How to Rock the PTS: Top 10 Must-Haves to Improve PTS Participation! (PTS Repost)

Edfishy · 2014-04-12, 05:31 PM

RadarX has mentioned he'd like to encourage more PTS participation, and so I've collected the top suggestions by players and organized it into a nice and neat cheat sheet!

Did I miss anything?

(My original post is on the PTS Discussion Forum)

Azzzz · 2014-04-13, 03:21 AM

Sounds good except the 500 certs. I mean, wow 500 is a lot just for logging on the PTS once a week. Maybe something like 20ish? Not too big yet it'd make me log in once a week and tinker around on the PTS for kicks and giggles. Maybe even some small XP or resources boosters.

ringring · 2014-04-13, 05:45 AM

All I can do is refer to PS1. The test server on PS1 seemed to do it's job and it was handled differently to PTS.

1. It was normally closed. I wouldn't want this but it did mean that when it was opened everyone wanted to get online to see what the deal was.
2. It was opened for specific play testing sessions.
3. The time it was available was normally 11 pm UK time, so not out of the question for us on this side of the big pond.
4. Each playtest had a stated goal.
5. Each Empire was given a task, e.g. NC will defend 'named base' while TR attack from the N. and VS from the S.

etc.

What good does PTS do now? Not a lot, if they introduce a new weapon it's probable that they won't get sufficient balancing data until after it's been used a lot and players have become used to how it works and that can only happen on live in reality.

However I suppose they could make use of the data recovered from the pickup matches or scrims and maybe encourage more.

Vanir · 2014-04-13, 01:00 PM

Back in PS1 they would also do general announcements on the live servers telling everyone that a playtest would be starting in 30 mins or so.

Binkley · 2014-04-13, 02:34 PM

We need infinite resources. I run my resources down on and on PTS it is very hard to build them up again.

Edfishy · 2014-04-13, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Binkley

We need infinite resources. I run my resources down on and on PTS it is very hard to build them up again.

I can understand that they don't want to risk setting the player resources to some high amount and accidentally push it to live, but that's why I think a dev command like they used to manipulate the day/night cycle would work best.

Open dev console window.
Type: "/set_resource_timing 20"
Resources now come in every 20 seconds.
Accidentally commit it to live? Type in "/set_resource_timing 120".