We need Player/Playtesters!

[ThrasherGT]

Seriously, why hasn't this been done? Turbine needs to recruit a few hundred Player/Playtesters to really get in there and bug test the new releases. Just set up some kind of screening process and let's get this going! We players have always been able to find bugs/mistakes much faster than Turbine. Please consider this seriously, and I believe it will really help DDO in the long run........

[Impaqt]

Seriously, why hasn't this been done? Turbine needs to recruit a few hundred Player/Playtesters to really get in there and bug test the new releases. Just set up some kind of screening process and let's get this going! We players have always been able to find bugs/mistakes much faster than Turbine. Please consider this seriously, and I believe it will really help DDO in the long run........

THe sad thing is we got the Playtesters.....

I'm fairly certain Mournlands is still operational.

And Risia is still up.... But TUrbine gives us no incentive to use Risia. It doesnt get timely updates and there is no benefit to playing on that server.

We dont need [more] Playtesters.. We need turbine to USE the playtesting they have at their disposal.

[Hvymetal]

They have some on Mournlands...... I am starting to come to the conclusion that the playtesters are doing the same thing players do when they "test" on Risa, looking for exploits they can use when they go live....

/puts on tinfoil hat

[Baron]

The last update as far as I can tell was not installed on Risa anyway before it was placed on the production servers. I head over to Risa fairly often and never saw the update installed whenever I logged into it prior to it getting placed on the productions servers.

As for Mournlands being operational, maybe if you are talking about the hardware I would agree. Turbine tihnks Mournlands and Q&A is all the testing they need. I guess they showed us....

[KristovK]

They put the mods on Risia before they go to the live servers, so the testing platform for us, the players, is there.

Problem is, most people refuse to test because..well..as stated by Impaqt, there's no reward for doing so. Oddly enough, I don't recall getting any rewards for the games I've publically beta tested, with the odd exception of being able to keep a character created X weeks before going live on some games, and that's the exception, not the norm. I've been paid to test software, but that was working as a tester, and it was work, constantly filling out reports and so on, having to put in X hours a day and so on. Some of us actually DO go on Risia when the mods are put there and we DO test it, but there's a limited number of people who actively test, most are there to find the exploits they can use and they fail to report those so they can exploit them when the mod goes live, see the previous mods tested on Risia for great examples of this.

[Angelus_dead]

They put the mods on Risia before they go to the live servers, so the testing platform for us, the players, is there.

Problem is, most people refuse to test because..well..as stated by Impaqt, there's no reward for doing so.

No, players DO test, but they don't put the whole module there. The Shroud, for example, was NEVER on Risia before it went live. How could any player have tested it?

Not only do players not get much of a reward for being testers, but they don't even get the natural automatic reward testers should get: previews of the upcoming changes early enough to try them out and find problems.

[Rameses]

I was a playtester for the Mournlands and I check out risia every update.
I find it rather discouraging that the player base that utilized these are either only after loot (which made no sense to me.) or looking for tactical "bugs" to bypass quest play. For example when I logged into risia back when the Gianthold was new every group I joined for the Crucible the leader would have the have to party jump up top of the maze bypassing a major part of the quest.

I am, Rameses!

[KristovK]

I was a playtester for the Mournlands and I check out risia every update.
I find it rather discouraging that the player base that utilized these are either only after loot (which made no sense to me.) or looking for tactical "bugs" to bypass quest play. For example when I logged into risia back when the Gianthold was new every group I joined for the Crucible the leader would have the have to party jump up top of the maze bypassing a major part of the quest.

I am, Rameses!

Exactly, seems the majority who play on Risia are playing, not testing, and the only testing they do is to look for exploits for when the mod goes to the live servers. Like Rameses, I was on Risia when it started, and I was told more than once by other players to NOT report known issues because they could be exploited when it went live. I reported them anyway because I don't go for that, it's bs and totally opposite the point of testing.

And the reward for testing is NOT the chance to see stuff before anyone else, it's the knowledge that you had a personal hand in making something you enjoy better. If the ONLY reason you jump on Risia is to preview the upcoming mods...please...stay on the live servers, people need to be actively reporting any and all issues on Risia, not just getting a jump on the competition.

[Yuhjn]

In my experience there is no substitute for a good internal QA department.

I'm not saying DDO's QA staff isnt good, but I suspect they are REALLY small (like 1 or 2 guys max).

The real problem is that there are not enough players in DDO to justify the kind of staff they need to get more players into DDO (faster content, less bugs, less issues like lag).

It's a chicken-and-egg problem... they need bigger staff for better game, which brings more players, but they need more players to get bigger staff.

My best advise is this:

If you want DDO to be less buggy at module releases and you want the releases more often, and with more content in them, get more people playing DDO.

[fatherpirate]

Had an evil idea that might work.

Have an NPC give players all the free gold they want on the test server.

then

Tell all the players that there is unlimited free gold on the server (so everyone can stock all the potions they need
and get good equipment ect..)
Also, tell them there should be few (logically none) gold spammers...cuz gold if free so nothing to sell.

here is the catch...you would need to promise, no character wipes

That would bring folks to the test server

[Kingfish]

They just need to setup a way to track how much time players spend on the Test Server and refund that time to them. When they've built-up 30 days on the test server, send them a 30-Day Gift Card. If you can only sign on to one server at a time, any time you spend 'testing' the game for Turbine should be given back to that same account.

And before someone blows a gasket (or was it a seal...'no no, this is just ice cream.'), you realize how long it would take to accumulate 720 hours of play? It would simply be a symbolic gesture on Turbines part but still...it would be SOMETHING.

[Wizzly_Bear]

Had an evil idea that might work.

Have an NPC give players all the free gold they want on the test server.

then

Tell all the players that there is unlimited free gold on the server (so everyone can stock all the potions they need
and get good equipment ect..)
Also, tell them there should be few (logically none) gold spammers...cuz gold if free so nothing to sell.

here is the catch...you would need to promise, no character wipes

That would bring folks to the test server

wouldnt need to be no wipes if they gave out 2x or more xp. the reason i dont test on risia is cuz its the same old grind through the same old stuff before i can test the new stuff and it takes forever to get there. give me more xp, or let me create at any level, and ill test risia.

[Wizzly_Bear]

They just need to setup a way to track how much time players spend on the Test Server and refund that time to them. When they've built-up 30 days on the test server, send them a 30-Day Gift Card. If you can only sign on to one server at a time, any time you spend 'testing' the game for Turbine should be given back to that same account.

And before someone blows a gasket (or was it a seal...'no no, this is just ice cream.'), you realize how long it would take to accumulate 720 hours of play? It would simply be a symbolic gesture on Turbines part but still...it would be SOMETHING.

now there's a good idea. maybe give them 1.5 their time. that way testers are getting paid, but not in capital. they test the game so they get to play it at a cheaper rate.

[Mockduck]

now there's a good idea. maybe give them 1.5 their time. that way testers are getting paid, but not in capital. they test the game so they get to play it at a cheaper rate.

They'd obviously need to somehow be able to track whether a character was actually testing on the test server or just camping out there. Otherwise, you could just log in, run against a wall or something and let it sit in the background for a month, get free days, rinse and repeat.

[Souske]

They'd obviously need to somehow be able to track whether a character was actually testing on the test server or just camping out there. Otherwise, you could just log in, run against a wall or something and let it sit in the background for a month, get free days, rinse and repeat.

Just track how many quest and instances they run, that can't be that hard.

[lazlow]

i would happily quit my job to test run for you all!....Did i say happily?

[Invalid_86]

I don't think you can really count Risia as being a test server, as no real significant changes to what's on there will result from player feedback.

For example, when monks do finally hit Risia if people don't like them and think Qi bars and stances are stupid do you think monks will really get taken back to the drawing board?

[Vormaerin]

Internal QA + Mournlands + Risia is the same set up they use for LotRO also (different servers, obviously. Isengard and Roheryn). I'm not sure why it is less effective here than there. Perhaps its just a quantity thing, as more QA assets are devoted to LotRO?

[Mindspat]

What about account wide Character Titles? Wait, it would require a person to manage it...

You have to consider that there's a hefty investment for a plyer to devote to "testing". You have a seperate install then the time spent wading through potentially buggy environments, not much different then Live from the looks of it.

Then you have players who are very familar with a set playstyle and want to test things "their" way. Does this mean that the carrot could be a Magical-Vendor that would give out any items you wish instead of having to grind them?

[Hvymetal]

They'd obviously need to somehow be able to track whether a character was actually testing on the test server or just camping out there. Otherwise, you could just log in, run against a wall or something and let it sit in the background for a month, get free days, rinse and repeat.

Or even better log onto Risa, look for exploits and accumulate free playing time. Gotta say I disagree with the idea.