Guild Wars 2

Colin recently said in lieu of having a public testing server for big changes that the only thing they can do is try to make prompt changes to the game when problems are encountered.

It is brutally apparent with this last big patch and the minor fixes that have accompanied it that this is a practice that is not sustainable. So many core facets of the game are unbalanced and it is brewing frustration and resentment.

We need to make a concerted push for the implementation of a public test server, or even a private test server that players can be randomly recruited into by Anet in the days preceding larger patches. Large group content and competitive game modes need to be checked by regular players for balance. The majority of the game’s userbase just acts and plays in ways that are obviously not being accounted for in whatever QA measures are currently in place.

If agree or disagree please say so in this thread, and let’s get a discussion about this rolling.

Unfortunately, 90% of people who volunteer for this will only do it so they can be the first ones to play the patch and figure out changes in the market etc.

Rift had a public test server and stuff like that still happened. Didn’t make a kitten ed bit of difference.

Jrunyon.3012:

Unfortunately, 90% of people who volunteer for this will only do it so they can be the first ones to play the patch and figure out changes in the market etc.

It would be a fair trade off then to make it so that you will only have access to limited segments of the game then right? For a patch that has such sweeping class changes you have access to spvp, dungeons, world bosses, and WvW.

WoW has PTR servers for years now, and yes, it won’t magically fix everything, but there’s a lot of usefull things Anet could get from them, having 10-20 guys doing QA is not enough for a MMO of this scale. That is if they will be willing to listen to the players’ feedback from PTR.

What about spoilers?

They could leave story sections out. And I’m refering to test servers for general patches, not for expansions. Once an expansion is out, then update the test servers for it aswell.

Honestly I think a lot of people are more amused than frustrated.

Things have been stirred up, we’re trying new builds everything just feels renewed.

Certain things being temporarily OP is just part of the experience, in fact it can be a major part of the fun. Memories are being made.

VaLee.5102:

They could leave story sections out. And I’m refering to test servers for general patches, not for expansions. Once an expansion is out, then update the test servers for it aswell.

So, have a test server for some stuff, but have other things in the normal servers as it is before? Then I don’t see the point in having test servers I’m afraid, sorry.

Ok, to give an example:
- the feature pack last year could be tested without spoilers
- the major patch we had this week aswell, could’ve just left old LA on the test server if worried about spoilers
- the recently “2x HP” “hotfix” we had today also

And plenty other chanegs that occured that weren’t related to any new content, just game mechanics changes.