What are the benefits and drawbacks to playing on the PTS (2022)

moleculardrugs · January 2022

PTS stands for Public Test Server. Recently learned about this and would like to know the pros and cons of playing in this server vs another on for the PC (NA or EU non-PTS servers…).

Sylvermynx · January 2022

Well, the first thing is it's only available when they're testing the next content release. So only a few times a year. Second thing is, when you use the PTS, you actually see the new content before release, so that when it releases, it's stale for you (or maybe not, but that's one reason I don't do PTS). Third, they tend not to pay any attention to bug reports - generally, it seems that once it's on PTS, it's basically a done deal.

The last thing from my POV is, I don't have the data to download updates to PTS 3 or 4 times in a month or so, and still have data to download the content releases.

joerginger · January 2022

A drawback is that despite its name the PTS is less used as an actual test server and more as a promotion tool.

ArchangelIsraphel · January 2022

The PTS is meant for testing only, character data is wiped and replaced every few months, sometimes weeks. It is not meant for permanent character progression, but instead, to test builds, new content, and other things. If you plan on using the pts, you will want to play on either na or eu for permanent progression.

The benefits are numerous, from being able to preview changes and give feedback, to testing furnishings to see if you like them, and more.

Drawback is that you must have the disk space for a second copy if the game. Although it launches through the same client, it is essentially a whole different game. Nothing is permanent there, so you only use it to test things before they go to the real servers.

moleculardrugs · January 2022

Sylvermynx wrote: »

Well, the first thing is it's only available when they're testing the next content release. So only a few times a year. Second thing is, when you use the PTS, you actually see the new content before release, so that when it releases, it's stale for you (or maybe not, but that's one reason I don't do PTS). Third, they tend not to pay any attention to bug reports - generally, it seems that once it's on PTS, it's basically a done deal.

The last thing from my POV is, I don't have the data to download updates to PTS 3 or 4 times in a month or so, and still have data to download the content releases.

I did not know that it’s availability for play would be limited! Do holiday events come earlier on this server too? Or is it just new content that’s never been introduced into the other non-PTS servers?

freespirit · January 2022

Holiday events are generally available earlier to test/check out

moleculardrugs · January 2022

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

. […] Nothing is permanent there, so you only use it to test things before they go to the real servers.

This reminded me of the Evergloam Oblivion realm 😅

ArchangelIsraphel · January 2022

Some additional info-The pts is also up all the time and available all year, but changes and updates are not made to it unless the devs have something for you to test. I personally use it as a tool to sculpt and refine characters before bringing them over to the live servers, along with testing expensive housing builds to see if I want to invest in a house.

moleculardrugs · January 2022

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

Some additional info-The pts is also up all the time and available all year, but changes and updates are not made to it unless the devs have something for you to test. I personally use it as a tool to sculpt and refine characters before bringing them over to the live servers, along with testing expensive housing builds to see if I want to invest in a house.

Do houses still cost crowns on the PTS? and is there an option for transferring characters from the PTS to another server?

Sylvermynx · January 2022

AFAIK, you can't "transfer" back to the live servers from PTS. The copying mech is split - it covers both NA and EU in rotation - but it's one way only.

ArchangelIsraphel · January 2022

moleculardrugs wrote: »

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

Some additional info-The pts is also up all the time and available all year, but changes and updates are not made to it unless the devs have something for you to test. I personally use it as a tool to sculpt and refine characters before bringing them over to the live servers, along with testing expensive housing builds to see if I want to invest in a house.

Do houses still cost crowns on the PTS? and is there an option for transferring characters from the PTS to another server?

You cannot transfer characters unfortunately, I remake my characters appearance on the live servers using a program called on top replica which let's me overlay screenshots of my sliders on the pts over the live sever so I can match them up. (Eta, the program does not touch the eso client and is not a mod. It's just a program for overlaying a semi transparent image over another program in windows)

Everything in the crown store on the test server is only one crown, since it's not permanent, including many houses. (If you make a max level test template character they have items in their inventory that can be used to give them all houses that can be bought for gold, so you can test them) on the test server you are given something like 5000 test crowns to spend. These crowns don't reflect your live server crowns and are essentially just there to play with.

AlnilamE · January 2022

moleculardrugs wrote: »

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

Some additional info-The pts is also up all the time and available all year, but changes and updates are not made to it unless the devs have something for you to test. I personally use it as a tool to sculpt and refine characters before bringing them over to the live servers, along with testing expensive housing builds to see if I want to invest in a house.

Do houses still cost crowns on the PTS? and is there an option for transferring characters from the PTS to another server?

I think everything on the PTS costs 1 crown.

But while your account will exist there, usually they take turns copying NA and EU characters over, so during a testing period, the first 2 weeks are usually NA then 2 weeks of EU then back to NA again. These are copies of the live servers a day or so before.

You can also create max-level (and mid-level) templates with access to all sets and a lot of imporvers so people can test things.

Fennwitty · January 2022

It is not a "real" server.

Characters are copied over from the live PC NA servers periodically and replicated when it's a new test cycle.

They stay for ~2 weeks or so, then they get deleted and replaced with copies from the PC EU server.

You can quickly make characters of any level, and outfit them with basically any item in the game to create a test version too.

You can check things out early, contribute identifying bugs, and effectively play with unlimited money and crowns for stuff -- but nothing you do will ever transfer back to the real servers. And the characters with everything they have are wiped regularly.

Olauron · January 2022

The benefits:
- everything from crown store doesn't cost real crowns;
- every set is available;
- you have as much gold and materials as you want.

The drawbacks:
- your progress is not saved, thus you will unlikely see the results of your quests in another story (for example, to see the results of Morrowind in Summerset story you will have to (re)do Morrowind story in the same PTS cycle);
- there is a time of inactivity of the server (usually not very long before the test of the new chapter);
- if you are interested in group content, you will less likely find other people;
- the crown store is limited (you will not see the same items as on live servers, the stock is almost fixed, new houses appear almost only for the time of their testing - there are exceptions).