No Public Beta Testing: good bad for the game?

[IdowhatIwant]

I am curious how this community feels about the lack of a public beta test realm. On one hand, I see the advantages: it’s FUN for us all to figure out the story and jobs on our own. I had so much fun figuring out how things changed and hopefully improved for my favorite classes. It even got me to try Bard, which is my favorite job this expansion.

But, it also meant that so many jobs were released with clearly unfair advantages and disadvantages compared to other jobs, something that would come up on a PTR.

Do you feel FFXIV content would improve for having a PTR?

I think it would, but only if they let us test the new job/job changes on the previous expansion’s content. I don’t want story spoilers or to even see a new zone.

I would be cool with testing things like the class changes, maybe even a test environment for new systems. I would keep the raids and end game content out of it. Blizzard uses the PTR to tune the raid, because they basically design it then have every one test where it should be tuned as well as the classes. Most WoW players may as well add beta tester to there resume cause that is pretty much what you are if you play that game even if you don't play on the PTR. Content feedback is just as diverse, with a majority of players being more casual players the game will always gravitate more towards them as there feedback will be the loudest and the largest.

I find it kind of funny that people still do world first races in WoW cause you have already practiced the fight for months in advance before it launches. Sounds kinda boring IMO. But then again world first races in FF amounts to watching each others streams and stealing strats until you manage to push ahead a slightly.

So I guess really, I don't care, but I think it doesn't add anything to the game and feed back in this game is so diverse when it comes to the classes. Look at the arguements going on currently about SMN MNK and BRD for example.

[linayar]

I understand the idea of testing when it comes to software in general, but I just don't think a video game is something that should be tested publicly. I can see testing done when it comes to server stability and the likes, but actual gameplay should be tested in private by the devs, especially for an ongoing game that can and should see changes as people continue to play with them.

[Warpstone]

I think it's great the people at square-enix actually play their own game. I would not change a thing.

[Lunalepsy]

Read a guide on PTS before joining one!

[SnowVix]

But, it also meant that so many jobs were released with clearly unfair advantages and disadvantages compared to other jobs, something that would come up on a PTR.

The delta within roles even without a PTR is still less than the delta on any other MMO on a major patch. I'm not denying that several classes need some love, but having a PTR wouldn't necessarily fix that.

[Risvertasashi]

I feel like SE's QA is generally excellent, very little slips by them - and areas where I wish SE would be more responsive to feedback wouldn't be helped be a public test server.

[Jojoya]

Considering what would happen in the wake of WoW PTRs, I'm surprised you even have suggested adding a PTR here.

WoW players: classes are badly balanced
WoW devs: blame the PTR testers for insufficient feedback

WoW players: this content is bugged
WoW devs: blame the PTR testers for insufficient feedback.

WoW players: look- here's all this tester feedback that had been posted in the PTR forums about these very things
WoW devs: [delete the PTR forum posts]
WoW devs; We received no such feedback

At least the FFXIV team has to hold itself accountable if there are problems instead of blaming unpaid volunteers given no guidance or oversight.

[Retrisar]

Considering what would happen in the wake of WoW PTRs, I'm surprised you even have suggested adding a PTR here.

WoW players: classes are badly balanced
WoW devs: blame the PTR testers for insufficient feedback

WoW players: this content is bugged
WoW devs: blame the PTR testers for insufficient feedback.

WoW players: look- here's all this tester feedback that had been posted in the PTR forums about these very things
WoW devs: [delete the PTR forum posts]
WoW devs; We received no such feedback

At least the FFXIV team has to hold itself accountable if there are problems instead of blaming unpaid volunteers given no guidance or oversight.

Can you show me Q&A where devs said that players fault ? You kind of sounds like one of this players who never played the game but go no problem to s...t on it.

[Jojoya]

Can you show me Q&A where devs said that players fault ? You kind of sounds like one of this players who never played the game but go no problem to s...t on it.

You sound like someone who doesn't have a clue what was going on with PTR because you weren't participating unless maybe as a "ooo I get early access" participant that would loudly complain then never log back in the moment they hit the first game breaking bug.

Can't link what Blizzard has long since deleted under the guise of "forum improvements". All those blue posts get wiped right alongside all the player feedback they ignored.

As for not even playing the game, I played WoW 2007-2018. I beta tested in MoP and WoD along with doing testing on several patch PTRs. I wasn't one of the players who goes in with the "gee, I get to see things first!". I was testing stuff, trying to break stuff, repeating stuff that did break on multiple characters so I could get an idea of what conditions were in common before I submitted detailed bug reports, trying to find work arounds for the game breaking stuff so other testers wouldn't be stuck trying to get to content gated behind what was broken.

Spending hundred of hours doing all that just to see many of those problems still in game at launch and the Blue posts going "there wasn't any feedback" was frustrating in the extreme.

If I'm crapping on the developers, it's because they were crapping on us testers who were trying to help create a good release experience for our fellow players.

[Kes13a]

I would have to join the votes for no.

given, any PTR experience was with WoW, but typically... players tend to play PTR's like early access. get bored of the new classes before launch... in my experience with WoW, little to zero benefit in the long run. SE seems to do a good job with their in-house testing, I see no need for it. Blizz seemed to use it as an excuse to release things that should not have been out of the oven yet. (as the poster before me said, the issues were all the PTR players fault)

what it seemed like was even people at Blizz didnt want to play their game to even test it... even being paid to do so.