 |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Krill
|
 |
On a cold wet rock, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Dec 2003
time: 05:24
|
|
I don't think there will ever be a place in a beta test team for a regular guy. If I understand correctly, the beta testers are trying to sort the game out so that it works, ie easy enough to pick up for n00bs, but challenging for the top level players ie Aeson, Dominae etc. Shouldn't they be playng a couple of hundred games, seaching for problems in the programming (an example from civ3 being that the AI used to sell really useless towns to the player, and the towns wold generate defenders that the player could then use).
As Solver says, the developers almost certainly listen to the suggestions of the regular player through boards such as these, so it's not like we are just ignored.
Last edited by Krill on 24-05-2005 at 20:38
|
|
| |
|
|
|
vovan
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Solver
Yeah... beta-testers don't really get to have fun with the game. For them playing the game is work and, moreover, they are not playing a complete game, they're playing a game with many bugs, unfinished AI, some feautures not working at all, and so on. |
It all depends on what you consider fun.  I've beta tested many games, including C3C, and had fun in a lot of cases, because finding what I think is a problem, and then seeing it fixed is fun.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
Solver
|
|
Apolyton Duke Of Something
|
 |
Latvia, Riga
Sep 2000
time: 07:24
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by vovan
It all depends on what you consider fun. I've beta tested many games, including C3C, and had fun in a lot of cases, because finding what I think is a problem, and then seeing it fixed is fun. |
In this case... the beta testers started a year ago. That isn't, IMHO, fun, because it was a very unfinished product then. I've also beta tested some, but those were games close to release - generally around the same time the magazines start getting previews, so maybe 3 months before it hits the shelves. Then it's a working game.
But of course, I do hope that the Civ4 betaing experience is enjoyable .
|
|
| |
|
|
|
vovan
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Solver
In this case... the beta testers started a year ago. That isn't, IMHO, fun, because it was a very unfinished product then. I've also beta tested some, but those were games close to release - generally around the same time the magazines start getting previews, so maybe 3 months before it hits the shelves. Then it's a working game. |
Right, right, but you gotta remember that they "handpicked" the "hardcore" players, who probably enjoy balancing the game. I mean just look at all the bean counters around here that are after balancing Civ3. I'm sure they are enjoying it, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it. Similarly, I'm sure people can enjoy this.
That said, a whole year is a bloody long time!  The closest I've ever come was an 8 month beta, and boy, did I feel sick of the game by the end of it.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
Solver
|
|
Apolyton Duke Of Something
|
|
Latvia, Riga
Sep 2000
time: 07:24
|
|
quote:
Right, right, but you gotta remember that they "handpicked" the "hardcore" players, who probably enjoy balancing the game. I mean just look at all the bean counters around here that are after balancing Civ3. I'm sure they are enjoying it, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it. Similarly, I'm sure people can enjoy this. |
Balancing is one thing, having a working game is a different one. It's obvious that last summer there were a ton of feautures in Civ4 that didn't work at all or worked very poorly - simply because the programming wasn't nearly done. And so, while issues such as overpowered units could be visible back then, playing that game would probably constitute much less fun. Imagine if the diplomacy only worked sometimes, there were a couple of nasty bugs elsewhere, and the AI could barely cope with the game. Then, if you play such a game every day, it does quickly become work and not fun.
However, I would obviously absolutely love to test the game in its current state, as it now should be functional and done for the most part, but there's still time to point out specific gameplay/AI problems and to change them.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
Locutus
|
|
ACS CTP1/2 Manager & Civ4 Co-Manager
|
 |
Hengelo, The Netherlands
Nov 1999
time: 06:24
|
|
I seriously doubt they would even know Dale. He's a CtP2er and Alt Civer and never spent any real amount of time on Civ3 or any other Firaxis game. I think you should look for the likes of Theseus and Trip and guys like that (well, Trip is 'special' of course  )...
Also, a 'beta test' that everyone keeps calling this is the testing that takes place just months before release, it's just about fixing bugs, maybe solving some last-minute balance problems and getting some first user-feedback. This is not really a beta test, it's something much more comprehensive. Maybe an alpha test (as was done for CtP2 as well, but not very successfully unfortunately), or more likely even a pre-alpha test (an alpha release requires all the major components to be in place, it typically has to be 'feature-complete' -- that seems unlikely to have been the case for Civ4 a year ago). These guys probably have a serious influence on the entire design of the game :drool:
In order to be part of that group, I've would been willing to have spent more time on the Civ3 forums in the past few years, so Firaxis would've known who I was 
|
|
| |
|
| |
All times are GMT. The time now is 05:24.
Apolyton Time is 00:24. |
top of page
|
|
|
Forum Rules:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
|
HTML code is ON
vB code is ON
Smilies are ON
[IMG] code is ON
|
|
|
|
|
|
24-05-2005 20:05
. Aside from that, though, I really couldn't care less about being a beta tester 
...who'd want it
|