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We get a PTS that never stops running with simple challenges that are centered around smaller changes.
For example testing out how much of an impact a small heat increase for medium lasers might have and how the testers react to it.
What happens if we lower or increase a quirk....stuff like that.
Idealy it would come with a build in report tool that ask you, before you quite your session, how you liked the change and what you would like to see beeing done.
Else you can report to the forum about how you see it. Even without a report PGI would get some data to decide if the change is going into the direction they want.
Why do I think this is worth doing?
Currently PGI tries to develop a big chunk, then release it very shortly on the PTS, if at all, just to get, at least for the last changes, quite a backlash from the community.
When they would have made smaller increments of changes on a PTS that is running constantly, for people to test, they could have gotten an early feedback while still keeping development running and adjust things on the fly.
Side effects that could happen:
- Problems could be found early on
- Less wasted resources on features that don't work, like information warfare or energie draw
- Early feedback can give you new ideas on how to solve problems in development
- When more talks about the feedback happen the community feels more involved and I dare to say it would spark more creativity in the community and the development team
- You have solid data to verifiy your system
- A larger number of people can find more ways to find bugs then a small QA team can
Overall I think it would work in favor for both side. PGI can optimize the time and money they spend, players get a more refind game at the end.
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So lets say PGI agrees and would setup a PTS like that, we still got the problem that previous PTS sessions where kinda useless as there where such a small group of people actualy testing.
Question is what could be done about it?
At the most basic level PGI could hand out a flat CBill/GXP/GSP reward for the main account.
That way people will be compensated for playing the PTS.
The most work intensive way I could think of is creating a PTS only mode with a small playerbase in mind. What comes to my mind is Solaris 7 with its 1v1 or at max 4v4 arena style battles it would be the best fit.
Add a bit of Solaris7 flair to the challenges (a small text and a generic commentator like with MW4). Let the player climbe the leaderboard to get bigger rewards, give them an option to leave a sticker ingame to challenge other players and have quarterly big challenges and a "End of year" battle.
Also add mechs that are only playable in the PTS like the Solaris mechs.
A part of the rewards would then transfere back to the main account if the player wishes.
Lets say 10%? (10% of your Solaris income would be added to your main account, its not substracted from you Solaris income)
I know lots of work and costs and stuff but it would most likely be the most engaging way to draw in players to the PTS. Still you can just go with the flat reward...could still work.
An option I would like less but I could understand if its not possible another way is that you have players pay a bit MC for playing this mode. Like its with current costum plays.
Still PGI should ask themself if getting more feedback, data and a closer relationship with its players is worth doing it in the long run.
Edited by Nesutizale, 30 April 2017 - 10:19 AM.
