Please explain the value of multiple beta pools in which very poor, even random, candidates are given beta passes, aside from pure marketing. To go on about how careful and selective they are being by implementing a beta resume thread and forum reputation is wholly disingenuous. I don't expect the beta process to be overly effective for Trion with the route they are taking.
As an aside, I am a member of the official forums; the "community" is no better or worse than any other to be honest. In fact, it leans more towards old school EQ, VG, etc. players who have unrealistic expectations on the game Trion is crafting. Most of the posts and threads are pure speculation and theorycrafting, like any other pre-beta site.
You seem to be on somewhat of a mission to find issues here to get into a fight over.
I have explained already that the beta thread there is just one pool they are drawing from, intended to reward those that form the community. There will be other pools. I don't understand what you arnt getting about that.
I don't know how many times you have been a member of gaming forums, but history and experience shows that the way Trion is going about beta selection is very poor and will backfire on them.
Once more, this will be the third time but you seem intent on ignoring it.
The community beta thread is but one pool they will be drawing from. Other wider pools will also be used.
Oh, and for how many times I have been a member of a gaming forum... well, obviously I am a newb and started all this stuff yesterday.
I actually care about this game, and it's sad to see Trion making these steps, but hey it's their business, they can do whatever they want. I just hope they recognize where the problem came from when it gets ugly.
You are trying to dramatically make an issue about something that hasnt happened.
Not for nothing, but my entire argument is based on the acknowledgement that there are multiple beta pools.
Then why on earth do you keep saying, in the most dramatic way, that having a community thread for ONE of those pools will 'ruin the testing' etc?
If you acknowledge this is but ONE of the streams, which will include wider standard beta apps as well later on (as we have seen in every game), why are you trying to make out the sky is falling and that the forums are in some kind of uproar over it all, when they obviously arnt as anyone that goes there can see.
Just seems so drama and over the top to me.
I would like to know where you're getting your information from. I listened to the Podcast and I've read damn near every thread written on the boards and I have yet to see what you have posted stated as facts. The forums have over 4500 members and looking at the beta thread alot of them have been lurking, a good % of the posters in that thread have that as their first post. Currently the thread is on its 43 rd page. Even iff you have 1/4 of resistered users thats over 1k apps that are posted in a thread. A lot of quailty testers are going to be over looked simply due to being lost in the chaff. This is one of the most moronic ideas I have ever seen and I have yet to figure out how a management team could possibly be convinced it is a good idea.
What information? I am not clear on what you are questioning. That the beta community thread is just one of the pools they would be drawing from?
Look, tbh, I am not really getting why you are trying to drama this into a big issue... it really isnt. What really is the difference between people hitting a button marked 'apply' and posting in a thread to be included in the community pool? It just seems like you are looking for a problem where there isnt one for some reason.
I am just wondeirng how you would you go about selecting these "quality testers"?
Because if Trion used a more traditional method of selecting Beta participants, which would mainly be through system specs and DXDiag submits then how exactly would these quality testers have a better chance at getting in ?
I agree with you that the this popularity contest of a method in choosing their Beta tests is a bit strange and will probebly fracture the community a bit, but it seems to me you are just bitter b/c you probebly have little to no chance in getting into the beta through this method.
Actually no I don't expect to get into beta through this means. My bitterness has more do with my current project being a couple days behind schedule than with a popularity contest on a forums.
If you listen to the podcast its not trion who has decided to pull this fiasco its bowens this is her idea, like I said I can't imagine how she convinced sane people this was a good idea.
I am just wondeirng how you would you go about selecting these "quality testers"?
Because if Trion used a more traditional method of selecting Beta participants, which would mainly be through system specs and DXDiag submits then how exactly would these quality testers have a better chance at getting in ?
I agree with you that the this popularity contest of a method in choosing their Beta tests is a bit strange and will probebly fracture the community a bit, but it seems to me you are just bitter b/c you probebly have little to no chance in getting into the beta through this method.
Actually no I don't expect to get into beta through this means. My bitterness has more do with my current project being a couple days behind schedule than with a popularity contest on a forums.
If you listen to the podcast its not trion who has decided to pull this fiasco its bowens this is her idea, like I said I can't imagine how she convinced sane people this was a good idea.
I personally have no problem with rewarding active Rift community members with Beta slots, as I think these people being so passionate about the game are the ones who want it to succeed the most. It also could have been done in a better way though in my opinion, maybe through private messages to the most active/helpful forum members. Because honestly when it comes down to selecting people from the Beta thread that's who they are going to pick anyways...
I am personally more annoyed by Trion giving out keys through conventions and social media networks like Facebook. To me this is just ridiculous as half the people you get from these sites/places are not even going to be that interested in the game in the first place and may not even play the beta much. This is pure marketing and won't help the game much at all.
I have also listened to the podcasts and I don't actually remember Cindy Bowens(sp?) mentioning that it was her decision to do this, although even it was it was still overall Trions decision as a whole to proceed this way.
Originally posted by ForceQuit Please explain the value of multiple beta pools in which very poor, even random, candidates are given beta passes, aside from pure marketing. To go on about how careful and selective they are being by implementing a beta resume thread and forum reputation is wholly disingenuous. I don't expect the beta process to be overly effective for Trion with the route they are taking.
That's pretty much how all betas are run for all MMOs these days. Why are you taking issue solely with Rift over it? My only guess would be that you are quite sure (and rightly so) that nobody would want to sponsor you.
Just a heads up. Forum REP has been totally removed and is no longer a factor.
Yup, the community whine... I mean 'spoke' and they listened. Rep is gone, which is probably for the best considering MMO communities arnt the best to trust with that kind of mechanism.
Just a heads up. Forum REP has been totally removed and is no longer a factor.
Yup, the community whine... I mean 'spoke' and they listened. Rep is gone, which is probably for the best considering MMO communities arnt the best to trust with that kind of mechanism.
I am glad it's over now tho
To be honest, there wasn't a lot of whining about the rep system. People drew up concerns and voiced them a very logical and rational way. A poll went up last Friday by the community manager asking if people wanted to keep it or junk it. The poll spoke volumes, and the rep system was disabled.
There really was no whining involved, which doesn't surprise me one bit, given the quality of the community.
Just a heads up. Forum REP has been totally removed and is no longer a factor.
Yup, the community whine... I mean 'spoke' and they listened. Rep is gone, which is probably for the best considering MMO communities arnt the best to trust with that kind of mechanism.
I am glad it's over now tho
To be honest, there wasn't a lot of whining about the rep system. People drew up concerns and voiced them a very logical and rational way. A poll went up last Friday by the community manager asking if people wanted to keep it or junk it. The poll spoke volumes, and the rep system was disabled.
There really was no whining involved, which doesn't surprise me one bit, given the quality of the community.
oh there was lol, but I admit it was restricted to just a few threads. The communtiy is good, yes, but lets not paint them all as angels
You're pretty much right on the money with this. The Sr. Community Manager is Cindy Bowens from EQ who originally inspired, setup, and ran the EQ Fan Faires as a fan before SOE hired her to do the job. She's been a great community manager in everything shes touched. From everything we've read, Trion hasn't skimped on the quality of their staff one bit -- from the community manager to the developers, and even the management team -- all are well known top dogs from games past, and so far at least, it shows. The videos, the amount of information they've passed out, and the quality of the pre-alpha product have been top notch thus far. If you're a fantasy fan, this is certainly a game to keep an eye on, thats for sure.
It is really good to know all this information. I actually remember her from EQ1. They do listen to the community too. Lately they put the new reputation system up for a vote and it was removed from the forums. This is a sign of a good manager.
I have been really impressed with Trion and how they appear to at least be reading the posts over on the official forums. Cindy Bowens is a great community manager and when you have Scott Hartsman in the mix along with the other excellent devs I don't think you can go wrong. Just an example of the flexibility and how they listen to their playerbase so far is the rep issue. Cindy's poll on the matter overwhelmingly showed that people voted the rep system out and what do you know but the rep system is gone now.
I also have to say that the Rift community is showing itself so far to be a mature one filled with great ideas written for the most part in constructive posts. It makes me very positive about the eventual in game community being mature and perhaps hearken back to the community that was in EQ, helpful great people with not so many trolls as many of today's mmos seem to be plagued with. Everything about Rift and the way Trion is handling things so far makes me very hopeful for the future of this game.
Yeah, they are responsive and seem to realize that those people on thier forums will be the player base. Reminds me of the old EQ community of long ago too.
That's my stance, but most people get enamored by the *idea* behind a game, then get turned off by simple aesthetics or other niggling things once it launches. I'm a huge, dare I say, fanboi of Wurm Online for what it does, and constantly argue with others that "crappy models and slow combat does not a shitty game make". There is so many good things going on with it that I overlook the little things, but the little things are the most important aspects to others. They could care less about what a game *does*, and only get about as deep into it as the game's face value (graphics and UI).
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What information? I am not clear on what you are questioning. That the beta community thread is just one of the pools they would be drawing from?
Look, tbh, I am not really getting why you are trying to drama this into a big issue... it really isnt. What really is the difference between people hitting a button marked 'apply' and posting in a thread to be included in the community pool? It just seems like you are looking for a problem where there isnt one for some reason.
Actually no I don't expect to get into beta through this means. My bitterness has more do with my current project being a couple days behind schedule than with a popularity contest on a forums.
If you listen to the podcast its not trion who has decided to pull this fiasco its bowens this is her idea, like I said I can't imagine how she convinced sane people this was a good idea.
I personally have no problem with rewarding active Rift community members with Beta slots, as I think these people being so passionate about the game are the ones who want it to succeed the most. It also could have been done in a better way though in my opinion, maybe through private messages to the most active/helpful forum members. Because honestly when it comes down to selecting people from the Beta thread that's who they are going to pick anyways...
I am personally more annoyed by Trion giving out keys through conventions and social media networks like Facebook. To me this is just ridiculous as half the people you get from these sites/places are not even going to be that interested in the game in the first place and may not even play the beta much. This is pure marketing and won't help the game much at all.
I have also listened to the podcasts and I don't actually remember Cindy Bowens(sp?) mentioning that it was her decision to do this, although even it was it was still overall Trions decision as a whole to proceed this way.
That's pretty much how all betas are run for all MMOs these days. Why are you taking issue solely with Rift over it? My only guess would be that you are quite sure (and rightly so) that nobody would want to sponsor you.
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Just a heads up. Forum REP has been totally removed and is no longer a factor.
Yup, the community whine... I mean 'spoke' and they listened. Rep is gone, which is probably for the best considering MMO communities arnt the best to trust with that kind of mechanism.
I am glad it's over now tho
To be honest, there wasn't a lot of whining about the rep system. People drew up concerns and voiced them a very logical and rational way. A poll went up last Friday by the community manager asking if people wanted to keep it or junk it. The poll spoke volumes, and the rep system was disabled.
There really was no whining involved, which doesn't surprise me one bit, given the quality of the community.
oh there was lol, but I admit it was restricted to just a few threads. The communtiy is good, yes, but lets not paint them all as angels
Please support an indie dev and innovation.
It is really good to know all this information. I actually remember her from EQ1. They do listen to the community too. Lately they put the new reputation system up for a vote and it was removed from the forums. This is a sign of a good manager.
I also have to say that the Rift community is showing itself so far to be a mature one filled with great ideas written for the most part in constructive posts. It makes me very positive about the eventual in game community being mature and perhaps hearken back to the community that was in EQ, helpful great people with not so many trolls as many of today's mmos seem to be plagued with. Everything about Rift and the way Trion is handling things so far makes me very hopeful for the future of this game.
Yeah, they are responsive and seem to realize that those people on thier forums will be the player base. Reminds me of the old EQ community of long ago too.
That's my stance, but most people get enamored by the *idea* behind a game, then get turned off by simple aesthetics or other niggling things once it launches. I'm a huge, dare I say, fanboi of Wurm Online for what it does, and constantly argue with others that "crappy models and slow combat does not a shitty game make". There is so many good things going on with it that I overlook the little things, but the little things are the most important aspects to others. They could care less about what a game *does*, and only get about as deep into it as the game's face value (graphics and UI).
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture