Adrian Steel, on 22 May 2013 - 01:14 PM, said:
Yes. We all want the game to get good, so don't forget to buy more MC while you're testing it for PGI.
QFT
pseudocoder, on 22 May 2013 - 01:25 PM, said:
It's a beta. That means you can expect balance design decisions are made in design meetings, implemented, tested for TECHNICAL soundness (i.e., are they working as designed?), and released. If you don't like being a guinea pig then wait for final release of the game. I'm sure PGI will go to a much, much slower, more deliberate patch schedule at that time.
A Beta Test, a computer product prior to commercial release, is the
last stage of testing, and normally can involve sending the product to beta test sites outside the company for real-world exposure or offering the product for a
free trial download. (I grant you that, now-a-days, titles need funding because there is a greater risk aversion.
A beta version represents the first version that implements all features in the initial requirements. It is likely to be useful for
internal demonstrations and previews to select customers, but
unstable and not yet ready for release. Some developers refer to this stage as a preview, as a technical preview (TP) or as an early access.
As the second major stage in the release lifecycle, following the alpha stage, this stage often begins when the developers announce a
feature freeze on the product, indicating that no more feature requirements
(this would include the flight path change) will be accepted for this version of the product.
Only software issues, or bugs and unimplemented features will be addressed.
Beta versions are an intermediate step in the development cycle. Developers release closed beta or open beta; closed versions are released to a select group of individuals for a user test, while open betas are to a larger community group, usually the general public. The testers report any bugs that they found and sometimes minor features they would like to see in the final version.
pseudocoder, on 22 May 2013 - 01:25 PM, said:
As far as delaying the patch since fix A's balance is dependent on fix B and fix B isn't ready yet, that would cause way more problems than it solves. Let's just push patch day to Wednesday when we feel like it, how does that sound? How about Friday? Might as well, go to next week now, right? Nope. You can't delay the entire team and screw up everyone's scheduling because a feature didn't make it.
Incorrect. If done infrequently, to ensure the quality of the patch, it is acceptable. Done on a regular basis is not acceptable and shows a lack of time management.
pseudocoder, on 22 May 2013 - 01:25 PM, said:
It's still a beta. It has a meaning, it means the game is not done and they INTEND to break it to test limits before the game is released. It's a beta. Also, what's your point? Edit: TLDR; It's a beta.
BETA does not mean that they INTEND to break it. It means they
INTEND to
fix it. The breaking occurs in the ALPHA phase.