38 replies to this topic

[Stonefalcon]

Hey PGI, I've heard that there is this great feature called a public test server, or PTS for short. It's designed to be on all the time and host your next update for your game ahead of the release onto the main server. I hear it acts as a great buffer to see if your new patch is going to make a mess of things or make them better.

It is generally a good idea to have your PTS running all the time, not just when you feel like it, because you can actually attain great information into your gaming community such as overseas players rather than just the general US population latencies, I've heard some of these players report pings beyond 400ms which is pretty bad even by Australian standards.

You would see great things like if your patch would break the game before rolling it out to everybody and then having 20 pages of rage spewing filth littering your general discussion forum. I for one don't like checking out the MWO forums during my lunch break after your patch goes live and finding threads like "Someday My Match Will Start", "Post Patch Pain" or my personnel favourite "Why Are You Actively Trying to Shut This Game Down?".

Please consider the Public Test Server as a viable always on test bed for your patches rather than the "Lets turn it on when we feel like" approach you are currently, I honestly do believe if you treat your child with respect rather than a quick buck you will achieve two things.

1. You would more than likely make MORE money, you missed out on a $240 clan pack from me because you continue to treat this game like filth.

and

2. There will be balance in the force.

Regards
Stoney

[Punkass]

Its not that they've never heard of one, it's that they use it to showcase new features instead of using for QA. Why else do you think they only have it up when they're rolling out a new feature.

[Destructicus]

WAT?!?!?!?!?
TESTING FEATURES BEFORE THEY GO LIVE?!?!?!?
ARE YOU MAD?!?!?!?

[Scratx]

Well, as has been explained elsewhere, some kinds of bugs just won't show up unless you've got enough people online... the test servers never reach that level of population...

Do the math.

[Tincan Nightmare]

Thats ok, if the past is any indication if the rage gets to much they will just subdivide the forum to death and make general discussion disappear (its happened before).

Scratx, on 20 May 2014 - 07:13 PM, said:

Well, as has been explained elsewhere, some kinds of bugs just won't show up unless you've got enough people online... the test servers never reach that level of population...

Do the math.

And the level of people that go to the test server isn't affected by it being turned off and on, versus being on all the time? Most probably go do other things instead of waiting around for when it gets switched on, and just don't bother to even try it any more.

[Roland]

Scratx, on 20 May 2014 - 07:13 PM, said:

Well, as has been explained elsewhere, some kinds of bugs just won't show up unless you've got enough people online... the test servers never reach that level of population...

Do the math.

What it could be used for, however, would be for making rapid balance changes which require little code changing, to see the effect of those changes.

That would improve balance, which would in turn increase the player base, which would in turn support better matchmaking algorithms.

Pgi has basically given up on doing anything besides selling mechs, and as a result they have alienated their player base, to the degree that there agreement enough players left to support a balanced matchmaker.

Edited by Roland, 20 May 2014 - 07:23 PM.

[FupDup]

You mean, using a TEST server for....TESTing things?

Edited by FupDup, 20 May 2014 - 07:23 PM.

[Kassatsu]

Stonefalcon, on 20 May 2014 - 06:42 PM, said:

Hey PGI, I've heard that there is this great feature called a public test server, or PTS for short. It's designed to be on all the time and host your next update for your game ahead of the release onto the main server. I hear it acts as a great buffer to see if your new patch is going to make a mess of things or make them better.

It is generally a good idea to have your PTS running all the time, not just when you feel like it, because you can actually attain great information into your gaming community such as overseas players rather than just the general US population latencies, I've heard some of these players report pings beyond 400ms which is pretty bad even by Australian standards.

You would see great things like if your patch would break the game before rolling it out to everybody and then having 20 pages of rage spewing filth littering your general discussion forum. I for one don't like checking out the MWO forums during my lunch break after your patch goes live and finding threads like "Someday My Match Will Start", "Post Patch Pain" or my personnel favourite "Why Are You Actively Trying to Shut This Game Down?".

Please consider the Public Test Server as a viable always on test bed for your patches rather than the "Lets turn it on when we feel like" approach you are currently, I honestly do believe if you treat your child with respect rather than a quick buck you will achieve two things.

1. You would more than likely make MORE money, you missed out on a $240 clan pack from me because you continue to treat this game like filth.

and

2. There will be balance in the force.

Regards
Stoney

Too long;


I still most likely agree with whatever you're saying.

[Stonefalcon]

Scratx, on 20 May 2014 - 07:13 PM, said:

Well, as has been explained elsewhere, some kinds of bugs just won't show up unless you've got enough people online... the test servers never reach that level of population...

Do the math.

They never reach the pop they want because they only have it up for 2 hours.

[darkkterror]

Stonefalcon, on 20 May 2014 - 08:25 PM, said:

They never reach the pop they want because they only have it up for 2 hours.

They never reach the pop they want because most players don't know or care that there's even a test server.

[Alex Warden]

bumped for truth...

although if PGI had to "sacrifice" server capacity for the PTS, we probably would need active premium to use it...

darkkterror, on 20 May 2014 - 08:28 PM, said:

They never reach the pop they want because most players don't know or care that there's even a test server.

still better than rolling out borked patches each and every time without the slightest attempt to test them... PTS means TEST, not "show off what new shiny things we have for you, btw, not feature complete but you´ll get an idea what could be in the next update"...

Edited by Alex Warden, 20 May 2014 - 10:35 PM.

[Appogee]

We're all playing on the public test server - all the time. This game is still in beta.

[VIPER2207]

Appogee, on 21 May 2014 - 12:54 AM, said:

We're all playing on the public test server - all the time. This game is still in beta.

according to the classic Software Release Life Cycle, this game is not even beta, it's alpha, because it's not feature complete (not even close to).

I'm not sure if the classic life cycle can be applied to modern F2P-onlinegames, but it doesn't matter, to be honest... this game is far far away from beeing a "complete and well-done gaming experience"...

[Zolaz]

Another day of PGI being overwhelmed by life. Kind of reminds me of that guy in Cal II looking at his returned test and figuring out that Engineering isnt for him. I wonder when PGI is going to figure out that maybe they arent in the right line of work?

Maybe something with preparing hot burgers and fries is more their speed?

[Joseph Mallan]

VIPER2207, on 21 May 2014 - 01:32 AM, said:

according to the classic Software Release Life Cycle, this game is not even beta, it's alpha, because it's not feature complete (not even close to).

I'm not sure if the classic life cycle can be applied to modern F2P-onlinegames, but it doesn't matter, to be honest... this game is far far away from beeing a "complete and well-done gaming experience"...

We don't have an RC product yet according to that information!

[VIPER2207]

Joseph Mallan, on 21 May 2014 - 02:28 AM, said:

We don't have an RC product yet according to that information!

yeah, because there is no RC for an alpha-version... can't exist just by the definition itself^^

[Haakon Magnusson]

Scratx, on 20 May 2014 - 07:13 PM, said:

Well, as has been explained elsewhere, some kinds of bugs just won't show up unless you've got enough people online... the test servers never reach that level of population...

Do the math.

I would wager couple hundred they'd have the numbers if they had test up and running on pre-patch monday for couple of hours. They would have the numbers... just port over user data from prod backup, run your upgrade scripts for db and patch appserver, I'd try.. less clusterfucks I bet and robustness of patch procedure.

[o0Marduk0o]

Haakon Magnusson, on 21 May 2014 - 02:40 AM, said:

I would wager couple hundred they'd have the numbers if they had test up and running on pre-patch monday for couple of hours. They would have the numbers... just port over user data from prod backup, run your upgrade scripts for db and patch appserver, I'd try.. less clusterfucks I bet and robustness of patch procedure.

Nope, because progression is not saved and people usually don't play there when they could earn cb/xp in live servers at the same time.

[Blood Rose]

Wait, PGI don't test these patches before they go live? I am so shocked!

[VIPER2207]

o0Marduk0o, on 21 May 2014 - 02:48 AM, said:

Nope, because progression is not saved and people usually don't play there when they could earn cb/xp in live servers at the same time.

hm... i wouldn't say that... it workss fine for other games like EvE Online.... only MWO's playerbase may be too small...