Maintenance for the week of February 23:
· [IN PROGRESS] NA megaservers for maintenance – February 23, 4:00AM EST (9:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EST (17:00 UTC)
· [IN PROGRESS] EU megaservers for maintenance – February 23, 9:00 UTC (4:00AM EST) - 17:00 UTC (12:00PM EST)
· [IN PROGRESS] ESO Store and Account System for maintenance – February 23, 4:00AM EST (9:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EST (17:00 UTC)
· [IN PROGRESS] NA megaservers for maintenance – February 23, 4:00AM EST (9:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EST (17:00 UTC)
· [IN PROGRESS] EU megaservers for maintenance – February 23, 9:00 UTC (4:00AM EST) - 17:00 UTC (12:00PM EST)
· [IN PROGRESS] ESO Store and Account System for maintenance – February 23, 4:00AM EST (9:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EST (17:00 UTC)
The PTS is now offline for maintenance, and is currently unavailable.
PTS Testing Ideas: Current Process is Inadequate
Skoomah
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Let me preface this post by saying that I love ESO at its core. The underlying fast paced action oriented combat system and theorycrafting is second to none. ESO is a dungeon and dragons roleplayer's dream come true.
At the moment, PTS testing is woefully inadequate. There just aren't enough people testing to simulate a live game play environment. Beating up a stationary target dummy that doesn't hit back and/or doesn't have the clever mind of a human being to counter your actions doesn't come close to real live gameplay. I'm a fan of numbers but stat sheets alone don't cut it.
I recommend the following:
- Host officially sponsored events on the PTS server that simulate key group content.
- Compensate participants with gold. Gold would be good so players can afford to theorycraft new builds on the live servers.
- Do not compensate with in-game rewards. Then the console population who can't participate and live PC community that doesn't wish to participate will feel left out.
- Hop into Twitch and live stream the testing. Explain in greater detail what you are seeing in terms of how players are performing vs. what you expected to happen. Let people show you how they would "break the game", so you can prevent bad changes from going live.
PVP Content
- Cyrodiil Keep Seiges: Test to see how raid vs raid battles play out.
- Battleground Matches: Test to see how small group vs. small group battles play out.
- Duels: Test to see how individual duels play out.
Check out the strategies and tactics used. Observe the offensive vs. defensive choices. Observe the utility of skills in addition to the offensive vs. defensive numbers to judge the overall power of skills. Observe the combination of skills/full skill bars selected by testers to see how people actually play and counter each other in a live setting. Is the gameplay still fun for different classes and roles? How does one class perform vs. another class?
PVE Content
- PVE Trials: Test to see how effective raids can still clear the content.
- PVE Veteran Dungeons: Test to see how effective small groups can still clear the content.
Can achievements still be accomplished? Is the gameplay still fun for different classes and roles? Break out the groups by experienced vs. newer players to observe differing levels of gameplay experiences.
Edited by Skoomah on September 22, 2019 3:04PM At the moment, PTS testing is woefully inadequate. There just aren't enough people testing to simulate a live game play environment. Beating up a stationary target dummy that doesn't hit back and/or doesn't have the clever mind of a human being to counter your actions doesn't come close to real live gameplay. I'm a fan of numbers but stat sheets alone don't cut it.
I recommend the following:
- Host officially sponsored events on the PTS server that simulate key group content.
- Compensate participants with gold. Gold would be good so players can afford to theorycraft new builds on the live servers.
- Do not compensate with in-game rewards. Then the console population who can't participate and live PC community that doesn't wish to participate will feel left out.
- Hop into Twitch and live stream the testing. Explain in greater detail what you are seeing in terms of how players are performing vs. what you expected to happen. Let people show you how they would "break the game", so you can prevent bad changes from going live.
PVP Content
- Cyrodiil Keep Seiges: Test to see how raid vs raid battles play out.
- Battleground Matches: Test to see how small group vs. small group battles play out.
- Duels: Test to see how individual duels play out.
Check out the strategies and tactics used. Observe the offensive vs. defensive choices. Observe the utility of skills in addition to the offensive vs. defensive numbers to judge the overall power of skills. Observe the combination of skills/full skill bars selected by testers to see how people actually play and counter each other in a live setting. Is the gameplay still fun for different classes and roles? How does one class perform vs. another class?
PVE Content
- PVE Trials: Test to see how effective raids can still clear the content.
- PVE Veteran Dungeons: Test to see how effective small groups can still clear the content.
Can achievements still be accomplished? Is the gameplay still fun for different classes and roles? Break out the groups by experienced vs. newer players to observe differing levels of gameplay experiences.
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Major_Lag✭✭✭✭✭
✭OP, you are asking for the impossible, I'm afraid.
In particular, there's barely enough pop on the Live for largescale battles in Cyro (and even then, only at primetime), and you are asking for several dozen players on the PTS?
Besides, the real problem with the PTS isn't that there aren't enough people to test things, it's that ZOS summarily ignores any and all feedback. No amount of testers is going to fix that problem.
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Skoomah✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭OP, you are asking for the impossible, I'm afraid.
In particular, there's barely enough pop on the Live for largescale battles in Cyro (and even then, only at primetime), and you are asking for several dozen players on the PTS?
Besides, the real problem with the PTS isn't that there aren't enough people to test things, it's that ZOS summarily ignores any and all feedback. No amount of testers is going to fix that problem.
Duly noted. I’m just trying to provide some ideas to move the game forward. Product design process should include consideration of how the product is actually used once the customer brings it home. Target dummies are one piece but other pieces should be considered too.0 -
Major_Lag✭✭✭✭✭
✭Fair enough.
I'd love to see Cyrodiil zone chat being cross-faction on the PTS - currently, unless your friends can help you with the testing, you are SOL.
There should be also more character templates available, especially including a fully maxed out character with all the wayshrines, etc.0 -
Austinseph1✭✭✭✭✭Pts changes last few patches have been so demotivating because of the huge changes, I don’t have the energy to remake and test most builds anymore. And even then it feels like with all the feedback given it still doesn’t get done right. When you apply massive combat changes you can’t properly test them in a few weeks and things go live like the dot meta, and now it will just be a spamable meta.3 -
Rehdaun✭✭✭✭✭Not to be a debbie downer but I know for a fact the there was trial testing and that there was documented proof of the brokenness of last patch. Yet Zos forged ahead anyway. Sorry but we can do all the pts testing we want and it will not be worth a squat if Zos continues to ignore it.3
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Skoomah✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭Not to be a debbie downer but I know for a fact the there was trial testing and that there was documented proof of the brokenness of last patch. Yet Zos forged ahead anyway. Sorry but we can do all the pts testing we want and it will not be worth a squat if Zos continues to ignore it.
One of the benefits of an event is having ZOS there to witness the players in action live which is what he forums can simulate for them.0 -
VixxVexx✭✭✭✭✭Rarely any big changes from the initial patch notes. Just 5-6 cycles of complaining, desperately hoping ZOS finally learned.
I uninstalled the PTS because it's a waste of time, most of the changes will go through and we'll have to wait another 3-4 months.
Also, testing things on the PTS is a F*king chore, give us more control. Opening dozens of bags to get the things required for testing is absolutely insane.
I have given up.4 -
Major_Lag✭✭✭✭✭
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To be fair, outside of the usual PTS testing cycle, the PTS is still useful for testing builds and stuff in the same conditions as on Live.Rarely any big changes from the initial patch notes. Just 5-6 cycles of complaining, desperately hoping ZOS finally learned.
I uninstalled the PTS because it's a waste of time, most of the changes will go through and we'll have to wait another 3-4 months.
This lets me experiment with highly radical builds without having to buy or grind the appropriate gear on Live.
It's not so bad - would you prefer to grind for the gear instead?Also, testing things on the PTS is a F*king chore, give us more control. Opening dozens of bags to get the things required for testing is absolutely insane.
But seriously, opening boxes is not a major issue here.
Sure, it can get a bit tricky if you test a lot of stuff, since there's a crazy amount of containers inside other containers. This can lead to a bit of an inventory explosion, but banking the excess crap helps make it more tractable.
BTW, my favorite are the containers which also contain themselves, such as the infinite geode 0 -
Mizaeron✭✭✭Biggest problem I have with PTS is periods of lag and delays. Does everyone have 160 - 170 ping? Or is it because i'm from Europe and PTS is in USA? I mean I guess ping is fine, but you get delays and animations mess up a lot, so can't test DPS consistently0
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Major_Lag✭✭✭✭✭
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I'm from EU and the ping is atrocious, I'm regularly seeing 200-250 ping in the PTS, where I normally have ~100 ping on Live.Biggest problem I have with PTS is periods of lag and delays. Does everyone have 160 - 170 ping? Or is it because i'm from Europe and PTS is in USA? I mean I guess ping is fine, but you get delays and animations mess up a lot, so can't test DPS consistently
The delay on abilities is quite bad on PTS, trying to weave feels very clunky and unresponsive, barswap cancelling is even worse.1
