Simple cheap idea for testing (1 extra server,minor code changes and an average of $2/user/year)

[otlg]

<DIV>I'll keep this short cause I think you will all catch on real quick.  If you really want to test stuff, simply get another server and do the following:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Every week or two, a live server gets cloned/ghosted onto this new machine.  Folks logining in from their <STRONG>regular</STRONG> launchpad can choose to play on this server.  If they spend more than <EM><STRONG>x</STRONG> </EM>hours on the test instance (properly monitored by code to ensure it's not log/afk time) of their live server they get a 1 week free extension to their account.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Once the testing period is up, money made on the test server (assuming no major exploits were found) is added to the live players bank account.  Sure I give up a little XP if I choose to play on the test instance of my server, but I get a free week to gain it back.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This solves the following issues for almost no cost:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <OL> <LI>Why should I pay to test (you aren't, infact Sony is paying you)</LI> <LI>None of my friends/guild will come to test</LI> <LI>Why can't I copy my character</LI> <LI>Such and such a guild got first crack at new content and the rest of the guilds on my server didn't</LI></OL> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Osiri</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>[edit]</DIV> <DIV>To all the one star bandits:  ,,i,,  (figure it out)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV><p>Message Edited by otlg on <span class=date_text>06-29-2005</span> <span class=time_text>09:59 AM</span>

[Ceruline]

<P>Provided the existing Test server is kept intact, this is a pretty good idea.</P> <P> </P> <P>Push new content to Test first.  Once the major issues/exploits/major imbalances have been ironed out, push it to the Live clone.</P> <P> </P> <P>Contrary to popular belief, Test is good at what it does.  A lot of changes were made in Splitpaw content based on our feedback and bug reports.  We catch bugs and balance issues, and then provide feedback in forum which is far more manageable than the low signal/noise public boards (That's one of the key weaknesses of a high pop test server - it's much harder to distill the feedback from a larger population into actionable items).  However, there are things that won't hit us on Test (like those character/guild data issues that only hit six servers), and it would certainly be a good idea to try changes on a copied Live server in addition before pushing said changes through to Live.</P> <P> </P>

[otlg]

<DIV><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Ceruline wrote:<BR> <P>Provided the existing Test server is kept intact, this is a pretty good idea.</P> <P>Push new content to Test first.  Once the major issues/exploits/major imbalances have been ironed out, push it to the Live clone.</P> <P>Contrary to popular belief, Test is good at what it does.  ...<snip>...  However, there are things that won't hit us on Test (like those character/guild data issues that only hit six servers), and it would certainly be a good idea to try changes on a copied Live server in addition before pushing said changes through to Live.</P> <P></P> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE>Didn't say test as it is should go away, but it needs help.  I would call test something different at that point as it would be more 'beta' than 'test'.  And I agree, a lot of stuff won't show up on test, there just isn't a big enough player base to test everything, which is why I suggested what I did.  I've never accused you guys of doing a bad job either <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> (for the record I /bug things CONSTANTLY on <STRONG>live</STRONG> and I shouldn't have to).<BR></DIV> <DIV>That's how we work here.  We test internernally, then give it to a beta-prerelease group, then to a much larger group of 'first look' users, then finally to the masses.  Note that things go from small and controlled to huge in gradual steps.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Osiri</DIV>