Qixter
Hey there, Redimus. Nice topic, once again. Here's some answers:
1) We do require NDAs. Some of you know how much those are worth, but we're fairly serious about dropping accounts if people flagrantly violate that NDA during test. That's usually enough to dissuade all but the most serious of trolls.
Serious troll... I just can't fathom the concept. One should never be serious about the lulz.
A nondisclosure agreement is super and will keep the majority of mouths shut but it would also greatly limit your options in who you should allow to beta test. Some newblet still in his starter clothes isn't going to think twice about letting a few secrets out for the sake of internet fame.
and if you're actively creating a bias against new members then the chatterbox will riot.
Qixter
2) When we test the game in Beta, it will be on special servers that are completely separate from the rest of Gaia. Your accounts will be cloned and copied to this "shadow world" and you'll play in that world (while still being able to freely log onto the "real" Gaia at any time). Thus, any items you gain during beta cannot be traded on the main site.
Neverwhere FTW.
Thats a neat way to prevent the swindling and market rape, but it leaves the question "Will beta testers retain what they earn during the testing phase?" Naturally I don't care one way or the other, but putting myself in your shoes I would like the people who helped me prepare a game I've fathered recieve some tiny memento(s).
Or would that be to much head ache?
Heh, Gaia Below.
Qixter
3) We won't test with the truly massive numbers of people until just before launch when we've debugged the bulk of the game and we're into pure stress-testing processes.
That makes a great deal of sense... However its also scary knowing my chances of being one of the "true" beta testers was just confirmed to be about as tiny as I had figured they would be.
None the less I think these third and second points negated the need for this thread. If you have a hand picked few then the chances of a substantial amount of information breaking loose are tiny.
I had this silly idea you'd be inviting people in
en masse' as soon as you had the first few working areas up.
Qixter
4) We understand that screenshots and stories will get leaked during that public part of beta. We kind of hope people will help us by cooperating and not releasing early screenshots (because they *are* destructive and I can talk about that destruction at length, if you're interested), but we know some of it is going to leak anyway. So we'll probably do controlled testing of content, "hiding" the stuff that we want to keep ultra-secret until launch day.
Does that all make sense?
-- Q.
The last point makes sense, but I think its kinda silly to expect anything from a huge mass of anybodies, especially during that final phase. Were I you I would assume the worst from the masses and plan accordingly for that final step of stress testing.
Cordoning off sensitive areas, disabling various item drops and/or NPCs, so on and so forth. The focus of the primary testing phase with a tiny crowd can be meant for finding those scary little bugs, while the stress testing could be nothing but just that. I'm sure it'll frustrate the players but with numbers as big as can be expected here bugs are alot less likely to reported, and more just horribly abused.
and I would LOVE for you to tell me about the negative effects of information leaks for games before their release from your point of view. Being a gamer I've been on the receiving end of plenty of information I know I wasn't suppose to have, but I never quite understood why it was such serious business for the game makers.
200
100
100
