I've been suggesting similar ideas for a while now.
Still think making Kadala, Myriam, and Haedrig have no cost at all would enable way more real testing to be done as it would enable to build up any spec in record time for testing when new seasons launch in PTR. If for some reason startup without help needs to be monitored it can be disabled for a few days once a season start to still get all that new/fresh season leveling up data.
Having a PTR vendor are awesome news as it can always be updated to have as many pages of as many items/bags as needed (from any and all sets!).
There are some prices and changes we leave intact, particularly if we're looking to change gold flow or the impact it has on gameplay. I'm not 100% sure that's the case for this PTR, but I'm happy to pass on that feedback and make the suggestion!
I am a bot. Here's a transcript of the linked blue post for those of you at work:
New PTR-Only Item Vendor
Nevalistis / Community Manager
*Note: This feature is not yet live. Please read below.\*
With the Patch 2.4.3 PTR, we wanted to try a little experiment based on the feedback from previous PTRs. Many players had trouble testing new items in the past and, as we continue to add more and more legendary items to the game to test, it gets harder to track them down and find them (even when a legendary drop rate buff is in effect).
We will be introducing a new vendor to help with this issue, who sells PTR-exclusive Bags of Fortune. These bags contain all the new class-specific items that have been introduced in Patch 2.4.3. Once the vendor is available, they will be located in all town hubs.
However, this vendor didn't make it into the first patch in time for PTR launch. In the meantime, we've hotfixed a temporary solution— all normal Rift Guardians will drop a guaranteed PTR Bag of Fortune . Note that this loot will only drop from Guardians in regular Nephalem Rifts and not Greater Rifts.
We hope this eases the PTR testing process and look forward to hearing your feedback!
Nevalistis
There are some prices and changes we leave intact, particularly if we're looking to change gold flow or the impact it has on gameplay. I'm not 100% sure that's the case for this PTR, but I'm happy to pass on that feedback and make the suggestion!
Nevalistis
High-five, /u/d3posterbot.
o/ \o