Player Test Server for upcoming Odyssey patch/update rollercoaster

[crossxfire007]

I believe we should have a dedicated Player Test Server for Odyssey, where the upcoming updates, patches and fixes are tested before being unleashed into the main Odyssey game, which we play.

As you are aware, Elite is a game with many mechanisms like BGS, powerplay, Fleet carriers, and now first person content locked in a delicate dance. Usually it takes months for the game to settle from one update, and for devs to fix things the update broke, like fleet carriers update and the September update last year.

Last week's rapid fire round of fixes and patches, while very welcome, also broke many things (I'm now sitting at 0 powerplay merits, very depressing). I'm not sure the game and players can handle the upcoming roadmap, and the experimental updates, patches and fixes that are sure to come in the following months.

Create a Player Test Server to test out the patches, and even upcoming feature updates to odyssey, ensure that it is stable, before releasing it to the main game. I'm sure a lot of players will help you guys test it, including myself, when we have time. Let the main game be something stable and predictable, so we can log into it and play to unwind when we need to.

 

[Northpin]

This might be unrealistically given the infrastructure ED runs on.
Not to mention that the infrastructure costs money and ED is a game where some people pay a one time fee of €5 to €25, then play for years...

 

[Factabulous]

Alphas and Betas never stop bugs getting out, not sure how a test server would. More likely ppl would just keep rejecting builds and we'd never see an update. BGS and powerplay (two things you specifically mention) are notoriously difficult to test in anything other than production.

 

[crossxfire007]

Alphas and Betas never stop bugs getting out, not sure how a test server would. More likely ppl would just keep rejecting builds and we'd never see an update. BGS and powerplay (two things you specifically mention) are notoriously difficult to test in anything other than production.

You make a good point. But, players wouldn't actually be able to reject builds. Just give feedback. And it probably wouldn't be possible to test everything, but the major issues would get caught, like Anarchy systems disappearing, tritium disappearing, powerplay merits disappearing, being unable to disembark from the ship etc.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

, like Anarchy systems disappearing

This specific one would never be picked up in a test server - it's a consequence of mass player actions not specifically directed at BGS influence. 3.3 had an extensive Beta and hardly any of the major BGS issues that released with were picked up, because the player action patterns were far too small and unrealistic.

being unable to disembark from the ship etc.

Being unable to disembark from the ship in various contexts was picked up repeatedly in the existing Alpha and confirmed as a bug. It's presumably not one they had time to fix before release, though...