Issue 16 : Closed Beta Confidentiality
By
alphaman23,
Posted on: 2009-08-13 24:38 in The Global Training Room Test Server
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I really don't think it has much, if anything to do with post count. I think it has more to do with people who actually test what they want tested, and report clearly what is wrong (and right) with the particular content. Take my case:|
Originally Posted by Soulie
I assume, based on logic, that they sent out beta invites to the people who've been the most active on the forums.
They obviously want people who will provide feedback and participate in the testing process. Not someone who just wants to preview Issue 16. I'm not shocked that stuff is being leaked. There's always gonna be someone who can't keep quiet, but I haven't been able to find any leaks on the internet. At least it seems to be leaking within the community. Not saying that it's a good thing, but it's better than being pasted all over popular gaming websites. Unless they're removing some features or options I saw at Comic Con, I can't imagine any of it being bad publicity. Guess we'll find out when it hits live. |
From my registration date and post count, you can tell I'm not one to post particularly often. However, based on my join date I got into a reasonably early wave of CoV beta. I enjoyed it fairly well and when I7 was in open beta, I read the patch notes and all dev comments and went on test and tested the things they were focusing on testing. I wrote up detailed bug reports and submitted critiques to the devs on the issues of the moment. Between I7 and I8 I ran on test with some characters, usually when plotting out a respec. If I ran across anything that didn't look right, I would /bug it.
I got in a late wave of invites for I8 closed beta (maybe a week before it went open) and again tested what they said they wanted tested. Again, I was on test and reporting issues between I8 and I9. I got a fairly early I9 closed beta invite, and again made sure I tested and reported.
By I10, I had enough vet reward respecs that I didn't need to go between issues as much, and I didn't test as much with I10 because I didn't want to have seen all the new content before it went live. I didn't go on test at all between I10 and I11.
I haven't gotten a closed beta invite since I11 and I don't think I've even been on test since I12 open beta. But I know the secret to getting into closed betas, and now I pass the secret on to you. Go on for the open betas and test and report on the new content. If the devs say they are looking for feedback on something specific, test that specific thing the day they ask for it. Submit good bug reports whenever you see something that may be buggy, both on live and on test. Go to test and try unusual things even when there isn't a new issue, and report any results that don't seem like they are acting like they should be. If you find a bug, report it right away and don't exploit it continuously until it's fixed. Make your bug reports clear and well written. I believe there are (or at least there used to be) guides and suggestions on how to write a good bug report.
Oh, and be patient. Even if you do all of this as soon as I16 goes open, you probably won't get in the earliest waves of I17 closed invites. But if you're persistent and clear, you will probably get in a late (but still closed) wave. And probably earlier for I18.
And if you do get into a closed beta, don't leak anything or you'll probably never be in another closed beta again. The NDA may or may not be a legally supportable document, I don't have the law background to tell for sure, but if you violate it they have every right to make sure you don't have the opportunity to do it again.
You'll probably see a ton of people get into beta once they bring out the next patch.
They don't want new people constantly reporting the same bugs they already know about.
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You might want to make sure this makes it into the GR FAQ, etc.|
Originally Posted by Ghost Falcon
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Originally Posted by Tricia
Because things change.
What's in the Closed Beta might not be what's in the Open Beta, or even in the final product. Leaks of things that get people excited, only to have them change later, leads to possible disappointment or even nerdrage. You'll notice that they never announce things that aren't 99.99% certain to happen. It's the same deal. Posi: "Hey guys, we're working on this...and it might be like this." Fans: "YAY!" Posi: "Oh, wait...never mind...now we're not working on it anymore." Fans: "BOO! WE HATE YOU, POSI!" So yeah...it's not to keep things "secret"...it's to assure that what hits the public will almost certainly be what the final product will be, or at least a pretty close approximation. Showing the public as a whole a rather buggy and incomplete version of the final product is never a good idea. |
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Originally Posted by biff10426
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSyQJkjwaw4
There's your leak, you now know stuff about closed beta that you shouldn't and will be banned soon. |
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Originally Posted by Karl_Rove_Man
The new Zombie Rikti AV, Et'UrBrane, is pretty sweet looking.
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Orc&Pie No.53230 There is an orc, and somehow, he got a pie. And you are hungry.
www.repeat-offenders.net
Negaduck: I see you found the crumb. I knew you'd never notice the huge flag.
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We need this guy, NOW!! A Zombie Rikti AV just sounds very interesting.
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Originally Posted by Karl_Rove_Man
The new Zombie Rikti AV, Et'UrBrane, is pretty sweet looking.
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"YOU DID NOT READ THE THREAD. GO READ THE LONG, LONG THREAD.
Then, perhaps your butt cheeks will relinquish their grip on your chin." -The_Zekiran
OK, I rarely ever post, but I really have to throw my 2 cents in here.
Look... some folks go off about beta testers being some kind of 'elite few that get preferential treatment from the devs'. In reality, beta testing is like JURY DUTY. Granted, you get to see a bunch of cool stuff that you want to tell your friends but can't, but you also see a lot of ugly stuff (bugs) that need to be located, reported, and fixed before the issue/expansion/what-have-you is ready to go live and get ripped to pieces by the community Verucas. Ultimately, beta testing is work for the community. SO... for some of you out there who take issue about not being invited, try to consider a different view, k? Thanks!
When I get into the Beta I plan to test out some of those new animations with my costume options to see if there is any issues there.
I wonder if I am a "player in good standing" I've been around since the invention of the wheel as far as this game is concerned and never been invited to a beta.
'If Champions Online is what "CoH was supposed to be", I'm glad that I have what I have rather than "what it was supposed to be".' - The Alt oholic
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If you have not been kicked out for a beta or banned from here or in game ever for behavior (accidental-invite-then-kick doesn't count) then you are in good standing.
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Originally Posted by Protonic_Flux
I wonder if I am a "player in good standing" I've been around since the invention of the wheel as far as this game is concerned and never been invited to a beta.
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Orc&Pie No.53230 There is an orc, and somehow, he got a pie. And you are hungry.
www.repeat-offenders.net
Negaduck: I see you found the crumb. I knew you'd never notice the huge flag.
well if a person is banned from being in the GR beta, I hope they will at least tell them why,and not some short,sorry you are on banned list.
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Thing is, that's just not true. I've had friends in previous closed betas who not only hadn't ever posted on the forums, but had also never installed the test server... I doubt they'd ever reported a single bug. At the same time, had other friends who has been in the game longer, frequently went on test, frequented the forums, and reported bugs every time they saw them... and they did not get in.|
Originally Posted by Soulie
I assume, based on logic, that they sent out beta invites to the people who've been the most active on the forums.
They obviously want people who will provide feedback and participate in the testing process. Not someone who just wants to preview Issue 16. |
My theory? They're picking some people at random just to mess with us so we have no idea what their methods are.
Then again, they might be doing something different now. Who knows. Just looking forward to being able to poke around for myself.
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I think it'd become obvious when they kick you out of the Issue 16 Beta.|
Originally Posted by MadHobbit
well if a person is banned from being in the GR beta, I hope they will at least tell them why,and not some short,sorry you are on banned list.
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They're not saying that it's going to be a punishment for in-game antics, they're just saying it's a consequence for people who are in the Issue 16 Beta and break the NDA.
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It wouldn't be unusual to think that they'd try to get a good sample of the entire player base. First get the people that are good at testing/reporting bugs, especially the ones that have worked well with the devs in the past. Once you have the core testers, then you can pick little samples from across the board, including the people that have never reported a bug/been on the TR before.|
Originally Posted by Patteroast
Thing is, that's just not true. I've had friends in previous closed betas who not only hadn't ever posted on the forums, but had also never installed the test server... I doubt they'd ever reported a single bug. At the same time, had other friends who has been in the game longer, frequently went on test, frequented the forums, and reported bugs every time they saw them... and they did not get in.
My theory? They're picking some people at random just to mess with us so we have no idea what their methods are. Then again, they might be doing something different now. Who knows. Just looking forward to being able to poke around for myself. |
I would be quite shocked if the devs used a 'purely random' or 'entirely hand picked' list of players. There's going to be some that are hand picked, because they've shown themselves to be useful, and then some that are randomly selected to hopefully try and smash the game in new and unique ways.
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Originally Posted by ShadowNate
;_; ?!?! What the heck is wrong with you, my god, I have never been so confused in my life!
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EU has no Closed Beta?
Don't think we'll forget this....
OR the last umpteen howevermany times.
In all seriousness, what is up with that? It's as if the Devs dont want feedback. Although, given some of the past Issues to go Live, I wouldnt actaully be too surprised.
((Please note, I still LIKE the issues, and CityOf as a whole. I just occasionally short a cerebro circuit wondering what on earth the Devs are doing =S ))
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Originally Posted by Zwillinger
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.
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Personally I think that the reason there is no EU beta is for three reasons.
First: Because of the time difference. All the work goes into the game during working hours at Paragon studios. That's west coast NA time. Until the last issues the closed beta was only operating during those work hours. It would get shut down during most of the day.
Second: Due to the EU server location being in ummmm EU? /bug reports don't immediately get to the main devs and programmers. It's a slightly different client so it's possible that the bug reports must be collected and then mailed to the NA side.
Third: When testing stick to one environment. It's the same reason they don't run multiple closed beta test servers simultaneously. Test in one location with one client and that way you can be certain you aren't getting bug reports from a different release version than the current one.
I'm pretty sure there are EU players in closed beta right now. The difference being that they have NA accounts.
Don't count your weasels before they pop dink!
When I was in closed beta for issue testing, the servers were generally up unless down for hardware or software changes.
Right now, they are keeping the EU TR available for i15 patches they might need to test.
Orc&Pie No.53230 There is an orc, and somehow, he got a pie. And you are hungry.
www.repeat-offenders.net
Negaduck: I see you found the crumb. I knew you'd never notice the huge flag.
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Ya Know!!!!!|
Originally Posted by Protonic_Flux
'If Champions Online is what "CoH was supposed to be", I'm glad that I have what I have rather than "what it was supposed to be"
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I have been in the closed beta for CO, and trust me,CoX is a lot funner and actually looks better IMO lol
If you want peace, you prepare for war!
-Vegetius
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/agreed|
Originally Posted by iPwn_
Ya Know!!!!!
I have been in the closed beta for CO, and trust me,CoX is a lot funner and actually looks better IMO lol |
And at least CO is in open beta so we can all bash it for being so bad. I really didn't have any fun in the CO closed beta. The game didn't feel super heroic enough, looked horrible, and felt like a generic MMO with travel powers. I had more fun in the Tabula Rasa beta than in CO, and see how long that game lasted. I do hope Aion works out though. I actually did have a lot of fun trying their game out.
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Aion makes me wiggle with MMO pleasure-bubbles.|
Originally Posted by Ssyrie
/agreed
And at least CO is in open beta so we can all bash it for being so bad. I really didn't have any fun in the CO closed beta. The game didn't feel super heroic enough, looked horrible, and felt like a generic MMO with travel powers. I had more fun in the Tabula Rasa beta than in CO, and see how long that game lasted. I do hope Aion works out though. I actually did have a lot of fun trying their game out. |
But all that aside, I was in closed for I13 (because I was testing the Mac client) and I14 (... because I got the email). I wasn't in for I15 and I'm not in I16, but I know someone who is, and they're teasing the hell out of me with it.
But regardless, I couldn't think of breaking the NDA. I mean, when I was beta-ing I13 I wanted to take a screenshot of my Valkyrie armor, run to the forums, and streak across the Training Room forum wearing nothing but that screenshot on my groin. But because of fear of what the Mac-master Ghost Falcon would do to me, I kept my trap shut until the mac client released. I was also the first player on Virtue to activate my beloved Valkyrie pack and perks.
... my point being, keep your lip buttoned if you're in Closed, no matter how tempting it might be. Just remember, Open is right around the corner, and once it hits, you can grab your monitor and run around the world showing everyone what is now public player domain, rather than shattering an NDA.
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Any word on wether pool powers will be customizable? If I can make my electric armor black, but still have to have red lightning from the Mu Patron...color me mucho disappointed.
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Originally Posted by Slugbug
I really don't think it has much, if anything to do with post count. I think it has more to do with people who actually test what they want tested, and report clearly what is wrong (and right) with the particular content. Take my case:
From my registration date and post count, you can tell I'm not one to post particularly often. However, based on my join date I got into a reasonably early wave of CoV beta. I enjoyed it fairly well and when I7 was in open beta, I read the patch notes and all dev comments and went on test and tested the things they were focusing on testing. I wrote up detailed bug reports and submitted critiques to the devs on the issues of the moment. Between I7 and I8 I ran on test with some characters, usually when plotting out a respec. If I ran across anything that didn't look right, I would /bug it. I got in a late wave of invites for I8 closed beta (maybe a week before it went open) and again tested what they said they wanted tested. Again, I was on test and reporting issues between I8 and I9. I got a fairly early I9 closed beta invite, and again made sure I tested and reported. By I10, I had enough vet reward respecs that I didn't need to go between issues as much, and I didn't test as much with I10 because I didn't want to have seen all the new content before it went live. I didn't go on test at all between I10 and I11. I haven't gotten a closed beta invite since I11 and I don't think I've even been on test since I12 open beta. But I know the secret to getting into closed betas, and now I pass the secret on to you. Go on for the open betas and test and report on the new content. If the devs say they are looking for feedback on something specific, test that specific thing the day they ask for it. Submit good bug reports whenever you see something that may be buggy, both on live and on test. Go to test and try unusual things even when there isn't a new issue, and report any results that don't seem like they are acting like they should be. If you find a bug, report it right away and don't exploit it continuously until it's fixed. Make your bug reports clear and well written. I believe there are (or at least there used to be) guides and suggestions on how to write a good bug report. Oh, and be patient. Even if you do all of this as soon as I16 goes open, you probably won't get in the earliest waves of I17 closed invites. But if you're persistent and clear, you will probably get in a late (but still closed) wave. And probably earlier for I18. And if you do get into a closed beta, don't leak anything or you'll probably never be in another closed beta again. The NDA may or may not be a legally supportable document, I don't have the law background to tell for sure, but if you violate it they have every right to make sure you don't have the opportunity to do it again. |
Or you can just be a 60 month vet, stay subscribed for the time required, or pre-order Going Rogue to get into that closed beta. Cuz, you know, the devs are always looking for a focused group of beta testers who will give them good feedback, and NOT wanting to allow A LOT of people into their closed beta testing because of noise, so this whole Through Thick and Thin thing will def.....wait....
Nevermind, you were saying?
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Well, yeah. And I will hit my 60 month mark in a matter of weeks, my subscription is paid past the time required, and I have every intention of pre-ordering GR. And all of that is true with regard to the GR beta specifically. I was just trying to give some (admittedly anecdotal) evidence which points to how to get into the issue betas in general.|
Originally Posted by biff10426
Or you can just be a 60 month vet, stay subscribed for the time required, or pre-order Going Rogue to get into that closed beta. Cuz, you know, the devs are always looking for a focused group of beta testers who will give them good feedback, and NOT wanting to allow A LOT of people into their closed beta testing because of noise, so this whole Through Thick and Thin thing will def.....wait....
Nevermind, you were saying? |
And yes, I see what you did there...
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Hey bro. The last official thing we heard is that they're not customizable. Though I do know the devs want to at some point. Who knows, they might have managed to figure out a way since it was last mentioned.|
Originally Posted by JDub
Any word on wether pool powers will be customizable? If I can make my electric armor black, but still have to have red lightning from the Mu Patron...color me mucho disappointed.
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But yeah, officially so far the answer is "not yet".
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But on the flip side to be fair. Even a lot of well documented bugs like all the problems with MA were pushed through to Live for some unknown reason. That ticked a lot of people off too.
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Originally Posted by Red Valkyrja
Well, we all saw what happened with last issue's Open-Closed Beta. A bunch of people getting on test, seeing it buggy,then running right to the boards complaining on how "This is a buggy POS "How could the Dev's release something like this!! ZOMG!!111!!eleventy-eleven!!11!!!!!
To which BaB's responded "Welcome to day 1 of closed beta. Told you guys it wasn't as fun as you all seemed to think they were." Closed Beta is not some exclusive club, to which you need the secret password in order to get in. And as for the so-called "elite" you speak of, if you mean players that along with just playing the game, the also have the dedication to pound/peck/twist/contort something so see if they can break it, and report their findings to the Dev's, then yes, I suppose there are an "elite" class of players. They would be the ones you don't hear saying "Why should I do the Dev's job for them?" They are the one's that do this out of their love for the game. |
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Issue 14 had a date it *had* to be out by, since the Architect Edition had a date it had to be out by. They did the best they could, and fixed most all the other problems that were reported soon after MA launched.|
Originally Posted by Lord_of_Time
But on the flip side to be fair. Even a lot of well documented bugs like all the problems with MA were pushed through to Live for some unknown reason. That ticked a lot of people off too.
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If you're talking about Issue 15, though, I guess I didn't hear about any of those problems.
But it only works on Jabberwocks. The Jabberwock hunt is the new mini-game. If you find and slay the Jabberwock with the Vorpal Blade, you get a Recipe for Jubjub Bird wings.
The Jubjub wings recipe requires salvage that is only drop by Bandersnatches, which are found in the Tulgey Woods.