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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Do you go on the PTR?
by Lesley Smith 
Jun 19th 2009 at 8:00AM
With the wiping of the official PTR forums, the release of the patch 3.2 PTR notes, and the slew of other new tidbits released yesterday, it's a sure sign that the start of patch 3.2 testing is imminent. I figured this would be a good time to find out whether you, our beloved readers, actually use the PTR (or Public Test Realm) or not. Now I have to go on the PTR (it's written in tiny print on my WoW.com contract) but I also wander in there because I want to. I'm a journalist purely because I have no patience whatsoever and this is a great way of seeing how the next patch is going to look ahead of time. While I was initially not that excited about 3.2, some of the stuff revealed yesterday has gotten me quite excited.
There seem to be two camps: Team A loves getting online first, seeing all the new content as soon as possible while Team B would rather wait for everything to go live on the real realms. The rest? Well they're not quite sure what a PTR is. Which team are you?
| Yes, I'm raring to go | |
|---|---|
| No, I'd rather wait for it to hit the live realms | |
| What's a PTR again? |
Patch 3.2 will bring about a new 5, 10, and 25 man instance to WoW, and usher in a new 40-man battleground called the Isle of Conquest. WoW.com will have you covered every step of the way, from extensive PTR coverage through the official live release. Check out WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.2 for all the latest!Filed under: Patches, Blizzard, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 3)
Drahliana Jun 19th 2009 2:06PM
1. Mainly to check out addons before the patch goes live.
2. I'll also do wild things such as spending emblems/badges/ etc. on items to try them out, or to test out a spec I'd never used before. but mostly it's 1. above.
3. I also occasionally meet people from other servers etc.
Draelan Jun 19th 2009 2:11PM
I've never gone on the PTR before. I much prefer to wait until content goes live. As has been pointed out, going on the PTR and seeing the stuff early just leads to quicker burn-out.
I may, however, consider transferring my druid to the PTR to see the new forms myself. My reasoning has more to do with the "what happens on the PTR, stays on the PTR" rule, which means I can look at all the forms, play around with them, and switch between the colors at will without wasting tons of money on my live account. That way I can see how the forms look in-game on my computer and decide for certain which forms my druid will be sporting.
I just have one question, which may seem like a stupid question, but better safe than sorry. If I copy my druid to the PTR, I'm assuming it's just a copy of my druid. (Hence why changes don't affect live realms.) Is this true? Will I be able to run around on the PTR testing out new forms and then switch over to my normal account and use my "real" druid to continue such things as dailies, raiding, etc?
FearBomb Jun 19th 2009 8:08PM
I'm also planning on checking out the new druid forms on the PTR. The first time I used the PTR I was worried about my real character as well. Don't worry, the character you copy to the PTR is a copy. Nothing you do on that character will affect your real character.
Chuck Jun 19th 2009 5:24PM
I'll definitely be on.
I need to check out the new BG, Feral Models, and Feral nerfs.
I kind of doubt they'll let us in the coliseum.
Rob Jun 19th 2009 2:36PM
I get on the PTRs for most of the content patches... but I don't ever do much. Usually check out the talent changes, any UI features or anything like that, but I don't really raid or anything.
jfofla Jun 19th 2009 2:56PM
Although I have been part of Blizzard's Betas because I go to Blizzcon, I do not waste my time. I consider the PTR or a Beta to be an absolute waste of time.
If I don't get to keep it, I am not going to do it.
OIK2 Jun 19th 2009 3:06PM
I just use WoW.com to keep track of the important changes and wait for it to hit Live. Not because I am afraid of spoilers, but instead because I would rather invest my game time into Live, and progression rather than looking at what may be.
papermoonshine Jun 19th 2009 3:42PM
No, the PTR does more harm than good. Too many people go on just to learn the new strats, then go blaze through them in a day when it goes live, THEN bitch how easy everything is.
Tiarnach Jun 19th 2009 4:37PM
I usually do hit up PTR but not for very long. I do my testing, give my feedback on forums like everybody else (but with numbers, cuz as GC has said, Blizzard people have pointy heads and like numbers) and then I go back to live. I don't need to be the first person in creation to see new content, I just need to know if changes to the classes I play are good or bad--and when bad, throw an almighty screaming fit like we did after that proposed Glyph of Conflagrate change. Remember how that never saw Live? That, my friends, is why PTRs exist. Sometimes it looks real good on paper and in excel, and then it just sucks when it's time to play with it.
Ignatius Jun 19th 2009 6:25PM
Actually, I was playing a retribution Paladin and contrary to popular belief, it was incredibly difficult to kill someone in 2v2 when it's a healer/DPS team.
Now, 2v2 is no longer worth anything and Paladins lost their only tool against healers, burst.
Dave Jun 19th 2009 6:36PM
I have done the PTR in the past. I will probably skip it this time, because I want a few surprises for a change. Also, this time, I'm too lazy to clear off the HD space needed for the PTR, which is generally half again the size of a regular WoW install.