Please make Console ESO+ and all console DLC / Class purchases recognised by the PTS

MacCait · October 2023

Hi.

This has been requested for some time.

Currently the PTS only recognises ESO+ accounts if they are ESO+ on PC

If a player who pays for ESO+ on console, uses the Public Test Server on PC, their ESO+ is not recognised, and neither are other puchases.

For example. I have been on Playstation since launch, and used the PTS on my PC since that time. I play ESO on Playstation simply because I have friends there who play, where as on my gaming PC I would be solo. For years, although I have ESO+, it is not recognised by the PTS even though my account name and details are all the same between PC and Playstation.

Another thing seems to be the Arcanist... this has been removed from the test server unless the player owns it on PC. If a player owns it on Playstation or Xbox, they cannot test builds and interactions on the Public Test Server... they would need to buy it also on PC, AND buy ESO+ also on PC...

ESO is coming up to it's 10th birthday now... it high time the PTS recognises console player purchases and their ESO+. Please can we get this added?

To be clear, I am not asking for a Playstation and Xbox version of the PTS... only that when a player logs in to the PTS that there is someway it will recognise their ESO+ and any console purchases, such as new classes (like the Arcanist). Even if this is something that can be turned on the PTS through a support ticket, where staff can see the player has ESO+ and a new class on console, and so is able to also use this on the PTS as a 3600 test build (I do not mean copied profiles).

Thanks for any consideration

TheGreatBlackBear · October 2023

Lol. I imagine that would happen around the same time as console crown store purchases carry over to PC.

MacCait · October 2023

PC players only have to buy a copy of ESO on PC once and they have access to the PTS and it recognises their ESO+, and any new class like Arcanist, so that PC players can test to their hearts desire for just the one purchase of one copy of ESO.

Console players who have already purchased a copy of ESO on their platform, must also purchase a copy of ESO on PC to get access to the PTS (what I did years ago)... The PTS does not recognbise the ESO+, so they wpuld need to get ESO+ on PC too if they wanted that for use on PTS. A Console player that has also purchsed a new class, such as Arcanist, cannot use that class on the PTS, becuase the class has been removed... so they would also then need to purchase the DLC on PC on top of everything else.

Pretty unfair for Console players.

Just asking that as the Console player has already purchased a copy of ESO on both Console and PC (two differnt copies of the same game), the the PTS can recognise they have ESO+ on the console so they do not also need to get ESO+ twice, and if they have purchase a DLC class such as Arcanist, then they do not need to purchase it twice.

It doesn't seem difficult to just see that the player has an account on Console and has ESO+ to then authorise that ESO+ on the PTS

AdmiralDigby · October 2023

I agree, this would be nice.

TybaltKaine · October 2023

I imagine the reason this isn't a thing is the same reason that cross platform play isn't a thing.

The reason the Arcanist isn't present on PTS is that they have explicitly stated that the PTS is not meant to be a "try before you buy" outside of a very small window of time when the class is about to be released, which is why Arcanist was available to everyone for a while before it officially came out for purchase.

As far as ESO+ on PTS, I don't really see why you would need it specifically. The simpler option would be to unlock all content for everyone on PTS, though this likely falls into the same "try before you buy" mindset that ZOS has assumed, correctly or not.

The PTS is meant to be a bug testing server and specifically to test out upcoming content. It's not a sandbox version of ESO for players to do what they want.

Tyrant_Tim · October 2023

@TybaltKaine, what your post fails to mention is that with each update that has even a single line of changes to Arcanist, there is the possibility of a bug being introduced.

Having more testers is beneficial to everyone, as all it takes is one lucky individual to replicate a bug, for ZOS to have it documented for a fix.

Now, last PTS cycle I brought it up and got the same wild response, this whole “try before you buy” comment and it still has no place or relevance to this discussion, as the OP clearly cited his purchase of the expansion on another platform. Asking for your purchases to be acknowledged on a PTS server meant to provide help for the company isn’t a big ask.

TybaltKaine · October 2023

I bring up the try before you buy philosophy because it was explicitly stated as to the reason why Arcanist and other purchasable classes are locked on PTS. I don't care for or advocate the mindset, but it exists and needs to be mentioned.

The crux of the argument is still going to be an impossible ask, as this would require the same functionality as cross platform play, and that is not on the map anytime for the dev team.

The simpler solution is to introduce the PTS server for platforms. That is also highly unlikely to happen.

Twohothardware · October 2023

If they added Crossplay they could have one PTS server for everyone and get more feedback and testing done before they release content.

Tyrant_Tim · October 2023

How hard would it be to implement a system through support to gain access to PTS exclusive template account with your purchased expansion for the duration of a PTS cycle?

It’s not like there would be thousands of people sending in tickets to do this, as generally people who own a PC, usually play ESO on that platform.

Reverb · October 2023

You can buy everything in the crown store for free on PTS. Everything costs 1 crown and your crown bank is retooled every night.

This is the solution even for those of on PC because we don’t have any of our crown store items when the region copy down happens.

Amottica · October 2023

MacCait wrote: »

If a player who pays for ESO+ on console, uses the Public Test Server on PC, their ESO+ is not recognised, and neither are other puchases.

I do not think the PTS cares about who pays for ESO+. I do not have the PTS downloaded atm so I cannot test this but it seems highly irrelevant since the PTS purpose is to test, not to prevent testing.

Heck, I am pretty sure I have tested a new chapter before I purchased the chapter. So please tell us what you are missing when on the PTS that cannot be purchased in the PTS crown store.

Edit: As has been noted, we get free crowns when creating characters on the PTS and crown store items are cheap on the PTS. The DLCs are likely the same.

MacCait wrote: »

It doesn't seem difficult to just see that the player has an account on Console and has ESO+ to then authorise that ESO+ on the PTS

Likely not as easy as some might think. If any benefits for PC players do cross over to the PTS it is likely due to the accounts begin copied from live to the PTS server. There is no such connection to the consoles.

But again, tell us what you are missing when on the PTS that cannot be purchased in the PTS crown store.

Tyrant_Tim · October 2023

You can’t purchase the class, Arcanist, as it’s not available within the crown store, yet you have full access to the Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha.

Amottica · October 2023

Tyrant_Tim wrote: »

You can’t purchase the class, Arcanist, as it’s not available within the crown store, yet you have full access to the Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha.

If that is the case then the solution is much simpler than what is asked for and that is to add the class to the PTS if it is not available in creating a template character. That is so much simpler than tying console subs to the PTS.

Tyrant_Tim · October 2023

Amottica wrote: »

Tyrant_Tim wrote: »

You can’t purchase the class, Arcanist, as it’s not available within the crown store, yet you have full access to the Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha.

If that is the case then the solution is much simpler than what is asked for and that is to add the class to the PTS if it is not available in creating a template character. That is so much simpler than tying console subs to the PTS.

Whenever it’s been brought up, the main reason people give for being unable to play the class is that Zenimax doesn’t want us to joy ride new classes before we buy them.

If that is a concern, there are ways to verify you own the class, something as simple as sending a ticket with a screenshot of your purchase history should enable use of the class.

In the past, support has been known to swap things out for people, how would it be any different than giving someone access to a class they paid for?

Tyrant_Tim · October 2023

Not to mention, if you were proud of a product, you wouldn’t be afraid to let your consumers preview it.

So I doubt that the reason we don’t have access is to bar people from previewing it, and instead I believe it has everything to do with a fear of players gaining access to the new class on Live servers for free again. Which like I mentioned, can receive the Crown Gifting level of verification for users on PTS that play on another platform.

Amottica · October 2023

@MacCait

I just realized that having ESO+ follow a console player to the PTS should not change access to the arcanist which is the issue the OP brings up.

The reason is the arcanist is not part of ESO+. It is part of the new chapter so ESO+ members would not even have access to it on live unless they purchased the new chapter. Next year when the chapter is demoted to a DLC zone the arcanist will likely be sold separately in the crown store instead of being part of the DLC as has happened with the other two classes added with chapters.

Since I own all the chapters I do not know if the added classes are available via the ESO+ but even if they did that would be irrelevant to the arcanist at this time.

Amottica · October 2023

Tyrant_Tim wrote: »

Not to mention, if you were proud of a product, you wouldn’t be afraid to let your consumers preview it.

Did they not permit testing the arcanist with this year's chapter on the PTS? Pretty sure they did so they must be very proud.

Tyrant_Tim · October 2023

Amottica wrote: »

Tyrant_Tim wrote: »

Not to mention, if you were proud of a product, you wouldn’t be afraid to let your consumers preview it.

Did they not permit testing the arcanist with this year's chapter on the PTS? Pretty sure they did so they must be very proud.

That’s the point.

Whether or not they are proud of their work isn’t the question, it’s the credibility of a claim that we can’t access it due to the specific reason I quoted earlier, being “play before you pay.”

Like you mentioned, everyone had access to it at one point, and that shouldn’t have changed, and is the main thing I’m sure the OP is irritated with.

Amottica · October 2023

Tyrant_Tim wrote: »

Amottica wrote: »

Tyrant_Tim wrote: »

Not to mention, if you were proud of a product, you wouldn’t be afraid to let your consumers preview it.

Did they not permit testing the arcanist with this year's chapter on the PTS? Pretty sure they did so they must be very proud.

That’s the point.

Whether or not they are proud of their work isn’t the question, it’s the credibility of a claim that we can’t access it due to the specific reason I quoted earlier, being “play before you pay.”

Like you mentioned, everyone had access to it at one point, and that shouldn’t have changed, and is the main thing I’m sure the OP is irritated with.

But we did preview it before it was released. The point. The main point made was that they would allow us to preview it if they were proud of it.

Even the supporting statement that I did not include had nothing to do with Zenimax being proud of their work or not.

I do agree that it would be nice to have it be part of the template to ensure more information concerning the class and any changes being done through the two PC servers will likely have enough players using the arcanist on the PTS to provide sufficient information.