Why is a test server change on the live server (without being put in the live server notes)?

[t3h_m0nopOl1z]

<DIV>As of 4/16/2005, a certain test server change is currently on the live server I play on (Crushbone):</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><A href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=tup&message.id=44" target=_blank>http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=tup&message.id=44</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"<STRONG><FONT color=#ffcc00>*** Controls, Commands, and User Interface ***</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <P>- Spell examine information, reuse timers, and duration timers now display hours and minutes instead of only seconds."</P> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Currently, on the live server, examining spells with durations/recast times greater than a minute will give you something like "Duration: 2 hours" (or however long it is). I like this change a lot, there's really no gripe you can make about it, but I do wonder how it got there without getting into the patch notes.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I realize that it is hard to keep all the versions straight, especially when you are developing two simultaneously, and each is such a large project as this game is, but the implications of this are a little unsettling. Yesterday, the Mystic haze spell line was seriously nerfed, and there were no patch notes about this. Was this too, a mistake? I don't wish to diverge though - I am mostly concerned about whether you guys at SOE are having troubles keeping your two versions separate.</DIV>

[Sebastien]

That's not the first time that a change listed in LU patch notes actually comes out in an interim patch. It's not really a problem, either, depending on how their code and project management is organized. <div></div>

[xarckl]

I still see the full duration display on Unrest, including the seconds. I did notice that change on Test recently though, seems ok to me. Easier to see at a glance what time is left on something. <div></div>

[DejaaVous]

<FONT color=#ff0000 size=6>WHY THE STEALTH NERF TO SHAMANS?</FONT>

[Sebastien]

<font size="1">Which is that?</font> <div></div>

[-AtPlay-]

<span><blockquote><hr>Sebastien wrote:<font size="1">Which is that?</font> <div></div><hr></blockquote>Apparently, changing text from 360 seconds to 6 minutes is a huge Shaman nerf.</span><div></div>

[CrymsonAnClov]

<DIV> <DIV><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#ffcc00>*** Spells and Combat Arts ***<BR></FONT></STRONG> <BR>Mystic changes:<BR>- Keen Haze and Wailing Haze now weaken the skills of the target by a lesser amount.</DIV> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>This was released live before the weekend.   Just now it's shown up in the test server notes.   The changes were HUGE. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <HR> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr> <P align=left>The reason this wasn't listed yet in the notes for the Test server version of Update #7 is that we (as in, those of us who compile the notes) thought it was going to be part of a subsequent update rather than the initial one. As it turns out, it did make it onto Test, so our apologies for not including it in the original notes. There was nothing intentionally "stealth" about it, and the change will appear in the notes for the live server version of the update.</P> <P align=left>That said, this is an intentional change. These debuffs were able to drop the target about 6 levels in effectiveness, which is simply too great an amount for balance purposes. They're still useful for weakening the target, just not to the extreme that they had been.</P> <P align=left>Because of the dramatic impact the Haze spells can have on all kinds of encounters, the change needed to be independent of other changes to the Priest classes.</P> <P align=left>===========================<BR>Moorgard<BR>EverQuest II Community Guy</P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P></P> <HR> <P>Seems they didn't even know it went live.    :smileysad:</P></DIV></DIV><p>Message Edited by CrymsonAnClover on <span class=date_text>04-19-2005</span> <span class=time_text>10:28 AM</span>

[Banditman]

To clarify . . . The change was actually made to Keening and Howling Haze, as Wailing has no skill debuff component. The change basically cut the effectiveness of the debuff by 75%, creating a situation where a Mystic can no longer function as a healer. This is actually on LIVE SERVERS right now, nary a patch note to account for it. <div></div>