INCGamers Interview - PlanetSide Universe

Looks like we missed this one yesterday! Matt Higby sat down with IncGamers.com for an interview about PlanetSide 2.

IncGamers: What about an open beta? When will you be ready for that?

Higby: Same thing, really. We’re waiting until we’re far enough along to allow us to use a beta to just test server load and that kind of thing. We have enough people at the company right now to do internal testing with 50 vs. 50 vs. 50 battles. We’re still a ways off from a beta.

Check out the entire interview here and thanks to nathanebht for the tip.

31 comments

2011-09-20 10:25 AM

Source: INCGamers

Latest Comments

2011-09-20 10:14 PM

Crator

Re: INCGamers Interview

Higby said they are currently using bots for testing.

2011-09-20 10:46 PM

Slepnair

Re: INCGamers Interview

Originally Posted by Crator

Higby said they are currently using bots for testing.

i believe he said they used bots to flood the server for internal stress testing.

2011-09-21 12:26 AM

Graywolves

Re: INCGamers Interview

Unless it's all bottlenecked into 50/50/50 engagements, I don't think that testing balance with their resources will suffice.

2011-09-21 12:37 AM

Minigun

Re: INCGamers Interview

Originally Posted by Hamma

Also I'd like to note that if something like that was sent to me, I would forward it back to SOE and not post it here. Not willing to jeopardize the community relationship with SOE over one leaked photo/video.

*as he forwards it back to soe he saves it to his harddrive and sets it on infinite replay as he drools*

Lucky bastard

2011-09-21 01:19 AM

Legion

Re: INCGamers Interview

Originally Posted by Graywolves

Unless it's all bottlenecked into 50/50/50 engagements, I don't think that testing balance with their resources will suffice.

I remember that the Planetside Beta ran very well and then when the game went retail it ran terribly because the server loads were much higher. I hope they are cognizant of that when they do stress testing and beta testing now.

2011-09-21 10:42 AM

FIREk

Re: INCGamers Interview

Originally Posted by Graywolves

Unless it's all bottlenecked into 50/50/50 engagements, I don't think that testing balance with their resources will suffice.

In all honesty, if you've got, very optimistically, 1000 players per side, spread out across a big map with lots of contestable real estate, a 50vs50vs50 battle will likely be considered a big one in the full game.
Even assuming only two empires per battle (which is typical), that's only enough population for thirty (30) 50v50 battles. And I can't stress enough that there will be a lot of contestable territory, spreading out the population a whole lot.

In terms of weapon/class/vehicle/mechanic balance, 50vs50vs50 seems like more than enough, especially if they mix it up and also do 70vs70 battles.

The real problem is that devs are naturally blinded to many flaws and imbalances in game systems, because they've been playing them from scratch. They will intuitively use cookie-cutter tactics they've learned as the game was developing. As a result, they may ignore those that a fresh beta player might try out, only to find that they're broken.

Bottom line is, they can easily get enough statistical data from playtesting with 150 players, but nothing beats a proper alpha/beta/focus test with fresh, or relatively fresh, people.

2011-09-21 11:45 AM

IceyCold

Re: INCGamers Interview

I thought it sounded about normal, the OPEN beta will be for stress testing.

So Closed beta is still going to be balance focused most likely.

2011-09-21 11:48 AM

NapalmEnima

Re: INCGamers Interview

Originally Posted by FIREk

The real problem is that devs are naturally blinded to many flaws and imbalances in game systems, because they've been playing them from scratch. They will intuitively use cookie-cutter tactics they've learned as the game was developing. As a result, they may ignore those that a fresh beta player might try out, only to find that they're broken.

That's pretty common in software development in general. The occasional fresh pair of eyes is invaluable.

And if you can come up with a couple thousand fresh pairs of eyes? Yeah, that's helpful too.

2011-09-21 03:40 PM

Hamma

Re: INCGamers Interview

Bots are really just until the game is ready for us to beta it.

2011-09-21 03:46 PM

basti

Re: INCGamers Interview

Originally Posted by Hamma

Bots are really just until the game is ready for us to beta it.

Hope that day comes soon, im bored as fuck.

2011-09-21 05:04 PM

Talek Krell

Re: INCGamers Interview

I look forward to the day where I don't have to make arguments based 50% on conjecture and dev hinting.

2011-09-22 09:24 AM

Shogun

Re: INCGamers Interview

just hope they do a real developement beta and not just a "check for last problems at last minute before release" kind of beta, that seems to be common nowadays. the last 3 betas i took part in were the bad kind.

and all of those games went into the shelfs, not being ready for release. buggy as hell.
please soe, do a decent beta and if beta shows off problems, show some nuts and delay release until it is really ready, doing some more beta testing until it really works.

ok, since the game is free to play, it is not that of a big problem, to release and use the customers as after-release-beta-testers. but if the game has a box price, this is a nogo, and just think of all the bad press that a bugged release gets.

2011-09-22 09:33 AM

2coolforu

Re: INCGamers Interview

Even if it is F2P they should never release it bugged, a delayed release can give you more publicity whereas a bugged up release can kill a game and leave a bad taste in the mouth. There are very few games that were released in broken states and went on to be critical successes because the bad taste from a buggy start just hangs around the game and puts people off.

2011-09-22 10:38 AM

Heaven

Re: INCGamers Interview

[QUOTE=basti;593593]Hope that day comes soon, im bored as fuck. :]

Ill second that

2011-09-25 05:26 PM

Mirror

Re: INCGamers Interview

[quote=Heaven;593797]

Originally Posted by basti

Hope that day comes soon, im bored as fuck. :]

Ill second that

TF2 only keeps me going for so long, soon enough Im gonna have to go outside for enterainment