Closed Beta to Select Forum Members?

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by silver593, Feb 15, 2013.

?

Would you like Concernedape to consider this idea?

  1. Yes!

    42.5%
  2. No.

    57.5%
  1. Wasselin

    Wasselin Pangalactic Porcupine

    We all want to play the game, but isn't that a waste of time? I'm not sure of the difficulty but I don't think it's just a simple matter to create a beta test and make sure it is secure.

    I think a paid beta would be easiest closer to when the game releases for pre-order. It can still serve the purpose of catching bugs but not delay development because by that point the code will be ready to "ship"
     
    • Ghostar

      Ghostar Steakeater

      I think too many indie games give open betas just to please the public. Most people who enter it are not even doing their job which IS to look for bugs and such. I feel it would be best to have a closed beta with select people you feel would actually look for bugs, especially if you know this person dose something very well. For example you would pick someone who does a lot of mix and match mass building to test out if there are any errors with how blocks mesh together and such, someone who does a lot of exploring and has played a ton of games where you do such a thing would be best to see if certain things are too hard for normal players to find.
       
      • Echo

        Echo Big Damn Hero

        Not sure what you are not getting as I not only stated my poll position but also explained why I disagree with a closed beta of forum members. I feel that CA would benefit more from beta testing with friends and family more than he would with beta testing with those who frequent this forum. If the friends and family overlap into the forum frequenter category then so be it but at this point the classification would be family and friends rather than forum goers...
         
        • Rainbow Dash

          Rainbow Dash Oxygen Tank

          if you can name 3 i will give you a medel
           
          • Ghostar

            Ghostar Steakeater

            I could name 30.
             
            • Rainbow Dash

              Rainbow Dash Oxygen Tank

              if you have to pay to get into beta it doent count lol
               
                silver593 likes this.
              • Rekalty

                Rekalty Friend of the Night

                You're mixing up Starbound with this game, me thinks.
                 
                • falseangel

                  falseangel Phantasmal Quasar

                  As much as i would love to play this game early, I would love a polished and complete product even more. So maybe if it doesn't take too much time a beta would be ok, but if it takes time from actually releasing the game, then I have to be against the notion of a beta.
                   
                  • Cloakedboltz

                    Cloakedboltz Guest

                    I wouldn't mind an early access beta, but it comes with problems. The dev is literally taken hostage by its customers at this stage. Every new feature or fix must be implemented without breaking saves or the game. When the game is released this is a more realistic approach but when the game is in beta sometimes things can change drastically (even if beta is meant to fix bugs, not add features).
                     
                    • silver593

                      silver593 Subatomic Cosmonaut

                      No, starbound does have a beta with friends and family but so does stardew valley, he has viseos of him playing with other players in stardewvalley.
                       
                      • Echo

                        Echo Big Damn Hero

                        Which is all he needs at this point.
                         
                        • silver593

                          silver593 Subatomic Cosmonaut

                          My point is that it would speed development, 4 people playing the game can find bugs, but if you have 400 people playing you're far more likely to find bugs quicker. People want the game to be well polished and released asap. Which will not happen if four people themselves must find the thousands of bugs that thousands of beta testers could be finding. Once all the major bugs are found, its only a matter of time until he releases it. Yes, it may take a week or so to make a beta client for download, but it could improve the overall quality of the game and make it more bug free.
                           
                          • Dust

                            Dust Giant Laser Beams

                            I'm all for CA doing a closed BETA (which he's already doing with people he trusts)

                            I voted No though due to the wording of the suggestion. Closed BETA to select forum members. Can the average forum member be trusted to set aside playing the game, for the enjoyment of the game itself, to actively search for bugs? I don't think so.

                            A lot of the magic in games goes away if you over analyse them, but that's exactly what Alpha and Beta Testers are expected to do.
                             
                              Echo and Rekalty like this.
                            • Echo

                              Echo Big Damn Hero

                              The way you are presenting your idea is the problem I think. As you want to limit it to those that are not necessarily friends to CA but just members of the forum. Besides I have no idea how beta testing works and if I were to be selected I would be of no help regardless of the ,as you say 399, others. So now apply that to majority of the forum and you will have an issue when selecting. All in all my opinion is that being a forum member is a terrible criteria for a closed beta.
                               
                              • silver593

                                silver593 Subatomic Cosmonaut

                                I suppose you don't have to be forum member, anyone can sign for beta, but in order to post bugs there would need to be a bug thread on the forum.
                                 
                                • silver593

                                  silver593 Subatomic Cosmonaut

                                  Many people had a problem with my wording so went back and tried to correct it as much as possible, we don't want too many beta testers because that would spoil the game.
                                   
                                  • Cheesey

                                    Cheesey Title Not Found

                                    Look, be it forum members or non forum members, he doesn't know the people whom he's intrusting it with.
                                    I'd rather have the creator intrust a person he knows well and trusts, rather than me. There would be a stronger
                                    connection. And if there was a listing for closed-beta, there has to be an application of your skills, history, and
                                    preferences on other games that they might have been a part of. Whatever the case might be, let the man do what
                                    he wants, its his game and we should respect his opinion and choice.
                                     
                                      Echo likes this.
                                    • silver593

                                      silver593 Subatomic Cosmonaut

                                      I agree on the application, the new Skyrim MMO had that.
                                       
                                      • Cheesey

                                        Cheesey Title Not Found

                                        Not just the Skyrim MMO.
                                        All, if not, many MMO's and video games require you to fill an application.
                                        I can understand if fans want to get their hands on it early, but please leave it
                                        to the trusted people, known family, friends, and professionals that have done
                                        this so, that you can receive a beautifully clean product.
                                         
                                        • Tojo

                                          Tojo Existential Complex

                                          I dont believe in a closed beta for forum members because it will breed ill feeling towards the members who are in and those who are not. Close friends and family is more understandable since you know everyone and its not a group of strangers with little to no connection to each other( with the few exceptions of course). Now if there were a close beta then there would have to be some way to determine they do what beta testers are supposed to do, and thats bug hunt. But how do you regulate this, i have no idea im not a game dev. But from a business type stand point you can make the players go through a sort of check list. Previous bugs get tested in a new build, and players make note of new bugs. Reports are sent in and done. To counteract people just playing the game you can set a quota, if the person doesnt get near the quota, like any where near the quota, then you ask other players in the same build why this player didnt meet the quota. Determining who goes into the beta probably comes down to an application, but those can be iffy for lack of a better term.
                                           

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