If this is the case...they are not very good testers. Testers should be testing all possible uses of software.
The fact is that they missed major bugs that they should of caught....lets just hope they fix the issues fast and correctly
You have no idea about how programming and software QA works, right?
But let me explain, just so that we can move on:
If you bugtest certain features and elements of your game, you usually bugtest them in isolation for pure functionality, then test only the combinations that have strong cross-references. For example, in case of an inventory system, you check out the basic features: equipping, un-equipping, art changes, etc. ... you don't have the time to test all these routines in every possible combination with each other. You just check the most critical parts and then just assume that the rest works.
The Save/Load bug is particulary hard to detect in this case, as it requires multiple conditions to be true at the same time:
1) having the right characters
2) in the right place
3) with the right items
4) and after performing a completely unrelated task (saving and loading)
5) the bugtester actually checks the hero stats afterwards
If just one condition is false, the bug doesn't happen or gets by unnoticed.
Chances are the bugtester at some point actually did notice that the stats were changed, but couldn't backtrack it to saving and loading in the particular area. This is basicly the same as charging bike theft against unknown: it's extremely unlikely they can track it down if they don't have the critical information (in this case: location sensitive), especially with this very specific set of conditions. It just isn't going to happen.
Just like hundreds of players didn't even notice that their stats changed until they almost completed the game (at the same time complaining about it being way too easy on hard mode) it is very likely they encountered this bug in their playtesting, but marked it as "could not reproduce" as they were in the wrong area and moved on.
The MMO Archeage had a particular gamebreaking bug (and gamebreaking bugs are even more devestating in online games with a monthly subscription and micro transactions) that only had two conditions to reproduce that were spread silently among players until one player opened his mouth. And even that bug slipped under the radar, simply because without clear instructions to reproduce, it's hard to actually fix a bug in a complicated game.
And the bug I'm talking about was not only damaging from a gameplay perspective, but also damaging from a financial perspective, as it basicly allowed players to create an infinite amount of micro-transaction credits in the game. One would think that this is the most critical system for any MMO developer and that they would properly test it for any possible abuse scenario. But this wasn't the case. You just don't have the resources to catch everything.
I actually work as a developer and work with a QA team and I really don't think that these types of bugs should be missed. They are pretty major bugs that effect character stats and totally unbalance the game.
But anyway....we will have to disagree. I think that they should of caught these bugs and you don't.
Lets just hope that they can fix correctly and in good time.
