QA Rant.

[Hamma]

I usually don�t rant, but this time I am pissed off. We have another patch, another round of bugs. When we first heard of the test server I figured we would be done with this. This patch was the first one extensively tested on the test server, for a few weeks before it was released. So what happened? The team needs to figure out these issues, its things like this that cause people to cancel their subscription. Who the f wants to deal with more bugs every patch? I defend the team 90% of the time because I know how much of a pain this stuff is. I am in the computer industry, computers suck.

Here is the problem, IMO. This patch was tested extensively. What was different in testing than on the normal servers? It's plainly obvious the testers and CSR's are there. What are they doing? They are cheating at every chance, doing things like laying spitfires inside, handing out EXP, etc etc etc, just search this forum and you will find plenty of evidence and screens to prove it. Does this happen on the live servers? It sure has hell doesn�t.. so why are we using it on the test server. There is a new bug making it so that you can�t fill up a base with an ANT. hmmm.. well according to the testers there were never any ANT runs in testing.. why? Because the CSR's filled up the base with dev commands, this to me is unacceptable, if they want a test server, lets test it using real live conditions. Not a bunch of god mode CSR's running around planting mines and turrets inside. Creating vanguards, galaxies from thin air just because they can.

If they don�t start getting their act together this game will die. Not because the game sucks, but because of the shotty QA. People just simply don�t want to be a tester on a live server. They want to be a tester on the TEST server.

[Strygun]

Agreed.

IMO, they need TSR's instead of CSR's on the test server (if anyone at all... I'd rather they stay off the server.)

[Ouroboros]

Agreed.

[Asmodeus]

So very true Hamma.

[THrONeBeaST]

Agreed and this is why i been thinking about not playing anymore untill they figure all this stuff out .

[Lonehunter]

I thought about that too, how can they fix stuff on Emerald, Konried etc. if they're playing on different rules? (Planting mines inside, handing out xp, all what Hamma said) I always thought that it could cause problems. Hamma, I am a computer tech in the making, and after taking a few years worth of classes. I agree, computers suck. (Until I bought Planetside)

[fpmoose]

Agreed 100%. I do IT work as well (nothing as neat as games, sadly) and it looks to me like there's some pretty sloppy testing methodology going on. Take the "physics engine" changes. If they didn't actually want to alter the performance of vehicles, then when they upgraded the Karma engine, they should've done before-and-after testing of turning, acceleration, etc. to make sure nothing got changed. Instead, lots of things changed. So it makes it look like they wanted to nerf the Marauder, for example, when they didn't. Or maybe they did. I don't know at this point, y'know?

It looks to me like they'd decided on the entire feature set before they even put it on the beta server. People complained about the implementation of medic/engineer icons, the vehicle handling, and of course the whole Jackhammer/Lasher/MCG kerfuffle. There's no indication that any of the posts that people made ever really got paid attention to, except if an actual show-stopping bug was reported. Which is their right, of course, but why ask for feedback threads in the first place if you aren't going to read or acknowledge them? :confused:

The PS dev team does a pretty darn good job in general but I don't think this is one of their more shining moments.

[Airlift]

Dear SOE: qa pwnt. :nod: :nod:

[IDgaf]

I agree, Hamma.

These people seem determined to fuck up a game people are willing to pay to play.

Odd.

[00AgentDuck]

Very odd

[FzzyNoNoseChimp]

Indeed

[Sleepwalker]

*nods sagely*

[Cease]

This patch was tested extensively.

Was this patched tested extensively? I know the HA changes have been on test for a while. But what about all these "bug" fixes? I mean they did the playtest on the 17th to try and figure out the tubes/door issues. According to Sporkfire, on the 19th, they were still hammering out issues that came up on the Playtest. The patch came in on the 20th. 3 days? How long as the new physics engine been in place on the test server?

I dunno, doesnt sounds like it was tested all that extensively to me.

[Happy lil Elf]

This reminds me so much of rants written by various Bards in EQ, because VI/SOE fucked them over with bugs every other patch :lol:

You've got a point Hamma, but after 2 years experience in dealing with SoE all I can say is...well...get used to it I guess :(

[Navaron]

You guys know my normal bitches and what not about this game, but this is the kinda of shit, that really fucks the community over, not just sets off my hair trigger.

I haven't played in over a week. The devs say they know the reasons why, but they don't seem dedicated to fix them. They say they are, but we all know that Spork is king of the spin. I really don't trust these guys anymore. I want to, cause I've personally talked with some of them. It seems like someone is making these guys put out shit work. They want to do well, and it seems like either they don't have the time to do so, or it's just not the same fucking guys.

People always told me they wouldn't play PS cause it was Pay to Play: I argued with them that this game was different, vehicles, constant updates, and a full full time dev team (believe it or not, I'm really just a devil's advocate here on PSU, I *DO* love PS). However, these guys seem like they are trying to prove my buddies right.

I'm not a programmer, but from everything I've gathered for people who are programmers, PS suffers from bullshit coding and sloppy work. I'm not paying $13 a month for bullshit coding and sloppy work.

Plus I'm getting really sick of hearing Spork deny there was a stealth nerf (when there obviously was) under the auspices of "Bringing the XXX in line with it's intended parameters". Funny how no one know's wtf those parameters were.

We need to start a fucking keep PS alive drive to get these guys motivated or to get the interns away from the computers.

[Stealth Tiger]

I agree this is just sad that they can't get bugs worked out. I keep getting the run around with service people. I admit I don't have the best computer but I shoudl be able to play PS with out 30second lockups and really bad FPS. I've only had PS 2 weeks and I have never gotten a really good game because I will lockup or drop to like 2-10FPS and since no one cares of you can't move I always end up dead when my comp unlocks. 2 weeks of playing PS and i'm only BR5. I don't even start a squad because your squad is only as good as its commander and if I suck my squad sucks because theres no command because I lockedup. I want them to fix there coding soon or I will quit playing PS because if I want my computer to lockup i'll do it myself i'm not going to paay $13 dollars to do it. Now please I beg Sony fix the game I have friends that want to playy PS but I tell them not to waste their money until they fix the game. Players know they don't care about players they care about MONEY and that will be this games down fall. If Sony took the time to think everyone has at least 5 friends and those 5 friends have another 5 friends and so on and so on if someone tells his 5 friends not to get it they tell their 5 friends and the list goes on but, if 1 friend tells his 5 friends to get it then those 5 friends tell there 5 friends but, this will not happen if the game has so many bugs they will lose money not gain it. Theres my rant and I hope Sony reads it.

[Setari]

Sony is too stubborn it seems...that and maybe theyre hiding from the impending riot ( uh....see: Conquest of the Planet of the Apes :P) I say we drop it on their doorsteps( drop what, i dont know) I do know this game seems to already be falling....I say...well, i cant think of anything right now but i bet you *points to everyone at PSU* can think of something!! Oh yea to each of the people who wrote those paragraphs (Hamma, Nav etc.) AMEN!:thumbsup:

[Hamma]

Originally posted by Cease
This patch was tested extensively.

Was this patched tested extensively? I know the HA changes have been on test for a while. But what about all these "bug" fixes? I mean they did the playtest on the 17th to try and figure out the tubes/door issues. According to Sporkfire, on the 19th, they were still hammering out issues that came up on the Playtest. The patch came in on the 20th. 3 days? How long as the new physics engine been in place on the test server?

I dunno, doesnt sounds like it was tested all that extensively to me. It was on the server for like 2 or 3 weeks man.. people didnt even know about the other changes until they saw them in the notes.

[Hamma]

It seems to me that the focus right now is SWG and licking george lucas's nutsack, not a quality PS product.

And its easy for programmers on the outside to say its shitty coding, hell its easy for anyone to rape the programmers if you dont see whats going on or know how they work their organization. imo thats not the problem here

[Sentrosi]

In any company the size of Sony, it'll always come down to inter-department politics. Who's scratching my back isn't scratching your back sort of stuff. Pathetic way to run a business. But in a capitalist economy, "bling-bling" > everything.

[Pilgrim]

Agreed

Kinda glad I'm leaving for 2 weeks, hopefully all the problems from this patch will be gone when I get back

[Sputty]

Originally posted by Hamma
It seems to me that the focus right now is SWG and licking george lucas's nutsack, not a quality PS product.

And its easy for programmers on the outside to say its shitty coding, hell its easy for anyone to rape the programmers if you dont see whats going on or know how they work their organization. imo thats not the problem here

I'd hope not. If so, then I think that when you get on the SWG team there is some easy working there. More bugs in SWG, and they're not even being fixed as quickly.

BTW, I agree with you on your post. ban plz

[Cease]

Its probably just too much work for too small of a team. Much of this is very similar to DAoC when it first released. Mythic went on a crusade to hire more staff and eventually did. Then the patches actually started doing more good than harm... changes, updates, fixes, new content all started flowing in more consistently when they did.

Its really hard to fix bugs(because you have to spend a lot of time trying figure out the damn bug) AND develop new content. I would guess thats really the issue here. They just don't have enough people. And probably aren't going to get any. The corporate machine of Sony will look at PSs falling numbers and fail to put more money into it.

[Incompetent]

Agreed, i don't hold anything against the core team, Smokejumper, Briley and the like, they have done, for the most part, a good job, but Spork, along with his army of retarded CSRs, the Suits upstairs, the bullshit community on the OF and good old politics seem to be doing their best to destroy the game, just once i want to see Spork say something along the lines of "we fucked up, were sorry," but that will never happen, because everyones to busy looking at the god damned numbers.

[BloodWulfe]

I agree, but it's fun. That doesn't necessarily justify it... but I know I had fun when the devs were goofing off. I know Trace was having fun goofing off. It doesn't get a whole lot done, but it's fun. It's just neat to see them throw down spitfires inside the spawn rooms or set their HP to 10K. It really just puts a smile on your face to respawn at an AMS on top of the dropship terminal in a dropship center.

spitfires inside spawn room (http://members.teamtg.com/bloodwulfe/screenshots/round%203/PSScreenShot0238.jpg)

ams on dropship terminal (http://members.teamtg.com/bloodwulfe/screenshots/round%203/PSScreenShot0239.jpg)

They're testing things in the test server. Not everything, such as ANT runs and the ilk, but they're testing things regardless. You have to give them credit for that at least. The lack of extensive non-cheating testing does hurt the final live product, but I don't mind a whole lot. I'll still look forward to the next playtest to see what whacky hijinks Trace comes up with. :)

EDIT: Added screenshots.

[Hamma]

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[Lonehunter]

Originally posted by Hamma
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[Miir]

Agree's with Hamma completely. It's pretty sad that even with a test server up and running they still have this many bugs once a patch goes live.

Seems to me that the game is in a bit of a downwards spiral. They really have their work cut out for them.

[1024]

The devs of this game seriously are the worst i've seen so far.

[VashTheStamped]

personally--i think the spawn tubes don't need doors, like with the ams...that would end the stuck in the tubes problem