Beta Tester Needed!

[Corby]

Hello everyone!
As you may know, Caitlyn's Destiny is on the verge of being complete! It is quite the large game, and of course there are many bugs. Would anyone be interested in Beta testing ?(I think that's what it's called) Whoever does this will get full credit in the game as Beta Tester, in the opening and closing credits. Any volunteers?

[Allen]

I'll do it! Pick me!

Yeah, I got the week off, so I can spend all of my time playing it

-Allen

-Corby: I've sent you a IM which tells my email addy so you can send me the game.

[Kon-Tiki]

Oooh ooh! Pick me! Pick me! I've got a few days of and upcoming exams. Beta-testing can be a good distraction between learning (if there'll be any learing... which will have to be. Darn )

-Kon-Tiki-

[Corby]

Hmmm, I know you'd both do a great job! First come first serve? I don't know... pick a number between 1 and 10? I guess that's fair!  

[Kon-Tiki]

2 Testers find more problems than one That's why Ninja Forever has (or should have) four.

-Kon-Tiki-

[Corby]

That's a great idea! Okay, Kon-Tiki and Allen for Beta-Testers... although, I think I posted this a bit too early, the game won't be ready for another 4-5 days... hope you guys still have time then!

[Joey]

i guess i could do some beta testing too if you want.

[Corby]

Thanks Joey, I think two is good, besides, I want the rest of you guys to play the polished version!  
Allen and Kon-Tiki:
I'll post here when the games ready to be tested.

[Joey]

ok, thats fine. i would like to see the final version anyway.

[Allen]

Allen and Kon-Tiki:
I'll post here when the games ready to be tested.

Okey doo.

[Corby]

Sorry guys, more delays... school... other stuff... game's still coming though. It's about 90 percent done. Sorry for the waiting.

[Kon-Tiki]

Take your time. I can't test it before the 17th anyway.

-Kon-Tiki-

[Nick Sonneveld]

Things I've found were helpful when beta-testing:

• Separate all the bugs/suggestions you've got into separate rooms.
• Play through the game and finish it first.  At least you know how it works and what to look for when you play through it properly later.
• Don't just type in what you would normally do to do something.  ie, instead of "look fruit" try "look berry" or "examine food".
• Try attacking random things or using items on stuff around the scenery that would sort of make sense.  (ie, you got a rope and a cliff.. why not use it?) (lighter and plantlife?  hey.. fire!)
• Write down *anything* that doesn't work in a list for each room.  Even if it's just variations of the same thing.
• Think of suggestions to make a game easier or cooler.  Did you have to look in AGI Studio to find the solution?  What could you add to the game to make this solution more apparent?  How would you reduce the number of red herrings?
• Bugs!  Try and find bugs.  
• Do you get points for doing something? Do you get more points for doing it again?  That's a bug
• If you exit one room at a particular location, do you end up stuck behind a bush when you enter the next room? That's a bug.
• Have you tried finishing a game by picking up as little as possible?  Can you still finish the game?  (Ie, what if you don't pick up a crowbar in a house early on in the game and then the house blows up?   Much much later, you discover you needed the crowbar and nothing else will do..) That's a bug.
• Did you have fun?  Do rooms need more animation or stuff to do in them?  Don't just say it sucks, make some suggestions!
• Die.  Lots.  Did you see it coming?  Would you be reasonably expected to have saved before hand?  Is there a sequence where you die often?  How would you make it less frustrating for the player later?  If you wear a costume later, does the death animation have the same costume?  If you lose your legs later, does the death animation have no legs too?
• Remember, you don't want the game to be able to do everything, but you want to recognise a reasonable amount of guessed commands and have a reasonable explanation for why you can't do it. ie, instead of "you can't use those things together" you could say "setting fire to local wildlife would certainly dock you some points off your score".

I hope Andrew doesn't mind, but here's some of the testing scripts I've written out for his game:

http://www.ids.org.au/~nsonneve/other/beta-eg/

I haven't followed all my tips above.. I was still kind of a testing beginner.  I've got a couple for other games, but they haven't been released yet.  so hush hush.

- Nick

[Andrew_Baker]

Thanks.  It's good to think some good can come from that experience.  As an extra bit of advice to potential testers:  A lot of people offered to playtest for me, and less than half actually did.  So, if you promise to playtest, please playtest.  Of course, I've done the same thing.  I never did finish some rooms for V that I promised to Cris Cromer.  But I feel really bad about it

[Adam]

I always finish the playtesting I promise... which is also why I don't do a whole lot of it... ha!  

The last time I did a bug report was for the 13th Disciple. BTW, where did Capt@merika (a.k.a. Perry) go anyway?  I loved that game!