Beta test underwhelming

[SoftFootpaws.9134]

Before I start, let me say this isn't about the new subclasses, I find them quite interesting and well implemented.

 

The problem is how the beta itself is hosted. In particular, that every time you log out your characters' builds get completely reset, which is fair, but the default build loadouts are just awful, and don't really allow any proper playtesting of the class without setting up your build again every time.

 

On top of this, the build options are very limited even if you open all the demo boxes. Many options simply aren't available, so players without full Legendary gear miss out on being able to test out almost everything that isn't a very basic Core-inspired build that the demo boxes were meant to support since they were clearly implemented in the game way back in HoT beta (or earlier).

 

1. Why are players not just equipped with full Legendary, or otherwise stat-selectable gear by default, when its a throwaway character? This is especially confusing as there's stat-selectable gear in the boxes, but not equipped by the character by default.

2. Why do players not have access to stat-select runes or sigils during the test, as well?

3. Why are the default builds so dated and legacy, with just the new subclasses seemingly shoehorned into the trait lines?

+ This could've been a chance to promote Legendary armory to new players.

 

Trying to play with this in PvE/WvW it felt like I was loading into sPvP in 2014.

 

I had alot of hype for this beta test but that died quickly after I realised how much time I'd have to spend tinkering around with the characters to not even have the build options I need, only to have to redo it all every single time you restart the servers for the patches, or if I logged off or switched characters by any other means. It also makes it a poor best test since all you're really able to check as a result is if skills work properly and stuff, very little about min/maxing, proper rotations, variations between power and condi, and so on.

 

Most players can't even take the new subclasses into Fractals due to how hard it is to get Agony Resistance on them.

 

Please reconsider the current system when doing the 2nd beta test next month.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Hannelore.8153

[yoni.7015]

1 hour ago, Hannelore.8153 said:

 

 

1. Why are players not just equipped with full Legendary, or otherwise stat-selectable gear by default, when its a throwaway character? This is especially confusing as there's stat-selectable gear in the boxes, but not equipped by the character by default.

 

My beta characters have access to my legendary gear. 

[George.9745]

4 hours ago, yoni.7015 said:

My beta characters have access to my legendary gear. 

How can you miss the point so badly? I don't get it.

[Dante.1763]

4 hours ago, yoni.7015 said:

My beta characters have access to my legendary gear. 

And for those who lack armor/weapons/sigils they have no way to test out most of the builds.

 

Only legendary gear i have for now are weapons(alot), but they dont make up more than a small pittance in stats.

 

Having stat selectable and swappable gear auto equipped on BETA characters would only help anet collect more data.

[Glaciate.3901]

If any devs see this, can you make the builds and equipment changes on the beta characters save even if we log out. I lost my builds and all my equipment I put on them. I’m not talking about rewards or anything of that sort.

[Zok.4956]

6 hours ago, Hannelore.8153 said:

In particular, that every time you log out your characters' builds get completely reset, which is fair, but the default build loadouts are just awful, and don't really allow any proper playtesting of the class without setting up your build again every time.

 

Yes, that reset was/is bad. 

 

Are you sure your beta-characters reset every time you log out? My beta-characters did also reset (inventory, gear, armory, traits, bank) but when I logged in again into my account today it was already after the daily reset. They were still unchanged at the character select screen but after Lions Arch loaded and the "new character visits Lions Arch for the first time" animation/video showed, they were reset.

 

[IndigoSundown.5419]

Originally, the beta characters I created were able to waypoint anywhere in the game.  After the patch, the only waypoint available was the Eye of the North.  I even had to unlock the waypoint in Lions Arch closest to where the character rezzed in. Even the starter waypoints that every new character gets were grayed out.

 

If this is by design, it pretty much kills any interest I had in the beta characters.  I don't have the time to run through however many zones it would take to get to where there is anything resembling mobs worth testing a build against.

[Omega.6801]

Just logged in on one of my beta characters and it was reset again. This seems to be intentional so I won't be participating in this beta. Screw this.

[kharmin.7683]

16 minutes ago, lokh.2695 said:

Just logged in on one of my beta characters and it was reset again. This seems to be intentional so I won't be participating in this beta. Screw this.

Yeah, I didn't have a lot of time to dedicate to trying out the beta builds last night and hoped to do some of that today.  Finding out that everything I prepared last night had been reset was ... disappointing.  I'm not going to set up the character(s) each and every time I log in to test them.

[Zalavaaris.5329]

As someone with legendary gear, they NEED to make beta gear ascended stat swappable. You should have access to all runes, sigils, stats, etc. Etc.

[Khisanth.2948]

4 hours ago, Dante.1763 said:

Having stat selectable and swappable gear auto equipped on BETA characters would only help anet collect more data.

"Beta" testing for games hasn't been about testing for a long time. It is just a marketing thing.

[Fuchslein.8639]

That's why I deleted my beta-char after 10min and the beta-event was over for me. I had hoped for more, but not expected much more after knowing anet.

I couldn't even begin to play what I wanted, which is why the new Mesmer class looked great, but didn't play the way I love Mesmer. Therefore~, wait and see what happens.

 

Anet generally has a thing for giving out weird statcombos in the game. Instead of just allowing all statcombos everywhere.

[Dante.1763]

1 minute ago, Khisanth.2948 said:

"Beta" testing for games hasn't been about testing for a long time. It is just a marketing thing.

That is saddly true.

The last real betas ive dkne, with games still around, they give you everything. Not just the bare minimum...everything, because they want things actually tested.

 

[HnRkLnXqZ.1870]

Looking at the professions right now and their performance, I honestly doubt this beta is only about the three new elite specializations. There is a lot of new stuff that was not in the game before. I guess the upcoming six professions and a lot of the NPCs require the raw data we are currently collecting to make them stable. We have received three very different classes, which cover a lot. 

 

We could collect the some of the data without any gear, but no one would play that. They gave us the basic stats, runes & sigils, so analyzing the data does not take ages. My personal guess is that they ignore most of the data the Legendary Owners create at first, because it does not fit into the grid. The other discussions about adding Infusions and proper food just make the system more and more complex in a way too early state.

 

But that is just a guess ^^

[Infusion.7149]

32 minutes ago, Zalavaaris.5329 said:

As someone with legendary gear, they NEED to make beta gear ascended stat swappable. You should have access to all runes, sigils, stats, etc. Etc.

For me the obstacle was the weapons (legendary back/trinkets/amulet/armor) and runes for conditions (undead rune and scavenger are not that suitable). It's okay on willbender / virtuoso since more people have greatsword, sword, and daggers. Pistol is rarer.

 

As a stopgap you can open the loot boxes to get weapons and armor.

 

If I recall correctly there was sigil of force , sigil of night (sub for impact), sigil of bursting and sigil of earth. No tormenting rune as far as I am aware.

 

PvP is far more suitable for testing with the amulet system.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Infusion.7149

[Khisanth.2948]

1 hour ago, kharmin.7683 said:

Yeah, I didn't have a lot of time to dedicate to trying out the beta builds last night and hoped to do some of that today.  Finding out that everything I prepared last night had been reset was ... disappointing.  I'm not going to set up the character(s) each and every time I log in to test them.

There was a bug that should be fixed now https://twitter.com/GuildWars2/status/1427784212220768257

 

[kharmin.7683]

Thanks, Khisanth.  I don't follow Twitter.  I'll test that out.

 

(EDIT: test out the character load thing.  Not the Twitter thing.  I stay away from there!)

 

((EDIT AGAIN:  Yup, seems fixed for me now.  Thanks again!))

Edited August 18, 2021 by kharmin.7683
Clarity

[Chichimec.9364]

9 hours ago, Khisanth.2948 said:

There was a bug that should be fixed now https://twitter.com/GuildWars2/status/1427784212220768257

 

Thanks for the info. I spent a lot of time yesterday customizing those three alts, just to log in today and find all of that work gone. Was going to give up on the Beta in disgust as redoing those alts every time I log in is too much bother. Just resetting all the WvW skills is a pain, let alone having to redo everything else too. If it was just a bug that was fixed though, I'll give the Beta another try.

[Linken.6345]

Dont people have plenty of living world season 3,4 and ibs currencys to gear up any character they want?

 

and usualy you have tomes to move around easy aswell, atleast you should have by jut playing the game.

[kharmin.7683]

Tomes won't take characters to HoT or PoF or anywhere in core Tyria.

[Antioche.7034]

Completly agreed with the OP. How can you do a beta and not give access to basic stuff such as Accuracy and Impact sigils which are used in 50% of the PvE builds ? 

Do you realize how hard it is to get those on ascended weapons if you didn't had them in bank ? 

 

The only way I currently found for myself (As I don't have Karka thingies in bank nor Orichalcum/Iron ingots to craft the mystic thingy with the Accuracy sigil on by default) is to recycle all the sigils of all the bêta characters and throw them into the mystic forge for the random upper sigil, which can simply take you HOURS straight just to get a normal sigil. 

 

It's just mindblowing to me that this hasn't been fixed already. They even fixed the only bug which allowed you to get those sigils easely by resetting the bank. 

 

TL;DR : All Legendary stuff + Runes and Sigils should be given on bêta tests.

Edited August 19, 2021 by Antioche.7034

[Tinnel.4369]

Players: please start beta testing things instead of using us as free beta testers on live content.

 

ANet: delivers a beta test.

 

Players: 😱😰😧😫.

 

Is it imperfect and buggy? Yup.

 

Is it beta? YUP!

[alcopaul.2156]

BETA TESTING : CLANDESTINE eDITION

 

Aim: Sampling the Chance of Getting a Precursor using Pearl Weapons..

 

1.) Create Characters.

2.) Throw Weapons on the Mystic Forge

3.) Calculate with some epic formula to derive the formula..

4.) Go to 1.) After Deleting Characters..

Edited August 19, 2021 by alcopaul.2156

[frareanselm.1925]

On 8/18/2021 at 6:25 AM, yoni.7015 said:

My beta characters have access to my legendary gear. 

What will happen when the beta finish and you forget legendary gear on a toon that will be deleted? 

[Mungrul.9358]

6 minutes ago, frareanselm.1925 said:

What will happen when the beta finish and you forget legendary gear on a toon that will be deleted? 

Ah, I take it you don't have any Legendaries then?

The way the Armory works is that Legendaries are no longer inventory items that sit in your bags.

Rather, they act like wardrobe items, except for equipment.

So deleting a character doesn't delete the Legendaries you've unlocked.