About the playtest

Flayra · April 2002

<div class="IPBDescription">Comments</div>This thread is for replying the most recent announcement I made about not everyone being allowed into the playtests.

pielemuis · April 2002

well I guess it's normal not every1 can play this beta, so I don't see any problems, ofcourse every1 wants to play it, but I'm sure every1 knows not everybody can. Just make sure you guys release it soon <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

Mart · April 2002

The 'divide' has already occurred, you get that little wave of bitterness when you see someone with 'playtester' beside their name... or maybe that's just me. But we'll deal with it... as a community I mean...

The only issues I had with the playtest (you know, other than not being selected, but Flayra gave me a reason, and it's justified so...) are some choices in testers that I thought were questionable... but I can get over it... really I can... I'll be back to my normal pre-set level of bitterness and sarcasm. Or in TV speak, 'we shall be returning you to your normal schedule shortly'.

Jedisar · April 2002

I respect what Flayra says...afterall, to be a playtester is a task and privilage..and a responsbility. Don't think of them as just saying fun all the time..They're literally testing the interface, and worst of all, they can't invite their friends to play with them and they can't tell stories about their amazing games, let alone tell those of us in the nosebleed seats all about it, no matter how much they wish to.

MonsieurEvil · April 2002

Not to mention they had to fill out a 3 page questionaire (mine ended up being 7 pages when I was done with it).

Shuvit_Viper · April 2002

you know... im always bitching around about not being a playtester... but i know not everybody cant be one. Thats why they are beta testers...
i have mailed Flayra, and he said hed put me in the mayb list. This is enough for me, as i hope i will become one later. Even if im not, then there is no problem, the weather here is nice, so spending the time in the sun is also very good...
and if i will not become a betatester later on surely i will be disappointed, but hey, lifes not all about the computer and NS. This way ill get the game nice and polished...
its an honour to betatest, and i would like it a lot, but i can wait. I think I speak for everyone here.

But everyone here in the forums is spending there time here to find out about NS and wandering how the game will be, and when you suddenly take out half and let them play it, there will be difference, since half already KNOWS. While im just guessing how its gonna be, all the others are playing... there is only one solution: let all the active forum members become betatesters eventually <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'> (just kidding, although it would be nice...)

Hida_Tsuzua · April 2002

As much as I wish to become a tester, I understand that there are others better for the role. But if they mess up NS then I will go postal.

After all, who can deny the words of the Darwin of NS?

Silver_Fox · April 2002

Flayra, dont get upset over this. Its a simple fact that everyone will not be able to play test the game. Its nothing personal, its not favoring a few. Its simply what it is, a test. When the test is ready to handel more people, perhaps you will add more, perhaps not.

But to those people who are e-mailing/complaing on irc to Flayra - for shame.

Seriously. The world does not revolve around you. You didn't get to play test? Well la-te-da, niether did over 80% of the people here. I don't have any bitterness or resentment to those people who are play testers or to Flayra.

And because I know you'll bring this up, when I said "Your just taunting us" in irc, I was just making a joke, sorry if it was taken the wrong way, I have a ... strange personality.

But seriously Flayra, don't get upset trying to please everyone, it just can't happen.

Towers · April 2002

i don't think anyones really crying about it...we're all grown up enough to deal with it... aren't we?<img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>

Trane · April 2002

Yeah not being a play tester sucks, but theres an easy way to make up for it you know..... Give us a movie!!! lol
Seriously, I totally agree that this is nothing to get upset over. WE ALL GET TO PLAY IT WHEN IT COMES OUT. Think about it this way if you have to: Our lives are not being ruined by our addiction to NS yet (cause i know they will be after it comes out. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>) More Screenies please!!!

Freestyler · April 2002

Think of it this way:

As it is, us playtesters are playing NS in its worse (but still playable) form. WE will see it progress from what it currently is to what it is when it gets released. Therefore, when it is finally released and in its best form you lot will be enjoying it more and quite possibly appreciate it more than us playtesters will.

WE get the benefit of playing early, you get the benefit of enjoying it more even if it is a later date.

(In no way am I saying we won't enjoy it, I'm just saying the non-testers will enjoy the final build more for a few weeks when it comes out)

Towers · April 2002

i'd rather play it early and help it progress to a better game rather than wait for the finished thing. But like I said i'm fine waiting.... But a movie would be great <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

Tzarcon · April 2002

I'm pretty sure a whole bunch of people were upset when they found out they weren't included for playtesting, including myself, but it's easy to get over. I know that there are tons of people here that easily deserve to playtest NS, but of course Flayra can only choose a few, and the decision is probably hard even for him. Actually there's still tons of playtesting slots open for the later alphas, but don't get your hopes up. Simply tide yourself over with whatever you tide yourself over with. Go and <b>vegitate</b>. Or you could learn to map, write a story, and the like

Slycaster · April 2002

guys, don't think that being a plytester is too great, like monse said, 16 questions, i took over 3 hours to answer them ending up to be over 10 pages! Don't get stressed out <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('>

InZaneFleaArmy · April 2002

...I note most of the well known guys aren't playtesters. I'm personally thinking the Flaytona had no prizes...I haven't even heard about anything from anyone...Anyway...Rip off...U shoulda let all the forum goers fill out the questionaire, and chose the best.

Greedo · April 2002

InZane, perhaps you are a bit confused. There was no questionaire that we had to fill out to get chosen as a playtester. We were asked to comment on the gameplay that we experienced over the weekend. It was 16 questions, and most people spent hours writing them up. It is that feedback that is going to help shape how NS is going to develop in these early stages. As far as how people got selected, well, I noticed that most of the "big names" were selected to be playtesters. The people who have the real high quality maps were also chosen to test, because it is important to be able to know how a game plays to make a good map for that game.

RhoadsToNowhere · April 2002

In that case, I doubt how much of a useful playtester I'd be. I generally need some kind of reference frame to base my opinions on, and I can imagine how tough it'd be to start from scratch like you guys are doing. That and this is probably my "hell month" for school work, so I definitely wouldn't be able to put the necessary time into it. Ah well, assuming NS comes out in earlyish May or so it'll be a good reward for me, but in the meantime... *pats his beta copy of SI .98 <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>* In any case, I trust the decisions of the dev team, they obviously know what they're doing.

the_stalker · April 2002

for me, i like seeing pics of ingame action, sometimes as much as gameplay =P

Elowind · April 2002

aw man, guess i wasnt active enough to find that lil questionair.. oh well theres always the officialy release i guess... <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>

InZaneFleaArmy · April 2002

Yes...so either your on the NS Team, or your amazing mapper... Yes...No love for the beta testing people...coughmecough...

Comprox · April 2002

Uh, how did I get in then? *slinks in back door* And trust me guys, I stayed up till 1am, with a ----ing headache filling out that questionaire, just so the game would be better for you guys when it got released, keep that in mind <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>

Us3r · April 2002

I've got nothing at all wrong with not being a playtester... I respect Flayra's decision in the playtesters and just hope they're doing a good job. I love to hear all the ideas and 'stories', if you will, about how the playtesting went. As many of people have said, its more of a responsibility than just fun. I can sit here and drool over screen shots waiting for NS to be released <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

PS: Good luck with all the future tests and good luck to the NS team.

realityisdead · April 2002

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> (InZaneFleaArmy @ April 08 2002,20:14)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Yes...so either your on the NS Team, or your amazing mapper... Yes...No love for the beta testing people...coughmecough...</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
IFA, I think about half or so of the playtesters were chosen due to the amount and quality of their feedback on these forums. *cough*Greedo*cough*

I'm not totally sure on the reason why I was picked as a tester, but something is telling me it isn't just because Charlie likes my map...

I'm going to start disliking the fact that it says "Playtester" under my name if people are going to be getting rude or snippy about it...

Hikuso · April 2002

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> (Freestyler @ April 08 2002,16:34)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Think of it this way:

As it is, us playtesters are playing NS in its worse (but still playable) form. WE will see it progress from what it currently is to what it is when it gets released. Therefore, when it is finally released and in its best form you lot will be enjoying it more and quite possibly appreciate it more than us playtesters will.

WE get the benefit of playing early, you get the benefit of enjoying it more even if it is a later date.

(In no way am I saying we won't enjoy it, I'm just saying the non-testers will enjoy the final build more for a few weeks when it comes out)</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
I totally disagree (don't get me wrong , i'm not mad about not being a tester , sure i wanna play this game ASAP but hey...i can wait <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>) atleast i find that playing a game from early alpha (aq2) untill it's final release was helluva fun , you grow with the mod , i remember first playing aq2 , the HC was a modified ssg (ugly as hell) and the mp5 was a reskinned machinegun <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'> but still , it is fun to play a game and gradualy the balance and visual thingies improve with your skillz (well except for gloom.... r1ch and the boys really f*cked up there)

my...two ce.... oh...it's a whole dollar ;P

Silver_Fox · April 2002

Dont worry Ken, I still love you ...

<img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

Infinity · April 2002

i wish i could be a playtester because i love anything that taste of RTS, but i too respect Flayra's decision

i fill out the emptiness with my mapping instead but its hard when i too suffer from Flayratius <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>

but i like the way this mod develops, it will surely be somthing that will be talked A LOT about in the halflife mod community

why oh why should we suffer from Flayratius for so long ?

call me victim from flayratius if u like, but i was watching who got the best scores in the NS server <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

winner: Greedo386

Spyder_Monkey · April 2002

It's nice to see everyone coping with this. Not that I expected a bunch of flames and a lot of heated discussion when I walked in here. We're a good, solid, helpful community... and in the end, when this mod is long-since forgotten by PHL and the rest of the world, we will be the ones playing on dusty servers knowing that we helped make this happen. Oh, and Ken, if they start turning on forum groups, I hope they leave mine alone... or at least fear it. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>

Psymasta · April 2002

My birthday's on next monday so you guys better release NS soon as a bday pressie to me! Muhhaha. j/k Lolz. The playtest screenies looked real good. Mmm...automatic turrets...

Jacq · April 2002

I agree that not everyone can be playtester, and must be say that playtesters are not playing for fun ( <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'> ) but for improve the game.
But in order to not annoy people i think that showing us more detailed information about the playtest (e.g.:more pics, small video, text resume of the ###, improvements, bugs...) will make us near the playtesters.
P.D.:
GOOD JOB

DruBo · April 2002

I'm a bit of a latecomer, so I know I don't really have a good reason to be included as a playtester, other than working with ChromeAngel on NS World. I don't have constant access to the kind of hardware required to consistently run the NSTR2, much less an unstable version of NSb. So while I did, in a moment of weakness, ask Chromie for a copy of his playtester build (I actually only wanted to see the weapon models in HLMV), I'm not feeling a particularly strong need to play. Don't get me wrong, if Flayra asked me to playtest, I'd jump at the chance. But I'm not going to bug him relentlessly or anything.

I would, however, really like to get a playtest demo movie so I can pimp the game to my friends. That would be what we call a win-win scenario... the public gets to see some gameplay, and the mod gets more audience.

Spyder_Monkey · April 2002

While that would be a win-win, Msr. Evil is the <b>official</b> NS Pimp. He pimps as he sees fit, to the clientelle he wishes.