Phases of Development:
If given the chance and opportunity I like to help develop the game in it's earliest stages (like I did in EQ), and help with the formulas and mechanics. Later phases of development are bugs and correctional.. I do not apply my skill set to those time consuming phases, even though they are crucial for community/game improvement. I personally do not like to know too much about the actual game world, so upon release I am in as much wonderment as the next guy.
I want the backbone and underlying mechanics to be solid, so that is where I get vocal & help typically. I don't "play" pre-release games.
Hieromonk said:
Phases of Development:
- Pre-alpha
- Alpha 1.0
- Alpha 2.0
- Alpha 3.0
- Beta 1.0
- Beta 2.0
- Beta 3.0 (open beta)
If given the chance and opportunity I like to help develop the game in it's earliest stages (like I did in EQ), and help with the formulas and mechanics. Later phases of development are bugs and correctional.. I do not apply my skill set to those time consuming phases, even though they are crucial for community/game improvement. I personally do not like to know too much about the actual game world, so upon release I am in as much wonderment as the next guy.
I want the backbone and underlying mechanics to be solid, so that is where I get vocal & help typically. I don't "play" pre-release games.
I feel the exact same way.
Really don't want to try to figure every secret of the game out in alpha/beta, but I do want to test mechanics, give feedback and help balance and improve everything.
I tend to be more of a late alpha/any stage of beta player. As others have said I do not want to know all the mechanics, specifics and algorithims/RNGs of the game but I want the game to be fun and have mystery and wonders taht are still to be learned. I am a visual player and I spend some time just looking at the scenery and the uniqueness of the world in which I am playing. I loved how players could see Norrath rise and set in some zones Luclin when that expansion was released. I also loved sitting on top of some of the mountains in Dreadlands and watching the various "ants" scurry along to wherever it was they were going. I also enjoyed spotting animations and effects that most others would not look for such as ripple in a puddle when it rained. If the world is visually stunning to me I am that much more enthralled. I beta tested VG and stuck around for the first 6 months of live but life changes made it so I had to quit paying for MMOs..
I'm the sort of player who enjoys testing the game part of the game.
* I like making sure that the atmosphere is good and suitable.
* I like making sure that the immersion into the gameworld and characters is as seamless as possible
* I like making sure that the world feels "alive", from start to finish
* I like making sure that the classes play naturally and "feel" consistent.
* I like making sure that the very basic feeling, that feeling you get when you enter a game and move around - that feeling. I want to make sure that people get elated when entering the game and move about. That they think "Oh, hell yes". That has to do with atomsphere, character animations, basic mechanics, stuff like that. I don't have the ability or knowledge to discuss how to change an algorithm or how to solve a problem. All i can do is point a problem out and say "We need to fix this."
Also, i'm a stickler for grammatical errors, typos and bad writing.
In short, early alpha from when the game is "sorta" playable to closed and open beta. That's where you'll want a guy like me on the team testing things out.
Kilsin said:
Game testing - some like doing it and others would rather wait until the game is released, which side are you on, and will you be helping us test Pantheon?
I love alpha testing. Beta testing I try to limit myself so I dont burn the game out early and get disppointed when I dont get content fast enough.
When you Alpha test you feel as if you helped shape the game and fix stuff. Beta testing seems as if its more of a stress test type thing for the servers with minor bug fixing.
However with all of that said. When we start testing I will be there full time. The game I am playing now is P2W and I am ready to get out of it. This is going to be that 10 - 12 yr game that you can play and play and play and play. I/we are ready to do our part.
~Chaam
Sign me up for testing as soon as possible :D
I'll only burn out on an MMORPG if there is nothing left for me to do or if I'm forced to do the same content over and over again (World of Warcraft).
I extensively beta tested The Elderscrolls Online for about 6 months prior to release and loved it. I only ended up quitting shortly after the game's release due to focusing on school. Within those 6 months there was such a strong community of testers that was built and when the game released a lot of us stuck together. It was something truly rewarding and I hope to have the same experience with P:ROTF!
I actually am on both sides of the fence, I'm one of those players that just wants to be in on the info and get the first peek, I will certainly be testing and big reporting, but I love playing the game more than testing, but i feel like I need to do me due diligence to help complete the game before I play :)
Made the pledge for alpha/beta testing so will indeed be helping. I do enjoy testing and helping make sure something become as good as it possibly can. I also have fun with the inevitable bugs and derpiness which can be plain hilarious at times. And perhaps the best are those times when something is so broken and everyone plays around with it for a while just to see what happens.
I am really looking forward to do some testing to help you guys out. :)