A call for transparency

[darkstarpoet1]

Very well said as usual, darkstarpoet. This is precisely why they had to adjust the targeting system 3 times, and in the last case, a patch that took all day to download just to tweak the targeting system. With a test server, the targeting system would have been worked out well in advance of an official release.

well on the test server they could have done the tweaks on there and nobody in the actual game would have known they had issues more than a simple post in a producers letter saying it was being tested on the test server and to try it and give feedback. they do not do this in game. they add what they want without asking anyone what they thought about the direction.

[Neptune]

It was already explained that in the game development's current state, test server is not practical. I wouldn't be surprised if the game in development is completely unplayable right now, or at least offline state.

Link or it didn't happen. You have done a good job imagining what the dev's version might play like, but that is not the same as a test server. I don't know why people are so religious about SE. A test server is a stable release of software with updates to try out.

. they add what they want without asking anyone what they thought about the direction.

Exactly. That's what I would like to see no more.

[Mack]

I've seen him post...he's hardly religious to SE.

[Rowyne]

Having a PTR (Public Test Realm) in that 'other game' works very well. PTR patch notes are released in a timeframe not unlike when we got the list of upcoming battle changes. They're put on the PTR, and players can copy their characters there and try it out, so they are in essence beta testing each major content patch. The players pre-test the patch, so there is smoother implementation when the patch hits the live servers and fewer post-patch hotfixes. And the die-hard players have a chance to get a feel for upcoming changes. It's a win-win, both for the devs and the player community.

You shouldn't use your live servers for beta testing. But... yeah, that's basically what we're doing atm.

[Asmeret]

With major things being implemented and removed, we're pretty much playing on a glorified test server as is.

[Neptune]

With major things being implemented and removed, we're pretty much playing on a glorified test server as is.

And that adds to the discussion how?

[Asmeret]

In the same way this thread affects our communication with SE.

[Renshi]

Nah, they're already talking enough for what we have to know. I don't want to know if Yoshi-P has heart boxers or if Bill from Accounting has a Lacoste shirt rather than a Tommy Hilfiger one.

[Neptune]

With major things being implemented and removed, we're pretty much playing on a glorified test server as is.

We're not on a test server, and we're not pretty much on anything like a test server. Let me know when you learn to read and then come back in here and explain to me how we're on a test server.

Nah, they're already talking enough for what we have to know. I don't want to know if Yoshi-P has heart boxers or if Bill from Accounting has a Lacoste shirt rather than a Tommy Hilfiger one.

Renshi, I like you but I'm a little perplexed about your post. Did you not follow the history of communication I outlined above? The lack of transparency is affecting the community.

[Spellbinder]

I'd say their level of communication is much better than the "locked away in an ivory tower" style communication I remember from my days in FFXI. I say let them crawl before they try to run a triathlon in communicating with the player base.