Guild Wars 2

While I know Anet has a test server that mimics the live ones, and all content is run though the QA team, perhaps it’s time to expand your testing? The reason why so many bugs are showing up, is because I don’t think Anet can really account for the mad rush and randomness of the average player. What goes through the average player’s mind cannot be duplicated in a controlled setting inside Anet HQ. You need live samples!

I propose that with all new, major content releases, Anet should send out invites to players to jump on the test servers, and allow us to play how we do on the live servers. Let us queue up, and run amok in a closed Beta test. It worked with EotM, and we were able to give both bug reports, and valuable feedback for minor tweaks here and there.

I guarantee you that we’ll be able to flush out more bugs than in Alpha testing. It’s a win-win situation. Select players could get a sneak preview of new content, and Anet gets feedback to fix problems before going live.

They fear, that if people know what comes next, it will have an earlier influx on the market.

People would play the auction house even more, unbalancing the unbalanced economy to new hights…

2nd problem is an open beta would have players finishing content even before it goes live. By then they’re bored with it.

3rd problem: People would rush through the little content we get even faster (because all secrets and stategies would be known). More bored players.

Those points are shockingly true. But at the same time, new epic content that’s hugely bugged is just as depressing.

One thing I’d like to point out is that on the test servers, none of the achievements or rewards/loot are transferred to your real account. It would be a completely separate server, with a focus on just the main Open World content. So no Scarlet fight, no story advancement.

It’s the only idea I could think of that could help Anet flush out bugs. This current LS, while the best so far (IMO), is countered by the fact that a lot of stuff can’t be done properly. People getting achievements for not completing content. People not getting achievements for completing content. Scaling issues. Etc.