When will PTR Changes go live?
If the downtime already passed today then it will most likely be next week 10th or 11th as predicted. Most Winter Wonderland events started around those dates(so there’s 3 weeks of the event) and they don’t do multiple patches so they don’t have to pay and get multiple patches certified on console.
Next Tuesday
Given the fact that 11 AM PST has already come and gone today, I’d expect next week on December 10th.
Remember that the PTR runs in 3 to 4 week cycles in order to make sure the new patch is stable for the new servers (and not for collecting balance feedback).
1 Like
How hard is it really to flip a few variables, then post code changes later?
Jeff himself has mentioned that “testing data” on the PTR is kinda useless after the first couple days.
ARMOR::Mitgation = 5 ORISA::Primary::Slow = 0.2 ORISA::Barrier::HP = 600 ORISA::Health::Armor = 250 ORISA::Fortify::Cooldown = 8 SIGMA::Barrier::HP = 900 SIGMA::Barrier::Regen = 120 SIGMA::Grasp::Cooldown = 10 SIGMA::Grasp::Rate = 0.6 REINHARDT::Barrier::HP = 1600 REINHARDT::Barrier::Slow = 0.25 REINHARDT::Steadfast = 0.5 MOIRA::Primary::InitialHeal = 3.25 DVA::Matrix_UsageCooldown = 1.5 WIDOW::Grapple::Cooldown = 12 TORBJORN::Overload::Cooldown = 10 GENJI::Primary::Ammo = 30 ZARYA::Secondary::Radius = 2.5 ZARYA::Secondary::AmmoCost = 20
4 Likes
The Overwatch Development Team already has a control board with “a bunch of dials” to make simple changes like how much damage an ability does, cooldown timers, etc. However they take time to allow changes to sink in and how they will perform before making new changes.
1 Like
So why not use Quickplay for that, like they did when 222/Sigma came out?
- Post balance changes to the PTR on a Thursday, with bugfixes and new code.
- Get data from that.
- Then put the “numbers only” balance changes to Quickplay the following Tuesday.
- Minus new code that require bugtesting/console certification.
- More testing data from that.
- Then post the “numbers only” balance changes to Competitive the following Tuesday.
- Backtrack and iterate as needed.
- Post the bugfixes/code changes stuff whenever. Either as a hotfix. Or during event patches.
3 Likes
That patch simply rolled out role queue features for each game mode, but the balance changes hit at the same time for all game modes.
Oh yeah, forgot about that.
Still though, wherever they have some significant enough balance change, they prevent it from going to Competitive for a while. But have it available in Quickplay.
To let it “sink in”.
Why not use Quickplay for that, instead of a Test Server, that the game director admits barely gets used at all.
Only new heroes and maps are delayed by two weeks before appearing in Competitive.
Jeff Kaplan confirms on why there is not a dedicated game mode (or Quick Play) for testing changes in advance here:
Source: Overwatch Forums
Symmetra was delayed from Competitive after her rework.
That is true, but that was a Major Rework.
Just yeet the numeric changes straight into live, it’s useless putting all of their “dial tweaks” on the ptr for so long.
I can understand new abilities or features like “While you wait”, but holding up desperately needed “dial tweaks” up for that is garbage.
4 Likes
I don’t know. But I’d like to see more changes just go straight to live, no PTR at all. I get why this one went on the PTR. It’s a huge change. But certainly not every change needs a PTR.
The problem with the PTR is that once they put it out there on the PTR then they have to certify it for the consoles which takes a couple weeks. And because they want to do an event, I’m guessing December 10th, they don’t want to certify 2 patches since that process costs money.
2 Likes
But mostly what I’m saying would be a different cadence.
But it would respect the idea that the PTR only gets useful data when it has a load put on it, during the first couple days.
Where as “letting the gameplay sink in” would be accomplished better on Quickplay.
Rather than a server that people don’t even use after the first week. Or the tiny fraction of the community that read PTR patch notes.
Not to mention, they’d get console feedback as well.
1 Like
As a reminder, there is a reason why the PTR stays online for up to 4 weeks… and that is to test server and client stability. The PTR is not primarily intended to evaluate gameplay balance.
1 Like
That’s why I’m suggesting to make gameplay changes, without making code changes.
Just have an admin tool to edit the server-side variables, but make absolutely no changes to the client-side patch.
1 Like
And that data is absolutely worthless after the first couple days, if it’s stress testing, with no stress put on it.
And at very worst, it would just mean slower patching for bugfixes and stability issues. In trade for faster gameplay balance.
I’d be perfectly fine waiting on bugfixes to take multiple rounds of PTR balance patches, before the bugfixes get patched to Live. In trade for significantly faster balancing.
They could literally have this entire PTR balance patch existing on the front page of the arcade as a workshop preset right now. I guarantee you it would instantly be the most played gamemode.
2 Likes
When was the last time a ptr patch stayed on ptr for 4 weeks? I’ve only experienced 3 week long ones.
1 Like