Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

I have an average system, so that will work in my favor http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

About previous beta experience.. The form looks like this..

Do you have experience in beta testing? Y/N ____
Games Tested: ____________________________
____________________________
____________________________

If you can answer Yes to the question then it would seem to me that in the 'Games Tested:' section you can list programs 'other' than games. I think Aaron just put 'Games' because that is what this beta is for.

People, you should not hold back info, and don't take the application form 'litteraly' it's not a precice science.

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

P.S. Although there is no section for "About You!" it is always a good idea to let Aaron know more about who you are. Personally, I'd compose a nice e-mail saying why you want to be in the beta and who you are, and at the bottom, paste in the beta form with the required info filled out. Does this make sense? I hope this helps, Good luck everyone.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

I participated in a few open betas, would those count?

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

NullAshton, that could be placed in the 'About Me' section.

Common sense should prevail, but any guidance I can give I do so gladly.

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Edit: BTW I hope you are all using your 'real' name on these apps, because I'm sure you will be overlooked if you don't. You can of course say you are known as "ForumNick" on the forums. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif I know this is probably obvious, but I thought other things were too. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Why do you always say cheers?

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

It's called an exit wound, and basically sums up "Have a nice day, be well, and enjoy!"

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

(See what I mean?) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

You do it every time... Why don't you just put it in your signature?

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

I tried that, but kept forgetting it was in my sig so I ended up with a double exit wound, it was too painfull.

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

P.S. Now stop hijacking this thread. I'll be on #spaceempires later.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Hacking threads is fun http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

The beta isn't an april fools joke, is it?

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Both?? How about the top and the bottom. I really didn't feel like posting specs on 20+ systems.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

I learned with HOI 2 that I just don't have the time to beta test. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

i applied... did not make it in the last two times... so no worries... if i don't make it this time then i will await the game and play it then and complain that the beta testers where on crack... await gold release to fix problems http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Ah! Now you see why I needed to triple check the form. I'm terrible at this English stuff.
--
TAZ

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

I hope everyone here knows what it is to beta test, it's not "play the game before it get released"-stuff eh, it's mainly an exercise in frustration, but maybe i'm biased because I always have to beta-test and debug at the same time. maybe the debugging is the more agrevating point, maybe not.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Beta-testing is where you get to participate in making the game. Your ideas usually get placed in the game http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Also a beta test is not suppose to be a nit pick free for all. The developer is looking for feed back yes, but not out right negative critisim of their products. The most likely need and want all feed back that a beta test has, but that does not mean that they want to a steady diet of "This sucks" "That sucks," etc. If something sucks, be detailed and explain why it sucks and be specific about what it is you would like to see done to improve it.

Bug reports are the most helpful thing to a developer, or so I would think. So reporting those, along with detailed information about how you came acrossed it would be the most advantagious thing to do. (Or so it is my opinion.)

I have seen so many beta tests go south because people post about how bad the beta is when they fail to understand that it is a BETA and not the finished product.

Case in point Tribes Vengence. Although the big issue there was the cheating on the MP games, ignored by VUG, the beta degenerated into a negative posting fest of epic proportions. It got so bad they closed the forum. The game was not bad, it just was not good.

Space Empires players are far more decidely professional than the twitch monekies that participated in the T:V beta so my confidence is high that Aaron will be getting the best beta testers in the world.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

The trick is GOOD bug reports. Details people, details!
Debugging is fun, if you ask me... then again, I'm insane.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

I beta'd on Ultima Online. Now THAT was a headache. There were so many awesome features that I thought would make it into the final edit, like Necromancy and the like, but I guess they just couldn't work out the kinks at the time, and EA said hurry up. So come launch day I play the game and was annoyed because I was such an advocate for so many of the features that got tossed.

Reporting the bugs was insane. Simple insane. Like, put me in a rubber room I don't want to talk about walking through walls or Corp Por backlashing ever again... oh my GOD!

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

David, do you think I could re-send my revised application, including the features you mentioned above (info about me, why I have so much time to test, details of modding & shipset experience, etc.) ??? Would that get me disqualified, or would it simply replace my old application

Re: SEV Betatest...
 

Fantastic! I was getting tired of modding Rome:TW and MOO3 mobs...(yes, I was desperate enough for a 4x space strategy "hit" that I tried that p..o..s.. again - I even played a few games of Ascendancy and IG2 just for kicks)

Re: SEV Betatest...
 

I've beta'ed so many things Ive forgotten the names of most of them lol

Re: SEV Betatest...
 

For those people who will try betatesting for the first time:
How to Report Bugs Effectively

Good luck, guys.

Re: SEV Betatest...
 

i use cmm for bug reporting... I test all the time at work and apply the same level to beta testing. You can beta test a game you hate... You just have to become a pure tester... Start on page 1 and test every aspect of the game. Do the links work etc... spelling... test combat...

Re: SEV Betatest...
 

Hi all,

This is just great. The beta test of SE V is announced and immediately you see some 'old' faces appear. Really cool.

*Does a little worshippy to pay Zircher respect for his work in the B5 Mod of old*
*Doe slittle worshippy to pay hommage to Tampa_Gamer for his work to numerous AI's and of course the beloved soundpack*
*Doe slittle worshippy to everyone else who's shown his/her muscles for the further development of our fine community*

Hope I didn't overdone it... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/redface.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif


Edit:
Oh yeah, I had a question too. What did everyone filled in in the spot about the time you have for beta testing? I filled in 12 hours. Seemed enough, I could make more time but that wouldn't give me enough time to do my real job... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Filled in 10+ hrs I believe. That's less than it actually is, I could possibly get up to 20 hours per week or more on beta testing.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

I put down 20 hours. If the beta is even just barely PLAYABLE, I'll be lucky if I can LIMIT myself to playing it for less than that....

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

totally. if you dont make it in, take solace in the realization that all the problems are someone ELSE's fault. Personally, I plan on blaming Fyron. Wither hes in the Beta or not.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Sigh. What I wouldn't give to NOT be massively busy for the next two months.

bummer.

Re: SEV Betatest...
 

I figured out how to ensure that atleast 19 of us will make it to the beta. See, if I can incapacite all but 19 people on this forum, and all various applicants that don't post here, then there will be a 100% chance that those 19 individuals will get on the beta.

Re: SEV Betatest...
 

Hey, don't have to worry about me. I'm not applying. April just happens to be the month where I'll need to finish up all my projects and get ready for -- and take -- my final exams. I don't think putting a negative number of hours availible for testing will get me anywhere http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Now, in May, once all that pesky stuff is out of the way, I'll be bugging all the testers (heh, bugging... get it? get it???) to hurry up and make sure everything is good. So I can buy it.

Or maybe I can work with tesco and some of the testers on the SEV version of PBW. Are you still planning on doing that tesco?

Re: SEV Betatest...
 

hey will beta testing takes longer than a month you know... and it does carry on after the release... Each Service pack has to be tested as well..

Mention that in your application... Down at the bottom.

Re: SEV Betatest...
 

Quoted to stress importance, to everyone getting into the beta: this is a must read.
I'm a programmer myself and every single point he states in that paper is 100% correct, follow it like if it were the bible.

Re: SEV Betatest...
 

I put down 30 hours a week for testing... I figured 4 to 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, even more on weekends.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

I also did not put that "about me" info in my application will that affect our chances?

Re: SEV Betatest...
 

At first I think I put something like 14-18 hours, but then I realized that if I started having trouble in school or if something else more important came up I would not be able to spend that much time beta testing. So I put a weak 4-8 hours in as my time. This is something I know I can do pretty much no matter what goes wrong.
Now I see everyone putting in these large amounts of hours for beta testing and all I can say is that if you can dedicate 30 or so hours a week beta testing someone's software for free then you'd be a much more useful beta tester than I. Maybe I should have multiplied my numbers by ten just to keep up with the competition http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Edit: Woohooo! I'm a Corporal now. *does a little dance* http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/Penguin.gif

Re: SEV Betatest...
 

Well, my job as a software developer takes up a fair bit of time, but mostly, I spend a lot of time doing nothing, like watching TV, and I've already my books that I have. (I'm saving the Salmon of Doubt for the flight back anyhow)
Living in a hotel for a few months kinda sucks...

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Probably not, it really shouldn't matter. But what do I know?

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

I applied. Don't think I'll get in, but I applied. I have minimal programing experience (does basic count?) and no beta testing experience. But, I figure, its always worth a shot.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

just sent my aplication.... i´m pretty sure i will not be selected since i live in Brasil, but it does not cost anything to apply....

I´m a lawyer but i have a very good programming background, as i was a database systems programmer before i become a lawyer and still tinker a little with programing...

Other good point i have is the number of machines ( and system configurations) i have... i have 6 computers with various configurations and systems, being 5 desktops and 1 notebook, with processors rangind from 550Mhz up to 2.4Ghz, from 4mb sis video cards up to geforce 64mb video cards (and an old Voodoo 3 16mb video card)... in Operating systems i have from Win98 up to WinXP some in single and others in dual-boot, and even a linux machine...

I send all my machines specs and my experinece in program debbuging but i´m pretty sure i will not be selected because i live in Brasil...

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

And what is it about living in Brazil that would eliminate you from the selection? Sounds to me like you make a VERY good chance of making it, as you have all those systems.....

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

the problem is if Aaron would send the betas by CDs instead of downloading it (i have a DSL conection, so dowloading would not be a problem), since to mail the game to Brasil would take too much time and bother...

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

look, all you international folks who think you dont have a chance at the beta: quit your pissing.

Im pretty certain that Mephisto was a member of the previous beta test (maybe even as far back as SE2 and 3), and he's in Germany. The thing is open to everyone.

calm down.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

CDs are almost a certainty.

Beta CDs were send out for the previous game betas (SF, DO), and SE5 will be bigger than they were.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Another point, SE5 is fully intended for international release so it would seem to me that having a variety of 'nationalities' on the beta team will be of great benefit. (how else will aaron know if the game runs properly on a foreign keyboard/system?)

IMHO, everyone has as good a chance as the person next to them.

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Could you tell us the chances of getting a beta testing slot?

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

*Looks next to him* Hmmm...I don't see anyone next to me. So does that mean I have an even better chance of getting in? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

I wish I could sign up this time around but I just do not have the time to dedicate to a betatest. I would only be able to spend less than 5 hours a week to testing so that is not worth it in my opinion.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Beta testing is fun if you know what you're doing. If you don't know how to be desriptive relating to problems, you'd be surprised how quickly it can devolve into a mess.

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Puke I am "international" (I live in the Netherlands) and I'm not panicking. I just sent in my beta form, done. Air mail, anyone?

And again, how many slots are there for the beta test?

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

I think there's 50...

Re: w00t Beta Testing w00t
 

Ah crap! Another Dutchman. Het wordt steeds voller met die lui. Het is net als op vakantie, je komt OVERAL wel een Hollander tegen, het is bijna een plaag...
I'm not feeling any special anymore. There was a time there were only two of us, now we are with many. Slowely taking over this joint. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif