![]()
style="width: 596px; height: 209px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/187332">
is the Public Test
Realm? - href="#why">
Why Play on the PTR?
Copying Characters - href="#install">
Installing and Downloading
What
is the Public Test Realm?
The Public Test Realm, more
commonly known as the PTR, is a special realm much like the ones you
normally play on. The difference between the PTR and normal servers is
that the sole
purpose of the PTR is for players to test out and experience content
available in an upcoming patch that has not yet been released to the
normal realms. There is one Public Test Realm for the two main realm
types; Normal and PvP.
Test Realms are only available
for a short period of time just before a patch is released with larger
patches garnering more time on the test realm than smaller patches.
Usually any player with a World of Warcraft account may choose to play
on the PTR. Players who choose to play on the PTR will have the option
to copy one of their existing characters or choosing a pre-made
character to move to copy to the test realm. Because this is
specifically a “test” realm nothing you do here has
any lasting benefits. Players should be prepared for character wipes,
item wipes, frequent downtime, and plenty of glitches and bugs along
the way.
Why Should I Play on the
Public Test Realm?
Now that we have deduced what
exactly the PTR is you may be wondering why exactly you should choose
to participate in it with no clear gain for the player. But if you are
like me and sometimes just can’t wait for that next patch to
release to the public realms before you get to try out the new content
then the PTR is the place for you. While its true there is not much you
can physically gain from playing on the PTR, as any progress you make
with your character will eventually be lost, getting a first hand look
at what is in store for the game, and potentially helping to pinpoint
and resolve issues, makes playing on the PTR a worthwhile endeavor.
How to Copy a Character
to the
PTR
The first step in getting
yourself ready to play on the PTR is getting some characters there. To
do this you simply need to visit the
href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/" target="_blank">World
of Warcraft website, click
on “Services”, this will bring up the Account
Services page where you will find a menu on the right side of the
screen. Click the “Public Test Realm” link found in
this menu then sign into your account. After you have signed you will
be prompted to select an account to copy from, choose an account and
continue on.
Finally you will find yourself at the Character Copy screen. Here you
will find that you have two options; copy an already existing character
from your account, or copy a premade character. You will also be able
to see how many copies you can make (each player can copy 4 of each
type) and how long the average wait time is for the transfer. Each
option will have the user follow a slightly different path:
Copy
Your Character
style="padding: 5px; float: right; width: 250px; text-align: center;">
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/187534" target="_blank">width="245">Copy
Your Character Page.
If you choose to copy
one of
your characters you will be directed to a new screen where you will see
the various realm options (PvP, PvE, RP-PvP, and RP) listed with drop
down menus below. Click on the drop down menu under the type of realm
the character you wish to copy resides on and then find the realm name.
Once the realm name has been selected a listing of all the current
characters you have on that realm will appear. To copy a character
click on the “Copy Character” button across from
the character’s name.
Once you have selected a
character to copy you will need to choose which PTR realm you wish to
play on. Which realm you choose will not matter in the long run,
however I would suggest picking a US server if you are in the
US…a PvE server if you are used to playing on a PvE
server…and to be sure that if you wish to play with your
friends you all choose the same realm. Press continue to move onward
where you will find a confirmation menu. Read the disclaimers and if
you are absolutely sure you wish to copy this character click
“Yes, Copy Me!” from here you will only need to
wait for your character to copy. However, if you feel you have made a
mistake simply click “Cancel”.
Copy a Premade Character
style="padding: 5px; float: right; width: 250px; text-align: center;"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/187532" target="_blank">width="245">Copy
a Premade Character Page.
If you choose to copy a premade
character you will be given a listing of generic characters of max
level. Scroll through the listing to see the characters available to
you, don‘t worry about the odd names, you will have the
option to change once you enter the game, and choose the one that
appeals to you most. Click the “Copy Character”
button next to the character you want and you will be taken to the next
screen where you will be asked to choose the PTR realm you wish your
character to reside on. Which realm you choose will not matter in the
long run, however I would suggest picking a US server if you are in the
US…a PvE server if you are used to playing on a PvE
server…and to be sure that if you wish to play with your
friends you all choose the same realm.
Press continue to move onward
where you will find a confirmation menu. Read the disclaimers and if
you are absolutely sure you wish to copy this character click
“Yes, Copy Me!” from here you will only need to
wait the allotted time for your character to copy. However, if you feel
you have made a mistake simply click “Cancel” to
begin the journey again.
Downloading and Installing
the
PTR
Now that you’ve
copied some characters you probably want to jump right into the PTR,
but your not sure what to do next. Before you can get in some play time
you will need to download and install the PTR client. Continue reading
on for a step by step walkthrough to make your download and install of
the PTR client a snap:
- Go to the
href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/" target="_blank">World
of Warcraft
or target="_blank">Blizzard website
and log onto your account
- Click on “Download
Game Clients” found on the right side of your Account Summary
page.
- Choose to download the
Public Test Realm Client for either Windows or Mac by clicking on the
appropriate icon.
- Save the file to the
location of your choice (If you are exceptionally lazy like me just
place it on your desktop).
width="245">PTR
Launcher Downloading Updates.
- Open the newly downloaded
file and run it, which will activate
the Blizzard Downloader.
- Choose where you would like
the PTR to be downloaded to and then wait (this is a great time to grab
a drink or a snack) as the program installs to your computer.
- Once fully installed the
Blizzard Launcher will automatically appear and will begin downloading
updated tools after which the Launcher may vanish for several seconds.
- After the tools have been
downloaded the Launcher will reappear and then begin to download any
and all patching information. This could potentially take awhile, so
feel free to pursue other avenues of interest while this occurs.
- Once your PTR client is
fully
updated you may press the play button and log on to your account with
your user name and password as per usual.
- Once logged in you should be
taken to your character screen where you will find your previously
copied characters. Don’t have characters copied? Check out
the Copying Characters section of this guide for more information!
- Choose the
character you wish to play, log on, and proceed with enjoying some
awesome PTR goodness.
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our World of Warcraft Game Page.
