Originally Posted by IDukeNukeml
HOLY shit I just apparently deleted my entire response.
Dude, in a nut shell. This isn't about stress testing or balancing. It is a technical test. This 'test' is what they use to determine if lower-end pc's can run the game on slower 'internet' and enjoy it. It is NOT about balance and it is NOT about stress testing. Beta is for stress testing / balance. End.
People being upset about not getting into the technical test can go suck a big fat herpes filled cock. THIS IS NOT BETA. THIS is not about FUN. This is about getting the fucking information from machines that can be used to modify and optimize the build. IF it results in lowering the visual quality of the game, it will happen, HENCE why it could take several weeks. Though I know everyone by now has a fucking dual core..
This technical test is more work than it is fun. You will not get to fly around and play Planetside 2. You are going to have to listen to the devs, give feedback and tell them when shit isn't working. You don't have to be an IT guru to do this. All the testers have to say is "I lagged like FUCK when I shot the vanu bitch in the face" And if a few other people experience it and report it, they see the problem and then they have the opprotunity to fix it.
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Good developers would be collecting data for everything provided they had the tools to do so, they're just prioritizing what they'll be acting on and based on who works on what (weapons balance guys and the bug exterminators may not to be the same people.) Yes, despite being called a
technical test if they can collect weapons balance data and see how the servers are holding up with X amount of people, they're collecting that data too.
It's called efficiency. Tests aren't consistent across developers. Beta's have hardly been about actually testing the game for most games for a while, yet PS2 wants us to do it right because they really can't afford to just present us a demo, even though that's how most people will treat it. Referring to a wiki for the definition was the wrong move.
If the people in the tech test aren't having fun, a great number of them won't bother logging in(yes, there are selfish people in the world, big surprise.) The likelihood that a majority of our tech testers are dutifully and properly testing for the betterment of the game is slim, a lot of them just wanted to play. The most SOE will be doing is herding them into performing certain roles/play styles to collect a specific set of data.
Sorry, but it's getting annoying seeing people putting external testing on a pedestal and treating it like some holy crusade while bashing on people that treat it as anything less. No developer can honestly expect a good portion of their testers to treat testing as the former unless they go to great lengths to make sure the people they invite are of that mindset. Over the internet, that's like trusting the female avatar to not be a G.I.R.L.