Beta Tester

AlBQuirky

That term used to mean something. Players would be following info on MMORPGs and when they announced "beta testing", many flocked to be lucky enough to get picked. Usually, it was near release (actual BETA step) and most of it was just server load testing. It was not "fun" for most, but players got a "preview" of the game.

Now, "beta testing" is more likely "alpha testing", with quite a bit of time before release. It's also purchasable, many times as a pre-order.

Do you recall the first game you got lucky enough to beta test?

Mine was Dungeons & Dragons Online. I recall being so hyped up for that! The game disillusioned me, though. It "vaguely resembled" the tabletop game I wanted. i realize much of it needed to be "video gamified" in order to attract players, though. Who wants to play a spell caster that gets to start off with just one spell each day.

The last game I beta tested was ES:O. After that disillusionment, I have stopped beta testing and just wait for actual releases

Again, do you recall your first beta test for an MMO?

centkin

The first REAL beta test (meaning game is a year+ pre-release with the whole NDAs and all) would be Vanguard.

Vanguard was sooo much better systemwise 15 months before release, and had the promise of being truly special.

GladDog

Tribes 2 was the first game I beta tested.  The first MMORPG I beta tested was City of Heroes.

Kyleran

I only applied for a few betas back in the day but none of them ever accepted me, probably could tell I would bring about the doom of their game.



I did get into a few paid betas later (i.e. LOTRO) where I found myself being annoyed by their flaws or quickly burning out shortly after launch.

For over 10 years now I've waited until a game releases before playing, sometimes preferring to wait 6 months to a year after even so things get all settled out.

ArcheAge "alpha" was a rare exception but no regrets as that short early access period was arguably the game's best days, at least here in NA.

iixviiiix

My first beta test was game called priston tale , i wasn't in beta test before it .

any test phase that don't reset server is not test

beta test (server wipe/reset)> game relese (mass number test no server wipe) > commercial

MMORPG genre used to be like this .

wesjr

Everquest was my 1st beta test. I did not know much about it but I was excited for the "3d" game play as I was an avid player of The Realm Online at the time which was a 2d MMO. 

Theriex

Ultima Online I believe was the first beta I got into.  Some time around 1997 I believe.  I still remember the CD, not sure what happened to it though.

Sovrath

AlBQuirky said:

Do you recall the first game you got lucky enough to beta test?

Masters of Orion III

There was a quiz where you had to name all the races based on their pictures. They used to send me builds by UPS (or fedex something like that)

First mmorpg beta was actually world of warcraft.

Scot

I never beta test because it the launch is not so fun when you have done it all before, but I applaud those that do, or should I say did?

Scorchien

  Testing history is long and current ..

   Started with (1994) Neverwinter ...  Meridian 59   .. UO , EQ ..etc...

    Also Internal Tech Tester for EQ2 , PS , PS2 ... DAoC ... LOTRO , Warhammer , SWTOR .. etc .. and have been a paid tester ..

  Currently testing several games  , and for the thread only listing MMOs ,, current testing of single/coop games also

  Its not for everyone , and many times Not fun ,  not the kind (of fun)that players are looking for .. More like work at times .. 

  But i enjoy it

Amathe

I beta tested SWG at a late stage. There wasn't a lot for me to do at that point, so I just rolled character after character to see what I might want to play at launch. I reported a few bugs, but the area where I was playing was done, mostly.

I briefly beta tested Auto Assault and thought it was a complete piece of shit. I didn't stay in it long.

I beta tested Vanguard for a while. For whatever reason I didn't experience the disconnectivity many people later complained of. What I did experience (and this is just my personal opinion) was that the game was not nearly as fun at lower levels as EQ had been. Some of my best days in EQ were in the early stages (Kelethn/Crushbone). Vanguard seemed more to reflect a design philosophy that the early levels were just for marking time, and the "real game" would come later. I sure hope Brad doesn't do that again in Pantheon, because he got it right in EQ. 

There were others but I seem to have forgotten them. 

Cleffy

I know Ragnarok Online charged for closed beta testing. I think Guild Wars did a good job with using beta tests. In general beta tests were a preview of the game and most of the issues with the game they failed to address.

Sovrath

Amathe said:

I beta tested SWG at a late stage. There wasn't a lot for me to do at that point, so I just rolled character after character to see what I might want to play at launch. I reported a few bugs, but the area where I was playing was done, mostly.

I briefly beta tested Auto Assault and thought it was a complete piece of shit. I didn't stay in it long.

I beta tested Vanguard for a while. For whatever reason I didn't experience the disconnectivity many people later complained of. What I did experience (and this is just my personal opinion) was that the game was not nearly as fun at lower levels as EQ had been. Some of my best days in EQ were in the early stages (Kelethn/Crushbone). Vanguard seemed more to reflect a design philosophy that the early levels were just for marking time, and the "real game" would come later. I sure hope Brad doesn't do that again in Pantheon, because he got it right in EQ. 

There were others but I seem to have forgotten them. 

huh, I actually found Vanguard incredibly fun at the lower levels. Then again, I'm not really a raider and enjoy the exploration aspect more.

alkarionlog

AlBQuirky said:

That term used to mean something. Players would be following info on MMORPGs and when they announced "beta testing", many flocked to be lucky enough to get picked. Usually, it was near release (actual BETA step) and most of it was just server load testing. It was not "fun" for most, but players got a "preview" of the game.

Now, "beta testing" is more likely "alpha testing", with quite a bit of time before release. It's also purchasable, many times as a pre-order.

Do you recall the first game you got lucky enough to beta test?

Mine was Dungeons & Dragons Online. I recall being so hyped up for that! The game disillusioned me, though. It "vaguely resembled" the tabletop game I wanted. i realize much of it needed to be "video gamified" in order to attract players, though. Who wants to play a spell caster that gets to start off with just one spell each day.

The last game I beta tested was ES:O. After that disillusionment, I have stopped beta testing and just wait for actual releases

Again, do you recall your first beta test for an MMO?

you mean real beta testing or just "beta testing" to try and hook players before launch?

I guess the real deal was during the time I played fallen earth, though I do remember when I did beta tested defiance, I filled so much reports for then, they invited me to alpha later, pity they fu the game later

now "beta tested" games just so they could hook players these are too many to even remember

Limnic

Used to go into the Microsoft offices to QA titles. First alpha/beta for an MMO was Asheron's Call when Microsoft picked it up as publisher.

Tested a bunch since then, but switched from testing to developing a while back.

Cryomatrix

Never got into beta testing, too busy, i would be too lazy to report bugs and im also easy to please. 

Amathe

Sovrath said:

huh, I actually found Vanguard incredibly fun at the lower levels. Then again, I'm not really a raider and enjoy the exploration aspect more.

Perhaps it was for you. These are subjective matters, obviously. But my lack of enjoying the early levels in Vanguard had nothing to do with raiding. At that point in my gaming life I had done very little raiding. Even now I would not say overall that I am the raider type - only in a few games. I would self identify in most cases as a "busy casual," meaning I am casual but play a lot (as opposed to one hour a week type casuals).   

Levityy

I've never been into the idea of beta testing. Mortal Online jaded me to the point of disinterest.

I also prefer to hit the ground running, and I'm not particularly fond of having my progress wiped.

If there's a new MMO on the horizon that actually looks amazing and as if it'll deliver its promises *splutters everywhere* then perhaps.

cheyane

Mine was Anarchy Online and then Dark Age of Camelot. I was so excited I couldn't even sit still while it was patching I think. I kept trying different characters every time I logged in I was like a hamster on speed.Then a whole slew of games after and then I stopped applying for them. I just found out I didn't enjoy games I beta tested a whole lot because part of the mystery was gone.

I recall paying a fortune to have Star Wars Galaxy's discs shipped to me. It was more than the game retailed later but I didn't care because it was STAR WARS....

Scot

Levityy said:

I've never been into the idea of beta testing. Mortal Online jaded me to the point of disinterest.

I also prefer to hit the ground running, and I'm not particularly fond of having my progress wiped.

If there's a new MMO on the horizon that actually looks amazing and as if it'll deliver its promises *splutters everywhere* then perhaps.

Welcome to our forums!

Levityy

Scot said:

Levityy said:

I've never been into the idea of beta testing. Mortal Online jaded me to the point of disinterest.

I also prefer to hit the ground running, and I'm not particularly fond of having my progress wiped.

If there's a new MMO on the horizon that actually looks amazing and as if it'll deliver its promises *splutters everywhere* then perhaps.

Welcome to our forums!

Thanks Scot! ^^

SavageHorizon

My first beta test was WOW European test. Thing about blizzards WOW test is that anyone could go to there forums and watch vids but you couldn't post unless you were a tester.

The days of real beta testing are long gone unless it's the indie mmo's that are being made. 

SavageHorizon

Amathe said:

I beta tested SWG at a late stage. There wasn't a lot for me to do at that point, so I just rolled character after character to see what I might want to play at launch. I reported a few bugs, but the area where I was playing was done, mostly.

I briefly beta tested Auto Assault and thought it was a complete piece of shit. I didn't stay in it long.

I beta tested Vanguard for a while. For whatever reason I didn't experience the disconnectivity many people later complained of. What I did experience (and this is just my personal opinion) was that the game was not nearly as fun at lower levels as EQ had been. Some of my best days in EQ were in the early stages (Kelethn/Crushbone). Vanguard seemed more to reflect a design philosophy that the early levels were just for marking time, and the "real game" would come later. I sure hope Brad doesn't do that again in Pantheon, because he got it right in EQ. 

There were others but I seem to have forgotten them. 

I have to ask what version of Vanguard you were playing? Vanguard journey to max level was the strongest part of the game.

The game had practically no max level content at release but the journey to max level was brilliant.


Yes I played EQ1 from 1999 and it was great and fun, I can agree with that but your discription of Vanguards early levels is totally valse imo. 

Did you stay in one location lol. 

sunandshadow

I helped load test zOMG, and it was interesting because the devs were actually on and asking players to all use X type of ability at once to see if the game fell over, and that sort of thing.  It interfered quite a bit with the normal gameplay experience, which is why I'm not that excited about beta testing games.  I've tested several single-player games, but that's always been as a favor to the game's devs.

Kyleran

Levityy said:

Scot said:

Levityy said:

I've never been into the idea of beta testing. Mortal Online jaded me to the point of disinterest.

I also prefer to hit the ground running, and I'm not particularly fond of having my progress wiped.

If there's a new MMO on the horizon that actually looks amazing and as if it'll deliver its promises *splutters everywhere* then perhaps.

Welcome to our forums!

Thanks Scot! ^^

Another new white tag, keep coming back.

Mendel

I've never actually been in a Beta test.  By the time I learned of the Beta, I was typically too late.  These days, there's the whole 'pay to test' thing that I simply detest.  I like my money more than I want to play their unfinished game.