Possible ArmA 3 Ongoing Closed Alpha Confirmation

[rybo32 10]

As many of you were aware, ArmA 3 had a technical closed alpha for a select amount of people before the community alpha release date, but it would appear through video and screenshot evidence that this closed alpha is continuing past the community alpha release date. The question rises, why would Bohemia Interactive continue using a closed alpha even after a community testing alpha was already released? Could it be that the alpha has a lot less bugs, and much more content than we are aware? Could this entire community alpha be a sham, and the real bug-testing and fixes are being produced by the closed alpha, while steadily supplying the community alpha with older builds?

I know many of you are going to have high doubts for this, but as I said, there is much evidence of a closed alpha still being in existence, and being serviced to the same people that received the closed alpha before the community alpha was out. For example, do you remember the person who ported Chernarus and Takistan over to ArmA 3, and made a

video about it? Strangely enough, he appears to be using a newer build than what anyone in the community can access. Build 0.5.102694. As many are aware, the current community alpha build is 0.5.102571. Could this possibly mean, as mentioned before, that this is all a clever marketing scheme to pick up more buyers?

Regardless, I find this rather a rather suspicious thing for a company to be doing. Why have a closed alpha of hundreds to test things, when you already have a community alpha of thousands that could test those same things, and find all the more bugs in them? It just seems like odd activity of a company trying to produce a good, thoroughly tested game.

Edited March 8, 2013 by rybo32
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[Harzach 2517]

What, the dev apha? It's no secret. Dwarden even posted a how-to earlier. Your paranoia is unwarranted.

[keefehb 0]

I would assume its because the closed testers have access to development builds, as in versions between releases of the public builds. ^What he said^

Giving access to a lot of people increases the chances of finding bugs and making it more stable in the long run by exposing it a lot more systems. All that while funding the ongoing development, genius.

Minecraft

[rybo32 10]

What, the dev apha? It's no secret. Dwarden even posted a how-to earlier. Your paranoia is unwarranted.

I'm not talking about the development alpha. I'm already aware of that alpha, and it hasn't yet received any updates passed the currently default community alpha. As you may notice, this is a whole new alpha, a significantly newer version of the alpha.

[keefehb 0]

I'm not talking about the development alpha. I'm already aware of that alpha, and it hasn't yet received any updates passed the currently default community alpha. As you may notice, this is a whole new alpha, a significantly newer version of the alpha.

The development alpha is a newer version of the alpha.

[rybo32 10]

The development alpha is a newer version of the alpha.

Exactly my point, the current development alpha is at version 0.5.102571, which is on par with the current default community alpha. It has yet to receive its first update. The alpha I speak of is yet a newer, more unknown alpha which we have no knowledge of.

[Harzach 2517]

Why have a closed alpha of hundreds to test things, when you already have a community alpha of thousands that could test those same things, and find all the more bugs in them?

Maybe because the vast majority of those "thousands" are using this opportunity to complain about optimization and accuse BIS of perceived wrongdoing, rather than actually testing and reporting bugs? How many tickets have you written up so far? Nice first post, by the way. A great way to introduce yourself to the community.

[rybo32 10]

Maybe because the vast majority of those "thousands" are using this opportunity to complain about optimization and accuse BIS of perceived wrongdoing, rather than actually testing and reporting bugs? How many tickets have you written up so far? Nice first post, by the way. A great way to introduce yourself to the community.

So far, I have written up about 9 tickets regarding various graphical, physics, and environment bugs. I would not say that the majority are complaining either, but more so that a small amount complaining is creating a large amount of angry people regarding complaining.

[defk0n_NL 2]

Maybe because the vast majority of those "thousands" are using this opportunity to complain about optimization and accuse BIS of perceived wrongdoing, rather than actually testing and reporting bugs? How many tickets have you written up so far? Nice first post, by the way. A great way to introduce yourself to the community.

^this, You forgot the random feature requests troubling many minds playing the alpha.