Will the future beta testers...

[343KKT_Kintaro]

...be the same as with "the previous project"? I've never been a beta tester, but a friend of mine is one of those who still now test IL2GB, so does he have more chances to be picked for the future "Combat Pilot" beta testing phase (if ever there's a beta testing phase).

[Lusekofte]

Beta testers need to have time and patience to do very repetitive tasks. 
Important but not that exiting work much of the time. 
I would be great at DM testing. Being in the receiving end. I have a lot of that experience in all cfs known to men

[Loke]

I hope if they use beta testers, that they keep it with in the company. So we don't get the situation where it is those who shout loudest and ground together that get their way, as we have seen clearly with an other Combat flight sim. 

 

[Krupinski]

33 minutes ago, Loke said:

I hope if they use beta testers, that they keep it with in the company. So we don't get the situation where it is those who shout loudest and ground together that get their way, as we have seen clearly with an other Combat flight sim. 

 

For games that strive for accuracy, sometimes things will "slip through", and it's no fault of the developers.. it's the nature of the complexity of such games. So having reliable testers can be extremely useful and time saving for the devs.

I have a good feeling though you won't see these issues from the past in such dramatic fashion, especially if time is taken to create proper testing tools for testers, and even ways for the average player to test things if they wish to do so. The ability to provide facts and proper evidence to a problem will solve many things.

Edited May 24, 2023 by Krupinski

[HerrMurf]

21 minutes ago, Loke said:

I hope if they use beta testers, that they keep it with in the company. So we don't get the situation where it is those who shout loudest and ground together that get their way, as we have seen clearly with an other Combat flight sim. 

 

That's not how beta testing works. Beta testing is completely directed by management. Feedback is, of course, compiled but your simplification and implied bias of the testers is off the mark. There are many voices behind the curtain with many perspectives. Testers do not get their hands on items until it is tested in house first.

Beta testers are not some cabal with a secret agenda. They perform a largely thankless job, for no pay, to try and bring the best out of the available data and code. Management has both the first and final say in the end product.

[Loke]

I think we all know, that the majority of the beta testers, whom only flew fighters got it their way, and didn't listen to any evidence provided by those who prefer multi engine aircraft. 

Result today, is that you now see half empty multiplayer servers at peak hours. Simply because it's become arcade'ish. 

So no, I will always hope that they keep it with in the company. 

[Gambit21]

2 minutes ago, Loke said:

I think we all know, that the majority of the beta testers, whom only flew fighters got it their way, and didn't listen to any evidence provided by those who prefer multi engine aircraft. 

Result today, is that you now see half empty multiplayer servers at peak hours. Simply because it's become arcade'ish. 

So no, I will always hope that they keep it with in the company. 

Speaking as a beta tester - you have ZERO clue what you’re talking about. 
 

 

[Habu]

5 minutes ago, Loke said:

I think we all know, that the majority of the beta testers, whom only flew fighters got it their way, and didn't listen to any evidence provided by those who prefer multi engine aircraft. 

Result today, is that you now see half empty multiplayer servers at peak hours. Simply because it's become arcade'ish. 

So no, I will always hope that they keep it with in the company. 

I have nothing to add to Gambit's answer.

I don't even understand how you can link beta testers and the number of multi-engine users on the online servers.

[CG_Justin]

I used to beta test for a couple payware GA producers for FS9 and FSX. And I've being flying WW2 combat sims since 1999. I'd love to give this one a go.

Edited May 24, 2023 by CG_Justin

[Loke]

13 minutes ago, Habu said:

I have nothing to add to Gambit's answer.

I don't even understand how you can link beta testers and the number of multi-engine users on the online servers.

Easy, it's gone FUBAR. 

[JediMaster]

Correlation does not imply causation.

 

[HerrMurf]

In regard to Kintaro’s original Q. Beta testers are privy to a ton of what’s upcoming and what’s under the hood. I did some beta in BoS EA. I don’t see a problem with BoX testers migrating but there’s no way they could do both concurrently for competing companies. How these devs feel about migrating remains to be seen.

[Lusekofte]

5 minutes ago, HerrMurf said:

In regard to Kintaro’s original Q. Beta testers are privy to a ton of what’s upcoming and what’s under the hood. I did some beta in BoS EA. I don’t see a problem with BoX testers migrating but there’s no way they could do both concurrently for competing companies. How these devs feel about migrating remains to be seen.

I think migrating is key word. But they need to choose what. I find it hard to believe they find someone not being active in il site. 
I think Jason knows many of box testers and trust them. I can see some of them as beta testers

[Trooper117]

Hmmm... loose lips sink ships and all that  😁

[HerrMurf]

Mostly agree but based on the referenced post, I can imaging one or both companies instituting NDA’s going forward. It wasn’t a completely clean divorce and they are competitors now.

[Gambit21]

11 minutes ago, HerrMurf said:

In regard to Kintaro’s original Q. Beta testers are privy to a ton of what’s upcoming and what’s under the hood. I did some beta in BoS EA. I don’t see a problem with BoX testers migrating but there’s no way they could do both concurrently for competing companies. How these devs feel about migrating remains to be seen.

I know of testers who have been involved with DCS and IL2 at the same time. I’m currently in DCS CB, and no longer actively testing IL2 but I was doing both for a bit.

So long as one remains professional there are no problems. It’s sort of like Ugra doing work for both sims concurrently. 

 

 

 

[BlitzPig_EL]

The BlitzPigs did some beta work for Pacific Fighters back in the day.  Our brief was actually pretty simple.  Fly one of the Betas for two weeks in regular multiplay, and report back how things worked or didn't.  We flew for 3 or 4 hours every night for 2 weeks straight.  We even had AI planes with incorrect cockpits just to fly them.  As I recall the Emily had a Ki43 pit.  In any case we sent the devs quite a list of small things that really were not game breaking, but were irritating to one extent or the other.

Of course the let down came when the game was officially released and the Emily, among others, was not flyable.

[Krupinski]

I too was offered to test for DCS WW2, but I denied it as I don't play it nearly as much, otherwise I would have been testing both as well. As long as the testers have been in the community for a considerable time to be trustworthy, and there's no significant bias for one or the other, I don't think there should be any issues.

For me personally I simply love this style of flight sims that Jason/IL2 have produced and would be glad to use my experience to help in any way possible. 😁

[Vigilante]

I would hate to see forum members with BETA TESTER after their names acting like I have seen some do at That Other Place - i.e., starting forum fights, taking sides in every dispute, and generally acting like little pretend aristocrats.

[Gambit21]

8 minutes ago, Vigilante said:

I would hate to see forum members with BETA TESTER after their names acting like I have seen some do at That Other Place - i.e., starting forum fights, taking sides in every dispute, and generally acting like little pretend aristocrats.

I know right? And sour grapes from guys who are not beta testers…so obnoxious isn’t it?

 

 

[343KKT_Kintaro]

Thank you guys, you brought satisfactory answers to my question.

[Lusekofte]

Beta testers deserve some respect for what they are doing for free. 
I would not mind being one if I knew I had time and the task suited me. I am no dog fighter but quite patience with bombers and recce and navigation. Krupinski would be a far better tester than me among many others. 
main thing is separating oneself from personal preference 

[mazex]

Well - I was in the beta test team of the "other sim", but was silently excluded without any notice or word of "thank you for your service" the weeks after Jason left. As I work too much I really did not put down enough time though... Then it does not matter that I have hundreds of hour IRL, been flying simulators since the 80:ies and work as an IT Manager / CIO at much larger companies since many years. I do however think that there can be some improvements on the beta testing process, especially regarding reporting and bug tracking software. But they get away with very unstructured beta testing as are some VERY talented people doing free work for "the other sim". They are finding a lot of things that the users never knew where in the RC days before the planned releases... Instruments not working in odd scenarios, incorrect textures or 3D models, weapon inconsistencies, damage models, missing LODs, FM problems, reproduceable CTDs etc. Some of them that I cannot name are extremely knowledgeable and very quickly come back with detailed reports and screenshots of how to replicate and correct bugs and problems that they have found. Sometimes within hours... Unsung heroes.

[Hooves]

Great to see some familiar names in here!  I hope the testers will be folks with unique minds to find those unique bugs.   And the time to dedicate to finding them.  I myself wont have time for a long while.  So do us proud those chosen few!!!

Hooves

[Props]

I've never been interested in being a Beta Tester before this, but I am now and would enjoy the opportunity till fill some of my retirement days with some more stick time. I spend sooo much time researching the Pacific Theater that I feel it's my duty! I await the call the call to serve