Test server is currently LOCKED for safety reasons.

[Windslasher]

<p>Hi everyone,</p><p>Sorry for not notifying you earlier, but Test is now locked because the current update has enabled Battlegrounds. Since there were stuck characters, inventory issues, etc. on earlier battleground tests, we want to make sure that the system is as rock-solid stable and safe as possible before opening it up to Test characters.</p><p>I know quite well that Test server is home to many of EverQuest II's most dedicated players. That is why we're taking this precaution: while Test Copy characters are temporary and expendable, main Test characters are not. Many people have hundreds or even thousands of hours invested in their characters, and nobody here wants to risk damaging them.</p><p>Please be patient. With luck, the server should open up within the next couple days.</p>

[Skeez1e]

<p><cite>Windslasher wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Please be patient. With luck, the server should open up within the next couple days.</p></blockquote><p>Days?!</p><p>Are you serious?</p>

[Windslasher]

<p>Yes, and I'd rather give an overestimate than an underestimate. "A couple days" means tomorrow or the next day; tomorrow if nothing goes wrong.</p>

[Skeez1e]

<p>In light of the 'precautions' being taken for our safety, and with the notice being given 4 hours afer the fact, I'll be taking a similar precaution and cancelling my accounts for the interim.  I sincerely hope it's only for a less than 24 hour period.</p><p>In hindsight, it seems the delay for the digital download not being available immediately was actually in some of our favors. </p><p>Words are escaping me, and trust me - that seldom happens.  I truly cannot begin to estimate how often the thought of  "many of EverQuest II's most dedicated players"  must ever cross your minds. </p><p>Unbelievable.</p>

[Zenadina]

<p>Windslasher, thank you for posting the information after i PM'ed you and you looked into it. The problem I am having is they knew they were going to be taking Test offline for "days" and didnt even think to give us a heads up.</p><p>The communication has been very poor the last few weeks, between this and not getting any answers on the server bonus im really starting to question how the Dev's see us on Test.</p><p>Right now im patching Live and going to make a alt on Cloudrat's server, Test I thought was my home but its things like this that will drive me to look for another game<img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Whilhelmina]

<p>A little bit of advanced notice would have been nice <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>I'm happy I tested Brew Day before this lock and I'm happy of having a bunch of live crafters to level, but... Well... the lack of communication this past days is troubling.</p>

[EtoilePirate]

<p>I'm glad you value us (we don't often get told that) but can we maybe be kept in the loop a little more?  We haven't had patch notes since 20 January, which is now more than a full month past, and today was FINALLY going to be "go play the expansion" day for those of us who didn't have easy retail access... and not only is the DD not yet available, but also my server's locked for days.  Nuts to me. <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Beckah]

<p>Thanks at the very least for this stickied post, I understand that you are all busy and the Main servers seem to be the goal here.    If something like this could have been given a bit of a warning?  I logged out for a Brief update, I did not get items in order, ect. I was working on brew day events, which I still have yet to finish completely.  If we're going to have an extended downtime for an unknown amount of time, something like this should not be labeled as, "brief."</p><p>I think if you poll the majority of Test, we are ALL in agreement that there are no patch notes, no care given lately to let us know what's going on.  Please at the very least, post the patch notes in this forum for Test only if you do not want them plastered all over, we are rather understanding.    We put up with an awful lot to just be ignored so often to the point that we feel you have forgotten to turn the servers back on.  We matter just as much, if not more than the Main servers.</p><p>Test is my home, I am starting to get worried that it no longer will be. <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Canston]

<p>Hmmm. This is unbelievable really.  The total lack of customer service is amazing!  Why is it so hard to communicate with your customers. Is it that your ashamed of your actions and you know that people are going to be upset.  Honesty and openess are always the best course of action.  You require this, I'm sure, when going out and spending your hard earned dollars so how about extending us the same level of service?  Why should I suffer for BG's when I'm not the least bit interested in them?  I am not the miniority either.  You have wasted tons of resources on this pet project, intened for the minority of players, when you should have been using those resources to fix known, and very old, problems and bugs. </p><p>All I ask is that I be informed of all that your doing and how it may affect me.  My subscription, for now, pays your salary.  We are not asking for much. I take that back, maybe we are asking for too much from you.  Go back to your cubicle and work on new ways to distance yourself from your loyal customers.</p><p>I understand that most of you work very hard and that you are giving us your best.  Thanks to those individuals. That is still no excuse for things like this to happen. I'm guessing leadership is a problem and it trickles down from there.  Shame on the person, or persons, that oversee patch notes, game update notes, server status notes, and overall customer information sharing. </p>

[Cloudrat]

<p>I'm torn on this one. </p><p>1. I think it's great battlegrounds is coming to test, since there are testers who wanted it and to be fair should be able to access it. As one of the toons who was stuck in limbo during the recent testing,(I was there to be a good tester, not because I wanted battlegrounds) I am glad you are taking precautions to prevent any loss to our much loved toons that have had our love, time and money poured into them.</p><p>2. Letting us have a better heads up on the long term lock out might have made the whole thing a bit more palatable.</p>

[Glip_the_Gnome]

<p>Hey guys!</p><p>First off, straight up, you should have had more notice on this one. That was our bad. Sorry about that, we'll do our best to make sure that doesn't happen again. That one is on me, not Windslasher, he was just the messenger in this case.</p><p>Second, just talked with our QA team and we're going to go ahead and unlock the server right now. We've made some pretty good progress on the issue keeping us from unlocking it and we feel the risk is minimal at this point -- and if it does happen, its nothing we can't fix on a case by case basis. </p><p>However, just as a heads up we'll be updating Test/Test Copy several times over the next few days as we plan to iterate quickly on Battlegrounds, so there will be more downtime than usual. Just want to make sure everyone is aware of that.</p><p>Also, since I know a few folks were wondering -- the reason you haven't been seeing public release notes for the Test Server over the past several updates is because they were all battlegrounds related changes, which until today, didn't affect Test in a public facing way at all. </p><p>Hope that helps clear up some of the questions! And like I said before, we'll definitely try to get you guys this kind of info a little earlier next time something like this comes up. When we say the testing community is invaluable to us, its not just pandering, we really would be far worse off without you all and we appreciate all the stuff you guys put up with for us. It does not go unnoticed!</p><p>Any other questions, I'll be happy to answer as best I can. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Windslasher]

<p>Test is now unlocked. Thanks for waiting!</p>

[Looker1010]

<p>No reason why you couldn't put something in Patch Notes that says, "We're working on Battle Grounds and that's what all the recent server downs have been."</p><p>P.S. Thanks for unlocking Test.</p>

[Jarazi]

<p>Thanks for bringing up the server again.  what is the Status on our server bonus?</p><p>Jarazi  </p>

[Glip_the_Gnome]

<p>Looking into the server bonus right now</p>

[Glip_the_Gnome]

<p>Alright, xp bonus should be fixed. I've given a 60% bonus for the next week (until 3/2) to make up a little for the lack of bonus this past week. After that it'll be the standard 50%</p>

[Beckah]

<p>I will glady stay far away from Battlegrounds until they're actually ready.  Thanks very much for letting us know what is going on and for working hard on everything.</p>

[Domino]

<p>And since it's now unlocked, I'll be on Test server tonight as usual, with a new little guide quest to test your wits.  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/908627bbe5e9f6a080977db8c365caff.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Skeez1e]

<p>It's pretty obvious that customer service is practiced on a ratio equivalent to server population.  If the potential for AB to be down a day or two was in the wind I'd be willing to bet my first born child that there would have been something posted a week or so ago, or even a few days ago.  We're back to seeing Test being treated as an afterthought when it comes to customer relations.  The red names may change, but the words and actions are the same.  Oops, my bad, we'll do better next time, we'll put someone in with a cheery personality (read: draws the short straw) to be bright and positive and spend some time with those Test people, to do a bit of patting on the head, to laugh at the right jokes and ...   so the circle goes.</p><p>It's not that Test goes down often, its not that Test gets locked, it's the so very obvious steerage class treatment and the ensuing condescending attitude.  We've chosen to play on the Test server, downtime is expected but darn it, so is common courtesy.  You're very good at the first, the latter is almost nonexistant.   The game is good -  equal and fair treatment, that's what's missing. </p>

[Purr]

<p>Thanks to Windslasher and Glip came here finally letting us know...</p><p>However: Couple things I really need to get off my chest.</p><p>I'm on Test since it launched and I play here full time. Telling people like me and the other maybe 100 regulars who exclusivly play here for 8+ hours a day to test YOUR stuff (while we pay for it like every live server player (just as a side note)) after a full evening of nothing but waiting for a locked server that if we are lucky (!!!) the server will be back in a few days is NOT the way to make me want to buy your SF DL for our other x accounts, nor will it ever inspire anybody to come here and stay. We are not illegal immigrants nor squatters, we are as much your customers as the AB/Nagafen or Bazaar guy!To say it bluntly: If you don't want or need us, please let us know NOW and offer transfers or reimburse the latest expac and we'll be on our merry way.I agree with the poster above that all you are saying is NO excuse for not giving us at least some kind of ETA, esp. if you expect the server to be locked for days because of content that shouldn't be pushed if it's not ready to be pushed. Communication is key and we usually understand if something like that is needed.</p><p>I really don't know what's going on with SoE EQ2 atm, but I know I'm getting to the point of slowly but surely having enough. No update notes because it was mainly BGs? And you can't put that in the notes? Besides, it's not really the case...</p><p>Therefore I suggest the following:</p><p>Make whoever is responsible for taking the server down also responsible for giving us an ETA (however vague it might be) and posting a brief heads-up when the server is down for 2+ hours.</p><p>Give 2 or 3 regulars (on at different times to cover most of the day) a phone number/pm where they can reach you guys whenever something seems completely out of whack. Nothing bad about a Go-Between if it helps to get things running smoother and keep your testers informed about what to expect.</p><p>I appologize if this comes over as a rant, but I'm an economist by profession and how things are run at SoE lately is making my claws curl upwards.</p><p>Purr~</p><p>PS: We all appreciate you, Domino, and what you are trying to do. You are a lil sunbeam in this dark cloud. However, unfort. you are not the boss or things would look different, I bet.</p><p>edited for spelling, my English goes out the window when I'm upset, sorry.</p>

[msheaf]

<p><cite>Glip_the_Gnome wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Also, since I know a few folks were wondering -- the reason you haven't been seeing public release notes for the Test Server over the past several updates is because they were all battlegrounds related changes, which until today, didn't affect Test in a public facing way at all.</p></blockquote><p>We haven't had an update posted on the Test Update Notes Forums since 12/4,  that's 81 days ago.</p>

[Glip_the_Gnome]

<p><cite>Skeez1e wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>It's pretty obvious that customer service is practiced on a ratio equivalent to server population.  If the potential for AB to be down a day or two was in the wind I'd be willing to bet my first born child that there would have been something posted a week or so ago, or even a few days ago.  We're back to seeing Test being treated as an afterthought when it comes to customer relations.  The red names may change, but the words and actions are the same.  Oops, my bad, we'll do better next time, we'll put someone in with a cheery personality (read: draws the short straw) to be bright and positive and spend some time with those Test people, to do a bit of patting on the head, to laugh at the right jokes and ...   so the circle goes.</p><p>It's not that Test goes down often, its not that Test gets locked, it's the so very obvious steerage class treatment and the ensuing condescending attitude.  We've chosen to play on the Test server, downtime is expected but darn it, so is common courtesy.  You're very good at the first, the latter is almost nonexistant.   The game is good -  equal and fair treatment, that's what's missing. </p></blockquote><p>I definitely get your frustrations, as a player it'd bug the heck out of me too not knowing what was going on, and I won't argue about this time, as we certainly could have gotten a little more timely notice put up. Often though, simply due to the nature of the server, a lot of the things that happen with it are fairly unpredictable so we don't say anything until afterwards because whatever happened was unplanned. That's why we have to do it here first, the nature of test, as you said.</p><p>And for the record, I totally did not draw the short straw. <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Skeez1e]

<p><cite>Glip_the_Gnome wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>And for the record, I totally did not draw the short straw. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>That's okay cause I'm not sending you my first born child either. </p>

[Glip_the_Gnome]

<p><cite>Purr wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I really don't know what's going on with SoE EQ2 atm, but I know I'm getting to the point of slowly but surely having enough. No update notes because it was mainly BGs? And you can't put that in the notes? Besides, it's not really the case...</p></blockquote><p>Just to clarify, since I didn't really explain it well in my first post. Until today, Battlegrounds weren't available on the Test Server -- only Test Copy, and all of the changes we're making at this point is just back end stuff that is not visible while playing. </p><p>Even outside of Battlegrounds, a lot of the changes we make on Test between GUs is non-player facing stuff like that. I can definitely put a note up in the patch notes saying "The server was restarted to make some tweaks to battlegrounds" or something like that from here on out for BG related stuff. </p><p>In general though, would you guys be ok with something that just said "There are no public release notes for this update" or something similar? That'd be an easy thing to add.</p>

[Purr]

<p><cite>Glip_the_Gnome wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Purr wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I really don't know what's going on with SoE EQ2 atm, but I know I'm getting to the point of slowly but surely having enough. No update notes because it was mainly BGs? And you can't put that in the notes? Besides, it's not really the case...</p></blockquote><p>Just to clarify, since I didn't really explain it well in my first post. Until today, Battlegrounds weren't available on the Test Server -- only Test Copy, and all of the changes we're making at this point is just back end stuff that is not visible while playing. </p><p>Even outside of Battlegrounds, a lot of the changes we make on Test between GUs is non-player facing stuff like that. I can definitely put a note up in the patch notes saying "The server was restarted to make some tweaks to battlegrounds" or something like that from here on out for BG related stuff. </p><p>In general though, would you guys be ok with something that just said "There are no public release notes for this update" or something similar? That'd be an easy thing to add.</p></blockquote><p>Sorry Glip, obviously I didn't make myself clear: I understood your post. My problem is not with the fact that it's BG stuff. My problem (and what the remark was directed at) is: We posted several issues on this board over the last weeks. Usually they are not adressed. When it comes to things like the missing exp Bonus this can be very frustrating. I mean, come on, how many posts does the Tester Only board gets per week? Kiara is reading in anyway, but nobody seems to put it on the to-be-checked-out list anymore. I'm not expecting a red name response for every peep but having the exp. bonus problem going on for far longer than one week (with me and I'm sure many other people bugging it) is bad.</p><p>When it comes to no update notes while we get a lot more stuff than just brief BG tweaks: Erollisi day p.e. or now Brewday, then it's really not only bad for players, it's also bad for you guys, because not all people bother to read the forums. They read the update notes, see how old they are and are gone without picking up on the fact that we have events to test.</p><p>It can't be to difficult to have everybody who pushes content to test put up some small notes like Kaitheel and Gninja usually do and Windslasher has done in the past. Nobody is asking for anything fancy, but if Dev's post it on the boards, why not copy/paste it in the update notes?</p><p>I hope that explains it better.</p><p>Purr~</p><p>PS: As for no update notes on the boards: I have no idea how Kiara puts her update notes together, therefore cannot comment on why she hasn't posted any since December.</p>

[Canston]

<p>Same ole, same ole....  Were sorry, we messed up, we'll do better next time and we all darn well know you won't.  Purr has stated our frustrations perfectly.  You have a solid base of very nice, perhaps some of the nicest, and dependable customers you could ever hope to find on Test, yet you treat us like we don't exist.  We understand the unexpected problems and the unexpected downtime but you yourself said that this was planned.  I accept your apology, not that we would have gotten one without all the complaints, and I truly do hope you get it right from here on out. </p><p>I love this game and I would hate to think I've wasted 6+ years of my life on a failed cause but I am truly worried that EQ may no longer be for me.  Please listen to your customers, no matter how small, and address thier issues.  It really seems like the only ones that get their cake and are able to eat it to are the Raiders.  Well we are all not raiders.  Most of us are casual adventurers and closet crafters.  Please help us also, please!</p><p>I appreciate the work it takes to do what you have done.  I am very thankful that EQ2 is there and I would be devastated to lose it.  Thank you for listening to us about this matter and showing that you care.</p>

[EtoilePirate]

<p><cite>Glip_the_Gnome wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>In general though, would you guys be ok with something that just said "There are no public release notes for this update" or something similar? That'd be an easy thing to add.</p></blockquote><p>I would love that, actually.  Just something that shows up in the patcher that indicates that yes, the server has had content added to it and came down for a reason.  It doesn't all have to be outlined.  But the patcher update notes (I won't even start on the forum ones) still talk about the Erollisi Day tweaks.  There could at least be notes saying something like:</p><ul><li><em>Bristlebane Day content added</em></li><li><em>Battlegrounds tweaking</em></li><li><em>Non-player-facing mechanics / internal changes</em></li></ul><p>If we saw that, at least we'd know there was a person out there actually trying, y'know?  Sometimes it's hard to tell when our server's down because you're (a) fixing something, (b) adding something, (c) removing something, or (d) something went seriously [Removed for Content] and we have to ride it out.  Having at least 10 or 15 instances of downtime in a month, without a single patch note, just kind of leaves me feeling like we're hanging in a void.  Saying, "We did stuff, just not detailing what," would go a long way.</p><p>And thanks -- seriously, I mean it -- for being so open and communicative in this thread.  That's really all we want, as a rule: communication.</p>