Comments on: Getting the Most Out of a Test Server http://www.eldergame.com/2007/12/getting-the-most-out-of-a-test-server/ MMO game development Sun, 14 Mar 2010 07:53:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: What Do You Want Me To Test? http://www.eldergame.com/2007/12/getting-the-most-out-of-a-test-server/comment-page-1/#comment-161 What Do You Want Me To Test? Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:45:46 +0000 http://www.eldergame.com/2007/12/05/getting-the-most-out-of-a-test-server/#comment-161 [...] over at The Elder Gamer posted a nice 3-point list aimed at what I assume are MMO developers about how to involve your [...] [...] over at The Elder Gamer posted a nice 3-point list aimed at what I assume are MMO developers about how to involve your [...]

]]> By: Sandra http://www.eldergame.com/2007/12/getting-the-most-out-of-a-test-server/comment-page-1/#comment-158 Sandra Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:49:51 +0000 http://www.eldergame.com/2007/12/05/getting-the-most-out-of-a-test-server/#comment-158 *nod* That's a good point, rmckee, and I believe it falls out of knowing your goals. If you are going to be testing high end raiding content, for example, you need to do the things that will attract high end raiding testers and give them conditions conducive to testing. This very well may conflict with the conditions for your other goals, even testing things like high end non-raiding content. That's what I meant about the need to prioritize your goals -- some of them require mutually exclusive design decisions. Really, this was just a very quick riff on the whole test server topic. I'd like to come back to this with a full analysis of how different companies do test servers, but ... not today. :> [edit] Damion: Wiping the test server is another of those design decisions that grows out of your goals. I wouldn't call it a necessary condition (although I'll give you that it might be one that is usually a good idea). :> *nod* That’s a good point, rmckee, and I believe it falls out of knowing your goals. If you are going to be testing high end raiding content, for example, you need to do the things that will attract high end raiding testers and give them conditions conducive to testing. This very well may conflict with the conditions for your other goals, even testing things like high end non-raiding content. That’s what I meant about the need to prioritize your goals — some of them require mutually exclusive design decisions.

Really, this was just a very quick riff on the whole test server topic. I’d like to come back to this with a full analysis of how different companies do test servers, but … not today. :>

[edit]

Damion: Wiping the test server is another of those design decisions that grows out of your goals. I wouldn’t call it a necessary condition (although I’ll give you that it might be one that is usually a good idea). :>

]]> By: Damion Schubert http://www.eldergame.com/2007/12/getting-the-most-out-of-a-test-server/comment-page-1/#comment-157 Damion Schubert Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:48:40 +0000 http://www.eldergame.com/2007/12/05/getting-the-most-out-of-a-test-server/#comment-157 You forgot 'wipe occasionally'. Players playing on test need to have the expectation that they're going to lose all their stuff, so you can (for example) recover if something buggy on test put everything in a bad state. I personally like how WoW does it, wiping after every major patch update, but allowing players to import characters easily. You forgot ‘wipe occasionally’. Players playing on test need to have the expectation that they’re going to lose all their stuff, so you can (for example) recover if something buggy on test put everything in a bad state. I personally like how WoW does it, wiping after every major patch update, but allowing players to import characters easily.

]]> By: rmckee78 http://www.eldergame.com/2007/12/getting-the-most-out-of-a-test-server/comment-page-1/#comment-155 rmckee78 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:42:00 +0000 http://www.eldergame.com/2007/12/05/getting-the-most-out-of-a-test-server/#comment-155 You need to make sure that the people on your test server can actually reach the content you want tested. I play on the Everquest test server from time to time. The population there is fairly small making it difficult to test raiding content. In fact the test server lags far behind the rest of the servers in raid content anyway. The test server does offer extra XP and the ability to jump to level 25 but lets face it in EQ this still leaves a long, lonely haul to the cap (and on the test server it is extra lonely). I know some people play on test as their main so they no longer wipe it, but is this really appropriate? Perhaps you should be able to instantly make a character that could test the content. Really the test server wouldn't even need to be up constantly in that case. You could offer veteran rewards on the accounts that did a lot of testing for you. At this point the test server for EQ feels like its there just for people who want to level faster. There is nothing wrong with this, but why not just make casual servers? I am sure you would get more people on it than a server that has Test written on it. You need to make sure that the people on your test server can actually reach the content you want tested. I play on the Everquest test server from time to time. The population there is fairly small making it difficult to test raiding content. In fact the test server lags far behind the rest of the servers in raid content anyway. The test server does offer extra XP and the ability to jump to level 25 but lets face it in EQ this still leaves a long, lonely haul to the cap (and on the test server it is extra lonely).

I know some people play on test as their main so they no longer wipe it, but is this really appropriate? Perhaps you should be able to instantly make a character that could test the content. Really the test server wouldn’t even need to be up constantly in that case. You could offer veteran rewards on the accounts that did a lot of testing for you.

At this point the test server for EQ feels like its there just for people who want to level faster. There is nothing wrong with this, but why not just make casual servers? I am sure you would get more people on it than a server that has Test written on it.

]]> By: Zubon http://www.eldergame.com/2007/12/getting-the-most-out-of-a-test-server/comment-page-1/#comment-154 Zubon Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:47:59 +0000 http://www.eldergame.com/2007/12/05/getting-the-most-out-of-a-test-server/#comment-154 I'm going to agree under the heading "it's all about communication." I’m going to agree under the heading “it’s all about communication.”

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