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Do you want to play the Beta of SWTOR?
Ihmotepp
Member Posts: 14,495
Do you want to play the Beta? I am very interested in this game. I'd really like to give it a whorl and see if it's fun. However, I do not want to play the Beta, spcifically because I'm hoping it will be a good game.
I've played in a few betas, Shadowbane, LOTRO, Vanguard, among others.
For me, it sort of spoils the game. I don't want to know what the quests are, or to have seen the world, before it goes live and I start working on my character.
I know for some, they like to be in Beta, so they know the quests by heart, and where to go, what to do, so when the servers go live they can quickly build their character faster than anyone else.
But I think that makes the game kinda stale. I'd rather start when it's all fresh, if you know what I mean.
Comments
After a horrible experience beta testing STO I almost thought to put no but I know Bioware would never release a game as devoid of content as Cryptic will.
but yeah, to call this game Fantastic is like calling Twilight the Godfather of vampire movies....
As much as people don't want to believe it, betas are still for testing. Frankly, if you're just interested in a free ride, you should stay the hell away from beta. I'd rather have a better product launch due to the dilligence of actual testers than sacrafice release quality for the sake of some people's desires to try it out before launch.
Would I test SWTOR if asked? I think so, but I can't be sure. Properly testing a game is a lot of boring work; I've done it before.
Yes, mostly because im positive there won't be any free trials (or objective reviews for that matter) for at least six months after release (unless the game flops), so, to be honest, a beta would be a decent substitute.
I would like to be in beta because I wanna try the game play out and help with a few bugs while I do it. Plus give some feedback if I think something is totally off. But tbh I trust BioWare will not dissapoint its crowd.
Actually, most of the testing is done by diagnostic software, when we're talking about Beta. you may be referring to Alpha, but the general public is not going to see an Alpha test.
They really dont' have time read most of the bazillions of posts from beta "testers".
The majority of "testing" is done by people just playing the game, so the developers can use the diagnostic software and get the data they need to tweak things.
Is the smuggler class overpowered? Beta testers don't decide that, the diagnostic statistics will tell the tale. I'ts all about percentages, and xp per minute, etc., not reading every whine from a beta tester.
So, there is no difference between "testing" in a beta, and just playing the game, other than occaisionally hitting "bug" report if you run into something game breaking like getting stuck in a wall, etc.
I would like to wait until release. I would rather have everthing new than know the game before launch.
I also can't say if I got an email for beta could resist not doing it but I would try.
I can feel your anger. This game is defenseless. Take your weapon. Strike this game down with all of your hatred, and your journey towards towards the Dark Side will be complete.
Yes, and I think that's one bad thing for TOR. It'll have more than the normal number of people who just want a free preview, then complain about the game in its current state (forgetting that it's a beta). Not enough real testers. Oh well, that's how every popular beta turns out I suppose.
Not that I'd be either one. I've never been a real tester, but I never expect a free demo of the game because I know it's in rough shape. I'll just play and report any bugs I come across or make some suggestions.
Nope. If its a great game I don't want to ruin the experience when I buy it. If the game sucks I don't want to waste my time.
No, probably something tells me this will be another MMO that leaves me out in the cold.
I love to get into beta as i've never beta test a game before.
I'm torn.
If the game turns out to be something I'd rather not play, then I'd rather discover that first hand in a (presumably) free beta before laying down fifty bones for it.
On the other hand, if the game is awesomesauce, then I'd rather not spoil it by playing in a buggy, unstable and/or incomplete beta environment.
Am torn too, I've beta tested many games, and don't view them as a free play exercise, I love seeing how games evolve through beta to release based on how the game actually plays for testers (er, when they do evolve, which isn't always the case).
Given that story is so important to SW:TOR, I'd rather experience it all fresh when the game goes live.
But if I was offered a testing spot, I doubt I'd turn my nose up at it either.
At this point I'm kind of relieved there were so many sign-ups, so I probably won't be offered a spot : )
And it's rare for me to think that way.
Well, as their "game testing" is supposed to be about testing batches and seperate aspects of the game in each phase, I would actually like to test one such phase.
A complete closed beta might still follow, but I'm not sure if I'd want to participate in that.
Feel free to use my referral link for SW:TOR if you want to test out the game. You'll get some special unlocks!
I`d love a beta spot. I have enjoyed beter testing many games, and while I have not bought or subbed to all, I`m happy that I helped make the games better for others (Apart from craptic games).
I am really looking forward to BIOWARE`s first shot at the mmo market and the whole story based take on it.
Played WOW (5 years), AOC, AO, EQ2,AC2, Horizons, Saga of Ryzom, SWG, CO, STO(Beta),ROM, Allods, and many other F2P titles. Asl been in beta for many of the main titles and played countless SP games. I have been gaming for 15+ years!
I agree with some on here that say the betas ruin the game for beta testers. I've been in several "betas" and almost all of them were not betas they were alphas labeled as betas. Betas are supposed to be the complete game minus the tweaks and fine polishing of a release version. To many companies are using "betas" to do long term advertising and development which is sort of like any publicity is good publicity even if it's bad. I won't be wasting any more time on companies that want me to do their game design for them. The whole beta system has been turned upside down and young players think they are getting something by being allowed to wander around an unfinished game. If companies want real alpha testers to make developmental insights into their games they should p a y them for it. There's no incentive to make a fantastic game like profit. In my opinion the release of so many craptastic games can partially be blamed on this broken system.
I'm looking forward to SWTOR and have hope that it is truly going to be an amazing trail blazer of a game and also hope it will break the mold on the current poo poo generation of MMO's. Fun rules, and if they want a MMO to feel fun again they have to do something ground breaking, and it looks like they are on track to do just that.
"I'm not cheap I'm incredibly subconsciously financially optimized"
"The worst part of censorship is ------------------"
Beta testing only spoils bad games to potential users.
I was in LOTRO beta. Played it for 2 years after.
DDO beta. Still play it now
Allods beta. Playing it
...
On other side
POTBS beta. Never touched it
CO beta. Forget about it
This is one I don't want to test, I'd rather start out not knowing how the story goes at all once it's ready for release.
Ths is like asking if you want to breathe. Hell yeah!
I would much rather wait until the game is fully ready than play it in an unfinished state. So no, I would not like to play the beta. I have a feeling it would ruin the game for me.
As I understand how BW is doing it (as explained by the game testing page and by others, like Sean, on the forums) is they will enter a preliminary round of focus testing. They understand that there are a lot of people eager to test the game. So they will send out invites to focus test on a specific area. A handful of testers will get in for each session, they will be testing specific predetermined areas, classes, races, etc. After a session a new round of testers will be introduced for the next session. This will allow them to sift through all the testing applicants and everyone will probably get into at least one test session. However, after that session it is not gauranteed you will be invited back at a later time. This way they can find the best testers to test the game, who gives the best feedback, best suggestions ,etc. This will all be done before the official start of Beta. Beta won't be as restrictive as teh focus testing, and you will be able to play more what and where you want. They have also implied, although not confirmed that there will be an Open Beta towards the end.
The concept for this is everyone gets to test some of it, and BW gets to find the best testers for future tests.
As for me I have already signed up, and I am enthusiastic about testing the game.
If you log on, you're the best tester. That's all that's really required. The diagnostic software does the rest. I don't know why people have this notion they are special, or good beta testers, or the best beta testers when all the Devs really need you to do in beta is play, so you will generate statistics.
Why does everyone think the developers are waiting breathlessly for their personal bug reports? I guess so they can feel important, but in reality the guy playing the game just because he wants a free game, and the guy that reports bugs every 2 seconds, are providing just as much value to the developers.
I'm not sure I want to beta test this, though I did sign up for it. I think it would spoil the fun for me since this is the first game I've ever actually seriously considered pre-ordering.
Well, for one I still believe, regardless of how other players approach beta, that it is there for bug reporting. So I bug report.
However, for a game that is story based such as SWtOR I would probably do it for a short time so that if I was interested in continuing the game wouldn't be spoiled.
We all have some control over our lives and should excercise that freedom of choice.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
I've beta tested virtually every mmo out there p2p and f2p, I love hunting bugs down and trying to bust the game to get it fixed for release, no one likes to see a buggy game, bad game launches haunt the game for its entire life. I also use beta to give me a rough idea of how the game will play, during beta there usually isin't very many IF any major combat style etc changes. Plus I use it as a way to see how the game runs on my system (though I take that with a grain of salt it is beta) and how I like the general feel of it.. If I'd have tested aion in beta, I'd have never bought it.
"An MMORPG could be completely diffirent from WoW. Just look at games like Dofus, Wizard101 or EVE. But as it is, most of the Western MMOs are trying to succeed by out-WoWing WoW. It's like an army of 10 sports games made about same sports, and barely none about other sports. WoW clone is an accurate description of those games, it manages to convey much information with only two words."
-Poster on mmorpg.com
Rift: World of Warcraft clone #9321 Nothing special to see here move along.
Part of the problem I have with gamers testing in beta is the fact they aren't going to be even testing the game. They just going to play the game, rush to max level and form opinion on an unfinished product.