Quote Originally Posted by joeblogs View Post
I don't often agree with Bart, but as to point 1 I know that the test server was open to select players (or through some other means of allocation I am not aware of). While I think that this is essential to work out bugs etc, it's unfair to have certain strata of the community know ahead of time what works and what doesn't. Half my decisions this age were made from leaked beta testers information. While I am not going to chop down the devs here like Bart is, he does have a point to make about access. I proposed elsewhere that testing could be given to every kd OR maybe the top 25 kds as an option pre age so they can both help, and be aware of the changes.

Again, there have been good developments, but to say that this is an unbiased community in which we are all equals is incorrect. Every age is the "age of nepotism" as far as I am concerned. Many great voices in this community go unheard - (like Attero) etc, and then the loudest (bart), or the established (faceless men) seem to be the most rewarded.
If you read my post at all, you would know that your statement is 100% untrue. The testers have never had any information ahead of time (as JeffT mentioned) because ALL of the information they had through testing was not deployed onto the live server. So, IF 'half your decisions this age were made from leaked beta testers information' then ALL of those decisions were just as well taken from a hat because, once again, ALL information testers had available to them was not actual live game data.

I personally run the test server. I alter the code into the test form. I know the formulas that are being used and only I (and JeffT/Munk) know how to evaluate the data generated from the test server. The gains formula? Never went live on the test server. The personal explore pools? Oh, those had 3 different parts altered. The explore formula? Unchanged from last age so is irrelevant. Paladin never had self spells able to cast on others. None of the paladin self spells were coded to provided any effects on test server. Rituals? Oh these cost 5 runes and 1 cast to initiate, and they didn't provide any bonuses (not that it mattered because the bonuses were public knowledge). So what exactly were you able to base your decisions on from leaked beta testers? You have me intrigued.