Possible for a test server/zone?

[phatzas]

I remember on live there was a test server allowing players not only to test changes but also make a class to max rank with a set of gear etc. I know the how difficult and unpractical it would be to add an additional server let alone for a small testing feature but would it be possible to perhaps make a zone in game for class testing purposes? I ask as that I, and I am sure many others, could appreciate the option to make a class and enter a testing zone/region to enter rank 40 and test out different specs/abilities/stats/etc on perhaps a test dummy or some basic mobs? Of course such characters would have most if not all functions disabled and be strictly limited to that enclosed zone/region for strictly testing purposes only.

Maybe I am just selfish / lazy? There are several classes/changes/builds I would like to test without first having to spend weeks? months? playing it just to see if it is viable and potentially end up trashing the character.

If something of this nature is possible I think it could have wonderful effects for many players and add to new and unique group makeups.

[saupreusse]

We use a test server for all upcoming updates which is staff only ofc. We had some talk about testing dummies but these arent possible to implement due to limited possibilities. Something like an open test environment is highly unlikely to happen anytime soon and there are no plans for it either :/ it would need like a real sandbox mode which is completely out of reach atm, sry.

[freshour]

I was literally just getting ready to ask about a test dummy to hit. I figured it was attempted but ah well, good to know it just isn't in the cards.

[roadkillrobin]

I also would like test dummies just to check performance of tactics and such gainst each other.

1 Heavy, 1 medium, 1 light armor with reasonble stats for single target.

Aswell as a mixed group of 9 targets within 25 feets to test AoE's would be really nice.

[phatzas]

I can completely understand the multitude of issues and challenges this would pose and why it is not even considered. Would it be to far out of line to perhaps ask for the consideration of opening a test server where people could log in, create a character and get instant level 40 to test specs/abilities/etc? Just have it so they cannot leave their city upon port in, in place of dummies add a handful of Lv40 mobs in the city, have only trainer and healer npcs enabled, and place the login population cap to say 10 or 20 to prevent people from using it as their "fun" server and leaving it open only to those who actually want to test characters?

Just a thought and nothing that I would expect to ever take priority if it even got anymore consideration. And thanks to all of the devs and core team for all of the wonderful, hard work that has built this great project!

[Luth]

Iirc both the live and the internal test server are running as separate virtual machines on the same host/hardware; the test server has lower resources assigned to it and to make it available to the public would mean that resources (CPU cores, RAM, etc) have to be taken from the live server.

[Natherul]

Is Luth stated it would drain resources from Live OR cost us a lot more money, as such it wont be considered at this point.

The "Dev" server is primarily to test certain things devs (and DB devs) cant test on a local version, and as such it perform as a limited QA process and can go down very very often as devs push new builds to tweak

[Tiggo]

well isnt the live server an alpha test server after all? ^^

Dummies would be nice but as the preusse said, not on the horizon