Test Anxiety
So, I broke down and signed up for Star Wars: The Old Republic beta test. After the drawn out WAR beta test and my eventual disappointment in the game, I had sworn off beta testing. I was very diligent in my testing for WAR, faithfully submitting bug reports, participating in testing events, and contributing to beta contests. As the beta dragged on and the developers shut down the beta for a while, it did become more difficult to continue with the beta testing and I started slacking. After release, the early tiers of that game seemed fleshed out and it was nice to see that our input seemed to have mattered. But the last tier of the game and the end game content, which seemed to me to be by far the least tested content because of the way the beta was structured, had me bailing on the game almost as soon as I got my first level 40.
As soon as I entered my info for The Old Republic game testing application, I wondered if I really wanted to do it again. Was I up for long-term testing and then starting from scratch on release again? There is definitely an advantage to skipping the testing stage when you seem to have a short attention span for MMOs as I seem to have these days. I also wondered if I’m just bitter at the way my WAR experience ended. All told, I spent more consecutive time in game with WAR then I had with any other MMO, only to be left disappointed and feeling like a jilted lover in the end. Time will tell because there is no guarantee I will get invited to beta test The Old Republic. So I suppose I’ll just cross that bridge when I come to it.
So what do you think? Do you want to beta test games and if so, how long are you willing to do it? Do you really want to test it or do you want to get into beta for a free sneak peek at the game?
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This is a great article, Maeve. I’m so happy I skipped the beta stage of WAR myself because I was able to spend hundreds of hours having fun in the live game…but I still ended up feeling like a jilted lover once I hit tier 4 (twice).
I’d love to be able to actually beta test a game “for real”. I think it takes a special kind of person to be that dedicated to a game — to give their free time and energy to help make it ready for the masses. Ultimately, though, I’m one of those cliche “tourists” who like their sneak peak at the final product. If I’m seriously trying to test though, I can make it a week (if that) before getting frustrated and bored.
I hope that when you come (and cross) the SW:TOR bridge, it’s on fire and taking you down with it
LOL, that last sentence was supposed to say, “I hope that when you come (and cross) the SW:TOR bridge, it’s NOT on fire and taking you down with it” Whoops
Nice Dean.
I’ve essentially sworn off of *MMO* betas, because I get burnout knowing everything I’m doing is pointless. That’s not to say I don’t sumbit bug reports like everyone else, but a man of my taste’s can only do that for so long before going mentally insane… or in my case more mentally insane.
Anyways, betas like Starcraft II on the other hand, I’m more than willing to be apart of.
Aww, it cut out my final sentence of [Insert WTT Soul for Beta Key Here] lol.
Ha Dean! Glad to know you weren’t hoping I’d go down in a blaze of not-so-glory.
I enjoy testing (and breaking) the core game mechanics. Not so much consuming the content (quests). I was in super early beta testing of Vanguard and it was great fun. Seeing game systems get added, watching the world start out as a single town with a few nps and grow to a vast place, etc.
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This is a great article, Maeve. I’m so happy I skipped the beta stage of WAR myself because I was able to spend hundreds of hours having fun in the live game…but I still ended up feeling like a jilted lover once I hit tier 4 (twice).
I’d love to be able to actually beta test a game “for real”. I think it takes a special kind of person to be that dedicated to a game — to give their free time and energy to help make it ready for the masses. Ultimately, though, I’m one of those cliche “tourists” who like their sneak peak at the final product. If I’m seriously trying to test though, I can make it a week (if that) before getting frustrated and bored.
I hope that when you come (and cross) the SW:TOR bridge, it’s on fire and taking you down with it
LOL, that last sentence was supposed to say, “I hope that when you come (and cross) the SW:TOR bridge, it’s NOT on fire and taking you down with it” Whoops
Nice Dean.
I’ve essentially sworn off of *MMO* betas, because I get burnout knowing everything I’m doing is pointless. That’s not to say I don’t sumbit bug reports like everyone else, but a man of my taste’s can only do that for so long before going mentally insane… or in my case more mentally insane.
Anyways, betas like Starcraft II on the other hand, I’m more than willing to be apart of.
Aww, it cut out my final sentence of [Insert WTT Soul for Beta Key Here] lol.
Ha Dean! Glad to know you weren’t hoping I’d go down in a blaze of not-so-glory.
I enjoy testing (and breaking) the core game mechanics. Not so much consuming the content (quests). I was in super early beta testing of Vanguard and it was great fun. Seeing game systems get added, watching the world start out as a single town with a few nps and grow to a vast place, etc.
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