DLC after DLC I've experienced and have talked to countless others who have also experienced what appears to be a huge disconnect between players' usage of the test server and the data from test server that actually gets utilized in the final product. Part of the problem is players who treat it as their own personal hands-on preview or who are there to find any new exploits that they can secretly report back to their friends, league, etc. Not much can be done about that but I know that another part of the problem is that players who are genuinely there to test aren't exactly sure what specific data is needed. And even those who do may not have every single finding at the top of their thoughts when reporting back after hours of playing/testing. In short, I'm talking about the things that paid internal testers are trained to know and do. Even with there being a few dev posts on here providing some guidance, without players having that training, it's a giant guessing game. An easy solution could be to utilize 3rd part apps/software that allow for the custom creation of digital forms for people to fill out and submit. As a business owner myself, I've utilized these many times to compile and gauge customer feedback data. The forms can both provide more specific direction on what and how to test as well as a medium for testers to provide feedback. On top of all that, the data can be much more easily compiled, filtered and sorted on your end without having to sort through pages of convoluted impertinent statements just to extract a few tidbits of usable data. Picture something akin to Mepps' "Test Server Update" post but with text boxes under each bullet point and at the bottom a "catch all" box and submit button. Gold! Honestly I don't know how you guys have been able to gather data from this forum without pulling out all your hair or jumping out a window. It would drive me nuts! Granted, I know there is some value in those pages of anecdotal "feels" like statements. I just know it would be my least favorite part of my job if my job was to compile testing feedback data. But I digress... I know there are liability and other issues with a business utilizing 3rd party software, especially if directing customers to another businesses site. But a lot of the software allows for embedding in your own website. You could have a page on the forums here with all the text info and typing boxes you'd need. It would look internally created save for the "Powered By..." graphic at the bottom. I know there are several options that provide this kind of utility which can be easily found with a search engine. I just can't help but think it would be a win/win for both you guys and those players intent on legitimately testing new things and doing their part to help you guys provide a better user experience. Just a thought...or two...
