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Star Wars: The Old Republic: Do You Really Want a Beta Invite?
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
In his latest column devoted to Star Wars: The Old Republic, MMORPG.com Community Manager Mike Bitton wonders how many people truly want into the game's beta. After all, as Mike suggests, a beta is supposed to be work, a way to help the development team ensure that the game soon to be released is actually ready for release. It's not just an "early look". Check out Mike's excellent thoughts and then add a few of your own.
You see, I don’t think most of you really want a beta invite – you just want to play the game a little bit, to get a taste of what it’s like. Before I got into this industry the longest beta test I was involved in was for The Matrix Online. I spent probably over six months testing that game and I worked hard to give great feedback, participate in focus group tests, and so on in order to help ensure the game would come out in a better state than it eventually shipped in. It was satisfying seeing some items of my feedback implemented into the game, I felt like I personally made a difference in the game’s development. I know some of you reading this genuinely want to test the game for this reason, but let’s be realistic here, there are a whole lot of people that want in and I imagine most of you just want to satisfy your basic curiosity: does this game live up to the hype?
Read more of Mike Bitton's Star Wars: THe Old Republic - Do You Really Want a Beta Invite?
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Comments
No more beta tests for me. For all the reasons you stated. It takes the luster off the game and only leads to frustration and wondering "what if?".
I sincerely want a beta invite. I have been around the mmo block a few times, and then some. When I test a game, I give actual/usable feedback, unlike what I assume the majority of testers do - mess around for awhile and quit or play hardcore but never actually give any feedback.
Why do so many games launch in such a poor state? Is it the lack of testers feedback or is the lack of gumption from developers? I would like to think its the testers' faults, but I guess I could be wrong.
I do, but I don't...
BioWare stories are like watching "The Sixth Sense". Once you know what happens, the entire movie is ruined.
Besides, why do Devs even call them beta's? Nothing ever gets fixed during Beta; aren't they more like stress tests?
I Reject your Reality and Substitute it with My Own!
Well, if i would get a Beta i would play but i have no "overwhelming need" to do so.
I would take it as free trial, i am not paid to do a job there...
I was once in sort of a hobby task to work on some browsergame and if you can implement own ideas it motivation but working without any sort of compensation is not!
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
MWO Music Video - What does the Mech say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF6HYNqCDLI
Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0x2iwK0BKM
I have never played in a beta for the reasons you've described. This is the first time I've been tempted because I really want this game to succeed. I think very likely I'm exactly the type of game tester they'd like to have, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I like that new game experience too much to ruin it by playing in a beta.
So true. How many times have you read on a forum "we told them about this in beta and they did nothing"
Personally I have had my fill of beta testing. It is more frustration than it is worth and it kills that new feeling when the game launches.
Yes, Yes, and Yes.
I've TESTED a bunch of games. Games that are still around after several years. I want to be able to go in and exploit the game to it's fullest and then let them know how I did it so it can get fixed, break the game in as many ways as possible and let them know how I did it.
I know I will enjoy the game and will play it when it comes out. Right now I just want to help perfect it. Sadly no invite as of yet.
I dont want to test it, hell i dont even know if i want to play the game anymore. I sure dont really want to ruin the game with a beta if i do decide to pick it up later on. the only thing that could possibly make me buy this game is if they come out and say its not a geargating gear grind endgame just like wow. other than that ill pass, i just cant do the gear grind again over and over.
Yes and no.
When I had show time at Pax East, I was talking to Daniel Erickson and he asked me what I was going to play, I told him (keeping the answer to myself) and gave the reason "because this is the class I have the least interest in playing in the game. He commented that he felt the writing and story was some of the teams best work. I could call him names, because after a brief period of trying it, I was getting involved with the character, and now it's pretty high up on my list of classes I want to try.
I cant think of the last MMO I was into pre-release that I did not get a chance to beta. I've always taken it like its a "job", as in I'm not there to play, I'm there to help make it a better game, and maybe that is a naive ppoint of view these days.
Because I care, I'm on the fence, I'd like to help, but I also want things to be fresh, and new for as long as possible. If I got one, I'd probably get involved, but I'd definitely have some reservations about it.
I can do a gear grind IF it's hidden by story. If that's even possible, but why not? Years ago, the questing system masked the level grind. Who's to say story can't mask the gear grind now and in the future? Current gear grind like WoW and Rift, NO. But it doesn't mean we can't evolve the mechanic so that it's not a nightmare anymore.
As for the Beta, sure I always want to try a game, but from my experience Beta seems to ruin it for me anymore. Many games I've tried again after hating the beta, say a year or so later, have blown me away with how they grew. I can name them all too, LOTRO, STO, Perpetuum.
Granted, some games still just suck, even when they did in beta, like WAR, AoC, Aion, and MO. So I guess it's a toss up. I do and I don't want to beta test SWTOR. Quite the conundrum.
The hype factor doesn't concern me, but when I basically saw that from the gameplay I've seen that they'd be bringing nothing new to the table, my desire to test it was gone.
Maybe that's why Bioware calls it's closed beta "game testing" instead. Anyway from what I've seen throughout the process the game has changed a good deal due to beta testing input from gamers. Examples include how companions are used and expanding healing/tank roles to more classes.
if this video is anything to go by, I can't wait!
http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/367/view/videos/play/1979/Star-Wars-The-Old-Republic-Eternity-Vault-Raid.html
I have to agree. I like beta to help test and give feedback. However, there is a sacrifice. The sacrifice is the loss of that new feeling when the game is released. But thats okay under one condition. That condition is the developers to be interact with there testers. Understand the feedback of the testers and resolve the issues especially the common issues that the majority of the testers are in agreement about.
The most recent testing of a game that a developer didnt listen to the community on was the NA beta for FFXIV. Because of this, I felt the time I spent testing was for nothing. They didnt listen. As a matter of fact square enix setup a beta forums for discussion between testers and stated the developers were not going to have any interaction to them, nor did they have another forum or feedback option.
As long as Bioware listens to its hardcore testers, then yes I would like to see a beta.
Hey Mike - Couple things I'll have to disagree on here: The alternatives to people getting their "sneak peek" of the game. If most people want to get a sneak peek and prove/disprove the hype...they only want to do so because they don't want to waste $50 on the game and find out it was garbage. With that being said, going to a media show and paying the entry fee to get on the floor to wait in line to play for 45 minutes will cost more than the entire game itself (especially if you include non business-expense travel costs).
The other thing is the potential story-line spoilers. I kind of think the opposite of what you said. If someone got in the beta, at least they would start from level 1 and begin a story-line and maybe get 20% through it before saying "ok I don't want to spoil this for myself anymore". Whereas at a show, it's possible (depends how they have it setup) to jump right into a story-line that is 60% through or more!
So, with both of those things being said, let me get to the actual point of your article: I agree 100%. Personally, I test games in beta. If I find anything "majorly" wrong, I report them more times than not. This goes back to Ultima Online beta in 96' when I found a bug where you can buy ore for a cheap price and sell it back for an extra 3 gold. This was repeatable and quite alarming. I reported it immediately. I can say now adays I'm not as strict of a tester (I'll let some small things fly by), but I usually take the beta concept in the same manner as you do. It feels good to know that if I find some whacky little bug or exploit somewhere...I can actually contribute by reporting it (assuming a team gets to fixin' it!)
Disclaimer: This is not a troll post and is not here to promote any negative energy. Although this may be a criticism, it is not meant to offend anyone. If a moderator feels the post is inappropriate, please remove it immediately before it is subject to consideration for a warning. Thank you.
i like beta testing. ive participated in quite a few. but i dont play too much at all so i dont lose that new game feeling. when i tested rift i saw so many toons maxing out their lvl that was allowed. i see it all the time. most people look at it as free to play. they go as fast as possible to max lvl allowed then once game is released they say they already played that and move on. i think betas should b mindful of this and only allow certain areas open and only for so long. i know some games have done that.
I think there are a set of people who actually test things, but true there are a lot of people who just want to play it.
To the extent that testing requires you to play though.
Nope, I have no interest in this game at all.
I don't get the hype, I mean it's starwars...
I actually don't really want beta test or as you say it, just a little to take me off the edge. I would rather the game ships and then I play.
Guild Wars 2's 50 minutes game play video:
http://n4g.com/news/592585/guild-wars-2-50-minutes-of-pure-gameplay
Everything We Know about GW2:
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/287180/page/1
@katasteel
Yeah it's only star wars. Possibly the biggest IP on this planet.
Pfft.
As for the beta, no I don't want in. Yes if they sent me an invite I would play to find bugs. However I want to start the game like a kid being brought into a toystore the size of Asda (Or Walmart if your across the pond.) and not knowing where to go first. Can't wait!
Longing for Skyrim, The Old Republic and Mass Effect 3
Honestly im so excited about the game i would give my first born son for a beta key lol. heck yea i would like to beta it. that era is one of my favorate eras in the StarWars saga.
Im glad to beta test for them.
I never play a game without first trying it in a free trial or beta before launch. I have been burned to many times to trust what is being said or shown. Id much rather get into a beta make my voice heard then also get a feel for if i want to play it or not.
I'm on the fence on this one, Ireally really want to play the game, and I've beta tested quite a bit in the past (genuine testing, not free-trialling), but where I get dubious about it is in the story spoiler idea.
If story is as important as everyone makes it out to be, I'd rather not have that spoiled. I'd like to come to it fresh and new at launch.
So I'm conflicted, and having mulled it over long before reading this I reckon that I'd take the invite and test a class I'm less interested in playing at live (one way down my list) - thus keeping away (mostly?) from story spoilers and still getting to run around in the world, and report bugs etc.
Not that I have much of a chance at hetting an invite anyway - it's all moot at the moment!
You are right most of the players who is registered is just want it to paly the game. It was some for me when I joined my first closed beta so many years ago. Than I realise that I can change things in the game. Only at close beta DEVs realy listen what players thinking. I'm a computer engineer and my dream was to work and design MMO games since I played UO when I was 10 or so. I found the chance to do it while I was a student as unit designer for Earh and Beyond for Westwood Studio as a freelance designer.
People who selected for beta must realise that they have responsibility against entire TOR comunity. It was their decisions with DEV team to shape the game. I joined ower 10 closed beta test till now. At some DEVs just using testers to hunt bugs. For example Warhammer Online, Start Trek Online. They did not listened a single world we cried so loud at beta forums and ingame surveys. So 4 classes removed from game (ex: Choppa ) at War Hammer Online even tho every tester demand otherwise and at Star Trek online Klingons have only PvP at the launch.
I'm in alfa test of two games right now which I cant give their names because of the MMORPG.com forum rules. DEV listen what we are saying right now. They value our ideas even DEV team of one of the game ask me for a detailed report for " PvP and BG mechanic I wished to implant which I'm working on it for last 2 weeks.
Blizzard's DEV team at beta was great when it comes to listen players. Yet some how after beta DEV is terribly at it .)
I'm also waiting for TOR beta invite. Tho game will be out in 3-4 months ( my guess ) I dont know how many thing a better tester can effect after a certain point.
There can be mistypos even grammer errors so I'm sorry if there is any. Thanks for reading this
I've tested several games over the years, both mmo and console IP's. So I do want to be involved in the testing of TOR but I think it is BW that doesn't want my opinion because I would start off by telling them knight isn't a class and end up starting that debate all over again. Not to mention the space on rails and race restricted classes would get a lot of reports from me as well. So basically, I won't get an invite to beta because like the movie says; "They can't handle the truth."