PTS Playground Between DLCs?

Gidorick

I've been thinking that between the releases of DLCs ZOS could open the PTS with Playground Concepts. These would be gameplay mechanics that are being tested, or have been requested by the community. They could use it as a testing ground for new mechanics or let players see why a particular concept wouldn't work.

Maybe one time they playground gives players Tamriel wide PVP. Maybe another is the PVP justice system. Another could play with the Werewolf or Vampire mechanics. Another could make the days longer.

What other mechanics would you like to see tested in the PTS Playground?

And I wouldn't be opposed to this being an ESO+ only benefit.

Enodoc

Hmm, agreed. I've suggested before that they should turn the PTS into a beta-test server when there aren't new DLCs around.

SantieClaws

This one has once or twice in the past used the test server for filming clips in areas that would normally be busy when khajiit did not want others running in front of the camera.

Yours with directorial paws
Santie Claws

Gidorick

SantieClaws wrote: »

This one has once or twice in the past used the test server for filming clips in areas that would normally be busy when khajiit did not want others running in front of the camera.

Yours with directorial paws
Santie Claws

Interesting. Imagine of ZOS enabled a full RP server. Give players access to all skills, abilities, motifs and costumes... then just turned off all damage and progression.

One weekend a month.

Acrolas

My logistics sense is tingling.

Couldn't be an ESO+ benefit the way PTS is currently set up. Every ESO+ benefit needs to be directly accessible by every subscriber on every platform without additional conditions or hardware requirements.

It's also far trickier to implement. It would need team members from both Community and Development working together on various quantitative and qualitative efforts - basically a combined Research team. Any work that team did would have to be polished enough to function, and at that point, it would be a much smaller trek to actually putting it in the game having already done all the work of proposing, designing, and coding it.

ZOS would have to pay the team for the work they did, as spec work is a double four letter word. It would just make more sense to pay them for work that was already intended to be part of the live product, instead of concepts that aren't part of any plan. Or, basically, the way things are now.

Gidorick

Zos is constantly testing concepts @Acrolas . They apparently tested killable guards at one point and decided they didn't care for it. So the dev work is already going into test mechanics. Sure they are probably broken, let's see em anyway!

I guess I'm suggesting "external play testing" through the PTS.

As for eso+ ... make it a 3 month sub level perk. Consoles can't get those.

And why not have fun with it?

Darth_Trumpious

Not going to work. While I respect you for keep coming out with new ideas and suggestions in the past, most of your ideas are more related to fan fictions that do not appear to be attractive or efficient when it comes to maximizing profits for ZOS' shareholders. Too much efforts and might ended up with people just playing for fun (and limited items) instead of "testing"

PTS is PTS, which is designed to test for next DLC that aims to create more profits for the company. They already have team testing the concepts and when the contents are on the PTS, they only want to catch bugs /see how it runs on a mass basis.

Letting a group players who are using it as a RP server / having fun with unlimited items / no consequences and hope they can come up with something helpful? Not really an efficient solution.

ContraTempo

Hm...I notice that PTS still has 2.4.4 loaded instead of 2.4.5

Nestor

ContraTempo wrote: »

Hm...I notice that PTS still has 2.4.4 loaded instead of 2.4.5

@ContraTempo

Once a DLC is released, the PTS is frequently behind the patch curve.

Stoltverd

The problem is the part of "Requested by the community".
This patch is proof that ZOS fakes about caring for the players. They put one or two fan services or small features and stealthily put features that EN MASSE were told not to.

Gidorick

Darth_Trumpious wrote: »

Not going to work. While I respect you for keep coming out with new ideas and suggestions in the past, most of your ideas are more related to fan fictions that do not appear to be attractive or efficient when it comes to maximizing profits for ZOS' shareholders. Too much efforts and might ended up with people just playing for fun (and limited items) instead of "testing"

PTS is PTS, which is designed to test for next DLC that aims to create more profits for the company. They already have team testing the concepts and when the contents are on the PTS, they only want to catch bugs /see how it runs on a mass basis.

Letting a group players who are using it as a RP server / having fun with unlimited items / no consequences and hope they can come up with something helpful? Not really an efficient solution.

I have said time and time again that my concept are akin to fan fiction. They're "Fan-design" concepts! initially I was trying to be helpful, but early on I realized the chance that ZOS would actually ever take any of my ideas seriously was about as likely as a slaughterfish becoming emperor. So I let loose the Mongrels of Imagination and we've ended up with ideas like the Auction Horse.

So no. I don't expect these things to actually come to fruition. It's more a "wouldn't it be cool if" situation. I'll admit some of my ideas are less practical than others, but at least in not suggesting flying time traveling DwemLoreans.

Now... on this specific topic...

This really wouldn't be trying to "solve" anything @Darth_Trumpious , it would be more of a playground situation. "Hey guys, have fun!"

Sure analytics would be generated but the time between DLC testing could be treated more... playfully! Testing with the community might produce different results than the internal testing. Also, we can test concepts AND have fun. They're not mutually exclusive.

Also, I like this sentence:
"Too much efforts and might ended up with people just playing for fun (and limited items) instead of "testing""

We wouldn't want players to have fun, now would we?

I guess we can drop the topic. I was thinking others might enjoy daydreaming about the weird mechanics we'd like to play around with... I guess not.