found my name:confused:

So much like the live version eh?

[Azhul]

The reasons would be to see how the changes actually feel, play test them out, and get them pushed to live or tweaked/reversed.




This sounds sadly like 'Realm Pride' as a motivator. Why would Mythic think these players would be interested in anything that serves the general population, but not them in particular?

Let test server characters earn xp and renown that is transferred to the original character.

Also, I have little confidence that worthwhile suggestions will be put in place.

[Vyeth]

too much damn time wasted on servers.. They still have a million servers (even though they offered "transfers" so they wouldn't have to risk the stigma of a server merge and look like failures).. It seems like for every problem all mark thinks he needs is a new server... Don't like Scenarios? How about a No scenario server.. Wanna be flagged for RvR everywhere? How about an open RvR server..

4-5 servers max and 1 test server is all this game needs right now..

[Ramza]

You won't see many people on test server because almost noone is R40 now and the patch being tested is just a few tweaks to some classes, it's nothing spectacular. You just log in 1-2h to test out what changed and then go back to your original character.

[Smoke and Powder-WHA]

To clarify my statement, it is more the reasons I play on the test server. As a suffering alt-o-holic, one more toon on a test server actually is a good thing for me. :p

I certainly do not think that must be sufficient motivation for everyone else. The question is what can Mythic do to entice more towards testing on the PTS?

Personally, I think more focused testing -- ie one zone, specific levels, with pre-made toons -- would be more productive. Save the 'open/copy' testing for the final phase, imo.

[Crode]

You won't see many people on test server because almost noone is R40 now and the patch being tested is just a few tweaks to some classes, it's nothing spectacular. You just log in 1-2h to test out what changed and then go back to your original character.

Haha It's more than just a few tweaks. IMO, if anyone has a complaint or is massively surprise when this patch hits the Live servers, they will not get my sympathy. The test server is empty more often than not. I sat there 1+ hour in T3 waiting for a scenario . I saw 3 others in /who and I quit without getting an PvP tested.

The test server works great for Eve Online. :(

[Katlan]

A test server is a great idea, but it's gonna be a bit diffcult to get ppl to test content now vs a few months down the road. A lot of ppl are busy lv'ing and doing things to improve their characters atm... so a PTR will be looked at by many as wasted time, that they could use instead to further their character. I'm sure the PTR will be better a few months down the road when more ppl are 40 at better off.

And if the new classes were available on the PTR (and you could choose their starting lv that comes w/pre-set RR gear) that would get a lot of ppl to play :P

[Crode]

So here I sit in T4 Praag. I wonder how long it will take today for 1 scenario? Maybe if some of the devs would come on and help test.

[Aeona]

To clarify my statement, it is more the reasons I play on the test server. As a suffering alt-o-holic, one more toon on a test server actually is a good thing for me. :p

I certainly do not think that must be sufficient motivation for everyone else. The question is what can Mythic do to entice more towards testing on the PTS?

Personally, I think more focused testing -- ie one zone, specific levels, with pre-made toons -- would be more productive. Save the 'open/copy' testing for the final phase, imo.
Premade or a level/renown boosting NPC would help get more people on the test server and doing RvR.

[Azhul]

[edited for content]

[Celadyr]

I simply can't play on the test server. I can't fly out of Crasheim, I ctd 5 times in a row, and then thought, ok isn't worth it, and gave up.

[solarbear]

I played on the PTS for a while, but the changes make the game very unenjoyable.

There are enough posts about the 3 button press duration of combat now for me not to whinge, but unless I see some changes posted I don't see any reason to go back on.

If the changes actually made the game play more enjoyable more people would be on there.

I know on other MMOs, if the PTS gameplay was good, many people would be on the PTS in preference to live.

Probably says more to Mythic than all the forum threads combined.

Agree. I have pretty much given up hope that anything they do will improve the gameplay for me.

[Code2501]

I've been logging onto PTS now and then to try out the changes and provide feedback, but its imposible to get into a RVR fight cause I CTD every 10-15 minutes. Plus there seems to be some kinda lag on spell animations... maybe theres a memory leak, dunno, but I can't stay logged in long enough to to get a SC to pop.

[quik77]

Only issue I have is I can't test these changes in RvR because I'm the only one on... some of the tweaks for my class (sm) seem awesome... but PVE !=RvR and I want to test this in the real game... too bad the test server isn't full of all the devs making the changes so we could test vs/with them...

How can they make changes if they aren't playing with us anyway?

[golbleen]

I have a question

if people are so whiny about 1.0.5
then why aren't they on the PTS sending feedback

I swear to god people want everything handed to them on a silver platter, let's just all start at rank 40 with a full set of epics

[Falkayn]

I got on PTS the first night after the copy was working and got into one RvR scenario. This was with the first version of patch. Since then I have been unable to test anything other than solo PvE which isnt really much of one. Last night I got on and queued up T4 scenarios. After a while I did a /who 1 40 and saw there were 6 people on in Order, counting me. So I quit and went to live servers.

I think playing on test earning you a live title would help. But what would REALLY help would be a Mythic test forum like the old beta forums where we could coordinate testing.

[Falkayn]

Well, that is what this sub section of the forum is for. Right?

O_o

Not really. Anyone can come here. And not everyone knows about this forum. I stumbled on to it by accident. If they want to use this one then they should put a notice when you log into test.

Plus if they would limit it to just people who actually log into PTS they could actually get some decent discussion instead of this constant whine/ fest about things getting nerfed. Even if anyone who actually does get on PTS knows that nobody is actually testing to see if any of this is true.

[NightShade]

B) what had been changed really wasn't worth testing for more than an hour or 2


This one applies to me.