Disable features in beta versions
beyonder8421
Member Posts: 881 ★★★
Releasing beta versions of a software, pointing to production servers is a reality (it has been happening for a while). But you have to be a bit wiser about it.
If the purpose of a beta version is to test performance of certain features, disable the features that could bring problems when pointing at production servers (that you do not need tested).
If this is not possible, inform the beta testers what you need them to test, and what not to test. Also, you should have a dedicated project online to keep track of different devices, bugs and known issues that these testers can check (to see if they are reporting something that is already reported, or to know what to avoid).
I understand why you had to perma-ban testers, but the way the beta was handled wasn't professional. For what I read, any in-game purchase came with a message saying that these would be undone by the end of the testing. If this wasn't the case (or you found an exploit after that, through gifting), you should have let users know this was an exploit and do not make purchases with that version of the game.
I also understand the situation was very complex and required a larger pool of testers. But, after what happened, I wouldn't expect users to help you beta-test anything. And neither should you. You need to invest more in testing, the last month has brought that into light a lot. Please do.
If the purpose of a beta version is to test performance of certain features, disable the features that could bring problems when pointing at production servers (that you do not need tested).
If this is not possible, inform the beta testers what you need them to test, and what not to test. Also, you should have a dedicated project online to keep track of different devices, bugs and known issues that these testers can check (to see if they are reporting something that is already reported, or to know what to avoid).
I understand why you had to perma-ban testers, but the way the beta was handled wasn't professional. For what I read, any in-game purchase came with a message saying that these would be undone by the end of the testing. If this wasn't the case (or you found an exploit after that, through gifting), you should have let users know this was an exploit and do not make purchases with that version of the game.
I also understand the situation was very complex and required a larger pool of testers. But, after what happened, I wouldn't expect users to help you beta-test anything. And neither should you. You need to invest more in testing, the last month has brought that into light a lot. Please do.
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Comments
Well, when you're talking about thousands of dollars worth of Units, that's a little more than an "oops". People knew something was up.
I don't want the OP's suggestion to veer off, so I should clarify.
I agree that being diligent about what is enabled is important. Having seen people making a game out of what they can Sell and not affect their Main Account in the last Beta, I think it's important. However, in this case, people volunteered for a specific purpose. To help resolve the overheating issue. As with any Beta, reporting information is key. This was a unique case where they had many Players unable to play and having devices jeopardized. The idea was to get it resolved as quickly and effectively as possible. That was the priority. I don't agree that it was the fault of what may or may not have been enabled, given the fact that I wasn't in it, and I don't trust Reddit very much. People had a responsibility to report a problem such as that, not take advantage of it. I don't agree with the statement that people aren't going to want to Beta Test because that implies it was some common mistake. This wasn't really a mistake. People milked Units out of it. That's my spiel.
I am just saying. I am a software developer. If I release something like that, I would get fired. I am not talking about the people that abused the system, I am just saying that, if they need to release a beta in production, they should make sure they don't enable the free units thing. I assume they use this beta internally, where everybody knows what they can do. They should have released a different version for beta users.