Why would PS2 need an extended Beta test ?

[SpottyGekko]

Watching Highby's stream of beta play made me wonder why PS2 would need a long beta test period ?

There is no PVE and no raids/dungeons, so no NPC (AI scripts/pathing/balancing) features need to be tested and debugged.
There are no quests, so the multitude of possible bugs that themepark MMO's suffer from do not need to be found and squashed.

So it would seem to me that PS2 beta testing is all about optimizing the Forge Light engine, fine-tuning the netcode and balancing weapons and certs. Possibly the resource distribution rates also need to be balanced.

Balancing of weapons and resources will be tricky, because the balance will depend to a certain degree on the player loadings on a server. What works in the first month after launch (ultra-high population) may not work the same way later.

So I'm wondering if beta will really last more than 2 months ?

Or am I missing some important facts ?

[Hamma]

Well we have no idea how long beta will be.

[PaperChampion]

I forget where i saw it, but wasn't it stated that Beta was supposed to last until launch?

Edit: either Smedley or Higby's twitter.

[BlueSkies]

Originally Posted by SpottyGekko

PS2 beta testing is all about optimizing the Forge Light engine

which could take a very long time to get it to do what they want it to do

[kidwithstick]

The longer the beta, the better the game.

Just because theres no "dungeons" and AI mobs doesnt mean theres not plenty for them to be working on right now.

[IAMDANIEL]

Originally Posted by PaperChampion

I forget where i saw it, but wasn't it stated that Beta was supposed to last until launch?

Edit: either Smedley or Higby's twitter.

Beta lasting untill launch.... imagine that....

[Comet]

I think it's more often than not that an FPS has a shorter beta than MMORPGs. With that being said, this is the first MMOFPS so who knows.

[Tatwi]

Originally Posted by SpottyGekko

So I'm wondering if beta will really last more than 2 months ?

Or am I missing some important facts ?

You are missing some important facts. Enough said.

[Harasus]

There is still a lot of stuff they want to test.

[kidwithstick]

Originally Posted by Comet

I think it's more often than not that an FPS has a shorter beta than MMORPGs. With that being said, this is the first MMOFPS so who knows.

except it isnt....

planetside?

[BlueSkies]

Originally Posted by Comet

this is the first MMOFPS so who knows.

...

You have seen the "2" behind Planetside right?

[Comet]

Sorry Blueskies, you are correct

Damn public school system...

[Tatwi]

Originally Posted by kidwithstick

except it isnt....

planetside?

Except it isn't....

[WNxArachnophili]

What about all of the environment glitches? Like when you get stuck on a pebble.

[SpcFarlen]

Originally Posted by WNxArachnophili

What about all of the environment glitches? Like when you get stuck on a pebble.

Pebble is stronger than average soldier

Core mechanics and systems are probably done but its all the small things that add up real fast, like those steroid injected pebbles.