Why is PTS so popular ?

PouletRico · April 2019

I was wondering if other players were having the same feeling as I do, so here I share:
I think that the popularity of PTS is kind of ruining the game experience and the release of new content. Let me explain.
Elsweyr PTS was released yesterday, and the live server is really quiet right now, even at pick-time. All players are testing stuff on the PTS, and I think that most of them will continue to play on PTS until the final release.

So I have two questions:
- Why so many peoples have access to the PTS in the first place ? I understand that ZOS needs the game and new mechanics to be tested by players, but right now it more feels like the entire live server will be empty until the Elsweyr release. Why not restricting the PTS access to fewer players, so it would not impact the live server population ?

- Every DLC or chapters are cleared in less than 5 hours, because players are training and learning everything on PTS, what the point of having a live server then ? Why do everyone accept the fact that there is no "progress" whatsoever when new content get released ? This is so sad.

Btw, I have an access to PTS (I play since beta, not full-time tho, so I must have earned it at some point, but can't remember when) and I barely use it for two reasons:
- My SSD is not big enough to contain ESO + ESO PTS + my other stuff
- I don't see the point of subscribing to a game just to play on some *** test server and spoilingl myself with unfinished content. I'm not a top player, but I like to be part of the competition, I enjoy learning and doing the new content, in a "competitive" way

Glass · April 2019

Give it a few days, popularity will drop fast for the people that got in it just for curiosity of a new class or the map among other things.
The real testers are just a few, you surely won't notice them missing on the live server.
Besides it can't be bad having people to test the upcoming patch finding bugs, exploits and helping balancing classes for a better experience for the rest.

Edaphon · April 2019

PouletRico wrote: »

All players are testing stuff on the PTS, and I think that most of them will continue to play on PTS until the final release.

Judging by every other PTS test so far: no, definitely not.
PTS will be pretty crowded for 5 to 10 days and after that it will become a ghost town.

Some will come back in week 3 for a couple of days for some of the bug fixes and/or to play their EU characters but after that not much happens anymore.

akredon_ESO · April 2019

umm wow ok....

1. new xpac comming out people wanna test some of the new changes.

2. Stuff has to be tested for it to work correctly... thats on those people to clear content that fast i like to take my time.

3. testing testing testing that is the purpose

Lazarus37 · April 2019

People are probably using the PTS server because they can't get on the regular version...

starkerealm · April 2019

PouletRico wrote: »

So I have two questions:
- Why so many peoples have access to the PTS in the first place ? I understand that ZOS needs the game and new mechanics to be tested by players, but right now it more feels like the entire live server will be empty until the Elsweyr release. Why not restricting the PTS access to fewer players, so it would not impact the live server population ?

If you're wondering why people are flocking to the PTS in what feels like far greater numbers than normal... that can probably be summed up in two words: Dragons, Necromancers.

People have wanted both of those things for a long time.

Second, the PTS is open to all (on PC). It's opt-in. So you can jump in and mess around with things. Try to break things. That IS what the PTS is for.

A better question is, "why were so many people included into the Elsweyr test?" I don't have an answer there. Possibly because ZOS was dissatisfied with the number of people who actually logged in and tested Summerset? Anecdotal, I know, but the guild I was running with back when Summerset hit PTS didn't actually migrate over to the server to test things.

PouletRico wrote: »

- Every DLC or chapters are cleared in less than 5 hours, because players are training and learning everything on PTS, what the point of having a live server then ? Why do everyone accept the fact that there is no "progress" whatsoever when new content get released ? This is so sad.

The PTS isn't really a play environment. I mean, you can. You can set up templates there, mess around with builds, experiment with things. Half the point of the PTS is to see if you can break something. And that's the point. So that bugs get caught and reported on the PTS before they migrate to live.

So, yes, some groups do use the PTS to train on new content rather than for its intended purposes. Which is kinda unavoidable.

Thing is, playing on the PTS simply to play on the PTS is a somewhat hollow experience. Most players don't even loot over there because there's no point. The characters you create will be gone in a few weeks anyway. So it works to test things, but those characters aren't, "real." They're just templates.

PouletRico wrote: »

Btw, I have an access to PTS (I play since beta, not full-time tho, so I must have earned it at some point, but can't remember when) and I barely use it for two reasons:
- My SSD is not big enough to contain ESO + ESO PTS + my other stuff
- I don't see the point of subscribing to a game just to play on some *** test server and spoilingl myself with unfinished content. I'm not a top player, but I like to be part of the competition, I enjoy learning and doing the new content, in a "competitive" way

It is an entire separate install of the game. So no fault on you if you don't have the space, or don't have the time to poke around.

VaranisArano · April 2019

The PTS is popular for a variety of reasons.

For some people, its a chance to play with the template characters or to experience the new features before they hit Live. For some people its a chance to test new builds or see how the changes impact their old builds. For others, its a chance to test new systems for bugs or leave feedback. There's lots of reasons to use it.

Personally, I use it to check out the areas of the game that are interesting to me.

For Summerset, I used the PTS to test how to unlock the Psijic Order line because I found that confusing from the description on the forums. I was curious about the spawn rate of jewelry nodes, so I farmed PTS Bal Foyen for a couple hours and recorded the spawn rates (ZOS later increased the spawn rate). I messed around with the new Summerset housing furnishings and built myself a wizard's today for the heck of it. And when someone had a question about fishing and rare fish spawns, I went fishing on Artaeum.

Nestor · April 2019

PouletRico wrote: »

So I have two questions:
- Why so many peoples have access to the PTS in the first place ? I understand that ZOS needs the game and new mechanics to be tested by players, but right now it more feels like the entire live server will be empty until the Elsweyr release. Why not restricting the PTS access to fewer players, so it would not impact the live server population ?

- Every DLC or chapters are cleared in less than 5 hours, because players are training and learning everything on PTS, what the point of having a live server then ? Why do everyone accept the fact that there is no "progress" whatsoever when new content get released ? This is so sad.

- I don't see the point of subscribing to a game just to play on some *** test server and spoilingl myself with unfinished content. I'm not a top player, but I like to be part of the competition, I enjoy learning and doing the new content, in a "competitive" way

1. Just like a 1,000,000,000 monkeys typing for a Billion years will create shakespeare, 1000's of players will uncover bugs, intentionally or not, as they play. The first few days of the PTS on a Chapter release does pull some players out of the Live game, but this year, we are up to our eyeballs in the Anniversery Event, so there is a bag draw to pull them back.
2. There are people who will inhale content whether they play it on a PTS first, or just dive in on launch day. And, yes, these same people complain about lack of content. ZOS knows they spend as little time as possible to clear content, so don't get all that worked up about it. ZOS also knows that 90% of the players will savor the content, to some extent or another.

I agree with you about spoiling content during PTS and usually wait until Live to try things out. I may pop into the PTS during Character Copy times, just so I don't have to spend a couple of hours building a template to play the new content. Of course this time around, there is a new Class. However, that class is going to be tweaked and fiddled with over the coming weeks, so I would still rather wait.

PouletRico · April 2019

starkerealm wrote: »

Second, the PTS is open to all (on PC). It's opt-in. So you can jump in and mess around with things. Try to break things. That IS what the PTS is for.

Oh I didn't know that, I was thinking that it was only available for some players that were playing for a long time !

starkerealm wrote: »

Anecdotal, I know, but the guild I was running with back when Summerset hit PTS didn't actually migrate over to the server to test things.

Not everyone does, and thanks god !

VaranisArano wrote: »

The PTS is popular for a variety of reasons.

For some people, its a chance to play with the template characters or to experience the new features before they hit Live. For some people its a chance to test new builds or see how the changes impact their old builds. For others, its a chance to test new systems for bugs or leave feedback. There's lots of reasons to use it.

And that perfectly fine, I get that things must be tested before going live. What I think is sad, it's the players that use to min-max their characters and get every things ready for day 1. I might be a bit too naive thinking that players won't do it.

Nestor wrote: »

I agree with you about spoiling content during PTS and usually wait until Live to try things out. I may pop into the PTS during Character Copy times, just so I don't have to spend a couple of hours building a template to play the new content. Of course this time around, there is a new Class. However, that class is going to be tweaked and fiddled with over the coming weeks, so I would still rather wait.

I mean, how long before Alcast release 10 builds for PvE/PvP and guides to all the content ? (I'm not saying that Alcast's content is bad ! He does a great job on this). I know I won't be able to do a BG for some times after the release because everyone will use perfectly balanced builds and I'll burned down, and that make my builds even harder to do

Enemy-of-Coldharbour · April 2019

The PTS is supposed to be for testing/finding bugs. But, it seems more players use it to find exploits that they can use when the DLC goes live (the whole 'get it while the getting's good' mentality).

Gythral · April 2019

& there's no 20+ min login queue atm...

essi2 · April 2019

Testing the new class, I'm not even playing the new content. Killed a Dragon and then ported to vanilla zones to play around with the Necro.

VaranisArano · April 2019

Some players definitely use the PTS to test and min-max builds.

I remeber the wailing that ensued when Horns of the Reach went Live and ZOS had nerfed some of the PTS builds relying on the high crit value on the PTS.

Verbal_Earthworm · April 2019

Why is PTS so popular ?

It doesn't have a Login Queue.

Iccotak · April 2019

I never play PTS
Like to keep surprises

SirAxen · April 2019

Iccotak wrote: »

I never play PTS
Like to keep surprises

Same. But, I'm thankful to the people that do. It helps make my experience on live better.

FierceSam · April 2019

Because there’s a 20 minute log in queue for the EU server.

At least with PTS once you’ve downloaded the game you can actually play it.

starkerealm · April 2019

SirAxen wrote: »

Iccotak wrote: »

I never play PTS
Like to keep surprises

Same. But, I'm thankful to the people that do. It helps make my experience on live better.

Waffennacht · April 2019

Don't you have access to like all the sets without the grind?

starkerealm · April 2019

Waffennacht wrote: »

Don't you have access to like all the sets without the grind?

On the PTS?

Yeah.

So, template characters start at level 50, they'll bump your (PTS) account to 810, and they have a lot of stuff in their inventories.

To be honest, I couldn't give you a complete list, even looking would be tricky.

Off the top of my head, there's the Consumables Crate, which has Soul Gems, Lock Picks, Repair Kits, and some additional containers, with things like Riding Lessons (60 of each). There's boxes for Trial Sets, Monster Sets, Ability Altering Weapons (think, vMA, vDSA, Asylum, and vBRP), Dungeon Sets, Overland Sets, The Ultimate Crafting Crate, Ultimate Homeowner Crate, The Costumer's Wardrobe (this is almost all cosmetic unlocks in the game, though it doesn't include the Beast Personality or the Sunspire Skin. (Beast Personality's been missing since Mirkmire.)), along with master recipe and furnishing books. Oh, and a 50 transmute crystal geode which includes a copy of itself in the container (so, when you loot it, you get a fresh copy of it to loot again.)

I mean, the entire idea is so you can quickly set up an endgame character for testing new content. When it comes to things like testing the necromancer, it'll be a while before people work that out fully.

AcadianPaladin · April 2019

Like @Iccotak and @SirAxen I never play PTS and am grateful to those who do. I simply don't/won't do 'beta testing' so it is a good thing that others are interested in jumping into brand new untested content to provide their feedback before release.

I play on PC NA and have not noticed a decrease in population. As primarily a soloist however, the game is always too crowded for me.

Tandor · April 2019

Glass wrote: »

Give it a few days, popularity will drop fast for the people that got in it just for curiosity of a new class or the map among other things.
The real testers are just a few, you surely won't notice them missing on the live server.
Besides it can't be bad having people to test the upcoming patch finding bugs, exploits and helping balancing classes for a better experience for the rest.

While in theory that should be true, in practice it depends on whether the developers take any notice of the feedback, how many "testers" are actually testing the game rather than stealing a march on other players for when it goes live, whether players are reporting exploits or simply noting them for when it goes live, and whether they're spreading misinformation and over-reactionary panic about balancing changes etc on forums like this one.

Test servers certainly have the potential to be useful, and it's a good thing when developers provide them. Whether they always turn out to be worthwhile in practice is another matter altogether.

Lisutaris · April 2019

Better performance than on live servers.....

EU Server after 30min login and then a loading screen of eternity.

xenowarrior92eb17_ESO · April 2019

cuz people get to know what to start complaining about in the next 3 to 6 months in advance...

Grandma · April 2019

i've played many games betas and let me tell you; PTS/PTB/Beta hype lasts a week max. After everyone figures out what's new and what they want to do, they go back to live to start grinding for it.

Glass · April 2019

Tandor wrote: »

Glass wrote: »

Give it a few days, popularity will drop fast for the people that got in it just for curiosity of a new class or the map among other things.
The real testers are just a few, you surely won't notice them missing on the live server.
Besides it can't be bad having people to test the upcoming patch finding bugs, exploits and helping balancing classes for a better experience for the rest.

While in theory that should be true, in practice it depends on whether the developers take any notice of the feedback, how many "testers" are actually testing the game rather than stealing a march on other players for when it goes live, whether players are reporting exploits or simply noting them for when it goes live, and whether they're spreading misinformation and over-reactionary panic about balancing changes etc on forums like this one.

Test servers certainly have the potential to be useful, and it's a good thing when developers provide them. Whether they always turn out to be worthwhile in practice is another matter altogether.

I live in a fairy tale, they always hear my feedback