To Test.... or Not to Test?

[Akasha]

I first read this article over at Legions of Azeroth and found it very informative.


To Test… or Not to Test? - Qualities of an Exceptional Beta Tester

An interesting question often appears about this time in a game's development, a simple question: "If given a chance, should I be a beta tester?" Many valid questions - even drawbacks - can be cited, which speak against applying to participate in a beta test. These might include the risks of having one’s overall opinion of the game negatively affected by early bugs and crashes; the difficulty of devoting sufficient time to test; and the frustration of losing characters at the end of the beta upon which you have worked hard and for whom you may have formed an attachment.

Beta Tester or Beta Player?

A good beta tester is interested in all facets of the game, from the way the interface looks, feels, and operates through every complicated facet of gameplay to the smallest of details, such as how the NPC’s sound, or whether the ambient critters add to or detract from the experience.

A wide range of freedom is usually given on what should be included in each individual beta tester’s reportage, and each beta test seems to have slightly different goals. But what they all share is the major emphasis of a beta - opportunities to comment, criticize, praise, query and suggest. Doing that is the tester’s job.

A tester can aid in the most critical of variables - game balance. If a game isn’t balanced, it isn’t fun. It can take a while to get the game right, and sometimes it is made right, or better, even after release. But any contributions that help balance the game during the beta test are highly valued and contribute to the game’s ultimate success.

Traits of a True Tester

A beta tester is willing to devote a lot of test time to… testing.

Not playing, not acquiring items and levels and skills. Not building up the mightiest record, or the most impressive character on Battle.net. But rather, if it is warranted, making a dozen low-level characters, and trying out the earliest items or skills, over and over again. Letting a character get killed, if it means learning more about functionality. Playing a character type for whom one doesn’t particularly feel an affinity, just to learn more. Choosing options you wouldn’t necessarily choose, but observing and testing them, anyway.

A beta tester is willing to self-verify.

It’s easy to send off a whine the first time something happens, or post on the Chat that s/he has "discovered a major problem." A good tester will detail the specifics and make sure it is replicable, many times, before assuming it’s in a game flaw that needs to be addressed by the Blizzard programmers.

A beta tester is willing to lose.

If death is called for, to test, say, monster abilities against your character when s/he is equipped just a certain way, then you die. Over and over again. If risking losing an item - or even losing all your items - is required to make sure things are right in the game, you do it.

A beta tester is willing to be embarrassed.

Doesn’t matter if someone looks at you in chat and snickers at your lowly character, or your awful inventory while he flaunts his Schaefer Bow of Perfection and his Roper Armour of Absolute Invulnerability. You have to get your satisfaction from within. Indulge in a small, knowing smile and a "Hey, fine, you’ve been a great beta player, but some of us are testing here, see?"

A beta tester is willing to handle crashes, lag, disconnects and general weirdness.

SC’s beta presented fun things like Dragoons crashing into each other, SCV’s getting stuck behind minerals, units who stubbornly refused to be picked up by Overlords (apparently they were holding out for a limo) and the Waltz of the Crazed Archons (kind of like Tchaikowsky’s Waltz of the Flowers, but with way different music). If you’re going to get testy with these sorts of things, wait for the game.

A beta tester is flexible.

He or she is willing to put up with change, and willing to sacrifice some of his/her favourite things. In the SC or BW betas, at various times, were powers and abilities that you no longer see: Protoss Scouts that ruled the skies {*sob* give me a moment to recover myself here - their loss was quite a blow}; Ultralisks who were nearly invincible; Vultures who could blow up a building by throwing their handy spider mines against a wall; Carriers and Reavers who required individual reloading and Muties that subsisted on a diet apparently made exclusively of cheese. Details both large and small will change in the course of the Diablo II beta - whole skills might go away or be replaced with something altogether new.

A beta tester communicates well.

There will always be some kind of Bug Report Forms on a beta server. There will also be other means to confer on issues and observations during the beta. Submit thorough, well-documented reports and you will be helping a great deal.

Conclusion

In the end, the best tester is not necessarily the best player, and vice versa, the best player is not necessarily the best tester. One of the finest beta players I ever saw had a stupendous game record. He was angry when far-less-accomplished players were named Top 20 Testers. But when asked "How many reports did you send? And of those, how many were thorough, well-written, verifiable reports?" he responded, "Oh, I probably sent 15, total. I was busy playing the ladder!" When some of us submitted 100, even 150 reports or suggestions, that pretty much establishes who was more useful as a tester.

To be a beta tester is a tremendous honour. To see characters or units or skills that you realize would not be the same, but for your feedback, is incredible. To play a game after its release and realize that you directly impacted the way it is built, the way it is played around the globe, provides a tremendous sense of pride. It’s so much more than having a chance to play the game early, acquiring bragging rights on the Forums, or getting a cool-looking CD to show your friends. If you are chosen to beta, do well. And if you can’t commit to doing well, for goodness sake, don’t sign up to do it at all. :-)



Article by Gaile

Original article found at: World of War Beta Buzz

Also on the World of War website...

Beta testing is an essential part of any game's development and there are many games being tested each month. So how do you find out about these and what can you expect when testing?

Finding out about new tests can be time consuming but there are sites that make finding new and on-going tests easy.

Click me to read the full article along with the links to suggested sites.