A Guide on How To Be A Good Beta Tester

[SavageB]

I know beta testing could be a while away, but I figured Id post some key points on what/what not to do during a beta test for when it hits.

Points to keep in mind if you are chosen:

1. DO report bugs with vast amounts of information, screenshots and timestamps.
2. DO test as many features as possible in as many ways as possible.
3. DO consult with other tester's for answer's to potential problems you maybe experiencing in-game before making an angry post in the forums.
4.DO suggest as many changes with as many justifications for your creative suggestion's. ( this is a big one, it's one thing to complain about a feature or lack of then just saying "this sucks" and not give a creative explanation or remedy for the problem)
5.DO support creative new approaches to in-game abilities,play styles and progression types.


The DO NOT's of beta testing:

1. DO NOT play the beta like a shareware demo - It's a beta, not a opportunity for F2P free ride.
2. DO NOT come to the forums to complain at dev's and players because the servers maybe down, usually a reason for it.
3. DO NOT expect conformity within feature sets and game play. As in comparing one game to PS2, this is a different game.
4. DO NOT play the beta for 1 day, then come and make final judgement's on "how utterly terribad this game is" because your experience was not what you expected (this is pretty common). Be realistic.
5. DO NOT talk about the game outside of beta test forums allotted to you. IE. do not tell your friends family anything about the game as it can get you in trouble under the NDA.

If any one here does not know what an NDA is, it stands for Non Disclosure Agreement, its a waiver that you must sign confirming that everything during the beta test much be hush hush.


If you are selected for beta, I hope you test it for the right reasons, the more feedback SOE receives during the beta the better this game will be.

Best of luck!

[Bags]

6.) Break everything.

[Sifer2]

Is there even a beta coming soon? Anyway kind of pointless to post as people will play it like its the real game anyway. That's why more MMO's are waiting until really late to do a open beta anymore. Sometimes only doing it on weekends to save costs. An pretty much treating like a demo/marketing tool.

Most of the testing will be done by professionals an small selected groups of outfits I imagine during closed beta.

[Bags]

Most of the testing will be done by professionals an small selected groups of outfits I imagine during closed beta.

>implying you can test a game of this scale with small groups of players.

Smed has said current subscribers will be among the first into beta. :p suck it

[SavageB]

Is there even a beta coming soon? Anyway kind of pointless to post as people will play it like its the real game anyway. That's why more MMO's are waiting until really late to do a open beta anymore. Sometimes only doing it on weekends to save costs. An pretty much treating like a demo/marketing tool.

Most of the testing will be done by professionals an small selected groups of outfits I imagine during closed beta.

An open beta is usually 1-2 months before release, mostly for stress tests. There will be a closed beta for this game, as bags mentioned most likely the current subs will have access.

[Bags]

Yeah. One of the things they've been stressing is how much they want to listen to feedback in beta. It'd be rather silly if they had the shortest beta possible with that goal.

[Roy Awesome]

>implying you can test a game of this scale with small groups of players.

Smed has said current subscribers will be among the first into beta. :p suck it

You can. Basic software testing for bugs is done via code, not human testing. What they probably want is a group to stress test the server. They will get that

[exLupo]

External alpha and cb testing is usually basic functionality testing. You don't have enough bodies for any kind of stress test but you have plenty of eyes to examine interaction between systems as they are introduced. A whole lot of macro balancing happens as well.

Systems and content feedback is probably the best things an external tester can provide. Try to break things but you likely won't find much. Engines are so compartmentalized anymore that most issues are easy to track and nail down.

Be objective; trying to get the game to suit your play style doesn't help anyone.
Be verbose; the more relevant info you can provide on a bug or design defect, the better.
Be polite; you are a guest in someone else's house.

[SavageB]

External alpha and cb testing is usually basic functionality testing. You don't have enough bodies for any kind of stress test but you have plenty of eyes to examine interaction between systems as they are introduced. A whole lot of macro balancing happens as well.

Systems and content feedback is probably the best things an external tester can provide. Try to break things but you likely won't find much. Engines are so compartmentalized anymore that most issues are easy to track and nail down.

Be objective; trying to get the game to suit your play style doesn't help anyone.
Be verbose; the more relevant info you can provide on a bug or design defect, the better.
Be polite; you are a guest in someone else's house.

All good points

[SurgeonX]

Basic software testing for bugs is done via code, not human testing.

Crikey, you must work in some sort of amazing development utopia :D

If you are talking about unit testing, then yes, it can be used to ensure that the code is correct before being checked in. But where I work, bugs are still identified by manual and automated scripts, and ad-hoc testing.
I can't imagine any Test Team Leaders in our place trusting only unit tests to find bugs.
But then, we do have 20 year old spaghetti code with a mish-mash of UI, business and data layers.

[Vancha]

If what we've lead to believe is correct, the early beta testers may have a great deal of influence over what we end up receiving as the finished product, so I certainly hope anyone lucky enough to gets in doesn't just treat it as a try before they buy...

I'm looking at you.

[exLupo]

...I certainly hope anyone lucky enough to gets in doesn't just treat it as a try before they buy...

The majority will, sadly. Looking back at the Global Agenda alpha, the steam group was small and about 20 of us regularly posted. Early closed beta grew much larger and and still only had about 50-100 regular posters across all forums.

The external alpha percentage is usually fairly good because they're hand picked. CB is pretty poor because it's usually machine selection. However, that's taken into account when making those numbers. You get a percentage of actual analysts and then the rest are there to provide game context for those analysts to do their jobs. Can't test in a vacuum. :)

[CutterJohn]

Yeah. One of the things they've been stressing is how much they want to listen to feedback in beta. It'd be rather silly if they had the shortest beta possible with that goal.

$ makes the rules, sadly. Not everyone can support a years worth of Betas like starcraft2 had.

[SavageB]

$ makes the rules, sadly. Not everyone can support a years worth of Betas like starcraft2 had.

Ya true enough but I think we will have a decent beta with PS2.

[Sifer2]

>implying you can test a game of this scale with small groups of players.

Smed has said current subscribers will be among the first into beta. :p suck it


I'll believe it when I see it. Did he say ALL subscribers would be the first into beta? Cause if not then I could still be right. That they will pick certain outfits an do most of the testing with them.

I do see your point about it being hard to test large scale combat without thousands to actually slug it out. But that doesn't mean they will open the floodgates for a year or more of testing to every subscriber. Well if you had to stay subscribed then maybe since it would pretty much be a pay to play Beta then.

[exLupo]

They could let all of the current subs in. There can't be that many.

[DxC]

decent post but some of the points are mostly common sense

idea behind betas etc is to Test and make sure things are working properly unforntaly though you will get the Airheads who think its the full game and have every right to bitch about it not working for them

[SKYeXile]

In a game like planetside, it will need thousands of players to stress test it but also since the game is based around pvp, it will need alot of players to test the flow of a battle its game systems for capturing, and playing it like it would be played on live, and spending alot of time doing that, the developers cant spend that much time playing to test that shit. and im sure SOE dont want to pay extra people thousands of dollars to test that shit when they can get us to test it for free and look at the metrics.

[WarChimp130]

The majority will, sadly. Looking back at the Global Agenda alpha, the steam group was small and about 20 of us regularly posted. Early closed beta grew much larger and and still only had about 50-100 regular posters across all forums.

The external alpha percentage is usually fairly good because they're hand picked. CB is pretty poor because it's usually machine selection. However, that's taken into account when making those numbers. You get a percentage of actual analysts and then the rest are there to provide game context for those analysts to do their jobs. Can't test in a vacuum. :)

Dude they let everyone into Global Agenda's Alpha it feels like. I got into Alpha and I didn't even really want to be in it. Can't stand 3rd person shooters.

[krnasaur]

wait. you mean beta isn't just for playing the game before everyone else?

[WarChimp130]

Beta only exists for bragging rights so that people who get in can lord it over the people who don't and add 3 inches to their e-p33n.

[MgFalcon]

I've Beta tested manyyyy games. I know what to do, and not to do. I even warned the creators back when APB was getting big to NOT release the game cause it was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too repetitive. They didn't listen and the game was one of the biggest flops ever.

[Duddy]

I was fortunate enough to be an Alpha tester for Global Agenda.

Had a lot of fun testing things such s as the "not-so-invincible" Assault shield and mostly the ins and outs of the Robotics class.

Shame they started going in the wrong direction during Beta though. I did test till release, heck even bought the game, but it just wasn't the game I'd seen promise in. :confused:

But yeah, look forward to testing PS:2 should I be so lucky :D

[Death2All]

I think the most effective way to be a good beta tester is to be a complete asshole. I don't think this will be a hard role to fit for most people on these forums ;)

[SavageB]

I was fortunate enough to be an Alpha tester for Global Agenda.

Had a lot of fun testing things such s as the "not-so-invincible" Assault shield and mostly the ins and outs of the Robotics class.

Shame they started going in the wrong direction during Beta though. I did test till release, heck even bought the game, but it just wasn't the game I'd seen promise in. :confused:

But yeah, look forward to testing PS:2 should I be so lucky :D


I was too a tester for GA, I loved how they never did test AvA at all and expected it to be amazing on release, Hi rez were pretty funny. I gave that game up months ago because of crappy AvA and they wonder why they are losing playerbase.

[Bags]

I'll believe it when I see it. Did he say ALL subscribers would be the first into beta? Cause if not then I could still be right. That they will pick certain outfits an do most of the testing with them.

I do see your point about it being hard to test large scale combat without thousands to actually slug it out. But that doesn't mean they will open the floodgates for a year or more of testing to every subscriber. Well if you had to stay subscribed then maybe since it would pretty much be a pay to play Beta then.

You're acting like PS1 has a lot of subscribers :p

[Malorn]

Patience is about the best quality of a beta tester. Its frustrating to play with bugs that can severely cripple your game experience, like crashes, bad framerates and other such things that can make the game nearly unplayable. Horrid balance issues and other such things are also frustrating. Keeping the cool head and being patient, hanging in there and playing it in spite of those issues helps a lot.

That said, you can be the best beta tester in the world but if the devs dont' listen to the feedback or do poor triage of bugs then there isn't much you can do.

[SavageB]

Patience is about the best quality of a beta tester. Its frustrating to play with bugs that can severely cripple your game experience, like crashes, bad framerates and other such things that can make the game nearly unplayable. Horrid balance issues and other such things are also frustrating. Keeping the cool head and being patient, hanging in there and playing it in spite of those issues helps a lot.

That said, you can be the best beta tester in the world but if the devs dont' listen to the feedback or do poor triage of bugs then there isn't much you can do.

Fortunately for us the devs seem to really wanna listen to the playerbase this time around :)

[Coreldan]

I've Beta tested manyyyy games. I know what to do, and not to do. I even warned the creators back when APB was getting big to NOT release the game cause it was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too repetitive. They didn't listen and the game was one of the biggest flops ever.

It wasn't really about lack of listening, but lack of budget. RTW was bankrupt before the game was even out and they needed to release it and hope it would keep the company afloat enough for it to recover. That didn't happen though.

About the repetitiveness, the ideology behind the game is much like that of Counter Strike. Counter Strike is extremely repetitive like most online shooters, yet that does not bother majority of the players.

One of the problem is though that APB also tried to appeal to alot of MMORPG-playerbase, and these arnt too much into repetitiveness. As an online shooter, APB is the least repetitive I've ever played.

[Tigersmith]

Yea I believe everyone that is a Planetside Sub will get into the beta.

Just please make sure guys. That everyone stays active and reports bugs and posts opinions on everything in the game.

Good Feedback is soo crucial to this game. The Planetside Community needs to step up!

[Logit]

Yea I believe everyone that is a Planetside Sub will get into the beta.

Just please make sure guys. That everyone stays active and reports bugs and posts opinions on everything in the game.

Good Feedback is soo crucial to this game. The Planetside Community needs to step up!

This.

As much as the company keeps reiterating that they are listening and our feedback actually matters. The more constructive criticism we can provide, the better off we will all be in the end.

[Infektion]

I thought beta's were just to have EZ mode when game release...

[SavageB]

I thought beta's were just to have EZ mode when game release...

<--- The door is that way :) lol...

[Tigersmith]

The worst thing about people who play beta is when they say this.

"THIS GAME SUCKS I will not be buying it"

They dont understand what beta means. They are selfish and dont understand the reasons why developers hold these closed and open beta sessions.

Things can and will be changed in beta. Some small changes some really big. Its something where you got to be patient and just keep with it.

[Bruttal]

i brake things all the time, but I at lest do it so offten that I relize whats causing the brake. like ages ago if you were exiting a wall turret as it was being blown up you would CTD or never stop hearing the wall turret sounds no mater where you was.

[SavageB]

The worst thing about people who play beta is when they say this.

"THIS GAME SUCKS I will not be buying it"

They dont understand what beta means. They are selfish and dont understand the reasons why developers hold these closed and open beta sessions.

Things can and will be changed in beta. Some small changes some really big. Its something where you got to be patient and just keep with it.

Tigersmith any chances of getting this post Stickied? So as newer members join and get into beta they could at least run down through these posts.

[Malorn]

Cart before the horse here. Need a beta first, and sticking this might imply its already underway and confuse the hell out of people.

[SavageB]

Cart before the horse here. Need a beta first, and sticking this might imply its already underway and confuse the hell out of people.



Ya that would be the case if they cant read the first line lol :P

[Tigersmith]

Yea when the beta shows up im sure there will be a thread like this :)

[SavageB]

Yea when the beta shows up im sure there will be a thread like this :)

:groovy:

[Hamma]

Aye save it for beta for sure :)

[Duddy]

Ideally you'd want a nicely written single post for when Beta arrives, as opposed to expecting people to read the entire thread :P

Agree with the sentiment though!

[SavageB]

Ya I will re write the Guide probs go into more detail once beta comes around:)