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Charging Players for QA [Resolved]

DjMuscleboy02
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Requiring the pre-purchase of High Isle in order to participate in the PTS is such a spit in the face of players who have put hours into free testing. I personally have already pre-purchased High Isle so this has no effect on me. But I cannot believe how tone deaf this is. Your players put their time and energy into freely stress testing this content and this is the respect they get. Testing proper access is not a good reason to implement this. Restricted access was met with disgust in Morrowwind and this is no better. Shame on you, Zenimax.

Zenimax has clarified that existing live character copies will be restricted from High Isle access unless the chapter has been purchased. But template characters retain full PTS access. This was not communicated effectively enough with the patch notes but has been cleared up.
Edited by DjMuscleboy02 on May 17, 2022 2:25PM
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  • Mr_Stach
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    You also pay to have your Feedback on said PTS Changes to be Ignored.

    It's a really great system

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    Edited by Mr_Stach on May 16, 2022 10:06PM
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  • Kelinmiriel
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    I agree with this. Having access to the new content on all accounts gives me more flexibility to do different tests, as I don't buy chapters for my second account, only my primary. For example, since Tribute rank is account-wide, if I wanted to test anything that required re-starting from the beginning, that's a way I could've done it - and I was counting on the ability to do so, if I had chosen to. I've been doing a lot of Tribute testing. (Any devs who see in-game bug reports are probably really sick of seeing all my bug reports!)

    That option has been removed. So they will get less thorough testing from me from now through live. It's much worse, though, for the testing you've been getting from people who don't have multiple accounts.
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  • Jaimeh
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    So not only the players who test stuff on the PTS had to invest their own time and do unpaid work, they now have to pay on top of everything to do it? Did I get this right? Oh boy...
  • propertyOfUndefined
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    I think this might have more to do with ensuring the version on PTS is the exact same one that goes live — including data on which accounts have access to paid content. I remember a couple of expansions ago, there were issues with everybody able to access the new zone. I also noticed today that creating a new max level character no longer gave me all the goodies (sets, consumables, etc) in that character’s inventory. Probably related to the same thing…
    Edited by propertyOfUndefined on May 16, 2022 10:34PM
  • tmbrinks
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    I wish I could say I was surprised.

    Guess this is the end of my testing.

    Edit on 5/18 - I guess it's only locked for non-template characters. This is another case where an issue could have been avoided if the notes on it were actually clear and adequately told what was happening and why.
    Edited by tmbrinks on May 18, 2022 5:02PM
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  • Amottica
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    Interesting. It stands to reason the more players that test the content the more actual data and valid information they will receive. I guess this is a flaw of a B2P system vs P2P like a pure subscription model.
  • Jaimeh
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    Amottica wrote: »
    Interesting. It stands to reason the more players that test the content the more actual data and valid information they will receive. I guess this is a flaw of a B2P system vs P2P like a pure subscription model.

    Not to mention varied information since different players are interesting in testing different aspects of the game...
  • Elsonso
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    Honestly, does it matter for the last PTS drop? The best chance for PTS feedback to make it into launch is in the first week of PTS. It takes them a couple weeks to sift through stuff, decide what to do, do it, and then get it into a build. By the time we get to the last week, comments from PTS can't possibly make it in for release. What is on PTS now is what will be in the release. As far as I know, it has always been that way on the last week of PTS.
    Edited by Elsonso on May 16, 2022 11:29PM
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  • Camelord
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    Elsonso wrote: »
    Honestly, does it matter for the last PTS drop? The best chance for PTS feedback to make it into launch is in the first week of PTS. It takes them a couple weeks to sift through stuff, decide what to do, do it, and then get it into a build. By the time we get to the last week, comments from PTS can't possibly make it in for release.

    There's still 3 weeks of no change which is weird. Also depending on feedback it'd be years instead of weeks. Also depends if you're talking about pvp or pve. For content bugs, pve seems to get fixed faster and for balancing pvp seems to bring nerfs/buffs faster.
    Jaimeh wrote: »
    Amottica wrote: »
    Interesting. It stands to reason the more players that test the content the more actual data and valid information they will receive. I guess this is a flaw of a B2P system vs P2P like a pure subscription model.

    Not to mention varied information since different players are interesting in testing different aspects of the game...

    It's already hard enough to form a group on pts. Now you need to find people that already bought the chapter
  • redspecter23
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    It's unfortunate that I won't be doing any more testing at the moment, but I understand the reasoning after the Greymoor issue. It's probably important to test the access and access locks. I'll cross my fingers that they can fix all the game freezing bugs related to Tales of Tribute before it goes live.

    I'll be buying the expansion a few days prior to release as I usually do just in case of any last minute changes that would make me regret that purchase. I'm not a fan of pre-purchases for digital goods.
  • Elsonso
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    Camelord wrote: »
    Elsonso wrote: »
    Honestly, does it matter for the last PTS drop? The best chance for PTS feedback to make it into launch is in the first week of PTS. It takes them a couple weeks to sift through stuff, decide what to do, do it, and then get it into a build. By the time we get to the last week, comments from PTS can't possibly make it in for release.

    There's still 3 weeks of no change which is weird.

    Not really. What they say is that during the 2 weeks prior to PC launch, they do their qualification and prep with Stadia for the PC client. My guess is that the final week is the final build to remove all the PTS stuff and make ready for launch. After that, the final QA to find all the broken stuff. Finally, off to Stadia for them to evaluate and stage for PC launch. Then launch, and repeat for consoles.

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  • yoyo420232
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    I can log on to the pts and I didn’t preorder high isle
  • Kelinmiriel
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    yoyo420232 wrote: »
    I can log on to the pts and I didn’t preorder high isle

    Patch notes didn't say you wouldn't be able to use the PTS; just that you wouldn't have free access to High Isle content unless you'd bought it. Since High Isle has been on PTS, until now, it's been available free to everyone.
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  • merpins
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    yoyo420232 wrote: »
    I can log on to the pts and I didn’t preorder high isle

    Patch notes didn't say you wouldn't be able to use the PTS; just that you wouldn't have free access to High Isle content unless you'd bought it. Since High Isle has been on PTS, until now, it's been available free to everyone.

    The first week I was able to access high isle without paying for it, if I remember correctly. I tested the new card game as well as the new sets and mythics before deciding to buy it, and then bought it.
  • licenturion
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    In a way this is understandable. You are now playing the final product that will be released in 2 weeks and that will undergo the certification process for Stadia/Steam/PSN/Xbox etc. I get they don't want to give it away for free.

    I like that the PTS always gives me the opportunity to play the final build of the main story on an empty map a week or two before global release. I finished the main quest and listened to all the dialog while being totally immersed. When the expansion launches I just rush trough it on my live server account and button mash through everything in an hour because the main stories are not fun when hundreds of people are doing it. And I don't want to wait 2 months.

    I noticed they added a bunch of new music as well, although that wasn't in the patch notes.
    ]
    Edited by licenturion on May 17, 2022 8:40AM
  • DjMuscleboy02
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    I want to make a quick post to make a clarification that has been received. The restricted access only applies to existing live characters, template characters retain access.

    For example, the PTS is currently EU copies, so existing EU live character copies will not have High Isle access on PTS. But any template characters created will.

    Thank you, ZOS, for the clarification.
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  • xgoku1
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    I want to make a quick post to make a clarification that has been received. The restricted access only applies to existing live characters, template characters retain access.

    For example, the PTS is currently EU copies, so existing EU live character copies will not have High Isle access on PTS. But any template characters created will.

    Thank you, ZOS, for the clarification.

    So once they turn of template characters and switch to live copies, someone who hasn't bought High Isle won't have access to it on PTS?

    i.e. 8.0.0 and 8.0.1 had template characters -> High Isle active
    8.0.2 till 8.0.4 -> No High Isle unless you bought it

    Something like this?

    Also where was this clarified? I don't see any edits on the Patch Notes for 8.0.4
    Edited by xgoku1 on May 17, 2022 4:42PM
  • Kelinmiriel
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    xgoku1 wrote: »
    I want to make a quick post to make a clarification that has been received. The restricted access only applies to existing live characters, template characters retain access.

    For example, the PTS is currently EU copies, so existing EU live character copies will not have High Isle access on PTS. But any template characters created will.

    Thank you, ZOS, for the clarification.

    So once they turn of template characters and switch to live copies, someone who hasn't bought High Isle won't have access to it on PTS?

    i.e. 8.0.0 and 8.0.1 had template characters -> High Isle active
    8.0.2 till 8.0.4 -> No High Isle unless you bought it

    Something like this?

    Also where was this clarified? I don't see any edits on the Patch Notes for 8.0.4

    No, template characters can always be created on the PTS. So make one, and you get High Isle unlocked for your entire account. Done.

    During 8.0.0 through 8.0.3, everyone on PTS automatically got access to High Isle. Now you have to create a new max level template character to unlock it. (I don't know if already having one, means it'll already be unlocked. I didn't have one on my alt account until today. Making one unlocked High Isle.)
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