What would you do if it's was open beta

[JJJJ222]

Just asking. Just curious, and you can add features to the game , what features would you add

[Tomonor]

I know off topic, but are you ever not 'just curious'?

[mr.WHO]

Beta is for ironing the bugs and tesing already developed game, just saying.

[Alci]

yeah, you can't add or change features in beta.

So I would do what I normally do when beta testing. Following test sheets, writing down deviations, pinpointing causes and reproduction steps for "bugs". And writing down a list of inconveniences that will need revision in development branch for the next version.

[PabloRSA]

Not exactly sure how to qualify for beta but i would assume that once the game is released you actively look for bugs write proper reports in the Dev+ forum and when they notice you and your attention to detail/reproduce they may look favorably to invite you to x5 beta.

Just a theory.
But then again your supposed to be hunting bugs not telling them how to do their job or request features.

Back to the OP topic without the game being release its is possible to say what feature i would request, so the answer atm is none.

[Alan Phipps]

@ JJJJ222: Others above have answered it for you. In an open beta you test the gameplay of whatever game version you are given, report any play issues and provide relevant feedback - *not* game suggestions.

It is pretty much the same as a closed or private beta in that respect, it just varies in the scale of the access and the degree in which testers are 'expected' to do what they signed up to do.

[BigBANGtheory]

I would test the gameplay given the opportunity i.e. what is or is not working well from a user experience PoV. That could mean a fundamental fault, quality issues such as the presentation and performance but in the case of ES I'd mostly be looking out for "you've got this feature in the game, but its simply not working from a gameplay perspective" because that tends to be their weakness. I wouldn't use it as a forum to try and add new features but I would point out things that felt were missing if they were minor additions or tweaks, or if something was necessary in order to deliver on the gameplay already in and working.

on a side note but still on-topic I think... It must be very hard for a game developer to "play" their own game, critique it yes, bug find of course but truly "play it" must be tricky. It would be an interesting question to ask when they are less busy.

[birdtable]

The difficulty for beta testers is how to keep your personal preferences for gameplay out of the equation, I prefer the early stages as the lone pilot others prefer vast fleets to control,,, my idea of faulty gameplay would differ greatly from others, with neither being correct in overall balance.. test for bugs and bugs alone, leave the overall gameplay strategies to the developer.

[radcapricorn]

If there was an open beta I'd be probably posting in it's forum and not here right now. Then I'd be getting pissed off because found pitfalls and bugs get buried under more important pitfalls and bugs, or just sit there ignored. Then I'd be getting un-pissed off, because it's Egosoft and you can't stay pissed off at them for too long.