Breakfast Topic: Do you test patches on the PTR?
by Josh Rose 
Feb 27th 2011 at 8:00AM
Blizzard puts up public test realms (PTRs) for testing new content all the time. At times the PTRs are unplayable, either due to bugs or overcrowding. At times they are ridiculous because of the economy, because people transfer all the gold on their account to a single character before copying them. Some major guilds go whenever there is new raid content to practice it on the PTR, so they can get their world firsts whenever the content does go live. Some people seem to go just to stand around and complain about the changes yet not actually test anything. However, all the problems aside, the PTRs are the only way to experience the new content or class changes prior to live.
I tend to copy over to the PTR whenever there is a new raid instance or a major revamp of my class. Having been in the betas for the last couple of expansions, I tend to file lots of bug reports and hope that at least some of my issues are addressed. I have gotten frustrated with people attempting to make a ton of gold in the test realms because they do not seem to grasp the fact that the money doesn't come with them to live. Whatever is done on the test realm stays there and dies there.
The PTR is there for testing, and testing requires people to be able to have access to the new material. Because a lot of people don't actually test on the PTRs, we tend to have several mini-patches in order to fix bugs with a major patch. So actually use the PTR for testing, since it will only help cut out some bugs for when it goes live.
Do you actually use the PTRs? Do you participate in sending in bug reports? Are you one of these people who copy over all your gold and charge exorbitant AH prices on the PTR?
| Yes, I consciously try to test the new material. | |
|---|---|
| Yes, but only to sightsee or get an early shot at the content. | |
| No. | |
| Only if there's something specific to my class or character I want to check out. |
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
pancakes Feb 27th 2011 8:08AM
I'll usually try it out if it's a major new tier or something of the sort, & report any and all bugs I find. I mean, that's really what it's therefore (as well as the ZOMGFREE85S, of cause).
SR Feb 27th 2011 8:16AM
That's an intense misuse of "therefore", buddy...
Sorry, but I believe this deserved mention.
pancakes Feb 27th 2011 8:22AM
That was due in equal parts to my phone's reckless autocorrecting and the fact that it's past midnight here. Either way, I'm pretty silly.
hicks Feb 27th 2011 12:20PM
Pancakes, pancakes, wherefore did you misuse the therefore?
exogenesis. Feb 27th 2011 8:12AM
I have tried, but my computer is so crap that it can barely cope with running WoW, let alone running the PTR as well. I've only been on them twice, and could hardly move, so I uninstalled it after 5 minutes. I now just wait until the patch comes on live.
Harvoc Feb 27th 2011 11:41AM
Same. I tried to install the PTR once to test out 4.01 and I got so many errors and stuff. Never going to try it again.
Docseuzz Feb 27th 2011 8:17AM
Blizz should either implement vendors that sell all trade goods for 1 copper, or go the other way and sell items that vendor for 1,000g, but cost 1g. Alternately, auto-reduce AH prices to 'vendor sell' price.... something to help people there to actually test...
SR Feb 27th 2011 8:18AM
Or you can ask your friends to let you borrow money for... I dunno, 5 minutes while your character moves?
It's all about laziness at this point.
Docseuzz Feb 27th 2011 8:30AM
It's not about laziness... less time dealing with AH morons = more time finding bugs and helping to get encounters balanced. If I need to do the transfer shuffle 5 times to afford to properly gem/enchant my gear to properly test new content, that means that many fewer testing cycles. Maybe that's it... bring back the enchant vendors from the betas on PTR...
Ian Feb 27th 2011 8:31AM
Nothing to do with laziness when the issue arises from stupdity.
We should not have to put in that extra effort just to counter stupid behaviour.
Spellotape Feb 27th 2011 8:32AM
I actually find the complaints regarding the price of things a bit odd - most of the time I've spent on the PTR I simply haven't needed a large amount of gold to test new content/character changes. If that's how people like to spend their time on the PTR, I'm not sure there can be any legitimate complaint against it given (despite how redundant it might be) there are no rules against it.
Sorry, this reply was more at the OP, I guess ...
SR Feb 27th 2011 8:40AM
If you really want to be a "dedicated" tester, you can also get the gems and even enchants before you copy your character over. Want to test out the new chants? Buy the mats beforehand.
Docseuzz Feb 27th 2011 8:45AM
I guess what I am trying to do is instead of coping with (and contributing to) the problem, to find a way to actually fix it.
Thomas Higgins Feb 27th 2011 8:48AM
Hmm. If I could do stuff like craft items my Rogue or Paladin could make on the PTR and send them to my toons on Live to use, I would do that in a heartbeat. Making stuff to sell on the auction house is I feel a bit daft, I would lose the money when the PTR ended and therefore there wouldn't be much of a point to it.
Drakkenfyre Feb 27th 2011 8:52AM
SR, when Glyphs were added to the game, it was hard to get them because people on the beta for Wrath of the Lich King and the PTR were selling them for 5000g, 10000g, and 20000g. Blizzard finally had to put a vendor in so they could actually get some in-depth testing done for them.
It's not about laziness, it's about stupidity. THE OTHER person's stupidity.
Ice Feb 27th 2011 11:36AM
Agreed. They really need to remove most of the ridiculous prices or currencies on PTR testing.
When ToC was around at PTR and they had T9 there from vendors, at first week the cost was gold. Thats ok.
All of sudden when they started raid testing they added the emblem cost to them. Same with T10.
PTR doesnt go long enough to actually ever get full set of said tiers, specially when ONLY way you can get it was by running daily HC and ICC on "ONCE week boss test for two hours or hour".
Why would I go to PTR to GRIND stuff again? I thought the point was to test stuff not block the testing by all these currencies.
I mean, if the T12 will cost same amounts as T11 do now and you could only do one boss per week if they open it in raid. You might kill the boss or not kill him. Then you would have to do daily heroic. Maybe add some ZA and ZG.
Lets say that you would be able to do heroic and ZA and ZG but not raids. It would still take MONTHS to get T12 for testing. Why make it like that, I must ask? Whats the big deal to not give TESTERS T12? Is it too much of tease to keep people playing? Would that really be that much of letdown if everyone on PTR would be able to get T12 and go "meh I'll unsub cos I was wearing all the epix"?
Thats kinda my mood killer on PTR. Its just so annoying. Whats the big deal if people get to test T12 and they would get some data from it?
Tim Feb 27th 2011 8:49AM
I love alts but not a big fan of doing quests six dozen times. I know its to help the company find bugs and such but I don't have the time for all that. Barely enough time to run it in the live version (six dozen times.)
SamLowry Feb 27th 2011 12:59PM
Since someone posted a response from a blue a week or so ago stating that Blizzard doesn't even pay attention to PTR feedback, you might as well just play.
It's like I've been saying for quite a while now: The PTR is nothing more than a marketing tool, designed to entice players back into the game.
wutsconflag Feb 27th 2011 3:00PM
@SamLowry
That is NOT what the Blizzard post said, actually. What they said was that they do not base design/balance decisions SOLELY on PTR feedback.
Daisyfizzi Feb 27th 2011 9:24AM
I used to, I was in the beta for Cataclysm too and that's why I probably won't again. The forums for the beta were full of posts regarding bugs and balance issues (actual issues not 'omg my class sux buff plz!'). It was disheartening to see how many of these oft reported issues remained in the game for launch and are still there. I love the game and am not hanging up my mace and shield anytime soon, but it seems pointless to test the content only to see the problems found make it live. I may as well report the bugs in game and save myself the time.