hunchpunch

What can I do to get into the beta?

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What can I do to get into the beta?

from Demigod Forums

The game looks decent and I am an RTS fan.  I have tested many other games from city builders to MMO's and had fun doing it.  I would say that RTS's are my true calling.  I have also played DoTA and been bored, but I find thw WC3 engine slow and clunky.  Seeing this at PAX, I really enjoyed it and would like to get more of a taste for its mechanics and character development.  What can I do to get into the beta?

 

~hp

demigod
72,049 views 41 replies
Reply #26 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting Renius01, reply 10
Any preorder is still the collectors edition, so any soundtracks or extra content should also be downloadable from the site, even if you buy the digital one (that's how it was with Sins). Living in the UK, S&H was quite expensive for me and i would assume Lebanon is the same.. I would recommend the digital download

Yes you are right. I will be going with the Digital Distribution. If all goes well I'll be preordering tonight when I get back from work.

Reply #27 from Demigod Forums Top

even for the extra price i find the box better cause u can put it on a stand and say "I bought that game" while ur computer is turning on and u cant see ur desktop yet lol

Who turns on their computer more than once after your done putting it togeather/installing windows?

;P

Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #28 from Stardock Forums Top

How long do you expect to play demigod befor you start starving... become thirsty... SLEEP...

(I actually expect the reply to be around 10 months -.-)

Reply #29 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting xthetenth, reply 24
I agree with that policy, because this prevents the "beta as demo" crowd from thinking the beta is a demo when in fact it is very far from being one and spreading bad word of mouth. It also makes sure that everybody in the beta understands and is serious about working on it.

But what you are asking is similar to someone who is "investing" in the company since they have put forth a financial stake in a future outcome.  Which sounds all well and good, but you cannot get clear or affective results from such a skewed audience.  They already believe and want the outcome to be good as opposed to being fair and subjective.  I guess I see it as the goal should be to get good, well written and verbose or just dedicated testers.  People testing your game that have already purchased it are 1) already committed regardless of the turnout so "what do you have to lose by letting them test since they are already on board?" and 2) going want the game to be what *they* want out of it as opposed to what what might be balanced or effective in terms of giving the game a mass appeal.  Beta testers that have already purchased your game could be seen as fanboys and biased from the get go.  Is that really want the company wants out of a stress test, feedback, and a way to truly balance a game for release?

Now don't get me wrong, I think rewarding preorders with a beta key is great, but seeding your testers to be ONLY those people will leave you with yesmen and many patches and fixes post release when your player base evens out.

~hp

P.S.  I have to say, on a side note, that this with DS2 has really dropped the ball after the great start with DS1.

 

 

Reply #30 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting mOoEyThEcOw, reply 2
even for the extra price i find the box better cause u can put it on a stand and say "I bought that game" while ur computer is turning on and u cant see ur desktop yet lol
Who turns on their computer more than once after your done putting it togeather/installing windows?

I thought someone did... :S

Reply #31 from Demigod Forums Top

Which sounds all well and good, but you cannot get clear or affective results from such a skewed audience. They already believe and want the outcome to be good as opposed to being fair and subjective.

They believe in the gameplay concept. They may not believe in the current implementation. You have a group of people who aren't going to ask for radical rewrites, but instead are going to ask for minor changes to help polish the gameplay. You'll already notice people who have ideas that they want to have changed. Also, becuase they want the outcome to be good, they'll be much more likely to put in the work to make it good and to keep their suggestions in the realm of implementable changes rather than suggesting drastic changes.

 

going want the game to be what *they* want out of it as opposed to what what might be balanced or effective in terms of giving the game a mass appeal.

Not something I noticed. Everybody wants something different from a game, so why is the group of people with preorders different? In the sins beta, rather unsurprisingly everybody wanted the game to be balanced, and the resulting game was relatively well balanced (discounting a cheap trick that wasn't as easy in beta and a few issues with the advent, who we'd never seen). It's not like people who buy all for some reason hate balance.

 

Now don't get me wrong, I think rewarding preorders with a beta key is great, but seeding your testers to be ONLY those people will leave you with yesmen and many patches and fixes post release when your player base evens out.

You should've seen the amount of unholy hell pathfinding in early versions of sins got. Nothing of the sort you talk about happened.

Reply #32 from Demigod Forums Top

No Stardock published game that has had a pre-order beta has ever gotten less than a meta score of 85. 

Reply #33 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 7
No Stardock published game that has had a pre-order beta has ever gotten less than a meta score of 85. 

Showoff :P

Reply #34 from Demigod Forums Top

I just tried my credit card and it was refused :( , any idea if entropay or similar works? I wish someone can shed some light.

I need to gift this to my bro |-)

Thanks

Reply #35 from Demigod Forums Top

No Stardock published game that has had a pre-order beta has ever gotten less than a meta score of 85.

Well, it's apparently worked so far. No real reason to think it won't now.

 

Is Entroplay a credit card?

 

:fox:

Reply #36 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting Kitkun, reply 10
No Stardock published game that has had a pre-order beta has ever gotten less than a meta score of 85. Well, it's apparently worked so far. No real reason to think it won't now. Is Entroplay a credit card? 

Yes it is a virtual credit card.

Link

Reply #37 from Demigod Forums Top

If it's a temporary, single-use card number then it probably won't work for a preorder (outside the open window, that is), since it doesn't get charged immediately.

Reply #38 from Demigod Forums Top

I just contacted my bank and they said that my card is not loaded yet with the amount I told them XO .

I just hope I can make it in time tomorrow >_>

Reply #39 from Demigod Forums Top

No Stardock published game that has had a pre-order beta has ever gotten less than a meta score of 85.

 

Which one? Running through my list of Stardock games I think had betas, I can't come up with one I wouldn't give significantly better than 85. Of course, you don't advertise hard enough to get the best scores, but still.

Reply #40 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 7
No Stardock published game that has had a pre-order beta has ever gotten less than a meta score of 85. 

 

Does this mean getting a "B" is a goal?  I understand an 85 is not at 75 or a 50, but it is not a 90 or 95 either.  Frankly, the whole ratings thing is, well, overrated.  A letter from one site, a number on whatever scale( 5, 9, 17 1/2, 99 and 2/3s) from another, and maybe a star or thumbs up or some random vegetable from wherever all based on different systems or caterogries of evaluation.

By now, ratings seem so unreliable that I know I do not use or trust them since they really don't provide any real information.  Polls are ok, in getting feedback and on occasion, a pro/cons list.  But as for a rating, you might as well give it an ice cream flavor as much as an overall score.  Did you know that:

Quoting Frogboy, reply 7
No Stardock published game that has had a pre-order beta has ever gotten less than a chocolate. 
?

That's more like it!

As far as that goes, even PA weighs in on it here:  http://www.penny-arcade.com/2002/10/28/i-give-it-an-862315/

Any way, I played your game, thought it was fun and wanted to help you make it a product I would buy.  I'd like to offer help in testing, but I am not willing to be charged to help you make money on something that is still in the works.