Agreed! Every single test I'm unsure as to whether I should keep playing normally or just screw around because it's the last test before reset. I'm also sure that a spring release date isn't coming, at least not in 2011.
The Spring release date always seemed off to me.. but they're still touting it on the website! I've just been playing normally, but I'm wondering when the reset's coming. In fact, what's the point of the resets?
1) To have experienced players go through the early stages of the game again, as they are the ones that know the game and can tell the devs if the current tutorial system is up to snuff, and
2) So the new players aren't so far behind at first, making them feel overwhelmed. Watering bean trees seems patronizing if everyone else is off "completing projects" and having a "barnacle party".
1) Wouldn't new players be able to give better feedback on the tutorial system than old players, since old ones know things about the game that new ones don't?
2) That makes sense; I felt kind of overwhelmed at the beginning.
Actually, old players are better at that stuff than new players in some respects. For example, if the tutorial system were to not teach you a basic part of the game (let's use, I dunno, how to make a pinch of salt as a completely random example), a newbie wouldn't understand that until he/she got further into it. An old player would understand this mistake and tell the devs to correct it.
Resets also let the developers wipe the infrastructure clean if need be.
At this stage in development it is probable that there will be changes to how data (player state and items) is stored. Knowing you don't have to find ways to make sure that with every change made to the game mechanics everything players have done to that point needs to be "migrated" or retrofitted allows for cleaner code in the end and faster times to get there.
Other reason could be to cut off the advantages we are having as alpha-users.
In the ultimate version of the game we may not have some exploits or strategies that are nowadays helping us in the development of our characters, and the learning times may be higher.
Screwin' around can get kinda boring kinda quickly... which is why us vets leap onto projects like a pack of wild lions as soon as they come. Playing with quests and achievements in mind is more relaxing and game-play oriented.
Actually, last test for me was very fun because I had set myself a goal to find bugs bugs bugs! And I did, quite a few too, from middair walkways to misplaced peat bogs! Yay! :)
I actually had someone ask me about Glitch at work today - which was kinda surreal as they had no idea i was testing it. I personally think the world should be reopened right away and let me in otherwise I might have to spend Valentine's evening wooing Mrs Bob Apple and thats a scary thought believe me!
I agree with Hburger. I made a conscious effort this last test to treat finding bugs like a treasure hunt. My ability to report them clearly still needs work.
I think what I meant is that any glitch time counts as screwing around for me, even if I am working on specific things in-game. Glitch: more fun than whatever else I should be doing.
Also, I must be bad at screwing around in the game since I still don't know what it would entail. I guess just a total lack of goal-oriented play? Obviously there are different types of goals, as Hburger mentioned (projects, quests, achievements, finding bugs). My new activity is finding information for the wiki, but I am still a project-hungry lion.