Forums » General Pantheon Discussion

Alpha/beta testing and wipes

    • 27 posts
    October 3, 2017 8:02 PM PDT

    Are we expecting to have several (possibly many) character wipes during pre-alpha, alpha, beta, etc.?

    Aside from potential technical reasons requiring or making a strong case for a wipe, will there be a wipe between the stages when more people are added to the testing? It seems that would allow testing of starter zone congestion, plus it is more fun for people coming in later to be on a level playing field. Might encourage people to try different classes too.

    Do you guys want to see wipes, or would you prefer to be able to keep your main characters throughout the entire testing period?

    • 1921 posts
    October 3, 2017 8:07 PM PDT

    There's always wipes during alpha, and sometimes during beta.  In most cases, during alpha, characters are created and deleted without any consideration because typically you're testing things like character creation/deletion.  In some MMO testing there are NPC's spawned in the world that you interact with to set your level and give you a set of gear, if combat testing is in-scope for that testing phase/day/week/session.

    Persistence is typically not a characteristic of alpha, in my experience.

    I hope they wipe everything at the end of Beta, before launch, but some companies have chosen not to, in recent years, and treat the last Beta phase as "Early Access".

    • 470 posts
    October 3, 2017 8:22 PM PDT

    vjek said:

    There's always wipes during alpha, and sometimes during beta.  In most cases, during alpha, characters are created and deleted without any consideration because typically you're testing things like character creation/deletion.  In some MMO testing there are NPC's spawned in the world that you interact with to set your level and give you a set of gear, if combat testing is in-scope for that testing phase/day/week/session.

    Persistence is typically not a characteristic of alpha, in my experience.

    I hope they wipe everything at the end of Beta, before launch, but some companies have chosen not to, in recent years, and treat the last Beta phase as "Early Access".

    These guys are old school so I'm fairly certain all will be wiped prior to launch day. In fact, I'm almost certain they've already confirmed that a couple of times somewhere. I'll post it later if I can find it. As for the standard beta and alpha tests, I'd anticipate a lot of wipes during alpha but less during beta. Unless something major changes in beta those will probably be a bit more rare until the next phase of beta (beta 1, beta 2, beta 3 ect.) rolls around. We don't know the length of each phase or how many they have planned just yet, but if I recall correctly there were maybe 4 closed beta phases in Vanguard.


    This post was edited by Kratuk at October 3, 2017 8:25 PM PDT
    • 1404 posts
    October 3, 2017 8:36 PM PDT

    Yup,

    Expecting LOTS of wipes, daily, at the least weekly. If they go more than a month without wiping I will be concerned. 

    Edit: I'm pretty sure they have stated there WILL be a full wipe at launch! (Names reservation for those that have it)


    This post was edited by Zorkon at October 3, 2017 8:39 PM PDT
    • 624 posts
    October 3, 2017 9:38 PM PDT

    For the record, there will be a wipe immediately prior to release =>

    You can keep your name, but not your character

    as was discussed two weeks ago (and many, many times before that).  I also suspect (don't know for certain) there will be numerous wipes along the way.  Don't plan on keeping any progress, the goal is testing - not early access.


    This post was edited by Kumu at October 3, 2017 9:55 PM PDT
    • 9115 posts
    October 4, 2017 1:46 AM PDT

    Kumu said:

    For the record, there will be a wipe immediately prior to release =>

    You can keep your name, but not your character

    as was discussed two weeks ago (and many, many times before that).  I also suspect (don't know for certain) there will be numerous wipes along the way.  Don't plan on keeping any progress, the goal is testing - not early access.

    Correct, I got wiped right before the stream! :D

    • 257 posts
    October 4, 2017 5:22 AM PDT

    Don't be too disapointed with the wipes. Vanguard was good about adding new features, classes, races, hell - new continents, in addition to major bug improvements during alpha. I was generally excited about those updates.

     

    • 542 posts
    October 4, 2017 5:28 AM PDT

    hmm it is always nice when people remember your name after a good wiping <3

    • 3852 posts
    October 4, 2017 8:12 AM PDT

    Glad to hear this confirmed yet again. When I was very young mother always told me to wipe and I've never forgotten that it is important.

    Since my favorite part of a game is creating and developing a new character I will enjoy alpha and beta without concern for the many murdered toonlings. Toonicide is the Way!

    • 1095 posts
    October 4, 2017 8:26 AM PDT

    I beat Bazgrim.

    This thread has more info.

    https://www.pantheonmmo.com/content/forums/topic/2444/last-beta-wipe

     

     

    • 633 posts
    October 4, 2017 9:06 AM PDT

    Kilsin said:

    Kumu said:

    For the record, there will be a wipe immediately prior to release =>

    You can keep your name, but not your character

    as was discussed two weeks ago (and many, many times before that).  I also suspect (don't know for certain) there will be numerous wipes along the way.  Don't plan on keeping any progress, the goal is testing - not early access.

    Correct, I got wiped right before the stream! :D

    You wiped during the stream too...  I saw you jump off that wall...

    • 470 posts
    October 4, 2017 10:15 AM PDT

    kelenin said:

    You wiped during the stream too...  I saw you jump off that wall...

    That's an MMORPG rule of law. If there is a high object and you're on it, by the online rules of MMO governance, you are required to jump. :p

    • 2886 posts
    October 4, 2017 10:21 AM PDT

    Zeem said:

    I beat Bazgrim.

    This thread has more info.

    https://www.pantheonmmo.com/content/forums/topic/2444/last-beta-wipe

    Lol nah I just let Kumu handle this one :P Kumu's link has a comment from Evo which has a link to that thread lol ;)

    • 27 posts
    October 4, 2017 3:11 PM PDT

    I think it was always obvious that there would be a wipe before launch at the end of beta testing, this thread is meant to be about how many wipes we expect to see throughout the various stages of testing.

    • 9115 posts
    October 4, 2017 4:16 PM PDT

    Kratuk said:

    kelenin said:

    You wiped during the stream too...  I saw you jump off that wall...

    That's an MMORPG rule of law. If there is a high object and you're on it, by the online rules of MMO governance, you are required to jump. :p

    See, Kratuk gets it! haha ;)

    • 1468 posts
    October 4, 2017 4:56 PM PDT

    Kilsin said:

    Kratuk said:

    kelenin said:

    You wiped during the stream too...  I saw you jump off that wall...

    That's an MMORPG rule of law. If there is a high object and you're on it, by the online rules of MMO governance, you are required to jump. :p

    See, Kratuk gets it! haha ;)

    Do a flip next time :D.

    • 9115 posts
    October 4, 2017 9:01 PM PDT

    Cromulent said:

    Kilsin said:

    Kratuk said:

    kelenin said:

    You wiped during the stream too...  I saw you jump off that wall...

    That's an MMORPG rule of law. If there is a high object and you're on it, by the online rules of MMO governance, you are required to jump. :p

    See, Kratuk gets it! haha ;)

    Do a flip next time :D.

    I wish I could! The best I can do is a 720 spin in one normal jump when I am on the ground (using WASD mind you), I can set my mouse to a high dpi and just helicopter off the next ledge for you guys! haha :D

    • 470 posts
    October 4, 2017 9:44 PM PDT

    Kilsin said:

    I wish I could! The best I can do is a 720 spin in one normal jump when I am on the ground (using WASD mind you), I can set my mouse to a high dpi and just helicopter off the next ledge for you guys! haha :D

    Just do what I do in those situations: Helicopter dive while using some colorful skill/spell. Gotta look good while you're spiraling to your death.

    • 624 posts
    October 4, 2017 9:53 PM PDT

    Way off topic now, however...

    Swirling sparkles are nice, but I suggest you stream a first person view while looking down all the way to the splat.  Better still, turn it into a VR (Rift, Vive, Google cardboard) experience.  Nothing like a few seconds of 3-D free fall to excite / terrify the fans.

    • 66 posts
    October 4, 2017 10:00 PM PDT

    I don't mind the wipes since it is testing.  I just hope they keep adding new features for character customization each time so that I can play around.  Please add lots of hair weaves/meshes/styles.  

    • 470 posts
    October 4, 2017 10:17 PM PDT

    Kumu said:

    Way off topic now, however...

    Swirling sparkles are nice, but I suggest you stream a first person view while looking down all the way to the splat.  Better still, turn it into a VR (Rift, Vive, Google cardboard) experience.  Nothing like a few seconds of 3-D free fall to excite / terrify the fans.

    Yeah, we know the gist of the answer but can't get specifics as even VR probably doesn't know exactly, so with what we have already out there it's just turned into jolly ol laughs at this point. Got to do something to keep it lively around here. :)

    (On topic a sec) As for the regularity of wipes, Alpha will probably have them a lot. Like a whole lot. lol But when we hit beta that will probably slow down quite a bit. They will still be there, but I expect there will be a given number of zones each phase of beta and they'll want those thoroughly tested to pound out any lingering issues with wipes only coming at the conclussion of testing or following any major changes or additions to the world during that specific phase of testing. I wouldn't be surprised to see beta phases that include the first 10-20 levels of content followed by the next few, and ending with max content or just short of it as it leads into open beta.


    This post was edited by Kratuk at October 4, 2017 10:18 PM PDT
    • 1281 posts
    October 5, 2017 4:14 PM PDT

    Are we going to have the option to be wiped, but keep the same character from alpha/beta into release so that we don't have to re-do all of the appearance and/or name stuff?

    • 66 posts
    October 6, 2017 12:55 AM PDT

    I don't know if we will be able to "save" our character design.  I know that FFXIV lets you.  It would be nice if VR allowed us to do the same.  But because it's Alpha & Beta, they may be adding new features during character creation.  So, it may not be a benefit until the end of Beta before launch.

    Personally, I kind of like all of the wipes.  I haven't decided on what type of race/class that I want to play.  So it would be fun.

    We do get to keep or name -- but I'm not sure if the name reservation is done in order of what pledge tier you are in.

    • 1404 posts
    October 6, 2017 8:52 AM PDT

    Just about anything concerning character creation, choice, configuration during alpha is purely speculation at this point.

    It's entirely possible they could choose your character for you for certain testing, they may want everybody in the human starting city for the weekend so at log in you have but one option. And the next week they may need us all to be Ogres or something else.

    We just need to keep in mind testing needs to be about what THEY need,  not about what we want.

    • 633 posts
    October 6, 2017 10:49 AM PDT

    Zorkon said:

    Just about anything concerning character creation, choice, configuration during alpha is purely speculation at this point.

    It's entirely possible they could choose your character for you for certain testing, they may want everybody in the human starting city for the weekend so at log in you have but one option. And the next week they may need us all to be Ogres or something else.

    We just need to keep in mind testing needs to be about what THEY need,  not about what we want.

    Man, them some needy developers....