Starscape mod enters public beta!

Shadowstar · #1 January 18th, 2003, 10:50 PM

The term public beta means that the testing is no longer limited to the "internal" team, though it's not like I'm developing this mod out of some software company...

For most of the mod's development, we've been testing it within the existing player base, a small group already familiar with the previous incarnations of Starscape and participating in current games. Now that it's going into public beta, anyone can sign up for it, hence the announcement here; a "public" announcement...

Obviously people still have to sign up before they can download it. This is a PBEM mod after all... If I just made it a public download, I'd likely end up with a ton more testers than I could ever possibly use. Part of good testing is for the developer(s) to be able to maintain some level of control and observation over the testing process. Of course, with the way alot of development Groups go about running things these days, It's no surprise every single game released these days needs to be patched constantly for 3-4 months after "final" release before its reasonably bug-free...

Ok I should stop now before I start ranting...

Fyron · #2 January 19th, 2003, 12:03 AM

If only a select group is allowed to beta test it, then it is a Private Beta. Public Beta means all of the Public is the beta testing team (see Civilization 3 for an example

).

Shadowstar · #3 January 20th, 2003, 10:48 AM

No, that's not it either. We're not doing internal testing anymore. That's the point of this announcement, that it's no longer a limited group.

Basically, now the game is going to be tested from the same player base as with the final release.

Fyron · #4 January 20th, 2003, 12:42 PM

So why don't you just post a link to the download? Then it would truly be a public beta.

mlmbd · #5 January 22nd, 2003, 09:04 PM

Shadowstar, I don't mean to be a stick in the mud. But, do you really want to play test this mod? If the play testers are going to be by invite or first come, then it is not public. It is just being play tested as a 'Beta'. Arguing about what it is seems pretty foolish. You want Play Testers, Great! You will need to agree that it is a 'Beta' that needs further testing. Unless you release the mod for all to D/L. Then you will have your 'Public Beta', available for testing.

mlmbd

Shadowstar · #6 January 29th, 2003, 12:08 AM

Remember that this is a GM-driven PBEM game, so releasing the client as a general download wouldn't really help as any bugs that could be found that way have already been found and fixed (I've done this already). Aside from that, the actual game that could be played without a host would be lacking many of the features I need to test, and would just look and play weird.

Maybe I should have mentioned that Starscape is being designed as a strictly multiplayer mod. I only used a few small single-player games on the host module to work out initial bugs.

I'm surprised, I had figured other people had done this sort of thing before, but I get the feeling that the mod I'm creating is more radical than anything anyone else has tried before...

I guess that's a good thing?

mlmbd · #7 January 29th, 2003, 05:52 PM

OK, have it your way!

mlmbd