Suggestion to help testing....

[Naughtesn]

<DIV>OK - So the patch today had the servers down for 3ish hours.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The mentoring patch has been on test 11 days.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Then an almost immediate take-down of servers.....</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I'll save the "W-T-H is happening on test/in development that isn't catching these things..." storyline...I recognize how difficult it is to simulate a live server on test. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Instead of offering /movelog transfers to test, why not offer wholesale *copying* of a character to test?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have hesitated to create a character on test, because I simply do not have the energy or time to level up another character there.  And, it is my opinion that a newb <16 character on test (level 16 or so IS relatively easy to achieve), is not going to be very useful for testing purposes.  We might find that the test server population would increase significantly enough to at least simulate the level ranges, zone access, and economical realities of a live server - and by extension, perhaps catch some of the issues currently left untested and broken/exploited.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Daffid011]

This topic has been beaten to death already. Thanks anyhow.

[Naughtesn]

<DIV>Thanks for your thoughtful and informative reply...since the search function is buggy, I wen tto DEV tracker and did not see any relevant topic commented on.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Jadria]

<blockquote><hr>Daffid011 wrote:This topic has been beaten to death already. Thanks anyhow.<hr></blockquote>QFE[Removed for Content]

[Daffid011]

http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=testdev&message.id=233#M233Sorry you felt my last comment was lacking. Try searching this forum for other posts just like yours if you find that post not informative enough.

[Samnas]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Naughtesnec wrote:<BR> <DIV>OK - So the patch today had the servers down for 3ish hours.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The mentoring patch has been on test 11 days.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Then an almost immediate take-down of servers.....</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I'll save the "W-T-H is happening on test/in development that isn't catching these things..." storyline...I recognize how difficult it is to simulate a live server on test. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Instead of offering /movelog transfers to test, why not offer wholesale *copying* of a character to test?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have hesitated to create a character on test, because I simply do not have the energy or time to level up another character there.  And, it is my opinion that a newb <16 character on test (level 16 or so IS relatively easy to achieve), is not going to be very useful for testing purposes.  We might find that the test server population would increase significantly enough to at least simulate the level ranges, zone access, and economical realities of a live server - and by extension, perhaps catch some of the issues currently left untested and broken/exploited.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P>This is just a complete guess on my part, but since the servers went down within minutes I am guessing this was something that was not on the test server.  Something maybe to do with moving some wrong pieces of code from test that werent ready, or not moving some pieces that need to be there in conjuncion with other code they moved, etc.  </P> <P>Like I said though I am just guessing, but I would think the bug was not something that could have been caught on the test server otherwise it would not have been found (and the decision made so quickly to bring down servers) so quickly.<BR></P>

[Naughtesn]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Naughtesnec wrote:<BR> <DIV>...since the search function is buggy, I wen tto DEV tracker and did not see any relevant topic commented on.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE>QFE<BR>

[Naughtesn]

<DIV> <DIV><FONT size=1>We're going to see how many people are interested in making Test their permanent home, just like any other live server.  The same model that EQ used successfully for years, where Test players can be as proud of and attached to their server as, say, Najena people are of theirs.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=1>If we can successfully adopt that same model, fantastic.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=1>The games that use the copy method tend to have test servers that are very lightly used except for short periods of time during downtimes, and don't have a thriving long-term community, which is a bit less helpful for testing. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=1>Please note: This is our current thinking.  This isn't a permanent mandate.  This isn't a brick wall of reasoning.  What happens from here may turn out to convince us that there's a better way to go.  But for now, this is what we're trying out, given that EQ's model has yet to be beaten. <IMG height=16 src="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/i/smilies/16x16_smiley-happy.gif" width=16 border=0></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=1>- Scott</FONT></DIV> <P><FONT size=1>____<BR>Scott Hartsman<BR>Senior Producer, EverQuest II</FONT></P> <P>------------------------------------------------------------------------</P> <P>What is your current thinking?  I would imagine that if you had a viable, live-server-like cross section of players...one person 42+ might have tried to sell back the Stein since the rollback of the other noncrafted heritage items.  One person might have noticed their D'Morte armor missing.  One person might have noticed tier4 rares being common.</P> <P>And the comment about EQ's model not being beaten...correct, the same issues of relatively widespread and common character & game bugs not being discovered persists in EQ2 just as it did in EQ1.</P></DIV><p>Message Edited by Naughtesnec on <span class=date_text>03-08-2005</span> <span class=time_text>11:35 AM</span>

[Naughtesn]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Daffid011 wrote:<BR>http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=testdev&message.id=233#M233<BR><BR>Sorry you felt my last comment was lacking. <BR><BR>Try searching this forum for other posts just like yours if you find that post not informative enough.<BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR> Thanks this was a much more helpful post.

[Wasc]

<blockquote><hr>Naughtesnec wrote:<FONT size=1>We're going to see how many people are interested in making Test their permanent home, just like any other live server. The same model that EQ used successfully for years, where Test players can be as proud of and attached to their server as, say, Najena people are of theirs.</FONT><FONT size=1>The games that use the copy method tend to have test servers that are very lightly used except for short periods of time during downtimes, and don't have a thriving long-term community, which is a bit less helpful for testing.</FONT><P><FONT size=1> - <BR>Scott Hartsman<BR>Senior Producer, EverQuest II</FONT></P><hr></blockquote>My two cents, in the online games I played where there were options of "test" and "live", but the test server was one that allowed copying your live character over at any time, the ONLY time I ever really had any incentive to play there was when I wanted to try out two things with one of my live character that I was being forced to pick between.For example, when I played City of Heroes, at various levels I'd be given the option to choose between particular powers. I would instead copy my character to the test server, logout, login to test, and give one a good try. After this, I'd delete that character from test and repeat the process, selecting the other option instead. This was the ONLY time I had any reason to play on their Test server at all.In EQ2, I effectively have two reasons to play on test server.1. I am the kind of person who, when playing a game like this, constantly redesigns it in my own mind. Test server gives me the illusion that I am in some way contributing toward the game itself, which helps to maintain my interest.2. I have only four character slots on the live server. I want eight character slots. Because of this, I'm forced to play on the Test server in order to have all of the characters that I would like to play.