Officially Unofficial Weekly Discussion #27: Working Title (Discussion about the public test server)

[SeraphimKensai]

Welcome back once again folks and thanks for continuing to participate in these.

 

I figured with the recent launch of Page 6, this seemed like a good time to discuss the Brainstorm test server. It's gone by a number of different names (remember Pineapple?)  but it's been around to help stress test new development and also give you a chance to test out some new builds for little to no time/influence investment.

 

Do you utilize the public test server? Why or why not? If so, what do you test on it if anything? Proposed changes that have made it to public testing? New AT/Powerset Combos? Builds that you're still trying to tweak more out of or not quite sure about committing to spending several hundred million influence? Or maybe just to shoot the shit with some friends and try content with a completely random toon, or pvp?

 

I mainly use it now to test out some new changes and powerset interactions when I'm theory crafting new toons. In the old days prior to the original sunset, we had a pretty decent pvp league with official support which seemed like a great use for the old test server, you might remember the old golden titles in players that won events there.

 

as always thanks.

[High_Beam]

I use the test server two ways.

 

The first is to test what the Devs have put out and want feedback from.  I tend to sway more towards testing the impact of changes to existing powers and such rather than new powers because I am just not that focused.  I try to give feedback and/or at least make things known that might not have been thought about.  I will test new power sets in time but often its after they are released on live and the super attentive testers have spoken.

 

Second is that I use it to test builds or respec before deploying them on live.  While the numbers are close enough between Mids and live actual play can show me weather its a good idea or bad idea because actual play synergy matters.  Also it lets me figure out if the advanced Set IO build action is also good (i.e. I thought that proc was a good idea but it sucks) before I spend money I don't need to spend.

 

It's a very useful tool as a player for certain and I thank the Devs for it being a thing I can use without special permission.

[Greycat]

I use the test server occasionally.

 

Sometimes for whatever's on public test before it's implemented, though other than an occasional look through at something I'm rather of the feeling that once it gets there, it's going live regardless of what's said.

 

Otherwise, I'll hop on to double check something on a powerset or power, either for my own curiosity or to answer a question.

[lemming]

Uses:

1) Testing changes to a character for respecs and seeing what slotting seems to work best for me

2) Beta changes

[UltraAlt]

9 hours ago, SeraphimKensai said:

 

Do you utilize the public test server?

 

Yes, when the DEVs call for testing.

 

9 hours ago, SeraphimKensai said:

Why or why not?

 

Because the DEVs ask and I like to support what they do.

 

9 hours ago, SeraphimKensai said:

If so, what do you test on it if anything?

 

Mainly, I test new powers, but I don't constrain myself to only new powers.

 

 

[DougGraves]

I do not use the test server

[Snarky]

We have a test server?  I test on live.  

[Seed22]

I use it to play the new powersets. Sometimes I give feedback if a power is particularly bad, most times I note typos and see if someone else has already tagged 'em.

[AboveTheChemist]

I use Brainstorm extensively, for many different reasons.

 

I do most of my mod- and wiki-related data gathering there, due to various beta commands (via the freebies menu) and other testing-related freebies that are enabled there, and because new badge/emote/recipe/enhancement data is most reliably available there. I've got several characters set up specifically to make gathering new badge data as efficient as possible, and I've also got a few characters set up to test and collect vidiotmap data efficiently. That way I can be ready with new mod/wiki updates as soon as a new page goes live.

 

Sometimes folks will pose interesting questions on the forums (or, less often, discord) that I don't know the answer to, but that I can devise a simple testing scenario for on Brainstorm. So I'll pop on Brainstorm, gather some data, and try to at least partially answer their question.

 

I do also test new content for each page. I focus mostly on non-powers related tests, because I detest getting into the weeds on powers. That still leaves a lot of stuff (story arcs, badges, emotes, recipes/enhancements, commands, etc.) to be tested, so I try to test as much as I can. I never end up testing as much as I like, because wiki/mod data collection takes up some of that time.

 

Overall, Brainstorm is an extremely valuable resource that I utilize often. I am grateful for its presence because the tools it provides make my life much easier.

 

And for those Brainstorm users that might not know, I have a simple travel/amenities hub set up there that you are welcome to use. The passcode is PPOC-5.

[DoctorDitko]

It's a good place to check out strange builds, some of which are surprising as well as absurd.