Wait... No Public Test Server for this game?

[xvshanevx]

I was reading this article (http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07...ts-are-broken/), when i read something that I just couldn't believe:

"...this is one of those places where Final Fantasy XIV could benefit immensely from a public test server..." (Eliot Lefebvre)

Is this true? Is there really no Public Test Server for this game?

[Parz3val]

This game would HUGELY benefit from one.

Hopefully then we could prevent things like Atma, Broken Hunts Systems, & Crafting Material Boss Drops.

[Konata]

where i agree with you that public test realms would help to solve some problems that has be happen within the games but some of the system implemented in the game working as intended like the

ATMA system for you 3rd stage of the relic quest is good it make you work towards a better weapon by finding objects from the old era

The hunting system where that does need some improvements to stop the whole spamming of hunts and the insulting of people killing a B rank just cause they found before anyone else and not tell the whole server it there but that system is also working as intended it gave players a activity to do in the open world that give a reward for the discovery

Crafting mat that drop dungeon i dont mind this as it reduces the cost of crafted items on the AH as well as item that can sold for a reasonable amount gil but you also got to think that SE would need to make gear for each dungeon that would only get replaced very soon with SOl or ST gear

Where i can see PTR working in would be stuff like Dungeon and raids to make sure there balanced aswell as challenging to the player of different skill levels for casual aswell as hardcore player base

[Tupsi]

This game would HUGELY benefit from one.

I'm curious - How would FFXIV ARR benefit hugely from handing players early access to the next patch and expansion so they can formulate strategies, tear down mechanics, sort out loot pools and find all the hidden nicknacks in the forth coming update?

I mean, you do realize public test servers 99% of the time has very few people actually...testing things, right? This is why even XI's is usually barren, because they only add stuff they want tested and players can't get a "free preview" so they stopped caring.

Not all PTR's are solely for bug-fixing. Many are for feedback on implementations & the like.

As Nekodar mentioned, a PTR for this game would require significant restrictions.

But SE could very well host a Test Realm for new systems.

Think if we could've gotten our hands on Atma, Hunts, Frontline, Wolves Den, all early.

The horrors this could have saved with our feedback.

Not all PTR's have to be about early-advantage or prerelease Raid practice.

PTRs are for bug finding and testing - At least, that's what they're designed for. It's like Alpha and Beta testing these days:

Alpha = Pay us for early access to the game.
Beta = Here's a demo of the game, if you find a bug..remember it's beta, we say it's beta so you can't complain about bugs in the demo!

Pretty much lost all meaning as to what they're for. So while yes, it could be used for feedback, handing out free preview does nothing but further delay content patches to throw in "feedback" from players who almost always just want things with less work (seen this a lot in other games with PTRs where content goes from challenging to essentially point a-b for best rewards in the game.)

[KarstenS]

Only elite guilds would benefit from public test server as they can do their kills earlier.

Hopefully then we could prevent things like Atma, Broken Hunts Systems, & Crafting Material Boss Drops.

Public test servers are just to fix last bugs, not to change the way stuff works. SE is making a much better job at this than publishers of games I know they have public test server.

[Jubez187]

Public test servers are just to fix last bugs, not to change the way stuff works.

Untrue. League of Legends goes through many balance changes through the PBE before things go Live (whether or not they still end up imba is besides the point).

[Parz3val]

Public test servers are just to fix last bugs, not to change the way stuff works. SE is making a much better job at this than publishers of games I know they have public test server.

Not all PTR's are solely for bug-fixing. Many are for feedback on implementations & the like.

As Nekodar mentioned, a PTR for this game would require significant restrictions.

But SE could very well host a Test Realm for new systems.

Think if we could've gotten our hands on Atma, Hunts, Frontline, Wolves Den, all early.

The horrors this could have saved with our feedback.

Not all PTR's have to be about early-advantage or prerelease Raid practice.

[Felis]

Not all PTR's are solely for bug-fixing. Many are for feedback on implementations & the like.

As Nekodar mentioned, a PTR for this game would require significant restrictions.

But SE could very well host a Test Realm for new systems.

Think if we could've gotten our hands on Atma, Hunts, Frontline, Wolves Den, all early.

The horrors this could have saved with our feedback.

Not all PTR's have to be about early-advantage or prerelease Raid practice.

So long there is nothing in the test server that give the testers the idea to buy up specific items in the MB on live servers before the patch.

[ValVae]

Think if we could've gotten our hands on Atma, Hunts, Frontline, Wolves Den, all early.

If the did it how they did early phases of beta and just restrict the content (they wouldn't be able to test things like coil fights and such) but content like hunts and frontlines then it may be successful. I wouldn't think that would be terribly hard to implement but I'm also not a programmer.

[Shyluv]

I hope it stays that way.