Greetings, glorious adventurers! If you're joining in our Alpha One spot testing, please follow the steps here to see all the latest test info on our forums and Discord!

Siege Testing

akabearakabear Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
It has been a while since anyone has had hands on for any particular testing purpose.

Is there any chance that Siege "Testing" could be put for a short time to whet the appetite again, for no other reason than some fun?

Comments

  • tautautautau Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    Yes, it would be great fun. But if it delays release by one day, let's not do it.
  • Im sure you will get that once alpha 2 starts lol.
  • akabearakabear Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    tautau wrote: »
    Yes, it would be great fun. But if it delays release by one day, let's not do it.

    Ah, yes. I should have caveated the same
  • arsnnarsnn Member, Intrepid Pack, Alpha One
    edited August 2022
    For the may and june Stream QnA i asked about spot test.
    "Does intrepid consider a combat spot test before A2?"

    Vaknar´s answer was...
    "Yes! We certainly have considered this. It is something we would like to do before we release Alpha Two. We'll keep players informed as we progress further in development!"

    Later on i asked if he could share some specifics, but they were not ready to say anything yet.

    Generally i would expect to see several kind of spot test that focus on 1 system and also short period tests with the entire mmo feature scope that they are ready to show.


    tautau wrote: »
    Yes, it would be great fun. But if it delays release by one day, let's not do it.

    I find this perspective highly questionable.
    Imo not testing systems in spot tests before A2 would delay the release by huge margins.
    Intrepid needs to move forward and finally start honing some experiences before those can come together in this orchestra of complexity, which their current game design clearly is.
  • arsnn wrote: »
    tautau wrote: »
    Yes, it would be great fun. But if it delays release by one day, let's not do it.

    I find this perspective highly questionable.
    Imo not testing systems in spot tests before A2 would delay the release by huge margins.
    Intrepid needs to move forward and finally start honing some experiences before those can come together in this orchestra of complexity, which their current game design clearly is.

    Presumably there's more to opening up the test server than simply flicking a switch or pressing a button. I think what tautau was saying was that they'd rather the time and effort be put into the game's development, rather than rushing another testing stage before they're ready for us.
    This link may help you: https://ashesofcreation.wiki/
  • I would imagine spot testing a siege is also incumbent on all other main features being online and using up server space and calculation processes, to accurately represent the experience for a player.

    It's not the same to have an instanced siege, than one happening in the open world, concurrently with the entirety of the open world existing and running all systems at once.

    Spot testing instanced Sieges, whilst it could be useful for the more mechanical aspects of the siege, would ultimately incur a high opportunity cost for all the data left on the table, by choosing not to have it be active along with the rest of the game.
    Sig-ult-2.png
  • Asgerr wrote: »
    I would imagine spot testing a siege is also incumbent on all other main features being online and using up server space and calculation processes, to accurately represent the experience for a player.

    It's not the same to have an instanced siege, than one happening in the open world, concurrently with the entirety of the open world existing and running all systems at once.

    Spot testing instanced Sieges, whilst it could be useful for the more mechanical aspects of the siege, would ultimately incur a high opportunity cost for all the data left on the table, by choosing not to have it be active along with the rest of the game.

    Agreed. Nor do they really need to make sure that sieges are working properly prior to A2. So the benefit is questounable as best compared to the effort necessairy
  • bloodprophetbloodprophet Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Last thing they need is another Apocalypse fiasco.
    Just wait and do it properly so people that can't understand "testing phase" aren't running around like chicken little again.
    Most people never listen. They are just waiting on you to quit making noise so they can.
  • https://youtu.be/23GSdvV1dB0

    Check 1:08:50

    Steven says that not all features will be in the game by Alpha 2. This been generally known, especially regarding the accessible areas of the map, but the way he phrases it here regarding other “additional features” that will come online over the course of multiple updates makes me wonder how many systems and features will not be in A2 at the start after all.

    This could potentially bring A2 closer than some may have thought, and serve as a way for the team to “spot test” a handful of features at a time and get clusters of feedback in each system area rather than dumping everything on us at once and trying to organize feedback for every system at the same time.

    So, not exactly an answer to your question, but perhaps things are headed more or less in that direction?
  • @Sengarden

    I'd guess social orgs, naval content, stock trading being some of them as we really haven't heard anything at all about them yet
  • I think people are missing the point, they will do spot testing before and I'm sure invite people to make sure things are working fine. Which would also be a indication alpha 2 is closer to begin started.

    But simply turning it on for fun is the main note people would disagree with. If they are doing testing its for a purpose not so people can just jump on a game in development and mess around as they have more important things to worry about.
  • Warth wrote: »
    @Sengarden

    I'd guess social orgs, naval content, stock trading being some of them as we really haven't heard anything at all about them yet

    Yeah, naval content being pushed back a bit was the first one that popped into my head. Those others are likely as well. Considering they’ve been pretty silent on the higher node development stages, I could potentially see them pushing those back as well. It could theoretically serve as a way to artificially give players more time with each tier of the other systems in the game, one step at a time, by preventing them from deep diving into everything too quickly for the devs to keep up with all the feedback.
  • WarthWarth Member
    edited August 2022
    Sengarden wrote: »
    Warth wrote: »
    @Sengarden

    I'd guess social orgs, naval content, stock trading being some of them as we really haven't heard anything at all about them yet

    Yeah, naval content being pushed back a bit was the first one that popped into my head. Those others are likely as well. Considering they’ve been pretty silent on the higher node development stages, I could potentially see them pushing those back as well. It could theoretically serve as a way to artificially give players more time with each tier of the other systems in the game, one step at a time, by preventing them from deep diving into everything too quickly for the devs to keep up with all the feedback.

    I mean, its not even certain that we'll see the city/metro stage at all during A2 or maybe just a few adjusted ones for spot testing
    Considering, that they want to keep the Max Level at 35 and those stages unlocking higher level content.
  • it's worth noting that actual people-resources would need to be allocated for this testing. And I wouldn't be surprised if there is a certain level of "finish" they are working towards before they initiate these spot tests. Lets be honest sieges were pretty bare in A1 compared to our expectations for the finished product, so there is a good bit more to expect. Plus while they did end up improving the latency a good bit, we know that since A1 they actually already made improvements to performance.

    I am sure that similar to A1, they will have some closed tests for sieges which will then prepare them when they open up more for the A2 release.
  • DygzDygz Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    edited August 2022
    Asgerr wrote: »
    I would imagine spot testing a siege is also incumbent on all other main features being online and using up server space and calculation processes, to accurately represent the experience for a player.

    It's not the same to have an instanced siege, than one happening in the open world, concurrently with the entirety of the open world existing and running all systems at once.

    Spot testing instanced Sieges, whilst it could be useful for the more mechanical aspects of the siege, would ultimately incur a high opportunity cost for all the data left on the table, by choosing not to have it be active along with the rest of the game.
    Spot testing Sieges would indicate there is some major issue(s) the devs need to contend with prior to opening Alpha 2. Also would indicate a significant delay - how many weeks for spot testing before Alpha 2?
    And it's just Sieges, rather than an Alpha 2 Preview of the entire Alpha 2, similar to the Alpha 1 preview?

    If we're doing Siege spot testing, Alpha 2 most likely cannot happen before 2024.
  • DygzDygz Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Last thing they need is another Apocalypse fiasco.
    Just wait and do it properly so people that can't understand "testing phase" aren't running around like chicken little again.
    Apocalypse was not a fiasco, but... yes.
    I think Apocalypse was Sep 2019 and Alpha 1 was Jul 2021?
  • bloodprophetbloodprophet Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Dygz wrote: »
    Last thing they need is another Apocalypse fiasco.
    Just wait and do it properly so people that can't understand "testing phase" aren't running around like chicken little again.
    Apocalypse was not a fiasco, but... yes.
    I think Apocalypse was Sep 2019 and Alpha 1 was Jul 2021?

    For those of us able to understand "testing phase" it was not.
    Check YouTube and look at the videos from that time and all the negative threads claiming bait and switch, this is the stuff I would like to see them avoid as they don't need the s kind of hassle. Intrepid has better things to do.
    Most people never listen. They are just waiting on you to quit making noise so they can.
  • bloodprophetbloodprophet Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Any spot testing going on between last alpha and alpha2 will be under NDA most likely. Meaning they could be testing this weekend and only those involved would know about it.
    Most people never listen. They are just waiting on you to quit making noise so they can.
  • Any spot testing going on between last alpha and alpha2 will be under NDA most likely. Meaning they could be testing this weekend and only those involved would know about it.

    Relatively speaking, you don't need that many people to test sieges. Again, relatively speaking (as opposed to a full server for A2) so yeah that's a great point to make. This could easily be going on all the time with dev friends and family or something.
  • Warth wrote: »
    I mean, its not even certain that we'll see the city/metro stage at all during A2 or maybe just a few adjusted ones for spot testing
    Considering, that they want to keep the Max Level at 35 and those stages unlocking higher level content.

    Oh yeah, I remember hearing this recently too. Was that also in the same livestream? Did he say they'd be keeping the cap at 35 for the entire A2 until Beta?
  • DygzDygz Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    edited August 2022
    For those of us able to understand "testing phase" it was not.
    Check YouTube and look at the videos from that time and all the negative threads claiming bait and switch, this is the stuff I would like to see them avoid as they don't need the s kind of hassle. Intrepid has better things to do.
    Some people were concerned that Ashes would turn into just Apocalypse/Battle Royale.
    Can't please all of the people all of the time.
    That's not a fiasco. Haters gonna hate.
  • DygzDygz Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    edited August 2022
    Any spot testing going on between last alpha and alpha2 will be under NDA most likely. Meaning they could be testing this weekend and only those involved would know about it.
    No. There could be Phoenix Initiative testing that we don't know about.
    But, anyone who had access to Alpha One (and also has access to Alpha Two) would know that spot testing for Alpha 2 is happening. The NDA might prevent us from sharing images. Might prevent us from sharing details.
    But, we would all know that it's occurring.
    In the context of the OP.
  • bloodprophetbloodprophet Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Dygz wrote: »
    Any spot testing going on between last alpha and alpha2 will be under NDA most likely. Meaning they could be testing this weekend and only those involved would know about it.
    No. There could be Phoenix Initiative testing that we don't know about.
    But, anyone who had access to Alpha One (and also has access to Alpha Two) would know that spot testing for Alpha 2 is happening. The NDA might prevent us from sharing images. Might prevent us from sharing details.
    But, we would all know that it's occurring.
    In the context of the OP.

    I find it interesting that people think they would know if testing was going on if they weren't invited to it.
    If there is testing and it is under an NDA.
    If the testers and any integrity and adheared to the NDA.
    Those not invited would in theory have no way of knowing the testing is going on. Unless someone broke the NDA and talked when asked not to.

    Or do you believe Intrepid will personally contact people to tell them testing is going on and they were left out.
    Most people never listen. They are just waiting on you to quit making noise so they can.
  • DygzDygz Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    edited August 2022
    Your theory is flawed.

    For Ashes of Creation
    Again...Phoenix Initiative could be doing spot testing that we don't know about. Yes.

    People who had Alpha One access and also have Alpha Two spot testing would know about Siege spot testing for Alpha Two. Just as we did for Alpha 0 Testing and Apocalypse Testing.
    Yes. We would all be told that the testing is occurring but it hasn't been opened for everyone in the potential pool, yet.
    We can expect IS to be that transparent - especially if they are allocating resources to support spot testing of Alpha Two features outside of Phoenix Initiative. And, all of that would still be under NDA.
    Just as Alpha 0 was under NDA. And Apocalypse was under NDA. And Alpha 1 Preview was under NDA.
  • SongRuneSongRune Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    edited August 2022
    As an Alpha 1 tester: The last NDA I was bound by was the one during Alpha 1 spot testing that Steven released us from. The "Alpha 1" group has not seen any testing or any announcements related to future testing that haven't been shared with the general public since the same Alpha 1 testing you're already aware of. In this case, no news does in fact mean no news. Any ongoing testing is on a smaller, more limited scale that us Alpha 1 testers have not been informed about or invited to. (And I can say all of this because... I'm not bound by any current NDA.)

    It's worth noting that Steven talked a lot about Alpha 1 testing, even while it was under NDA. It's a great way to get more people to sign up for those expensive Alpha 1 keys, if you want to think about it like that.

    Conspiracy theories are nice and all, but since I am able to answer, I figured I could just clear things up.
Sign In or Register to comment.