Beta Question

[Coreldan]

Originally Posted by Goku

I am referring to a real beta. One where it is closed and meant specifically for testing. Minecraft, APB, and LoL are 'beta' labeled, but are there to make people play and earn money for the game. If a player is there in a real beta it stupid of a company to make them buy stuff from a cash shop to test the item.

Indeed. APB Reloaded isnt really a real beta, cos the game has already once been in beta and released and then bought by another company.

They are planning to stay in open beta fairly long, probably to slowly polish the game and to avoid the reviewers being so harsh, but also naturally the game needs to start paying the bills soon, as theyäve probably put a few millions into the game by now.

[basti]

Complete Wipe, as usual. Nessesary anyway, because with release there will be alot more servers than during beta.

[Death2All]

I think the poll speaks for itself.

It doesn't make any sense to keep everything you've done in a test version of the game.


Just because you scored 30 points in a practice game before the tournament doesn't mean they should give you those 30 points in the real thing.

[Lunarchild]

Originally Posted by Goku

This. Sounds like it will take ages to max out your char in PS2, so this won't work in beta. Maybe they will even let you select X amount of skills at one time in order to test them instead of training and also allowing you to get rid of those to try others.

If I was to set up the tests, I would even, somewhere in the middle of test, give all existing testers everything. Just unlock the entire tree for everyone. Then, after a week or two more testing, invite a new wave of testers that start out fresh. Just to test that 20% rule of them, and that it is indeed still fun if you're a newb between all those maxed out characters ^^

[Baneblade]

Considering that Beta will no doubt have accelerated experience, I hope they wipe it clean. The only thing a Beta player should get is a merit.

[Goku]

Originally Posted by Lunarchild

If I was to set up the tests, I would even, somewhere in the middle of test, give all existing testers everything. Just unlock the entire tree for everyone. Then, after a week or two more testing, invite a new wave of testers that start out fresh. Just to test that 20% rule of them, and that it is indeed still fun if you're a newb between all those maxed out characters ^^

Depending on how these trees work I don't know if that is doable. Sounds like you there is more choice then just going skill after skill. In that you can actually split off into different areas with in a skill tree. A player having everything to be able to modify say a single weapon may well be over powered, but such a possibility maybe slim in the real game.

[kaffis]

Originally Posted by Desoxy

Since beta != demo, I would prefer I a clean slate for retail launch.

That way you can test more efficiently.. plus you would not alienate newcomers.

This, plus I anticipate accelerated skill tree learning in beta so more can be tested. If you do that, you *definitely* can't keep progress.

[Lunarchild]

Originally Posted by Goku

Depending on how these trees work I don't know if that is doable. Sounds like you there is more choice then just going skill after skill. In that you can actually split off into different areas with in a skill tree. A player having everything to be able to modify say a single weapon may well be over powered, but such a possibility maybe slim in the real game.

In that case they could also put on instant skill-ups for two weeks instead

[exLupo]

Another point in favor of wipes is that sometimes characters from beta end up with junk data attached to them from changes. The wipe serves to remove all of those potentially hazardous toons from circulation.

[CutterJohn]

The skills will likely have some crazy fast training on them so we can actually test the things they unlock. I doubt they'd let people carry that over.

Maybe a small parting gift for beta participation.. A free cert maybe, that puts you a couple days ahead.

[Vancha]

I must say, I like the idea of people learning dropship/squad spawning however many months after release and making all the new PS2 players ask a collective "what the fuck?"

The skill system almost doubles as a content-delivery system, like a very slowly released patch.

I know this was somewhat unrelated, but I was trying to think what reason SOE could possibly have not to reset the skills upon release and the above was the only thing I could come up with (new things suddenly appearing X months down the line), but so long as there's enough immediately/quickly accessible equipment that battles aren't lacking diversity, then it shouldn't be a problem.

[exLupo]

Originally Posted by CutterJohn

Maybe a small parting gift for beta participation.. A free cert maybe, that puts you a couple days ahead.

My money is on a beta ribbon, assuming the medal system makes a return.