This is just a few exambles goes for alot of games but far from all.
1. To find ERRORS that the testers has NOT found and fix em. 2. Stress test! you do that to see how many ppl the servers can possible support and what happends if there gets too many in a certain area. 3. Different hardware configurations and Operative Systems setups languege etc. How do they react to the game. And how many DUMB thing can the customers possible do to their systems that will impact THEIR gameplay.
thats just a few reasons.. and for you to remember.. aparently they had to rewrite alot of the game code due to new and better technology avaible! 6 years of internal testing with a very limited amount of testers. dosnt TEST those 3 things good enough.. and proberly never will
Yes but no one is saying that they WON'T have a beta now are they?
This is just a few exambles goes for alot of games but far from all. 1. To find ERRORS that the testers has NOT found and fix em. 2. Stress test! you do that to see how many ppl the servers can possible support and what happends if there gets too many in a certain area. 3. Different hardware configurations and Operative Systems setups languege etc. How do they react to the game. And how many DUMB thing can the customers possible do to their systems that will impact THEIR gameplay.
thats just a few reasons.. and for you to remember.. aparently they had to rewrite alot of the game code due to new and better technology avaible! 6 years of internal testing with a very limited amount of testers. dosnt TEST those 3 things good enough.. and proberly never will
1) If you have good internal testing there won't be many errors to find....again I point to all the single player games released on consoles and the PC.....few if any have a public beta test.
2) Well, you're not in the software biz so you can be forgiven the fact that you don't know about automated stress testing simulators/software that can handle this task as well. When I was in Telco we actually released a software switch that had never been tested in the public network, only via simulations and it was successful.
3) You know what else exists, 3rd party labs that actually provide a large variety of hardware set-ups that you can hire to do your environment testing for you.
As for my earlier post....yes, I do believe many big game companies cut corners when it comes to internal testing (and not just game companies btw) and I think one reason we see poor software releases is over-reliance on beta testers in the overall game release process.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Um, haven't they announced beta dates before. And missed them?
The history of this game alone is a fascinating side-show. International transfers of the company! Back room dealings! Sounds like a Tom Clancy spy novel or something.
I'm not here to flame or anything, I actually would like to see this game released, but to me this might be a small hint concerning the internal testing:
I'm not here to flame or anything, I actually would like to see this game released, but to me this might be a small hint concerning the internal testing:
Delays happen all the time.Look at AOC and Funcon....or Mythic and WAR.Heck POTBS has been in development for 5 years or more I believe....and still none of these are out.
Interesting, I've released a lot of software over the years (of course, none of them were games) and I don't recall ever holding a beta.....
What kind of software? Was it being used in an online environment with thousands of people logged on at once? Would it potentially stress peoples pc's out?
A long beta is not necessary, but many games need stress testing of some sort.
Then again, that still does not necessarily mean a big public beta, or an open beta. I'm sure they could have a discrete internal beta that would stress the servers, though most of the games I've seen that have done that had massive lag and connectivity problems at release.
I hope if nothing else they thoroughly test their billing model. That alone has brought games to a screeching halt. For some odd reason people don't like being double billed or not allowed to cancel, etc.
So they don't even have Lead Quality Assurance Manager in their team yet..?
Ya but yet they've been doing all that quality assurance testing for 7 years (if you want to believe the fanboys that is)
No you don't need another person in order to do that. I mean this is a game they want to play so I would think they would be able to know if it is good or not.
Comments
Yes but no one is saying that they WON'T have a beta now are they?
1) If you have good internal testing there won't be many errors to find....again I point to all the single player games released on consoles and the PC.....few if any have a public beta test.
2) Well, you're not in the software biz so you can be forgiven the fact that you don't know about automated stress testing simulators/software that can handle this task as well. When I was in Telco we actually released a software switch that had never been tested in the public network, only via simulations and it was successful.
3) You know what else exists, 3rd party labs that actually provide a large variety of hardware set-ups that you can hire to do your environment testing for you.
As for my earlier post....yes, I do believe many big game companies cut corners when it comes to internal testing (and not just game companies btw) and I think one reason we see poor software releases is over-reliance on beta testers in the overall game release process.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
that first screenshot looks exactly like WAR, I think they must have bought that old graphics engine to do WAR with.
Long enough for it to be a great game
if you build it they will come lol
yep that is very true
Trainwrecks always attract lots of people too
who cares.. Talk is cheap after 6 years and few Alpha videos.
And why would they show more videos? Because the community wants it? Yeah right....
Does the game become better if they have more to show? No!
Just leave them alone and let them make THIER game, they dont owe us anything.
And "lesser "games with a quarter of DF features can take 5 years to make, see LOTRO!
But hey, only one way to find out how good DF will be....we have to see later ingame.
Um, haven't they announced beta dates before. And missed them?
The history of this game alone is a fascinating side-show. International transfers of the company! Back room dealings! Sounds like a Tom Clancy spy novel or something.
I'm not here to flame or anything, I actually would like to see this game released, but to me this might be a small hint concerning the internal testing:
http://www.aventurine.gr/jobs.html
So they don't even have Lead Quality Assurance Manager in their team yet..?
This is something their handling themselves at this point and probably will until they find someone suitible.
why dont u guys apply u seem to know everything there is to know about making a game :P
Delays happen all the time.Look at AOC and Funcon....or Mythic and WAR.Heck POTBS has been in development for 5 years or more I believe....and still none of these are out.
What kind of software? Was it being used in an online environment with thousands of people logged on at once? Would it potentially stress peoples pc's out?
A long beta is not necessary, but many games need stress testing of some sort.
Then again, that still does not necessarily mean a big public beta, or an open beta. I'm sure they could have a discrete internal beta that would stress the servers, though most of the games I've seen that have done that had massive lag and connectivity problems at release.
I hope if nothing else they thoroughly test their billing model. That alone has brought games to a screeching halt. For some odd reason people don't like being double billed or not allowed to cancel, etc.
Just wondering,
D.
Ya but yet they've been doing all that quality assurance testing for 7 years (if you want to believe the fanboys that is)
Ya but yet they've been doing all that quality assurance testing for 7 years (if you want to believe the fanboys that is)
No you don't need another person in order to do that. I mean this is a game they want to play so I would think they would be able to know if it is good or not.