Planetarion Forums - PA Team, REAL BETA TEST team and REAL community participation. Maybe its about time?

Gayle29uk · 24 Dec 2002, 21:04

Quote:

Originally posted by WST
if you're testing a game that's for all the players, you should have a sample of all the players. ask people to rate their skill, tell their playing style etc, and choose a stratified sample from that. that way, you get a truly representative sample, and therefore one with more credibility.

No no no no no!

Alpha testing: Coders, bots, and a core test team with a knowledge of statistics and a willingness to play out scenarios and report every bug/problem they find.

Early beta: As above but with a selection of players who have applied to join the beta as well. If they don't understand what a beta is about then drop them with no warnings. Beta testing is exactly that, testing not just playing.

Late beta: As above, a random selection of people who want to do it but much larger, several hundred at least.

That way any major problems with stats etc are (theoretically) ironed out before the beta even starts and only Spinner's famous 'tweaking' should need to be done in beta. If 100 players are told to attack 1:1:1 with their entire fleet at 12:00 while 100 defend it to test a 'real life' large scale battle it should happen with no complaints, it's a test not a game.

Zh|l · 24 Dec 2002, 21:18

Quote:

Originally posted by SYMM
"Are you:"
A. a **** player
B. a bad player
C. an average player
D. a good player
E. a ****ing excellent player

I wonder which ones people won't own up to...
Besides that, there is very little skill involved in playing PA, so its debatable if there can even exist any real bad players in the current playerbase, which comes back to the issue of making the game "noob"-friendly.

c for me ingame

d for alliance issues

das_experiment · 24 Dec 2002, 21:20

id be sumwhere between D and E

IX

SYMM · 24 Dec 2002, 21:26

err...not entirely sure why people are answering the question...it was meant to illustrate that people wouldn't (necessarily) be honest in rating their playing ability...

Coffee · 25 Dec 2002, 00:46

Planetarion has always seemed to me to be a little like chess - a slight alteration of the rules anywhere will create a massive effect on the game. 99.9% of players simply cannot appreciate the ramifications of suggested changes and dont see the obvious areas of abuse.

Even I have put forward ideas on occasions that people have said 'thats crap because of x'.

Unfortunatley the changes people have always concentrated on are either shipstats (which are largely irrelevant) or 'new additions' which again do not fix any problems but simply gloss over them. Campaigns to lower the galaxy size to 15 or less and get rid of low-donating-high took ages as the change was seen as minor thus irrelevant when its really the little things that make the game, not the major.

Pretty meaningless rant by me though. Until beta's are sorted, and one person alone *cough* petru *cough* is given ultimate un-overridable control of everything it'll always be a shambles due to the pa-crew rank-pullers.

RooKie · 26 Dec 2002, 05:46

seems like ppl I have always trusted still support Petru, so I gotta support him too!

26 Dec 2002, 14:10

Quote:

Originally posted by Galaxian
Who are you? Seriously. I've never heard of you.

Steve_G is a world champion Pokemon card player.

Fear.

Steve_G · 27 Dec 2002, 06:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Idi
Steve_G is a world champion Pokemon card player.

Fear.

*cough* was *cough*

Chax · 28 Dec 2002, 11:46

Quote:

Originally posted by Chax
Invite this guy to be a tester, people that can post and make their views clear are important.

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve_G
ive already had a long discussion with him earlier today heh

he seems to be tester material for sure

Quote:

Originally posted by r72dk
I guess you speak on your person only.
Ever considered the fact that 70% players of this game, or those we aim to start playing the game dont have the possibilities or contacts or defence available you have ?

If you want more examples.... i was given a dying planet at mid round just for having a bit of fun.... i had between 500- 700 init roids and between 1,5 - 2 mil score if that much, i had incomigns for whole week and havent lost a single roid and killed most fleets that didnt recall. How did that happen, because i knew some high scored mates. How many newbies have that possibilities ? 1% if that much......

Cheaters should not be invited.

r72dk · 28 Dec 2002, 18:26

Quote:

Originally posted by Chax
Cheaters should not be invited.

Passing judgements without knowing ppl is a wonder, i could go on explainations on why and how it could be done, how if i was a BIG PA name that would be so easy and id be acclaimed for that, instead of a cheater.

But anyways, for someone who changes his opinion in a matter of days WITHOUT knowing even the person in question nor having a single chat or pm, gives a lot to wonder about....

And you see, this one aspects i truly dislike in this game, reputation and plain arrogance are needed to be someone *sigh*

r72dk

Gayle29uk · 28 Dec 2002, 18:32

Quote:

Originally posted by r72dk
And you see, this one aspects i truly dislike in this game, reputation and plain arrogance are needed to be someone *sigh*

r72dk

Only if by 'someone' you mean a 'celeb'. You can become 'someone' simply by being sensible

Of course to get well known you have to post high quality and often but nothing comes for free. The 'forums route' to fame and fortune is easy, being a game celeb is much harder and you need to actually be good at it

mbushell · 28 Dec 2002, 18:37

There are many ways to become a PA celeb, be on the crew; be a twat; be ace ingame; pull off an insane stunt; be an attention whore. See if you can match names to that list :op

r72dk · 28 Dec 2002, 18:43

Chances for that all i might have had them before plenty, alliance positions, top ranks had them and so on..

... there´s jsut this one thing that is licking and patience to endure somethg for void rewards such as fame, which i just am not able to go through....

If there are ppl that can pass judgement on me, are those whom ive met and talked and played with, want to know more talk to them.. not going to carry on this flaming quest.

r72dk

mbushell · 28 Dec 2002, 18:52

You first came across as an overly willing helper who thought you could make a difference, which isn’t a bad thing, yet now you sound as if all you want is a bit of fame. It's hard not to pass judgement, as that’s how you make most decisions, there's a line between a flame and a decent argument. You insist you're a n00b within your sig.

r72dk · 28 Dec 2002, 19:19

Its amazing the interpretations ppl give to the actions we make.

Yes ive come as an overly willing helper as ive always been everywhere ive been in PA, just ask..
I thought i could make a diference, maybe i did, even if my original was make a diference as in making some ppl conscious of some crucial points in this game.. so maybe wasnt me to make a difference but rather calling others attentions for them to make it...
All i want is fame... left to everyone´s judgement, but ill let you know this, im leaving PA again, i might dwindle in IRC for some more time as ive seen some old mates and am liking to share some time with them, but wasnt it this replies, you wouldnt see e posting much more in here...
As for fame or watever stuff you accuse me, ill leave my share for all that want it.

Seeing most ive got is silence, well, ive tried my part, tried to help in this process of conciousness, didnt work out, ill carry on my life as i was doing it for the past months away from PA.

r72dk

Kill · 30 Dec 2002, 13:25

Quote:

Originally posted by Cochese
Killmark wasn't in any recent beta I can recall, nor were there any bots.

Trust me. Everytime you attacked someone, they either pm'd you on irc or mailed to complain.

Beta for r4/5/6/7

I never did the beta for r8 as I couldn't be arsed hiding from petru as I usually have to.

Steve_G · 30 Dec 2002, 14:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Kill
Beta for r4/5/6/7

I never did the beta for r8 as I couldn't be arsed hiding from petru as I usually have to.

he was cought most of those betas too heh

30 Dec 2002, 15:13

Hehe I dont know whether to laugh or cry. Whoever is going to do the job, best of luck.

Psi_K · 30 Dec 2002, 15:23

Quote:

Originally posted by Oreo
Hehe I dont know whether to laugh or cry. Whoever is going to do the job, best of luck.

You did a great job cookie boy!

Argilus · 30 Dec 2002, 22:41

Oreo tha beta dude

Long hrs of testing with ya, those were the times

30 Dec 2002, 23:39

R72DK is doing his share and I can vouch for that...If it wernt for him then I would not have come back as much as I have...I agree 110% with everything r7 has said and I commend Kloopy on his statements...I just hope PA is goin to come back and I will be as happy as ever....I am willing to do anything in my power for PA...wich unless it is Mechanical Engineering (and i am still working on that degree) wont be much. lol

Shae/Tex

RooKie · 31 Dec 2002, 00:44

Quote:

Originally posted by Oreo
hohoho!

Kommer du tilbake cookie?

Spille som fan nå!

MAdnRisKy · 31 Dec 2002, 02:56

Petru is the greatest player I've ever worked with.

My only true sadness of this game was pissing him off. several times

Petru · 4 Jan 2003, 22:13

Quote:

Originally posted by MAdnRisKy
Petru is the greatest player I've ever worked with.

My only true sadness of this game was pissing him off. several times

You just have a knack for it, it's always excuseable though as you never actually mean to do it, verbal clumsiness

Looks like Snipper's going to be running the beta's from now on judging from the announcement, no clue what's going to happen, still not been told anything

Marv · 4 Jan 2003, 22:58

Sounds like a great idea..i would love ot be involved....

If done properly..it cvould vastly increase the games effectivness...find the bugs before the round start instead of during the round which just = more down time to fix them....