i have a feeling this PTR is going to be slammed. can we download it overnight a few days prior to reduce the wait times ?
My guess would be an hour before launch if we’re lucky. Keep an eye on the bnet launcher though and hit the drop down for the version you want to play every now and then. See if it gets updated.
The client is 90 GB + v1.4.0 patch. It should allow pre download as per D3 PTR in the past.
i hope so
2020202020
Nothing yet! Almost done.
Very powerful, very strong. Live! Live!
No pain and promise I keep!
I sure hope so because a patch this big needs lots of testing data.
However, I’m not that optimistic. For such a big patch with so many community requests finally being fulfilled, there’s relatively little discourse across the various sites.
I keep checking the drop down to see if PTR option shows. Not sure if a launcher update will be needed.
start to check it maybe from the 1st april not earlier
I would guess on April 2nd, oh… just realised we can’t use “auto update” as we don’t have the PTR yet… ah well, forum will tell me when.
Is April 1st a holiday in the US? Here in Sweden it is, last day of Easter.
No one knows because it’s almost season four and they have yet to run a single PTR. WTF is wrong with these people? Are these the janitors and security guards that were left after the talented people left Blizzard?
uhhh its the 2nd and cant select PTR to download yet…
The statements in this discussion perked my interest because I could not download the PTR supported game before the first day’s testing was to start.
The concerns about PTR preparation seemed to be appropriate!
It seems like the process needs help.
It seemed to me like being a PTR volunteer as a PTR contributor was the right thing to do for a game that I have played with friends for many years and has turned into a game that I spend a lot more time on in game objects management then playing the game and having fun!
My guess is twice as much time on inventory manage versus game play before Season 3.
However, a PTR volunteer for D4 is turning out to be very time consuming and I started a journal to be able to summarize my feedback into the categories the DEVs are looking for on the forum.
I had hoped to be ready on start day for my friends by having the download installed before the first day of testing by checking when the download options would be available. I couldn’t find any information to that end.
One of my friends on a PlayStation system was able to download a day before April 2.
So, I begun doing all the things that were suggested by the Blizzard Support article using two different machines as controls, updating drivers, windows 11, uninstalling and reinstalling D4.
4/2/24
I was offered the opportunity to Install the PTR in the morning of the first day about 8AM EST.
When I tried to downloaded the PTR, it was a 95GB file to my 1TB SDD drive. That is a game size download not a patch size! I was 10GB short.
I only put the games that need the SSD on the SSD! I’m going to have to rebalance what is on and OFF the SSD and also making sure to set aside enough for the Windows SSD Virtual memory because of the D4 memory management issues that cause (crashes of D4 and other key apps running at the same time as I play games (another project).
Oh well, this is just a test game so I downloaded the PTR to the HDD. I hope that doesn’t cause any issues I haven’t thought of! I was running the game there before I moved it to the SSD
At this time one of my friends just told me he is trying to connect and is getting 34202 errors on a PlayStation. I couldn’t find any reliable test procedures for the two US server network locations given in the Blizzard Forums.
If the servers are being protected from Service Denial Threat by not allowing “public” end-to-end testing on a “public network” then I would think the Blizzard’s error code would generate a trouble ticket message automatically to Blizzard network support and give a copy to the PTR gaming volunteer in e-mail with the network fault, location, identity (on an as needed to know basis) based on our need for resolution by the party’s responsible in this relationship (Blizzard or Gamer) for the identified faulted network segment (Blizzard LAN Network, Blizzard ISP Provider, Blizzard WAN Provider, Gamer ISP Provider, Gaming Network owner, etc. as examples), to help us all keep the “public” network quality we are “all” paying for and using as the network services from (as Blizzard and the Gamers).
I’s now a full business day and I checked my friends progress and he gave up and may still test if the error codes go away. He did create a Blizzard Ticket. He is very disappointed he can’t contribute!
4/3/24
I have struggled to day to insure the original D4 install location had no files left behind after I moved the game to the SDD from the HDD
I then installed the PTR download (I do not know if the Blizzard move process cleaned up the registry properly, with “Use a Different Folder” choice) .
When I got to the Finalize step in setup there was no “Skip Campaign” button on the Gameplay Options Drop down and a popup about text in the upper right corner of the screen concerned me, but I did not write the statement down.
I started the game and couldn’t skip the campaign!
I left the PTR game and deleted my character, then tried again. No text message popup box this time and couldn’t skip campaign.
Ran a scan and repair and still couldn’t skip the campaign.
Spent a lot of searching for fixes and/or workarounds. No Luck.
I latter went online and could not find any workarounds like startup file edits or anything else I might have missed. No success.
Uninstalled and reinstalled the PTR download.
I was thinking about deleting the PTR download from the HDD because I have done everything I can do.
I found on the forums dated Apr 2 that on a PTR there are 8 know quests to complete first. (Campaign Skip in PTR - Updated)
I was planning on testing the that next. it was 8PM EST my time, done for the day. Linked this discussion to the PTR feedback for future use and any interest.
Before I went to bed I tied to generate a new character again and the Skip Campaign button appeared on the Gameplay Options drop down when I tried to generate a character!
clicked Skip Campaign, selected Veteran World Tier Two and pressed start button.
Some surprises: no 10 skill points, NPC level 1, Horse at level 25
NPC at Kyovashad waypoint North side gives a PTR 100 boost on left click.
At the World Teir Statue and NPC redoes Hell-Tide with a left click
The Blacksmith gives you your armor and more
I sorted through the armor and picked what I thought was the best combination and put the rest of the equipment in my stash possible power level 920 cores needed for achieving the eleven pieces of as potentially good enough to “win the game” combination against the worst boss in the game with what is being proposed as a better process of randomized trial-and-error Hero Building.
OPS! Some of the gem attributes changed! Oh well, it will take a while but, I can take that into account.
OPS! Only a few top-quality gems available. No problem, I can get more mats latter.
I’ll just populate the sockets the best I can right now. I am a level 100 in a level 50 world!
So, I did my skill tree for a rouge, the seasons system has made it so I can do down to the final decisions from memory based on the complex state of the gear at the moment (that has sure taken a long time in game play).
I rebuilt my skill bar with basic kills on left mouse and core skills on right mouse to be able spam alternating attacks as a Rouge.
It took me a while to find the new codex database that was provided by right clicking on the “scrolls” provided by the Blacksmith! Fantastic! I don’t have to store and manage Aspects anymore! Thank You, Thank You, THANK YOU!
AND KEY WORD SEARCH! THIS GREATE! YES!
Too bad my friend still can’t get into PTR and see this… He has been told that just PC owners can do this. He is upset, but he’s working on his laptop to try to get it working. We would be able to do a better assessment of new variables and responses to changes as a team because we sanity check each other when trying to achieve a common goal.
Doing a better build in a timelier manner, not dying and winning are the most important common goals!
Wow, salvaging a Legendary with the blacksmith puts the Aspect in the database automatically! RIGHT ON!
But there is a risk here! If you don’t keep some stuff, you will not have something to imprint! I’ll save two or three of the best! That might fit into one stash…
But I am in World Tier II and I am a level 100 and I won’t have any resistances since the Season 3 patch except what I get from Intelligence unless they are Affixes on my equipment! And I have just finished my Skill Tree. Intelligence won’t go up without Paragon points!
Paragon points done, all equipment in backpack and resistances across the board 16.3%! Best possible case available with intelligence in this game for now at World Teir II.
Put equipment back on NPC. Everything but Lightning is 70%. Lightning is 52%, but I have done some test efforts with gems, Affixes and there are elemental affixes on my equipment choices. But I am going to need more before I go to World Tier III
I went to the Blacksmith to do another temper for lighting and I had zero tempers.
I don’t know what that means?
Looks like Templates are consumables and Aspects are forever and just get upgraded with random drops (OK?)! If that is true, I have to farm Temples! I thought once you had a recipe you didn’t lose it.
Why is doing a temper a lottery? I am paying a blacksmith to upgrade my armor. Why can’t he do what I ask by resistance type? He is a skilled craftsman and I can understand a variance in quality as a number from 36.5 to 50. But, not giving me what I am asking for makes no since at all!
The information provided online by pcInvasion was roll limit is by equipment item and I am trying to put elemental resistances on different pieces of armor that was removed in the Season 3 Patch! Non Sequitur!
Well, it was a good idea, but, the probability of being able to make a survival build for endgame or bosses in a reasonable amount of time with trial an error random build processes being compounded just went down!
Oh well, I’ll try the Occultist. Out of Veiled Crystals! Time to go farming. Ought to be fun as a level 100 in a level 50 Hell-tide. Framed a backpack and a half of equipment.
Surprise! Temper Manuals were among the drops! But, non for elemental resistances and no available information about where good drop areas are to my knowledge… Looks like farming requirements time may be going up to my disappointment.
Salvaged everything after putting the manuals in the database.
Oh well, try the Occultist again. Not enough Veiled Crystals!
Did a test run to fill back pack again. Yielded about 35 Veiled Crystals by keeping only Rare and Legendary.
I had 141 Veiled Crystals and I spent 1,421, 577 in gold to run out of crystals. The cost of the MATS are to high in framing time COMPARED TO GOLD BASED ON A TRIAL AND ERROR SERVICE from the Occultist. The Occultist is am amature working with rare materials! We should hire sme new ones!
In context, Hell-tide is best case in the PTR. The Season 3 Construct tower areas were much better. This version of Hell-Tide has some nice additions to it and testing in level 50 environment with a level 100 character is best case!
I gave up another attempt to farm at 37 minutes in the same area when Hell-tide was done with about 2/3 of the Backpack full.
I decided to leave World Level II without fixing my Lightning Resistance in equipment. I removed a Skull from a ring that was boosting armor stats and replaced it with a Flawless Topaz to make everything 70%. At World Tier Level III level it may not be enough.
My Friend was unable to get his PC working on the PTR server yesterday at all even though the Live Game worked just fine. No matter how he tried doing all the things recommended he could get the PTR connected reliably.
Build situation with equipment in backpack, all resistances - 8.6% from Paragon level 100 Intelligence choices.
With all equipment in on NPC all resistances were 70% except lightning. which is 60% as a temporary patch with a gem. Then I realized I had a Royal in armor I could switch with a ring at the cost of 9 intelligence to get in the right resistance range.
So, I’m going to World Tier IV. Build situation with equipment in backpack, all resistances - 33.6% from Paragon level 100 Intelligence choices. Cold and Poison is 70% and the rest are Fire is 56.8%, Lightning is 46.8% Shadow is 54.8%.
Cold and Poison are 70% because they have two affixes applied. The rest have one affix only applied (ball parked as a mean of about 45% in this test).
Being able to put a resistance affix where you want it is important as a time saver after you have taken the time to farm the mats as random bounty, harvesting and mining.
Gambling with Obls for equipment is bonus money, thanks Blizzard, nice move.
Gambling with my farming efforts is an insult by a service provider that should do what is ask for.
The Jeweler and some other service providers don’t seem to have a problem with that.
My primary reason for being part of this test was to see if there could be a reasonable
fix for the Season 3 patch removing automatic resistances as a function of armor and requiring the use of Affixes to be placed on equipment instead.
The main issue the Season 3 change caused is the probability of getting the needed equipment build drops with the desired affixes on them with only had 4 affixes available on Armor pieces. To maintain a reasonable drop probability seemed to need 2 additional affixes per piece to accommodate the change in the old pardine because of the levels of quality provided by some of the service providers (about. However since the season 3 drops still had only four affixes, the farming time went up exponentially for a sought-after combination of affix sets per armor piece.
I can understand that acquiring of mats and equipment should be random as bounty.
And the dev work that has been done is right on target to fix desired equipment affix problems created by the Season 3 changes. But the idea that the application of affixes should be a gamble is out of context with the concept of services provided for payment.
4/4/24 - The Blizzard Authentication system is having problems. I have been told that by the system that I do not have licenses for the PTR or my Purchased Game.
My Friends games (PTR and Deluxe Edition) have apparently been uninstalled magically after many attempts to join me in the PTR servers! He has taken his PC to the local computer repair place to fix what is going on or format the HDD with a clean install.
My online research shows the first reports of D4 and Battle.Net disappearing from PCs happening was about 10 months ago and was documented on Reddit as a problem for a while from a few players. I let my Friend know that their solution was to reinstall it in a different place.
I have shut down all background tasking of Battle.net until Authentication alert is cleared.
Blizzard got the Authentications Servers fixed in the late Evening EST
My test Hero still has Resistance Level issues as mention earlier. I have been farming Hell-tide, doing World Boss and Legion Events and having no luck with Resistance temper manual drops.
I did The Pit and managed to survive and be ranked at Teir 1.
I tried a dungeon at level 100, ran into the Butcher the battle was tough, but did not die.
I crafted a NM Dungeon Sigil that was a level 96 and I now know that leveling Glyphs end at level 21.
So far, no luck on Resistances Manual. I need four Affixes with and average value of about 50.3%. With a resistance range of 36.5 to 50%, if I can figure out how to get more Affixes applied, it looks like some of the remaining resistances will be greater than needed due to duplicate randomized Affixes applied (wasting Affix slots) and some of the will not make it to 70% unless I am able to apply 3 affixes (like what has happened with Cold!).
4/5/24
Affix additions should not be a random selection because it consumes a limited supply of affix slots with undesired results. From what I have read online for Legendary the maximum number of slots is 5 as a ballpark guess (available information could change).
This scenario looks like:
If you can kill a boss and you die, then you want to improve you build.
You try to add a needed Affix that you don’t have and you fail at the Occultist because:
- You run out of Mats. A waste of time and resources. Frustrated.
- You run out of gold. A waste of time and resources. Frustrated.
- You make a mistake in the multi-step process. A waste of time and resources. Frustrated.
Overall results:
The Occultist is surrounded by people trying to have successful transactions in multiple region locations while the blacksmith has a couple of people in the area.
The players don’t want random!
Random from a service provider is counter intuitive! How would you like to pay a contractor for a new window on one wall in advance and the contractor installed a bricked in window frame that doesn’t serve the purpose intended?
If random is the Devs choice, then the Dev is on the wrong page of what the goals are for the gamer.
I really hope this electronic consensus system being used for the PTR really works!
KISS principals need to be applied in a very complex faction rich and system variables environment.
I don’t understand the need to have a risk system in a service provider transaction. You should receive the best effort service you want to agree to pay for or go to someone else.