What about Test Center???

[Guest]

TTL.

Just my opinion. But any gripes about the way Test Center Players are treated in concerns to "normal game play" are null and void.

it's a test center.

tomorrow you could pop in and see everything you worked for (including your old original TC sims) wiped.


I know right now there is a grey area due to EA Land being in "beta"
But all in all. TC3 should be used just to test.

if they were testing on how to throw EA run events such as raising pizza payouts or job payouts, then they would have it in TC3.... otherwise... there is no point.

Test Center Players have always been second class citizens. Any long time players who are shocked by this should open their eyes and recall the days behind us.

It is what it is.

/shrugs.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

TTL.

Just my opinion. But any gripes about the way Test Center Players are treated in concerns to "normal game play" are null and void.

it's a test center
It is what it is.

[/ QUOTE ] That hits the nail on the head and is my opinion as well

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

A far better way to get new subscribers (and convert some free players) is to continue the refining of Custom Content, cash-out, merges, and all the better features coming to the game, that only a paying player will get to use.

[/ QUOTE ]This is an excellent point; however, free players are not likely to want to convert to subscribers if the only environment they know is full of bugs. Would you willingly pay for something you believe to be full of problems?

I think a much better idea for managing free accounts and still maintaining the purpose of a test center would have been to create a clone of EA-Land (or perhaps one "city" within the existing EA-Land) and call it "Newbieville" or something like that. Direct all new non-paying accounts to there instead of TC3. TC3 can then be a true Test Center without contaminating the opinions of brand-new players.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

A far better way to get new subscribers (and convert some free players) is to continue the refining of Custom Content, cash-out, merges, and all the better features coming to the game, that only a paying player will get to use.

[/ QUOTE ]This is an excellent point; however, free players are not likely to want to convert to subscribers if the only environment they know is full of bugs. Would you willingly pay for something you believe to be full of problems?

I think a much better idea for managing free accounts and still maintaining the purpose of a test center would have been to create a clone of EA-Land (or perhaps one "city" within the existing EA-Land) and call it "Newbieville" or something like that. Direct all new non-paying accounts to there instead of TC3. TC3 can then be a true Test Center without contaminating the opinions of brand-new players.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe an area of E-Land can be deemed Newbieville. I know in other games they generally have Newbie areas where players can get the hang of things.

If they play in Newbieville and decide they want to start paying/playing the game, they will not have to re-roll a new sim.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Maybe an area of E-Land can be deemed Newbieville. I know in other games they generally have Newbie areas where players can get the hang of things.

If they play in Newbieville and decide they want to start paying/playing the game, they will not have to re-roll a new sim.

[/ QUOTE ]Exactly! Non-paying members would be confined to Newbieville. Other sims can come and go as they please, but newbies would be confined to Newbieville until they become paying subscribers; then the restriction is lifted, and they too can go wherever they please - and would never have to worry about recreating!

 

[imported_Dali Dalinza]

<blockquote><hr>



tomorrow you could pop in and see everything you worked for (including your old original TC sims) wiped.




[/ QUOTE ]

This was always true for Test Center.

When TC3 was being developed, before TC was merged, while everyone was asking about the TC3 and EA Land design, I asked Lee at the pub to clarify a remark he made that even if TC3 were to be wiped, that sims and their belongings would be restored.

I asked this because it was never true of TC. We always knew that sims in TC could be erased, along with goods.

Lee clarified my question. He stated to me that there was a database that would be able to restore any items to TC3 players should things be wiped. He used the word "picture" or "photo" when he discussed this, saying there would be a "picture" of our inventories and they would be replaced to us.

I spoke to him about this because I was trying to make the decision whether to keep my TC sim in a test center or get in line for EA Land. Based on his reassuring words I cast my oldest sim, and most of my possessions, into the TC3 merge line.

I am having a real sense of deja vu, and not a good one, when players line up to throw rocks with such glee at anyone who has misfortune in the test center. I have never, in my entire time in this game, been mean spirited or had a sense of satisfaction from seeing another player or players get the short end of a stick. For some reason, some of you just love to push TC players down and laugh about it. I fail to see why it is so important for you to think other players SHOULD be subjected to "second class treatment."

I'm sure many of you will be glad to see me go. Yeah, well, enjoy your game where your reason for enjoyment comes from being self-satisfied and...the term that fits is "hateful." That is what I will remember about some of you.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Lee clarified my question. He stated to me that there was a database that would be able to restore any items to TC3 players should things be wiped. He used the word "picture" or "photo" when he discussed this, saying there would be a "picture" of our inventories and they would be replaced to us.

[/ QUOTE ]I think the term you're looking for is "image". I'm only guessing here, but I suspect that, when the game code was re-engineered, they worked out a way to more easily parse out user data from the game data, making it far easier to determine who owned what in game.

 

[imported_Gracie Nito]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Lee clarified my question. He stated to me that there was a database that would be able to restore any items to TC3 players should things be wiped. He used the word "picture" or "photo" when he discussed this, saying there would be a "picture" of our inventories and they would be replaced to us.

[/ QUOTE ]I think the term you're looking for is "image". I'm only guessing here, but I suspect that, when the game code was re-engineered, they worked out a way to more easily parse out user data from the game data, making it far easier to determine who owned what in game.

[/ QUOTE ]

Picture thingie works fine for me.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Picture thingie works fine for me.

[/ QUOTE ]lol! You crack me up!

[offtopic]Are you in EA-Land or TC3? I've been trying to look you up...[/offtopic]

 

[Guest]

MAybe i am just lost but when i got that email about coming back I didnt realize my TC Sim would be nothing someday, wiped out. I was under the thought that I could get things back I used to have, skill locks etc. I have skilled up my TC3 Sim and really like the people there. I figured we would merge. I am feeling pretty .... screwed.

Am I the only dumb Sim out there?

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>



tomorrow you could pop in and see everything you worked for (including your old original TC sims) wiped.




[/ QUOTE ]

This was always true for Test Center.

When TC3 was being developed, before TC was merged, while everyone was asking about the TC3 and EA Land design, I asked Lee at the pub to clarify a remark he made that even if TC3 were to be wiped, that sims and their belongings would be restored.

I asked this because it was never true of TC. We always knew that sims in TC could be erased, along with goods.

Lee clarified my question. He stated to me that there was a database that would be able to restore any items to TC3 players should things be wiped. He used the word "picture" or "photo" when he discussed this, saying there would be a "picture" of our inventories and they would be replaced to us.

I spoke to him about this because I was trying to make the decision whether to keep my TC sim in a test center or get in line for EA Land. Based on his reassuring words I cast my oldest sim, and most of my possessions, into the TC3 merge line.

I am having a real sense of deja vu, and not a good one, when players line up to throw rocks with such glee at anyone who has misfortune in the test center. I have never, in my entire time in this game, been mean spirited or had a sense of satisfaction from seeing another player or players get the short end of a stick. For some reason, some of you just love to push TC players down and laugh about it. I fail to see why it is so important for you to think other players SHOULD be subjected to "second class treatment."

I'm sure many of you will be glad to see me go. Yeah, well, enjoy your game where your reason for enjoyment comes from being self-satisfied and...the term that fits is "hateful." That is what I will remember about some of you.

[/ QUOTE ]

What one looks at as "mean spirited" another may look at as being honest.
I'm glad to hear that TC sims won't be lost although I obviously never made that a big issue since I stayed. But when a player on a test server thinks they are entitled to something b/c they are on a test server they have to remember they are making the choice to be on a ... thats right you guessed it... test server!!!

I've seen this argument come up 101 times and at one point I may have been on the other side of the argument, until I got smacked with a little dose of logic and reality.

We can sit there and for shame anyone who doesn't drop a dollop of honey on every word written... but in the end... this is a game. Not equal rights for simkind. You can opt to play one way on a test server.. or the normal way on the main server. Either way the key word is opt.

Test server
test server
test server.
(IDK I just kinda had fun saying it over and over again)

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

MAybe i am just lost but when i got that email about coming back I didnt realize my TC Sim would be nothing someday, wiped out. I was under the thought that I could get things back I used to have, skill locks etc. I have skilled up my TC3 Sim and really like the people there. I figured we would merge. I am feeling pretty .... screwed.

Am I the only dumb Sim out there?

[/ QUOTE ]

TC1 and TC3 did merge together, but no, never at any time did they say that TC3 would merge in with EA Land.....we've always been told that in the end there will be 2 cities, EA Land and TC3. TC1 sims were given the choice to merge into the production cities via sim move if they no longer wanted to be testers and instead wanted to merge into EA Land, but TC3 has been separate from the start, that's why the sims we create in TC3 don't count against the total number we can have in EA Land.

Like someone else said though, your work on your TC3 sim isn't *worthless*....some skills and simoleans will probably be necessary to test things in the future, though nobody can say what or when that will be. I've never felt like any of my time in-game is *wasted* though, even when I had decided to walk away from the game for a while and go on hiatus before returning, but maybe that's just me.

 

[Guest]

your work on your TC3 sim isn't *worthless*

True. What people who were not around from early 2003 don't realize is that TC was active because updates were frequent and always went to TC first. Most people had a Sim in TC and when an update was made, they would flock to TC and test/experience it.

When the updates stopped, TC became a 'regular' city. Also, TC had never been wiped and without updates, there was no chance of any future wipes.

With TC3 and EAL, the devs made the mistake of updating EAL at the same time as TC3. ( This seems to have changed with the latest update to TC3 only). The operation of the bullet train could only effect EAL since the train doesn't run to TC3. Many other bugs involve logins and patching. I'll let others who are knowledgeable about servers address those problems.

( people may notice that my posting is more readable than some because I split up my thoughts into paragraphs)

 

[Caesar Weezer]

<blockquote><hr>


( people may notice that my posting is more readable than some because I split up my thoughts into paragraphs)

[/ QUOTE ]

LMAO.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>


( people may notice that my posting is more readable than some because I split up my thoughts into paragraphs)

[/ QUOTE ]

LMAO.

[/ QUOTE ]

o. snap.


and yeah, Test servers traditionally should only be fully active during updates. That is normally not the case, and things are certainly a little different as of late since EAland is in "beta", but it remains that people should have a bit more understanding with what test center is all about.

 

[Guest]

TTL

FYI, I spent a good amount of time in TC over the past couple of days and it is *loaded* with 0, 1,2, 3 day old sims from returning old accounts, founders, looking for advice, a place to skill, a place to be a roomie.

I loaded my skill house full of such sim-lits and had a jolly old time pontificating on stratics, the blog, the wiki, wipes, merges, scams....and reminicing (sp) about the good ole days.

So if you are a homeowner in TC this weekend is a perfect time to come on back!

 

[Guest]

Indeed! TC3 (and, to a lesser extent, EAL) is starting to resemble the TSO of old during its heyday - Lots of newbies, lots of activity and chat even in skill houses, tip jars and phones everywhere! And did I mention all the NEWBIES? About one in five people I've encountered in TC3 appeared brand-new to the game!

It's making me as giddy as a schoolgirl all over again!

 

[Caesar Weezer]

<blockquote><hr>

TTL

FYI, I spent a good amount of time in TC over the past couple of days and it is *loaded* with 0, 1,2, 3 day old sims from returning old accounts, founders, looking for advice, a place to skill, a place to be a roomie.

I loaded my skill house full of such sim-lits and had a jolly old time pontificating on stratics, the blog, the wiki, wipes, merges, scams....and reminicing (sp) about the good ole days.

So if you are a homeowner in TC this weekend is a perfect time to come on back!

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL, last night I actually got into an argument with some guy. He was pissed cause EA took all his money from the production cities.

I just about wanted to slap him silly.