Arma 3 Community Alpha - Announcement!

[batto 17]

@DMarkwick, @CTCCoco: Yeah, you're right. I expect BIS already has these people (I know it, Ivan mentioned it in one interview). But someone has to come up with test cases. And they probably can't imagine every possible thing that BIS community could do (plane built from vehicles lol). So the community will do the rest. I'll be more polite & specific next time.

[kylania 567]

I got a job once as a "beta tester" for some productivity software. All we did was run through commands listed in an excel spreadsheet and checked off it what was written down as happening actually happened. Worst job ever. Why I needed any computer experience to get it or how computer experience was useful is beyond me. Any monkey that can recognize shapes could have done that job. I quit pretty quickly and when they said I needed to come back in and sign for my last paycheck I told them they could keep it. :)

[SWAT_BigBear 0]

I will just keep reminding of this statment:

• it won't include any part of the campaign, but it might include some sample scenarios, which focus upon the systems we'd like to test
  

Best,

RiE

[rjc0235 1]

hehe. yep, and that 2 page report of what you were doing when the game crashed :P

[zonekiller 174]

A professional tester is someone who has to go through every single possible activity as far as using the software goes with no regard to fun, just pure functionality. So things like using the settings individually and saving the settings, using the settings individually and cancelling the settings, entering text into text fields, entering numbers into text fields, joining a game and playing, joining a game and backing out, every possible set of activities you could do. And they have to be done with each major build to make sure there's no regression. Being a professional tester is not a glamorous job

that sounds just like what mission makers have to do with the added extras of making it enjoyable :)

[Craig_VG 20]

that sounds just like what mission makers have to do with the added extras of making it enjoyable :)

Agreed. I don't know how many times I have:

1. Run mission

2. Find error

3. alt tab and change some code

4. Hit restart

5. Hit play

6. Wait for mission to init

7. See error hasn't been fixed and then repeat...

[onlyrazor 11]

Agreed. I don't know how many times I have:

1. Run mission

2. Find error

3. alt tab and change some code

4. Hit restart

5. Hit play

6. Wait for mission to init

7. See error hasn't been fixed and then repeat...

Luckily, BIS has provided us with -showscripterrors. Obviously, it doesn't solve all the problems, but it does point you in the right direction.

[Craig_VG 20]

Luckily, BIS has provided us with -showscripterrors. Obviously, it doesn't solve all the problems, but it does point you in the right direction.

Indeed, I think a lot of people would pull their hair out without it! :D

[J-Guid 10]

I think BIS must pay for each player in community if he wish realise A3a for feedback of beta testing!

Guys, just a recruit some team for this, maby in community you find skilled peoples, Arma not need more, 3-4 good persons!

Nah, again, sorry! /facepalm

[CarlGustaffa 4]

28000+ tickets state otherwise.

[joman 10]

I find that people that are pasionate to the work and cause will find bugs better than anyone paid.

[.kju 3240]

@CarlGustaffa

This is the total count of tickets for ALL projects at dev heaven.

[J-Guid 10]

- Рeople are spending their time, and time costs a lot of money, especially if the time is well spent, and not for themself use

© Kol9yN

[gonk 0]

Is the dedicated server load balancing/testing going to be part of the alpha or later on in the Beta Phase ? Have not seen this mentioned yet...

[J-Guid 10]

Good question, Gonk! Realy interesting! Somebody can ask to us any about that?!

[liquidpinky 11]

Are we not doing that with the A2 updates anyway?

[NeuroFunker 11]

I think BIS must pay for each player in community if he wish realise A3a for feedback of beta testing!

Guys, just a recruit some team for this, maby in community you find skilled peoples, Arma not need more, 3-4 good persons!

Nah, again, sorry! /facepalm

каво епта?:confused:

[CTCCoco 1]

Are we not doing that with the A2 updates anyway?

You want buy this game and have bugged as hell?...

[liquidpinky 11]

You want buy this game and have bugged as hell?...

I was on about the netcode testing. :P

[orcinus 121]

I find that people that are pasionate to the work and cause will find bugs better than anyone paid.

+1

I think a lot of Arma addicts will want to help with the development. This might have been suggested already (?), but maybe one way to limit it (i.e. to select testers) if needed would be on the basis of dev-heaven tickets lodged correctly - as evidence both that the people concerned are committed to improving the game(s), and that they are competent in reporting bugs.

I find suggestions that people should be paid a bit off (actually, quite rancid); similarly the idea that people should pay for the alpha. Neither fit with what I see as the generally admirable spirit of BIS + the community.

BR

Orcinus

[sickboy 13]

28000+ tickets state otherwise.

What kju said. Also why do you link to Xeno's Domination mission issue tracker?

[CarlGustaffa 4]

Sorry, that's what I had bookmarked, forgot to change :) Still, the point was that there are huge amounts of tickets being reported, which could hardly be done by "3-4 guys". Like, I don't find many of the problems others state, and others may not find what I report. I don't think good testing can be done by a team, it needs to be tested by masses. Lots of bugs may be postponed of course, but it sure gives the devs a good list to prioritize from.

[Schwifty 10]

I'm a little late to the convo but severely stoked for the alpha!! Sucks about the delay though but this will tied me over. I already did some machine updating based on the projected system requirements that were posted somewhere a while ago just to make sure I could play ArmA 3 as soon as it is released. June is gonna be a good month.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Schwifty

[bigpickle 0]

Wow ! really looking forward to it Thanks BIS you really understand the menaing customer relationship. Good On You.

[hellfire257 3]

Agreed. I don't know how many times I have:

1. Run mission

2. Find error

3. alt tab and change some code

4. Hit restart

5. Hit play

6. Wait for mission to init

7. See error hasn't been fixed and then repeat...

It's mind-numbing at first but once you crack that bug you feel like an ARMA god. It's somewhat like the testing euphoria that GLaDOS gets in Portal 2! It's not rare for me to enjoy bug hunting.