[suggestion] low population test server

I think the new updates are very interesting; but the first issue is that in SERVER-TEST there is a low population.
I'm very sad about that.
There are no people becouse:
1) 8gb for a "test-map" is not too good
2) there wasn't a good information about opening of server-test and how to install (there is a bit confusion about which patch to install). You could make an alert in-game in all the server that say "test-server is now open, try the new battle-flow"

(sorry for my english)

I really want to play with the new awesome gameplay!

The download size isn't what deterred me from being on the test server a lot, it's the constant crashing in-game.

As Pirate said, it's the crashes. Since yesterday's patch things have gotten somewhat more stable, but game still crashes every 15 mins or so (vs 3 mins before yesterday's patch).

That is an issue also I do not like the pseudo-lattice system and playing on it was annoying even when there was decent populations on.

Well what don't you like about it?

My main problem is that it funnels battle flow too much forcing what base you can attack next. The second thing I dislike is some of the choices made for what paths you are allowed to take there are long stretches of parallel paths without any cross paths for instance you cannot attack the crown from the crossroads you have to take at least 4 bases along the possible paths. They have also taken out about 1/3rd of the bases though the buildings are still there they are not capturable and have no adjacencies. To be honest I can't think of too much about it there is to like. The main problem is that the map was not set up for lattice if they wanted to do this they should have done it on the new one from the ground up and left Indar the way it is.

...Well that is kind of the point...
We have too MANY options for moving Offensively across the map, but no means of really digging in and Defending the Territories we've taken.

As a defensive player, I like being able to stand my ground and not have to continuously fall back until the Zerg swarms to my aid; It makes the game more then just rushing from one end of the map to the next!

Yeah, there are a few head scratchers there, but that's probably because they're retrofitting a Map originally designed for their vaunted Hex system...

Idealy there would be some kind of geographical barrier between parallel "lanes" to give an explaination for why you have to take the road up to Y to get from X to Z, or else why wouldn't there be a road beaten between X and Z?

This doesn't prevent you from jumping between lanes, quite the opposite in fact, but you can't just push down one and expect to capture another without proper linkage.

Again, this is a symptom of the retrofitting...
Thing is, they are delaying the new Continents so the Map teams can go back and fix the ones we already have.
Once they figure out how things should be laid down, they can use that experience to build new Continents around this new system.

I've never had a crash, really! Yestarday I played for 1 hour without any crash
I'm european (italian) and I play like TR.

I crashed four times in half an hour about 12 hours ago, which is worse than I've had before. It was the first time I've been on with more than a handful of people though, so that may have caused the increase.

when i read "i'm italian" i immediately read "i play like TR" in the ITS-A ME, MARIO! voice HAHA

This makes the game more reliant on zergs not less because they must follow the same paths every time you will always attack with the zerg. What this stops is your unit from responding to the attack of another unit outside of the zerg corridor. You are going to have less defensive fights and more retreating from the enemy zerg unless your own zerg is with you, because there is no options for a single company to break off from the zerg for you to defend against.

For me it's not the crashing (never crashed, maybe it's an AMD/Nvidia thing?), nor is it the download size (have super fast download speeds and no cap).

It's a simple matter of 2 things.

1. Not enough incentive to play there, other than my own good will towards the game, which has waned recently (see cert grant for details). Even minute you play there, you are not gaining certs on your main character in live. You're also not having as big and fun battles, nor usually playing with your outfit mates. That's a lot of downsides for very little personal upside.

2. Simply no other players. It's diffusion of responsibility, like the car on the side of the road that no one stops to help because people assume someone else will do it. People assume others will test, and yet they see how empty it is, get bored, and leave. IE: Because it's empty, it stays empty.

There needs to be stronger enticement to play on the server, and a big step is to open up available equipment.

Give a lot more certs, 10k seems like a lot, but you can't even fully cert out most classes or vehicles with that. You should change it to give at least enough to max out one class and one vehicle, which would be around 30k. It's a lot of certs, but you're trying to draw players there to have them fight, which means motivation to do so. They can just play around in the VR training room and find more targets to test stuff against than they can on the empty test server, and be able to use ALL equipment.

Grant access to all station cash items. Make them all free. For one, testing camos is somewhat important, and not being able to play with camos makes me feel weird, because I'm so used to them on live. For another, you're trying to entice players to play, giving them fun toys will go a long way towards that. Even in VR training they can't play around with all decals and other misc stuff for vehicles for free.

If neither of these work, you might have to consider some sort of reward system for time spent helping on test server. The playerbase has shrunk so much recently, you really don't have enough players simply willing to help test out of good will anymore, and you're very well going to have to reward them in some way to entice them to come play on an empty test server.

Uh.... noooo....

These lanes, along with much longer Capture times, will not only force the Zerg down multiple SET avenues of attack but also allow Coordinated Defenders the ability to plan their responses and Defend without the need to rely on overwhelming force.

Believe me, this isn't some MOBA or RTS where set groups of equally skilled players are matched up together automatically, even with your methodology a Half-squad could be responding to the actions of a couple of guys or a whole Platoon...

Now this isn't to say that we might not need more Lanes and Connections, that's what they're trying to test by loading up the Server after all, but a Lattice is far friendlier to Defense then what we have currently.
Right now, if you dig-in and put up enough of a Defense to stop a Base from being Captured, it doesn't matter...
Adjacent Hexes allow for the Enemy to just flow around and cut off your position immediately, making any Defensive Victory without a Counter-attack to follow it up a Pyrrhic Victory!

This is why people like me ******* HATE the Crown; yeah it's a Defensible Base, but it just turns into a Cert Farm if you don't bother to keep it connected with anything.

True enough, selflessness may have been an intergrated part of my upbringing, but its easy to understand why other people might not want to spend their free time lending their help (holding your hands out, palms up, being non-optional).

...That, and I've honestly got nothing better to do anyways.

Well, even with nothing to do buy play PS2, most people would prefer to gain certs they can use on their main account over goofing around on the test server.

I think the big problems are: crash (many people have crash with test-server) and an insufficent information about the test-server relase.
I think it would be awesome for everybody try the new "lattice-system"!
SoE has more or less 10 servers = 3000players*3continents*10servers= 900000 players. And actually in the test server in 1 continent we have only 10-20 players online?

Meh, you get 12 or so passive Certs for every twenty-four hours anyways, and I've gotten kind of sick of nothing but grinding...

Ah your one of the die hard lattice supporters who feels the need to defend this broken map setup because it sort of resembles a lattice. And your points have some validity except this is not a lattice this is a hodgepodge amalgamation whereby a functional map was butchered in order to make it look but in no way act like a lattice system. Since the first map it has become closer and closer to a lattice as they remove more and more bases and more and more connections trying to make it "fair" but the map was not designed for a lattice, the placement of bases and facilities are wrong not to mention the terrain. I have nothing against the lattice I even argued for it in early beta but now with this map it is not a good idea You might get away with it on Amerish but even then it would be somewhat sub par. The maps have been made and they work you do not fix a working system especially not when the fix is substandard.

The thing is there is no set of rules for development if they want to now add a lattice system do it on the new map and design base placement and attack lanes right so that it makes sense and you do not have to travel 5km taking out 4-7 bases to attack a base you can snipe from your original location. There is no reason we cannot keep the maps and capture mechanics we have now and have the 4th continent with a lattice system with set timer capture. Hell there is no reason any of the maps setup and capture mechanics need to be the same one from another you want vehicles on Esimir to capture go for it you want to not allow air on Amerish, your insane but, there is nothing stopping you. It would add variety and could be tailored to suit the various preferences in the community and if you don't like a specific mechanic or map layout there would be the option of going to another continent rather then simply quiting the game.

And too be honest I have had so little fun with the Pseudo-lattice system, dumbed down capture mechanics and lack of benefits in maneuver that if they implement this system on all the maps I will seriously consider no longer playing, these changes break the skinner box for me because it feels like you accomplish nothing, taking territory accomplishes diddly and does not effect surrounding territory, you can cut off a line of advance and it does not even slow down the capture timers and nothing is unexpected everything has been planned for you and dictated by Higby in advance.

Dude, it's the current system that's broken, the fact that this game is hemorrhaging players and the Dev team see the need for a complete overhaul is proof enough of that!

Let's face it, there will never be enough players to passively screen the HUGE areas of territory the current Hex system requires of them, because even if the game could support the necessary client density people don't want to stand still watching a several kilometers long boarder!

Succesful Defenses are mostly fruitless efforts, since even if you do stop them at one base they just go to the two next to it and cap ALL AROUND YOU!

The System NEEDS an OVERHAUL, most likely a Lattice of Bases with key interconnecting nodes, but if you have something BETTER then I am all ears.
My point remains that they still need to redo each Continent eventually, so they might as well start with the one they gave three defining Biomes to Test three-way, Zero-sum Warfare in the first place!

Dude, the Skinner Box was broken a LONG DAMN time ago...
Territory currently trades hands so many times, so easily, that this pointless activity doesn't even provide entertainment!

Yes, this is partially a result of having almost no means of intercontinental interaction, but since they decided to launch before even being able to implement such a mechanic they have to focus on intracontinental interaction instead.
Just because the current system allows for a single team to push from one shore of the Continent to another doesn't mean their good, it just means no one bothered to stop them...
This makes the entire ordeal feel hollow, especially if you DID fight through Enemy resistance only for that same Enemy to nullify all your progress with a single well placed Capture, and in the end you KNOW your Faction won't be able to hold that Territory for long.

A Meat-grinder is only entertaining for so long and, when advancing the Front is more of a CHORE then an Accomplishment, it is quickly abandoned for the next amusement.

So if you don't like the lattice, how would you change the current system to play better? Please put forth any good ideas you have to eliminate or reduce the "passing in the night" and "dispersing defense" problems.

The lattice is supposed to help align the zergs so 200vs20 battles become more rare. Do you like 200vs20?

Hell, I'd even take 20-to-one odds, just so long as the 20 can't just keep a fourth here to keep me occupied and split the rest amongst the other, undefended bases.

If I can make a single Outpost a Thermopylae Pass, then I'm happy!