The second patch was used to check if the tickrate improvements were still working as intended.
As a result, a majority of players reported that engagements were much smoother and more accurate. A significant addition in the patch was that the player tickrate was increased from 10Hz to 30Hz. The first patch's focus was on gathering server performance data after adding server improvements, as well as ensuring there were no issues that resulted from the changes. Much of the testing during this initiative resulted in the changes added in the June 3 patch to the retail game. The first initiative was focused on network improvements, and had five patches during testing. The CTE is updated with new initiatives in regular intervals which control which servers are up and running, and what game-modes are available to play at any given time.
Premium members on consoles also have access to the Community Test Environment on PC and do not need to own a copy of the game. The CTE is currently only available for Premium players due to limited space, though DICE plans to make it available to all PC players in the future. While the CTE is only available on PC and Xbox One, DICE LA plans to eventually implement changes to all platforms. As such, gameplay within the CTE does not affect a player's soldier in the actual game.
The feature puts players in a completely separate version of Battlefield 4 and Battlelog, requiring players to create new soldiers in order to participate. Introduced to Battlefield 4 on for PC and Xbox One on July 6, 2015, the feature was developed by DICE Los Angeles to get feedback directly from the players themselves and adjust gameplay accordingly in response to the numerous issues that plagued Battlefield 4 after release as well as help in the development of Battlefield Hardline. The Public Test Environment was a test version of Battlefield Play4Free, functioning in a similar manner as the PTE in Battlefield Heroes. The RTE tested features and content that could potentially break accounts or cause sensory overload. The Restricted Test Environment ( RTE) is a testing environment similar to the PTE, however it is heavily restricted to only approved players. Additionally, instead of purchasing Battlefunds or Play4Free Funds, players were given test currency in order to purchase items in development. The PTE required players to create and use test accounts and characters and did not carry over any progress to the main version of the game.
It allowed players to test and provide feedback of some new features and items before they would be implemented in the main game, and was only open for a few weeks at a time. The Public Test Environment ( PTE) is a test version of Battlefield Heroes first introduced in March 2010.