26 replies to this topic

[Beo Vulf]

Definition:
A beta test is a limited release of a product with a goal of finding bugs before the final release. Software testing is often referred to by the terms "alpha" and "beta."
Generally speaking, the alpha test is an internal test to find bugs, and the beta test is an external test. During the alpha phase, the product is opened up to employees of the company and, sometimes, friends and family. During the beta phase, the product is opened up to a limited number of customers.
Sometimes, beta tests are referred to as "open" or "closed". A closed beta test has a limited number of spots open for testing, while an open beta has either an unlimited number of spots (i.e. anyone who wants to can participate) or a very large number of spots in cases where opening it up to everyone is impractical.
http://webtrends.abo...beta_define.htm
I know the definition and the lack of progression in regards to game content is still frustrating at times. It just seems that we are still no further along then we where 2 months ago.

[Taryys]

I have been playing since June and things have progressed, albeit slowly. PGI is not a large company swimming with monetary backing. They are small. If they had the likes of Sony or Bioware throwing money at them or were doing the game themselves then things would be very, very different.

Beta means stuff is broken and needs to be fixed. Things are being tested 'cause they are not sure about how they want to implement things. It means that there is quite a lot of incomplete functionality that has yet to be implemented and/or decided on.

[Axeman1]

Taryys, on 01 November 2012 - 12:21 PM, said:

I have been playing since June and things have progressed, albeit slowly. PGI is not a large company swimming with monetary backing. They are small. If they had the likes of Sony or Bioware throwing money at them or were doing the game themselves then things would be very, very different.

Beta means stuff is broken and needs to be fixed. Things are being tested 'cause they are not sure about how they want to implement things. It means that there is quite a lot of incomplete functionality that has yet to be implemented and/or decided on.

the state of the game seems more like alpha than beta to be honest.

[Cochise]

Alpha - working on the core of the game

Beta - core is done, working on everything else

Has nothing to do with charging for it or not charging.

The model PGI has used to get this game off the ground is "crowdsourcing", a word that didn't even exist when the traditional terms open beta, alpha, closed beta etc., came into existence.

They're developing it using scrum/agile software dev processes, which do not fit into what most people are familiar with and since they don't understand it, they think "gee, this just doesn't seem finished, why would they put this out in the open?" because that is part of the dev process is the answer.

Edited by Cochise, 01 November 2012 - 12:32 PM.

[Beo Vulf]

Axeman1, on 01 November 2012 - 12:23 PM, said:

the state of the game seems more like alpha than beta to be honest.

Agreed. Not all the core items are in game.

[MEGABOT 5]

Beta is being friendzoned!

[Taryys]

I will not argue this.
A lot of stuff is broken and buggy. Alpha? Sure.

But, regardless of the label they have chosen, we have what we have.

Axeman1, on 01 November 2012 - 12:23 PM, said:

the state of the game seems more like alpha than beta to be honest.

[BlackSquirrel]

Alpha usually means most **** doesn't work... Rather a level or two at best with a few dynamics... (Mechs, weapons, etc etc) Crashes even on top tier systems.

Want a true alpha release? Sword and stars 2.

I think most people believe betas are super polished because of MMOs (Which is really their last stress test, and demo advertising....or the early release stuff they do.)

Edited by BlackSquirrel, 01 November 2012 - 12:33 PM.

[Cochise]

Whether you think so or not, the core experience is there. That's why it is in open beta.

Does everything work? No. That is not what alpha is about, that is what beta is about.

[Ravensol]

Cochise, on 01 November 2012 - 12:33 PM, said:

Whether you think so or not, the core experience is there. That's why it is in open beta.

Does everything work? No. That is not what alpha is about, that is what beta is about.

The main issue many are having is the core experiance (based on what pgi has stated as the core of the game) Is not in the game. I have mentioned in many posts they are still developing the game. Please help buy offering constructive posts. Doesn't matter if it is a complaint, obervasion, idea or opinion. As long as it is clear what you are saying and it is in a constructive way it will help. The reason i mention this is because it is simply to late for pgi to make that all important first impression on the public with there product. Having 1/2 of the posts rubbing this fact in isn't helping at all.

[Vermaxx]

No, the core is the only thing in the game.

The "core" being every battle you enter.

The meat of the fruit isn't all there. The meat being the reason to get into the core. The galaxy map, the faction economy, the mercenary contract, the declaration of war against another faction, the loss of a major planet, the gain of a strategic location, a plot development, etc. Community Warfare isn't the core, it is the fluff that makes the repetitive core worth repeating.

We already have SOME of the meat too. We have mechlab and pilotlab. We have an economy, albiet with relatively set payments, deductions, and no price fluctuations on purchases or availability modifiers. We have an infantile group management system and 3rd party VOIP support semi-integrated into the group function.

If this were nothing but the CORE ALPHA, everyone would have one or more mechs preset to choose from, no mechlab, and no pilotlab. They would pick a mech (or use one) and spawn into a combat zone.

[Hexenhammer]

Its in Beta = I'm tired of reading the same topics over and over again by different people that just want to talk about the same damn thing over and over again.

But that applies to every game out there. The players harp on the same subjects over and over again until its 'fixed'.

Or

Its Beta = I'm not going to get worked up over it because there is nothing I can do other than talk about it on the forums. PGI has acknowledged its an issue and they are working on it so the only thing I can do is hurry up and wait.

Edited by Hexenhammer, 01 November 2012 - 07:02 PM.

[Psikez]

The game is in open beta. A thousand more threads about it doesn't put us any closer to a cataphract

Edited by Psikez, 01 November 2012 - 07:03 PM.

[Cochise]

Ravensol, on 01 November 2012 - 06:38 PM, said:

The main issue many are having is the core experiance (based on what pgi has stated as the core of the game) Is not in the game. I have mentioned in many posts they are still developing the game. Please help buy offering constructive posts. Doesn't matter if it is a complaint, obervasion, idea or opinion. As long as it is clear what you are saying and it is in a constructive way it will help. The reason i mention this is because it is simply to late for pgi to make that all important first impression on the public with there product. Having 1/2 of the posts rubbing this fact in isn't helping at all.

Well I am just taking my point view from what Russ Bullock said which was that the core game and experience are in place which was why he went to open beta. The meat and potatoes are coming.

I hear ya though, for me the core was interesting enough to keep me playing since closed beta. I hope others find it that way too but who knows, the game may not be fully fleshed out enough for many people until six months from now. I hope PGI generates enough revenue in the meantime to keep things churning out. Eve Online started off that way, the beginning was very slow, and it was pretty dismal at first, but things spun up very quickly after about six months.

I mean PGI is a really small company, around 65 total employees, 45 devs. IGP is tiny. For comparison, Blizzard Entertainment has 4600 employees, Electronic Arts over 7500. I think they have to get the game out and develop it as it goes, that is what CCP did with Eve Online because they were also very small when they started out. Lets all keep our fingers crossed and buy Wang Lows!

[Vermaxx]

Technically, the core experience IS the meat and potatoes. The side salad, soup, rolls, and finely matched wine are coming

[Dr Warp Effect]

When PGI wants to take in money the game is in soft release as they claim that is how F2P works. Very often when complaints are registered about how poorly, or not at all, some of the base game works, not to mention the total absence of the metagame, many posters on this forum dismiss it all as, "its still beta" and "they are working on it." PGI and their biggest fanbois are having their cake and eating it to, and only a partially baked virtual cake at that, and they are charging money for it.

[Aaron DeChavilier]

Taryys, on 01 November 2012 - 12:21 PM, said:

I have been playing since June and things have progressed, albeit slowly. PGI is not a large company swimming with monetary backing. They are small. If they had the likes of Sony or Bioware throwing money at them or were doing the game themselves then things would be very, very different.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: team size does not equal game quality. Look at Id or Valve. Each started with a handful of people and make amazing games. ID actually built their game engines from scratch then proceeded to define a genre with them. I don't think PGI is too small, rather just not really great, like a B team.

Cochise, on 01 November 2012 - 12:25 PM, said:

They're developing it using scrum/agile software dev processes, which do not fit into what most people are familiar with and since they don't understand it, they think "gee, this just doesn't seem finished, why would they put this out in the open?" because that is part of the dev process is the answer.

but they dont even seem to be doing a great job with this process either because many major features come in buggy and rushed...oh wait thats what scrum/agile is, just a bunch of rushing to the next feature...Maybe it doesn't fit because its not used often, maybe its not used often because its not very good.

some features of note:
collisions / physics - added, then rescinded
repair/rearm - added, rescinded then added again.

both are part of the 'core' gameplay and have been flubbed on initial patching.

bonus round: netcode continues to cause no end of headaches causing not just visual lag, but failed hit registration, and missed shots due to hitbox lag.

Edited by Aaron DeChavilier, 01 November 2012 - 07:41 PM.

[Ravensol]

This thread has some very good points that alot of plp need to see so i'll bump it

[Delta66]

I have to say that PGI is taking a risky and unique path to develop this game. The Founder's program was a master stroke of finance, like holding a kickstarter where the loaners get the product early!
Because this is so unique, I think the traditional Beta/Live line seems very blurred to people.

When I am told that my Premium Timer is ticking and there will not be any more resets of it, I will consider it live.
I Have a list of items that would be complete for me to be satisfied with a go-live

[Lin Shai]

The game is currently in Closed Beta, what does this mean?

• Ancillary features are done.
  
• New features are being added.
  
• New content is added on a regular basis.
  
• Access to MechWarrior Online is by invitation only.
  
• All purchases are tracked and will be credited to a player's account when Open Beta starts. (Example: If you purchase 5,000 MC during Closed Beta, your account will be credited with 5,000 MC once Open Beta begins.)
  
• Data is reset regularly.
  
• Balance and tuning are extensive and regular.
  
• Lots of bugs.

Once we announce we are in Open Beta (Date TBD), what will change?

• The game is 95% stable.
  
• New features are still being added.
  
• New content is added on a regular basis.
  
• Final data reset.
  
• Balance and tuning are still happening regularly in response to scaling up the user base.

As mentioned above, terms like "Release" or "Live" are hard to determine with a Free to Play game like MechWarrior Online, however you may consider the game "Live" when:

• The game is stable.
  
• New features are grouped into more formal releases.
  
• New content is added on a regular basis.
  
• Unrestricted public access to the game.
  
• Ongoing tuning and minor bug fixing.

We hope this clarifies things a little more and gives you a bit more information on the different milestones we are trying to achieve. Until next time, happy gaming![/color]