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BETA Application Methods |
Closed BETA |
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Closed betas usually can be applied for direct from the website, from within a company or grouping, or via a 3rd party site. Alpha participation is a biggy and will almost certainly ensure acceptance on any beta. Selection is more refined at this stage and testers are selected for hardware and game experience. This doesn’t preclude a variety being included for numbers or more minor tests but generally acceptance on the closed beta will be signalled by a direct email from the developers.
Be honest with the hardware as they will typically know if you are not. Novice testers are just as desired as veteran ones, with preconceptions possibly tainting more seasoned testers. Above all be honest and expand on gaming history. Even at the pure bug testing stage early on - types of gamers and their behaviour is of interest to those observing. At this point it is worth noting the type of developer.
Large scale commercial operators will have a very slick and rigid testing format and many struggle to keep the testers up to date with the stage they are at, mostly down to the pace. Smaller developers differ in their approach a lot more, with some adhering to a traditional format while others allow more creative involvement for those trying to gain access. See Less Formal Methods.
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Open BETA |
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 Open beta is usually more about load testing and balance refinement, with a wider set of goal posts for the players to aim for. Here you will typically get on, though numbers may induce developers to use extra filters and methods to select a good group.
Open betas usually suffer less organised disruption but by default suffer more unexpected crashes, as server load is a key element. To generate fresh interest, applications can be offered by a variety of methods including promotions like the SAGA Queue Jump Offer we run here or by competitions. Site membership is often used to gain an advantage in a queue also.
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Less Formal Methods |
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Many developers like to see enthusiasm, it’s their baby after all and who wouldn’t. Some just like to see forum activity and some go a lot further, rewarding any news/traffic generation and offering referral systems for friends. An example of this would be Beyond Protocols developers Dark Sky Entertainment, who openly encourage web activity about the game as a means to secure access.
Employing more informal techniques, this can bring entire circles of friends and clans aboard and allows a lot more flexibility for the developers. An article will be published soon specifically about how to get on the successful path to Beyond Protocols Closed BETA.
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