Community asked for PTS, Community didn't show

So, one of the things that really started to bother me yesterday is when I thought about how much the community asked for a Public Test Server and then nobody showed.

Even during the event that the devs held, my TR outfit went on and there was only one other Vanu outfit participating at the time that we could notice. How can the community ask for this and then not show up?

Now, after going through that I took a step back and realized, the test server has a major crashing issue right now. Half the people in the my outfit were crashing constantly, so I cannot blame the community at all right now.

So, it's obvious that population will go up once the crashing has been fixed, but do you guys think it will a population that closely represents the live servers?

I sure hope so, as much as the community asked for it on the forums and in-game, I would love for it to be active. I mean the test server and feedback from it will be the best way to make this game better and better.

So, when the crashing is fixed, do you guys think the population on the test server will reach a high amount?

No.

Most of the reason people will log onto the test server, is to see some things, using it as a free window into what they might be getting in the future. Maybe log on long enough to render a verdict on the lattice, if they are really progressive (Though, that hasn't stopped some people from rendering verdicts without actually trying the lattice anyway).

The download turned away a number of people in my waterson outfit, some didn't even have space on their computer for another 8 gig download.

You are absolutely right though about that crashing issue, though I think they sorted it out last night for the most part.

I would counter this with saying, the people who really have strong opinions about the future of the game, for the most part, are on the test server. I've seen a number of folks on the test server, that I read up on the forums during the day. So that is nice.

Yeah I mean I guess we'll see about the pop once the crashing is brought down. I for some reason wasn't crashing nearly as often as half my outfit so I won't really know unless we incorporate the test server into another ops night tonight or tomorrow.

If people really don't show up that much though after it's fixed, I'll be sorely disappointed. I didn't think a test server would even come, but popular demand made it happen and the thought of the community neglecting it is really painful. Our outfit got on and we had no opposition because nobody else was really playing. We got angry that we were the only outfit that seemed to care about the future of this game, along with Azure Twilight whom we fought during the short-lived experience.

Can't account for EU guys though, different time zone n all.

Regardless, I can only hope the testing will get better with the crash issue being resolved.

Important to acknowledge that the whiny community wanted a test server so that OTHER PEOPLE could test updates before they go live.

It was a very good thing yesterday, that the TEST Server was up during the downtime. I was attacking with 2 other squads at EU midday. Fun.

Hope SOE will get some data out of it.

So please SOE, always keep the TEST Server online during downtime of the other servers.

It would help if the EU could get a test server. Firstly, with it being in the states it does make testing some thing a bit harder due to rubber banding or lag.
Secondly, having times that could also accommodate the EU guys would be nice. The last two have been midnight in the UK.

Also, I think announcing when the test is a bit more in advance and maybe when its about to start putting an announcement across all normal servers saying "hey come and cap indar on the test server" might be a good idea too.

i tried yesterday but kept crashing every 2 - 3 minutes gave up

I would have agreed with you a couple days ago, but they have put notices on your loader, they have put notices on the forums, they have put notices everywhere and people just aren't coming over. I mean it's callous, but Marlboro up there is right.

Well there are many reasons.
1. Crashes
2. No advertizement. You really have to make it big and explain the test.
3. Many players already left the game and only hardcore players, some outfits and several newbies are playing which don't really
wanna change the game but bash noobs. The population is already low on the live server compared to release. This is hard tobac to
chew on but has to be said.
4. Playtests are in the US time zones. EU players have to play at 3am in the morning....
And how do you want to know that this game has a majority of US players?
Imo the timezones are a big factor.

And come on. I wanted a test server but i don't play on the live server anymore...

Hopefully tonight's focus test will see some good battles now that the crashing is fixed.

At first I thought people were joking when they were asking for compensation for playing on the live servers. I myself think of it as a privilege, as neat as free stuff might be.

Fact is, right now the way it is is that none of the stuff we've unlocked with Station Cash carries over. We're leaving a lot of people behind on the live servers. And unlike any MMORPG PTR the game actively suffers from not having enough people.

In an MMORPG nobody really minds if there's too few people on since PvP is largely optional. Where it's the heart and soul of the game, it becomes a slippery slope if there's too few people.

SOE is already scheduling regularly testing times so people know that there will be other people to fight. They're at the wrong time for me, but whatever. Telling us what to test and when there'll be people to test it with is a good idea.

It's sad that additional incentives are needed (such as SC purchases carrying over) but if it's required for running the test server as it should be run, the community would benefit from it.

Sorry, SOE.

Truer words were never spoken, kinsman.

Is it Ironic that we both play TR medics, by the way? Red medic party straight from TF2.

Shame on all the major US based outfits for not mobilizing their player base and answering the call. They should have been on the forefront of this.

Last night during my half an hour of play, I saw 2 broadcast messages from Higby on the LIVE servers telling us about a stress test on PTS, I didn't see anyone log off.

Its rather late at night for most of the community.

Also people with PSS7 accounts currently can't get on the test server.

I would say this is the mentality of a lot of people on the internet in general. Test servers, modding tools, level editors, anything related to improving games that the community can partake in. They whine and complain when they don't have them but when they do have them they just wait for somebody else to use them to make their experience better.

It is not my job to test their game, this is not in beta.
If they want to pay me in SC by the hour to play on test server, then I would.

My main problem with Test Server (one of several) is that all the weapons and stuff that I paid for and am use to playing with, aren't carried over, and trying to unlock them with certs... well I have to **** myself somewhere.

Yay! Kudos and Karma for playing on Test server... but I'm playing a gimped character.

And when I'm use to communications and teamwork... the squads I've been in - better off soloing.

We've been told that there are SOE staff and DEVs ingame... how do we identify them? How do I know that the "TestDEV" is a legit developer and not a player running around on an ego trip?

That's cool man. Don't test. I can only assume that you weren't one of the community members I was referring too when I created the thread. Shame that you don't care to try and make the game better, but hey, you're not complaining about the game so what's the point?

On to the relevant: I heard the crashes have been fixed, I wonder if maybe it has been crashing so much because the test server had better optimizations with the crashes that we heard so much about during beta. If so, it would explain why my FPS seems to be significantly better than when I play on the live servers.

What I want is for them to use the test server to test it themselves, to fix the bugs they already created.. not to try out new shotguns..
Every patch they put out breaks things, we are carrying bugs from GU01, and yet the test server is testing for GU09 or such...

I have a BR15 on the test server.. It is slow, cap timers take forever, there is no increasing influence to make it go faster.
They took away half your choices on where to attack.. your choice is to continue up the road or go back the way you came.
There is no need for outfits or platoon leaders anymore, when all you can do is go to the next base down the road.

It is Zerg vs Zerg. It will be a complete mess when it goes live, and MANY people will quit the game.
There will be no point in being in a small outfit, there is nothing for you to do, can you fight a platoon with your squad?

Take one section, then move onto the next section, feels like BF3 OP metro..
The freedom and openness are gone, along with any hopes for strategy..

Gal drop behind enemy lines and break stuff in a base that you cant cap, or you can fight the zerg at the current battlefront on the road..
No more gal dropping in the next base over to increase influence, they don't connect anymore..
The way you can cap bases around a base to cut them off, cant do it no more..

It is a horrible change.. I am going to spend no more time there.
I am going to try and enjoy ps2 on the real server until they destroy this game by implementing these test server changes.