Beta for each patch

[Orophin]

The only downside for this to SE is that you'll get hardcore groups going in and testing the endgame content, beating it shortly after it's live, and potentially unsubscribing a lot sooner than they normally would have after running out of content.

[Espon]

The only downside for this to SE is that you'll get hardcore groups going in and testing the endgame content, beating it shortly after it's live, and potentially unsubscribing a lot sooner than they normally would have after running out of content.

That's going to happen anyways. There will always be those hardcore players that will go at content non-stop and clear it quickly. Thing is, this is such a tiny percentage of their player-base; most people will take weeks or even months to complete everything, if that.

Mind you, Crystal Tower is supposed to be easier than Binding Coil, so I doubt it'll take very long for even the average player to do it. This more applies to when actual harder content comes out. The only challenging content this patch might be the Extreme Primals.

[Felis]

Will OP really first beta test 2.1 and bring it february to the live servers?

[Randalthor]

I think the idea is that there is a way to copy your character info to a beta environment where progress is not saved. You can test run content before launch.

Using 2.1 as an example, beta would have gone our in November.

[LarsCroft]

dataminers!

[Gilraen]

dataminers!

This is probably one of the biggest reasons we don't have test servers. Before Early Release they released Beta4, which was the last build and techincally a pre-Early Release Early Release barring any unforeseen problems. It was also effectively the full game client and dataminers published all the item data to XIVDB. The data was promptly ordered removed by Square within days. If they did launch a test server they'd have the same problem over and over again...

[Zumi]

They have a test server for FFXI to let you try out new patches before they are out and they let you copy your character over to the test server.

So maybe SE will make one for FFXIV. But it wasn't for a long time before FFXI got a test server.

[mindful]

They have a test server for FFXI to let you try out new patches before they are out and they let you copy your character over to the test server.

So maybe SE will make one for FFXIV. But it wasn't for a long time before FFXI got a test server.

FFXI has the test servers took them a few years, But they got it so i would put money on it. That once this game settles down some they will, Put the test servers for this game online. I would say it would be after the ps4 launch that way ps4 and PC players can both be on the test server at same time. Unlike FFXI were only PC users were allowed on it.

[Cigaran]

Almost every MMO I've played over the past ten years has had a Test Server of some sort. Some had one that was always available while others only came online when a major update needed some testing. Some allowed characters to be copied over from Live servers while other required you to start from the beginning and level up a whole new character just for testing. In all of these scenarios, I've enjoyed testing new content and updates. I would gladly do so here should Square-Enix offer a Test Server for this game.

[Thagyr]

If they don't keep the patch to themselves what will they post to tease us all the time?