I honestly don't know how they choose who gets in from one beta to the next. If we knew the exact criteria for being a guaranteed beta tester then everyone would do just that, and not everyone wants to be helpful when it comes to betas (I'm not implying that you, specifically, aren't). The purpose of closed betas is to obtain focused feedback from a smaller group of dedicated people, and large groups of people in betas tend to create a lot of noise that makes it more difficult to get that feedback.
I'm almost positive they don't invite the exact same people every time. They probably switch things up to see which members of the community are the most productive testers. Maybe. Pure speculation on my part. It'd make sense though.
Also keep in mind that this current closed beta just opened today. They tend to start things REALLY small-scale, with just the developers and their friends/relations/etc. After a few days, when it's apparent the server isn't going to choke on its own tongue when a few people log in, they add more testers.
@Demobot
Also on Steam
Dude, you're the guy who didn't even know where to find the Suggestions and Ideas forum. I wouldn't get too uptight about how awesome you are and why you're not in beta. ESPECIALLY if you're not in beta and you downloaded the patch, since all that accomplishes is slowing things down for people who are in beta.
"Null is as much an argument "for removing the cottage rule" as the moon being round is for buying tennis shoes." -Memphis Bill
It's pretty much random I think.
Though they may give a nod to prolific forum posters on occasion.
I doubt Arcanaville has missed getting a closed beta invite in quite some time.
I've been in a couple recent ones, but until the last year or so I never got a closed beta invite.
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Originally Posted by Dechs Kaison See, it's gems like these that make me check Claws' post history every once in a while to make sure I haven't missed anything good lately. |
Closed beta may not be quite as fun as you think.
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So you think you're a hero, huh.
@Boltcutter in game.
I used to beta test for PS2 games. It sucked. Twisted Metal Black Online was OK. But ugh, most games blow and even fun ones you feel you're doing work, because you are, under some misguided idea that getting to play the next Ratchet and Clank [which I missed out on] six months early while it's buggy as hell will be fun.
But this may be totally different.
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It depends on what is getting tested and how early you get in.|
Originally Posted by Postagulous
I used to beta test for PS2 games. It sucked. Twisted Metal Black Online was OK. But ugh, most games blow and even fun ones you feel you're doing work, because you are, under some misguided idea that getting to play the next Ratchet and Clank [which I missed out on] six months early while it's buggy as hell will be fun.
But this may be totally different. |
CoV I got in late, I9 early and I10 even earlier. You have to keep testing it because the devs get fixes out pretty quickly but of course that can lead to new bugs.
So if your (in general not you specifically) intention of beta testing is to get a preview then disappointment is likely because it will be buggy. And it is so important to really test it in closed beta to get the bugs found and fixed.
total kick to the gut
This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.
I had the pleasure of talking to Ghost Falcon at Hero Con 1 on this very topic. My wife and I had been in several beta's, then we stopped getting in. I asked him why and he said for a long time they were getting the same people in there and they wanted to open it up more. It was not random. There was a "thing" to it, but (of course) he could not tell us what the "thing" was. Then the "thing" got changed so that different people could get in. That is straight from Ghost Falcons mouth. We were playing with the (then brand new) Zombie Apocolypse in the gaming room when we talked about this.
Many people on the boards have tried to come up with what the "thing" is, and I'm pretty sure most have been wrong, among the ideas have been Vet status (proven wrong MANY times), amount of posting on the boards (also proven wrong), as well as how many times you were on test (like the others, proven wrong).
The simple fact is, like others have said, we will never know for sure what the "thing" is and this is by design. Except for the "guaranteed in" people (60+ Vets, Hero Con attendees, etc) we will never know what the "thing" is and who is getting in future betas. And the Dev's want it that way.
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I think it helps if you have beta tested before and had helpful input during the beta. I lucked out in timing and got one of the new unibody macs just before they announced the mac client beta and they were looking for beta testers with them, probably one of the few times they've let you try and sign up for a beta. I tend to get an invite eventually at this point, but it varies when it happens.
Its not as great as you think, you have to deal with things not working as expected. Besides getting a 'sneak peak', which is really the only benefit I can think of, you put time toward a character that really doesn't count so its like time lost on characters on live that you could be making real progress toward. I do like having an opportunity to give input on things in the game to make it better, but time spent testing the beta is also time I could spend on my live toons.
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This is why I am quite certain I was not and likely should never be invited to a closed beta. Do I like a sneak peek at the new shiny? Of course. But my ability to test and objectively spot bugs or run numbers of any kind sucks. My taking 3 or 4 different dual pistols builds for a spin in the last beta to see how they "feel" and if they were playable to me, was probably not a ton of help to the devs. |
Originally Posted by Demobot
The purpose of closed betas is to obtain focused feedback from a smaller group of dedicated people, and large groups of people in betas tend to create a lot of noise that makes it more difficult to get that feedback.
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I don't know if I just muddy the waters or provide any useful data mining. I would prefer they give a closed spot to someone that knows how to give the devs the info they need rather than give me a spot because I have been here 4 years. Just my thoughts on the matter.
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Sounds like Lemur got sour milk in his Hero-Os.|
Originally Posted by Lemur Lad
Dude, you're the guy who didn't even know where to find the Suggestions and Ideas forum. I wouldn't get too uptight about how awesome you are and why you're not in beta. ESPECIALLY if you're not in beta and you downloaded the patch, since all that accomplishes is slowing things down for people who are in beta.
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And I think it's the ~900MB patch that is slowing stuff down more than anything else.
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Negaduck: I see you found the crumb. I knew you'd never notice the huge flag.
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Originally Posted by MEdelen
I've been playing this game since Dec 26, 2004....I'm a veteran player who does still love this game... What I wanna know is...if Veteran players who know this game inside and out and knows how things should work and how things don't work can't get into any closed betas, how do they pick who gets in and who doesn't?
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I used to get into the closed betas when I played 6 hours a day... when my playtime went down the invites stopped coming.
I think they use a few criteria- time in game, time subscribed, past feedback, etc. If you let your sub lapse, you probably lose the time subscribed inroad, if you stop playing the game as much, you probably drop off the list for that too, and if you don't provide feedback in the betas you get into, you likely lose beta invite status as well.
If you have never been invited to a closed beta, you probably do not meet the minimums in one or more of the criteria categories.
My time is just too much in demand these days to participate in the game itself...much less the betas... so I wouldn't be able to accept even if I was invited now, unless they can beat the offer my current employer is paying me for my time.
Betas are interesting and all, but ultimately its just a company trying to get free work out of you.
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Actually, I kinda like the fact that the playerbase as a whole doesn't|
Originally Posted by Le Blanc
The simple fact is, like others have said, we will never know for sure what the "thing" is and this is by design. Except for the "guaranteed in" people (60+ Vets, Hero Con attendees, etc) we will never know what the "thing" is and who is getting in future betas. And the Dev's want it that way.
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know the "Thing" as it were. Makes those that actually get invited
and involved feel like 'Made Men' (CO-X Costra Nostra)
All joking aside now. I would be honored if I were ever asked, but as
we all know, its not 'Sunshine and Rainbows' to beta test. Things get
tested for a reason and during those tests lockups and worse happen.
And being a beta requires a certain mindset. I'd rather play the finished
product myself. It's always better to eat the cookies then MAKE them.
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There have been people invited in the past on many occasions that hadn't had an active subs for months at the time of the beta. Every once in a while you'll see one post in the wrong section, and then the post quickly get squashed. Anything we say about the possible criteria is pure speculation, and the fact that they change that criteria regularly makes that all the more true. And that's really not a bad thing.
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I used to get into the closed betas when I played 6 hours a day... when my playtime went down the invites stopped coming. I think they use a few criteria- time in game, time subscribed, past feedback, etc. If you let your sub lapse, you probably lose the time subscribed inroad, if you stop playing the game as much, you probably drop off the list for that too, and if you don't provide feedback in the betas you get into, you likely lose beta invite status as well. If you have never been invited to a closed beta, you probably do not meet the minimums in one or more of the criteria categories. My time is just too much in demand these days to participate in the game itself...much less the betas... so I wouldn't be able to accept even if I was invited now, unless they can beat the offer my current employer is paying me for my time. Betas are interesting and all, but ultimately its just a company trying to get free work out of you. |
I got into Dual Pistols closed beta when my account had been inactive for 3 months because I had the loyalty badge (yes, the invite is part of what pulled me back to the game), and it was my first closed beta. I made a few bug reports but not really a lot. No I17 CB invite for me (which is fine, I can't play right now and I'd rather play 2XP than CB come tomorrow). So who the hell knows.
Whining about being left out certainly isn't going to get you in, though.
"You don't lose levels. You don't have equipment to wear out, repair, or lose, or that anyone can steal from you. About the only thing lighter than debt they could do is have an NPC walk by, point and laugh before you can go to the hospital or base." -Memphis_Bill
We will honor the past, and fight to the last, it will be a good way to die...
I'm fairly certain that almost nobody is in the beta yet. I think it's in the very early 'friends and family' phase. Nobody said that 60+ monthers and loyalty program people would get in closed beta on day one...
I think the only reason they announced the date when the closed beta was starting was so when the servers went down for everyone, people wouldn't all be going "WTF WHERE DID DUAL PISTOLS GO?"
Be patient. Someone's promised to bake you some cookies, and you're angry that they're giving them a few minutes to cool first.
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Full, detailed character list
Closed Beta isn't even announced as having begun yet. Yes, we'd all like to see what's in there, but if complaining about being left out's ever justified, it's certainly premature for it right now.
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Patience.
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Originally Posted by MEdelen
I've been playing this game since Dec 26, 2004....I'm a veteran player who does still love this game... What I wanna know is...if Veteran players who know this game inside and out and knows how things should work and how things don't work can't get into any closed betas, how do they pick who gets in and who doesn't?
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Dr. Todt's theme.
i make stuff...
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Certain individuals have strongly implied (without breaking the NDA) that it has begun.
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Originally Posted by SirFrederick
Closed Beta isn't even announced as having begun yet. Yes, we'd all like to see what's in there, but if complaining about being left out's ever justified, it's certainly premature for it right now.
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"You don't lose levels. You don't have equipment to wear out, repair, or lose, or that anyone can steal from you. About the only thing lighter than debt they could do is have an NPC walk by, point and laugh before you can go to the hospital or base." -Memphis_Bill
We will honor the past, and fight to the last, it will be a good way to die...
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Huh??
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Originally Posted by SirFrederick
Closed Beta isn't even announced as having begun yet. Yes, we'd all like to see what's in there, but if complaining about being left out's ever justified, it's certainly premature for it right now.
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"Null is as much an argument "for removing the cottage rule" as the moon being round is for buying tennis shoes." -Memphis Bill
I stand by my statement. The downtime was scheduled, the downtime proceeded, but the beginning of the beta hasn't been announced yet. It may still be in the most rudimentary stages with the most select participants.
So they can't just say they're starting it, they have announce each stage to you? Please.
"Null is as much an argument "for removing the cottage rule" as the moon being round is for buying tennis shoes." -Memphis Bill
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if he's not in it, it hasnt started yet. i3 closed beta still hasn't been announced.
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Originally Posted by SirFrederick
I stand by my statement. The downtime was scheduled, the downtime proceeded, but the beginning of the beta hasn't been announced yet. It may still be in the most rudimentary stages with the most select participants.
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Positron's i13 letter: We are trying to make PvP more accessible to new players, while giving experienced PvP'ers the advantage that comes with formulating tactics around the new systems we're putting in place. PvP from now on will be on our priority list. If something isn't working out, we'll be in there tweaking it and making it work, for the entire future of the product, not just Issue 13.
Jesus H, what's with the antagonism? I didn't post here to piss you off - I was just offering my reasonable interpretation of the situation. The last CB, mere weeks ago, was announced - I saw no reason the trend wouldn't continue.
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Yeah, but if they hadn't announced that one, we would of had - |
Originally Posted by SirFrederick
Jesus H, what's with the antagonism? I didn't post here to piss you off - I was just offering my reasonable interpretation of the situation. The last CB, mere weeks ago, was announced - I saw no reason the trend wouldn't continue.
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A - Major Doomcries
B - Mass of Hysteria over i17
C - Mass of Hysteria over GR
D - Two of the Above
E - A, B, and C.
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.
I've been playing this game since Dec 26, 2004....I'm a veteran player who does still love this game... What I wanna know is...if Veteran players who know this game inside and out and knows how things should work and how things don't work can't get into any closed betas, how do they pick who gets in and who doesn't?