Experimental servers: A word to the devs

[finnpalm 312]

It would be great if there were a server where you can actually test the new features for bugs and glitches without getting killed. Like for example enable god mode or something?

 

I would love to contribute by reporting bugs and glitches and whatnot, but it takes forever to do that when players kill on sight even on the experimental servers.

 

Make no mistake, I love the pvp on the regular servers, and I truly want people to have the choice to kill anything and everyone there if they so choose. But the time I need to spend to get the items that are new, and test them out thoroughly is just not worth it at the moment, since I have to start over and over all the time, especially since zombies are now more of a threat. On the regular servers that's part of the game, but on an experimental server aren't we supposed to test the new features before they are patched onto the regular servers?

 

Or am I missing something?

 

Heck, if someone came up to me and said "Dude, can I shoot you? I want to see if the bugfix to the long range scope is actually working" I would've gone "Sure, where do you want me to stand?".

 

Basically, I'm not sure how this should be gone about. You need to be able to do everything that you can do on the regular servers to actually test for bugs proper.

 

Any ideas on how to make it easier for us testers to actually, you know.. test?

Edited March 2, 2014 by Strawman

[MartinD (DayZ) 86]

I think its because every aspect of the patch has to be tested, and that includes death and respawning. Surely you've seen the numerous threads regarding players unable to respawn, if god mode was on then this bug wouldn't be found until the patch went stable and then we would have mass outrage and people asking why this wasn't found when it was being tested on exp and how has the patch went stable with a game breaking bug. 

 

*Edit- forgot to add that new features (new code) can cause unexpected and quite obscure bugs which affect old features (old code)

Edited March 2, 2014 by MartinD

[Crazy Ivan (DayZ) 15]

Not trying to start a fight with you but;

It wasn't found during testing before going to the public servers so what’s the point?

[finnpalm 312]

Good point.

The more I think about it I can't figure out a way that would work. I was thinking maybe a blank map where are the relevant stuff was but then it's not tested in the full environment and so on.

Still think people could give the "bullets talk" approach a rest on experimental. Maybe I was relaxing a bit too much because I thought people would be more focused on testing the new stuff rather than pvp. :)

EDIT: I would love to see some statistics of how many of the players on experimental are actually looking actively for bugs, and how many that report a bug when they find one.

Edited March 2, 2014 by Strawman

[MartinD (DayZ) 86]

Not trying to start a fight with you but;

It wasn't found during testing before going to the public servers so what’s the point?

The respawning issue has been around since one of the early patches Ivan and pops back up every now and again. It was a problem on experimental and then a problem on stable. So I beg to differ as it was found on experimental servers (Played on exp servers since they were available and had this issue myself).

[finnpalm 312]

I don't know how loot works exactly now, but would it work to increase loot a lot on experimental, so that you don't have to run all over the map to find that farming hoe for example? Or the items needed for cooking? I mean, having to start over from zero and run around getting all the basics just to a couple of hours later maybe finding one item just doesn't feel fair. For example I get a message sometimes saying the game can't something something the farming hoe. So I run for ages trying to find one to see what that is about, but die from starvation and zombies before finding one.

Or maybe if they slowed down hunger and thirst?

[Nicko2580 398]

Easy way to fix - just have one experimental server where players cannot die. Leave the rest as they are. 

Then there's one server to test everything without the fear of getting shot every 3 seconds and the others function as normal environments for PVP testing etc. 

Surely that wouldn't be too hard to accomplish? 

P.S - to the devs: An Australian experimental server would be very welcome! ;)

[Caboose187 (DayZ) 3036]

I don't know how loot works exactly now, but would it work to increase loot a lot on experimental, so that you don't have to run all over the map to find that farming hoe for example? Or the items needed for cooking? I mean, having to start over from zero and run around getting all the basics just to a couple of hours later maybe finding one item just doesn't feel fair. For example I get a message sometimes saying the game can't something something the farming hoe. So I run for ages trying to find one to see what that is about, but die from starvation and zombies before finding one.

Or maybe if they slowed down hunger and thirst?

Here's the ting tho, the way the experimental is setup right now, you are testing the features that are in the experimental getting ready for stable.  The infected respawn, the rain, getting wet, having a heat attack, etc.

http://forums.dayzgame.com/index.php?/topic/177017-pending-changelog-experimental-branch-037115791/

[finnpalm 312]

Agreed. Pvp needs to be tested too of course. But it's kind of hard to test everything else when you need to worry about getting shot all the time. :)

And if testing is difficult less people will focus on actual testing, and I'm assuming the devs would want more people to help with the testing. Not less.

[finnpalm 312]

Here's the ting tho, the way the experimental is setup right now, you are testing the features that are in the experimental getting ready for stable. The infected respawn, the rain, getting wet, having a heat attack, etc.

http://forums.dayzgame.com/index.php?/topic/177017-pending-changelog-experimental-branch-037115791/

Yes? I don't see how that conflicts with anything I said. :)

I have that actual list open while playing on experimental, and use it like a checklist.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Strawman

[Gekkonidae 270]

I usually find more people are friendly on the testing servers. Maybe it's just me, but i've only ever been shot at once while on experimental. 

[Pandema 352]

I don't think I've seen a single other person on the Experimental servers.

If you're dying constantly its your own damn fault. Surviving in DayZ is so easy right now since 75% of the map is uninhabited, even on the Experimental.

[finnpalm 312]

I usually find more people are friendly on the testing servers. Maybe it's just me, but i've only ever been shot at once while on experimental.

Do you change your playstyle though? Or are you still cautious when playing on experimental?

[finnpalm 312]

I don't think I've seen a single other person on the Experimental servers.

If you're dying constantly its your own damn fault. Surviving in DayZ is so easy right now since 75% of the map is uninhabited, even on the Experimental.

Um not really. The experimental servers I've played on have been full or almost full.

And I go inland to have a bigger chance of finding the items needed.

To be honest, on regular servers it would be my own fault if I died. On an experimental if I get killed by another player it's their fault imo. If there is something in the pvp you desperately want to test you can go down to the beach and make a deal with a fresh spawn who doesn't have so much to lose. But because of how full the servers are and how pretty much every house has been looted it becomes difficult to test any of the new features even without other players shooting you.

EDIT: New idea! How about if you would spawn with gear on experimental? Spawning with all the items that have been reworked for the patch in a mountain backpack would allow you to immediately test out the new features.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Strawman

[crimsonbzd 247]

It would be great if there were a server where you can actually test the new features for bugs and glitches without getting killed. Like for example enable god mode or something?

 

I would love to contribute by reporting bugs and glitches and whatnot, but it takes forever to do that when players kill on sight even on the experimental servers.

 

Make no mistake, I love the pvp on the regular servers, and I truly want people to have the choice to kill anything and everyone there if they so choose. But the time I need to spend to get the items that are new, and test them out thoroughly is just not worth it at the moment, since I have to start over and over all the time, especially since zombies are now more of a threat. On the regular servers that's part of the game, but on an experimental server aren't we supposed to test the new features before they are patched onto the regular servers?

 

Or am I missing something?

 

Heck, if someone came up to me and said "Dude, can I shoot you? I want to see if the bugfix to the long range scope is actually working" I would've gone "Sure, where do you want me to stand?".

 

Basically, I'm not sure how this should be gone about. You need to be able to do everything that you can do on the regular servers to actually test for bugs proper.

 

Any ideas on how to make it easier for us testers to actually, you know.. test?

 

I cannot tell you how many times I've talked to people who have never played experimental who were astounded that there was no "blue box" or whatever you can go and grab any item out of.

 

My guess is the patch goes through that sort of testing on their end.

[finnpalm 312]

I cannot tell you how many times I've talked to people who have never played experimental who were astounded that there was no "blue box" or whatever you can go and grab any item out of.

My guess is the patch goes through that sort of testing on their end.

Yeah, either that or you should spawn with the items on your character. To incite testing among the player base it needs to be easily available. Personally I can donate some time to actual testing, but I don't have time to work for to actually being able to test. Edited March 3, 2014 by Strawman

[ordeal 8]

P.S - to the devs: An Australian experimental server would be very welcome! ;)

There has been 4 AU experimental servers for the last week. Get in there son!

[gerbilschooler 229]

*Facepalm... Making it easier to get gear would NOT eliminate your unfriendly player problem... Testing the game in any manner that you guys have suggested would place a highly synthetic test environment in place... which would be counter productive to testing.

[Leo Balzac 190]

I was always of the opinion that test servers should be played the same as stable servers. Otherwise what is the point?

[drayson 158]

Even on high population servers if you are dying a lot, stop going to Electro, Berezino, NEAF. Rest of the map is largely ignored.

[hells high 676]

The team do their own testing on certain things. The whole point of an open beta is to see how the game performs and plays out in the wild, with real players.

[Nicko2580 398]

There has been 4 AU experimental servers for the last week. Get in there son!

Hmm okay sweet I'll have to check that out. 

Last time I looked all the experimental servers had 500ms+ ping so I assumed there were none in Australia.

[finnpalm 312]

The team do their own testing on certain things. The whole point of an open beta is to see how the game performs and plays out in the wild, with real players.

I see. Then I was mistaken. I thought we were supposed to do that part of the testing there. So the experimentals are basically a sneak preview for the players and a light stress test for the devs. :)

Unlike what some here assumes I'm not going to places like elektro et al, on the coast. I even said so in a previous post.

Anyway, back to playing on regular servers for me then. I don't need a sneak peek. :)

Mods, feel free to lock this thread now that that's been straightened out.

[Deathlove 2280]

I love the boonies and i found a UN helm so fare. There pretty freaking sweet.

 

It seems like food is harder to find but that could just be because theres only a handful of test servers. Also if you get damp and wet and all that crap you can catch a cold to.

[Meekalew 44]

I've been playing almost exclusively on the hardcore experimental servers; getting started was a lot harder than regular! The zombies are way stronger, and there seems to be a lot more of them! At one point, I was surrounded by six zombies just by walking into one small area! There's definitely a lot more "running for your life" when you start!