How not to do a stress test - by ANet

JohnP0100

After the train wreck of a week where the uproar over the 'HoT expansion' caused enough CC chargebacks for VISA to suspend payment to them, we are once again shown an example of 'How Not To Do A Stress Test' by ANet.

For those who don't know; https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/announcing-the-wvw-desert-borderlands-stress-tests/

So how are they doing it? Well..... http://new.docgotgame.com/threads/wvw-stress-test-july-9th.938/

 

This is just sad and well into the comical territory. ROFL!

aesperus

I'm not sure exactly what point you're trying to make.

There's a number of ways they're handling invites for the stress test (not just that random 3rd party site).

Tbh, the whole point of a stress test is to cram an area / system with as many players as you need to see how stable it is. Pooling from multiple sources is generally a good method of doing so, so I'm not sure where the implied 'comical screwup' is.

Ludwik

Pretty sure the players have been stress testing the regular map for 3 years and it's still not ready.

Nanfoodle

Swear gamers today are cry babies. They cry when Alpha testing, the bitch during beta testing and now we are upset a stress test was unplayable????? If they are, the point of a stress test is to try and make the server crash. To find their breaking point. This is why we cant have nice things, to many gamers are wimps, cry babies and overall twits. 

L0C0Man

What's wrong about it?.

The way I see it they're giving a certain amount of spots to an active WvW guild so they decide who to give them to within their members... makes sense considering that it's a stress test of a WvW map and they want to fill it as much as they want with people that they know will be active WvWing.

Honestly can't see what's so wrong about that.

Amjoco

What am I missing here OP? Whats with the old link from May, and a sign up roster? Why would this be funny?

Celcius

Starting off your argument by claiming that Visa is suspending payments to ArenaNet because of "the train wreck of a week" is a sure fire way to lose credit for anything you are going to say immediately afterwards. Source on that? I have also not heard of people doing charge backs, as that would be a pretty terrible idea considering they are offering refunds openly. Doing a charge back is basically declaring to a company that you never want to deal with them again. If you do a charge back, chances are that you will never be able to buy anything else from NC Soft directly ever again and a sure fire way to get any NC Soft game accounts banned.

Anyways, sending out specific invites for a stress test to large groups of players in the community is nothing out of the ordinary for any company. Not sure what you are going on about there. Mad that you didn't get in or something? It is only like 3 days isn't it? I am sure there will be more in the future. 

JohnP0100

Originally posted by Celcius

Starting off your argument by claiming that Visa is suspending payments to ArenaNet because of "the train wreck of a week" is a sure fire way to lose credit for anything you are going to say immediately afterwards. Source on that? I have also not heard of people doing charge backs, as that would be a pretty terrible idea considering they are offering refunds openly. Doing a charge back is basically declaring to a company that you never want to deal with them again. If you do a charge back, chances are that you will never be able to buy anything else from NC Soft directly ever again and a sure fire way to get any NC Soft game accounts banned.

Anyways, sending out specific invites for a stress test to large groups of players in the community is nothing out of the ordinary for any company. Not sure what you are going on about there. Mad that you didn't get in or something? It is only like 3 days isn't it? I am sure there will be more in the future. 

The usual ANet defense force is out I see.

So if you haven't heard about it, it never happened? I guess that's one way to live. /shrug

All the proof I need to present is the 'we will refund your payment 6 MONTHS after it was authorized' by ANet.

I can tell you what occurred when I phoned my bank when I tried after hearing about some stuff on social media that day but "Effort'.

The payment suspension was a temporary one.

 

The 'stress test' fails on multiple levels.

If this was a stress test, not sure how sending out specific invites to a streamer that only got your game 1 month ago is all that helpful. Why not just include it in the pre-order? There's a reason why other game companies do it, if you are willing to pay $$ before you see the product, you are a 'buy in' customer so you'll most likely put in the effort to actually do the stress test.

If this was a PR move (more likely since this has no NDA), then I don't think angering your player base by ignoring them and asking a streamer (that admits to not knowing about GW2 at all) to promote is all that helpful.

Calling something a 'stress test' and ignoring your fan base isn't a good 'SUCCESS' formula.

Gaia_Hunter

I've asked in another thread where you claimed visa was suspending payments to Anet for a source.

I will ask again.

 

This stress test was announced on the 8th of May way before any pre-purchase.

 

"Announcing the WvW Desert Borderlands Stress Tests

by The Guild Wars 2 Team on May 8, 2015"

 

Additionally during the stress tests the game is basically unplayable, if they are doing a proper stress test.

JohnP0100

Originally posted by Gaia_Hunter

I've asked in another thread where you claimed visa was suspending payments to Anet for a source.

I will ask again.

 

This stress test was announced on the 8th of May way before any pre-purchase.

 

"Announcing the WvW Desert Borderlands Stress Tests

by The Guild Wars 2 Team on May 8, 2015"

 

Additionally during the stress tests the game is basically unplayable, if they are doing a proper stress test.

There are multiple statements here that don't make a whole lot of sense. It looks like some random copy-paste from posts in this very thread.

 

Source? I didn't know VISA payment suspension for a period of time means a news article would be published.

I called my bank after hearing about stuff on social media and testing it on my CC but w/e. You can look at the fact that ANet is offering refunds 6 months after the transaction has been completed as proof.

 

I am not sure what the '8th of may/pre-purchase' has to do with this? I'd suggest you re-read my original post if English isn't your first language.

 

'during the stress tests the game is basically unplayable'.... LOLWUT?!

I am not ANet's biggest fan (although they do many dumb things) but even I don't think they are THAT dumb or THAT incompetent.

grimal

It's a stress test. This usually means you are helping them test the load. It's also why I don't sign up to participate in these things as they are typically not very enjoyable.

pingo

Originally posted by JohnP0100

After the train wreck of a week where the uproar over the 'HoT expansion' caused enough CC chargebacks for VISA to suspend payment to them, we are once again shown an example of 'How Not To Do A Stress Test' by ANet.

For those who don't know; https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/announcing-the-wvw-desert-borderlands-stress-tests/

So how are they doing it? Well..... http://new.docgotgame.com/threads/wvw-stress-test-july-9th.938/

 

This is just sad and well into the comical territory. ROFL!

 

 

I hope JohnP0100 some day will find something more fulfilling in his life than being consumed by supposed conversations he had with a VISA clerk. It's cute, but only in a really sad way:(

 

Celcius

Originally posted by JohnP0100

Originally posted by Celcius

Starting off your argument by claiming that Visa is suspending payments to ArenaNet because of "the train wreck of a week" is a sure fire way to lose credit for anything you are going to say immediately afterwards. Source on that? I have also not heard of people doing charge backs, as that would be a pretty terrible idea considering they are offering refunds openly. Doing a charge back is basically declaring to a company that you never want to deal with them again. If you do a charge back, chances are that you will never be able to buy anything else from NC Soft directly ever again and a sure fire way to get any NC Soft game accounts banned.

Anyways, sending out specific invites for a stress test to large groups of players in the community is nothing out of the ordinary for any company. Not sure what you are going on about there. Mad that you didn't get in or something? It is only like 3 days isn't it? I am sure there will be more in the future. 

The usual ANet defense force is out I see.

So if you haven't heard about it, it never happened? I guess that's one way to live. /shrug

All the proof I need to present is the 'we will refund your payment 6 MONTHS after it was authorized' by ANet.

I can tell you what occurred when I phoned my bank when I tried after hearing about some stuff on social media that day but "Effort'.

The payment suspension was a temporary one.

 

The 'stress test' fails on multiple levels.

If this was a stress test, not sure how sending out specific invites to a streamer that only got your game 1 month ago is all that helpful. Why not just include it in the pre-order? There's a reason why other game companies do it, if you are willing to pay $$ before you see the product, you are a 'buy in' customer so you'll most likely put in the effort to actually do the stress test.

If this was a PR move (more likely since this has no NDA), then I don't think angering your player base by ignoring them and asking a streamer (that admits to not knowing about GW2 at all) to promote is all that helpful.

Calling something a 'stress test' and ignoring your fan base isn't a good 'SUCCESS' formula.

I never said it did not happen; I said that you don't have any proof. (In regards to the charge backs and Visa suspending ArenaNet payments) Don't try to put words in my mouth to try to pretend you have a logical argument that doesn't stem from hatred of the game as well as pure ignorance of the situation. I disagree with your opinions of how they are handling the stress tests and personally don't see the big deal. I don't really see the point in arguing about that. I do however, think that throwing around false rumors and accusations that are not true until proven otherwise just to prove that your opinion is valid is a rather unprofessional way to handle things. 

booniedog96

 

Mmmmmm Mmmm!!! Yummeh...

 

SBFord

Originally posted by JohnP0100

Originally posted by Gaia_Hunter

Additionally during the stress tests the game is basically unplayable, if they are doing a proper stress test.

 

'during the stress tests the game is basically unplayable'.... LOLWUT?!

Stress testing is designed to basically be a bad experience by virtue of the fact that the more players log in, the harder the system works which causes lag and a nearly unplayable game. It's not an alpha test or a special beta event, but one that is specifically designed to break the system by stressing it.

Fangrim

Originally posted by Nanfoodle
Swear gamers today are cry babies. They cry when Alpha testing, the bitch during beta testing and now we are upset a stress test was unplayable????? If they are, the point of a stress test is to try and make the server crash. To find their breaking point. This is why we cant have nice things, to many gamers are wimps, cry babies and overall twats. 

I corrected that for you.

JohnP0100

Originally posted by SBFord

Originally posted by JohnP0100

Originally posted by Gaia_Hunter

Additionally during the stress tests the game is basically unplayable, if they are doing a proper stress test.

 

'during the stress tests the game is basically unplayable'.... LOLWUT?!

Stress testing is designed to basically be a bad experience by virtue of the fact that the more players log in, the harder the system works which causes lag and a nearly unplayable game. It's not an alpha test or a special beta event, but one that is specifically designed to break the system by stressing it.

I've arranged stress tests against financial systems before it went live.

If a system breaks (notice the word 'unplayable') during a stress test, something went horrendously wrong and I'm probably looking at a series of 'WTF' meetings with various stakeholders.

You don't just 'lets stress test by DDOSing ourselves till something breaks', you get your infrastructure guys to give you parameters, you get your architects to look over the data/systems, you get your testers to run a series of mini-stress test, testing a specific thing in an isolated environments. You find your limits beforehand and you test those limits.

Like I said, the above is the minimum I'd expect on a 'normal stress test done by someone competent'. Maybe ANet doesn't have someone competent in that area; I don't think so but you might think differently. /shrug

Course, the above only applies if ANet is actually doing a stress test and this isn't just a PR move.

 

PS. The thread was started because I found out after it blew up on social media yesterday.

Theely

Anyone this salty over something so trivial obviously had no intention of actually testing the system. Sounds like someone just wanting a free trial.

Getting streamers that have had the game less then a month, which is not a true statement for Docgotgame but very likely for many of his viewers; actually makes more sense then getting top guilds. This isn't about getting early access and/or first experiences to bring into game to remain dominate.

gasperk

This is the most dissapointing  post i have read in a long time.

Does nothing interesting ever happen in your life that you have to post stuff like that ?? 

Is your life really that boring you have to go around and post such things ? Like really ?

 

Amjoco

Originally posted by gasperk

This is the most dissapointing  post i have read in a long time.

Does nothing interesting ever happen in your life that you have to post stuff like that ?? 

Is your life really that boring you have to go around and post such things ? Like really ?

 

Gotta agree. If the OP wants to make a mountain out of molehill he can just add dirt, but it should be something with content. 

Just don't buy the game or play it and move on with something else that IS life fulfilling. 

Loke666

Stress tests are supposed to cram loads of people into the same map and yes, it usually is a mess. But it is a test, if it is a mess once it hit the live servers it is time to complain but not yet.

This goes for all MMOs (that doesn't actually charge you monthly fees or similar like Pathfinder), until launch things are allowed to suck, it usually does. Last stress test I played that was relatively stable was LOTRO (actually, it is the only one I played and I done a lot of betas and stress tests).

So save it until things go live, if it is a mess then it is shame on Arenanet, if not then they have done their job. Same goes for any other game. Raging on something that isn't released yet is pointless.

Ghavrigg

Originally posted by Torval

Originally posted by JohnP0100

Originally posted by SBFord

Originally posted by JohnP0100

Originally posted by Gaia_Hunter

Additionally during the stress tests the game is basically unplayable, if they are doing a proper stress test.

 

'during the stress tests the game is basically unplayable'.... LOLWUT?!

Stress testing is designed to basically be a bad experience by virtue of the fact that the more players log in, the harder the system works which causes lag and a nearly unplayable game. It's not an alpha test or a special beta event, but one that is specifically designed to break the system by stressing it.

I've arranged stress tests against financial systems before it went live.

If a system breaks (notice the word 'unplayable') during a stress test, something went horrendously wrong and I'm probably looking at a series of 'WTF' meetings with various stakeholders.

You don't just 'lets stress test by DDOSing ourselves till something breaks', you get your infrastructure guys to give you parameters, you get your architects to look over the data/systems, you get your testers to run a series of mini-stress test, testing a specific thing in an isolated environments. You find your limits beforehand and you test those limits.

Like I said, the above is the minimum I'd expect on a 'normal stress test done by someone competent'. Maybe ANet doesn't have someone competent in that area; I don't think so but you might think differently. /shrug

Course, the above only applies if ANet is actually doing a stress test and this isn't just a PR move.

PS. The thread was started because I found out after it blew up on social media yesterday.

The problem here is you. You're applying your specific industry, business partners, and software to another industry and software. I work in the medical software industry and we do things differently than you or game developers. I don't expect my industry experience to be the mmo gaming industry experience.

I've done a lot of mmo stress testing and it's much more complex than what you think it is. There is measured testing where developers test differing load levels. They test various user configurations against the login server, chat server, game server, and whatever other infrastructure configuration they have setup. The load keeps increasing until the system breaks. They test expected load results and where they calculate things will break against actual real world breakage. They find out where hidden problems lie when lots of people are on the system at once.

This isn't a bank. This is a game and the how users interact with the system and how it's loaded is different.

If social media or forums "blew up" it's because most people are ignorant of how game testing works. They just want a free preview play experience. They don't get that and they make a big hoopla over nothing.

^ I suggest the OP read this and maybe even retain some of the message before clicking reply again.