ACW2 is signing up beta testers!

[Boomer]

Hoping the beta testing is going well. I can only guess that the lack of activity on the forum here lately is due to everyone shining up that gem. Hopefully we'll see some more promo stuff here soon.

[DrPostman]

There's a LOT of stuff to be worked out before the game gets released. I've done a beta testing for
a FPS game but this seems a whole lot more involved. So many things that they need to get right
to make the game work. The developers are working hard on it and being very receptive to what
the testers are telling them.

[smarmet]

Hoping the beta testing is going well. I can only guess that the lack of activity on the forum here lately is due to everyone shining up that gem. Hopefully we'll see some more promo stuff here soon.

There have to be a number of people kicking about these forums without beta access, I know I'm one of them. Somehow we just need to make up the missing traffic. Of course it might help if somebody would come along and drop us some new info/screenies...

[anjou]

That would spice things up for sure. Im sure Historicon will bring lots of info

[elxaime]

Just curious as to whether Beta testing for a game like this means primarily catching mistakes and bugs, with perhaps some tweaking of game mechanics. In other words, I assume when something goes to beta the core design is pretty much done and more or less set in stone.

[czert2]

i signed up for betatest too.
And as side note i will LOVE to see starship troopers stategical game.

[DrPostman]

Just curious as to whether Beta testing for a game like this means primarily catching mistakes and bugs, with perhaps some tweaking of game mechanics. In other words, I assume when something goes to beta the core design is pretty much done and more or less set in stone.

It is. It's mostly bug and error chasing, and there's quite a lot of it. The game engine itself is a tried
and tested program that is adapted to the game. I can tell you guys that you will still get essentially
the same game we all love with a LOT of extras, including a much larger map.

[DrPostman]

i signed up for betatest too.
And as side note i will LOVE to see starship troopers stategical game.

A tactical version I can see but strategic it would be a lot like all the
other scifi strategy games.

[H Gilmer3]

Pretty excited about this release. I guess Beta signup is closed now? I've been so busy and one thing drives out another as Barliaman always said.

[smarmet]

Pretty excited about this release. I guess Beta signup is closed now? I've been so busy and one thing drives out another as Barliaman always said.

Beta registration is closed? Did you use this link? It seems strange that they would stop looking for volunteers.

[DrPostman]

Beta registration is closed? Did you use this link? It seems strange that they would stop looking for volunteers.

That's the link I signed up at. They might need more before they finish. There's still a
lot of work to do.

[H Gilmer3]

I didn't know for a fact, just figured they were closed.

[MarkCSA]

I signed up and PMd Pocus, no response from either (apart from a welcome email from the beta site thing).

They keeps the Precious away from mees.

[Pocus]

I was not there this week end but I'll answer your PM MarkCSA.

We got 100 more betas waiting to incorporate, so if application resume, this won't be before 3 weeks.

[MarkCSA]

I was not there this week end but I'll answer your PM MarkCSA.

We got 100 more betas waiting to incorporate, so if application resume, this won't be before 3 weeks.

Merci beaucoup, monsieur!

[Jarkko]

Just curious as to whether Beta testing for a game like this means primarily catching mistakes and bugs, with perhaps some tweaking of game mechanics. In other words, I assume when something goes to beta the core design is pretty much done and more or less set in stone.

I am not in AACW2 beta testing, but I have been an alpha/beta-tester in a few projects over the years.

The tasks for beta testers differ a lot in different projects. As AACW2 to is based on a well-proven game-engine and much of the data has been available in AACW1 already, I would presume the betas focus on the following in AACW2:

1) Test out the new UI, clicking buttons, using shortcuts, preferably when doing weird stuff (for example, if the map can be rotated, rotate it and at the same time use shortcuts for various commands).
2) Check out the data so that there are no copy-paste errors and all the new data is correct. Ie all the commas, dots and semi-colons are in correct place, so that there are no weird stuff like Generals called "345" who have in his leadership stats say he has a nice "Gregory" in his Command value (if there are such things, that is)
3) Check how the AI handles various situations, ie you move a horde of militia through the lines, then check how the AI is capable of reacting. Also, making sure the AI does not value something stupid (like for example CSA using all resources to build coastal artillery in Texas)
4) Check that the economy works as intended, there are *plenty* of games out there (AACW1 being one example) where the smartest thing to do is to do things which should ruin the economy but in the game you will come ahead with a smile on your face.
5) Lots of MP games, where the players try exploit the living poo out of the game, especially in the early phases of the game. In my experience it is the MP tests where you *really* see if there is something totally out of whack (there are some devious minds out there) from the very early get go; first six months will already tell you where to look for the most obvious exploiting possibilities
6) When getting closer to release, betas do AAR games for PR purposes, of those the devs then choose which ones to greenlight for publishing and from which ones horrible bugs can be found and immediatly be taken care of

In short, as a beta tester you don't really get to play the game much. You try to break the game, exlpoit it and make it crash. I think it is a safe bet not many betas (if any) will ever be able to finish a full campaign during a beta testing phase; bugs are found which crash the game, a new beta-patch becomes and off you go from the start. It is hard work.

[Durk]

So I am not a complainer, but I have noticed this. My Ageod friends are not in the beta. Only Slitherine and Matrix players I know are in the beta. What concerns me, the people who know Ageod ACW System best will not be invited to participate in the beta.
I might be wrong, those who know me best know this is likely true, but I want the Ageod players to be a major voice. I fear this will not be 'our Civil War.'

[Leibst]

But maybe is a good thing that new players test the Beta. But there must be some AGEOD-Forum's betas, i'm sure.

[DrPostman]

There are a lot of folks I recognize from here participating in the beta.

[Boomer]

So I am not a complainer, but I have noticed this. My Ageod friends are not in the beta. Only Slitherine and Matrix players I know are in the beta. What concerns me, the people who know Ageod ACW System best will not be invited to participate in the beta.
I might be wrong, those who know me best know this is likely true, but I want the Ageod players to be a major voice. I fear this will not be 'our Civil War.'

I don't know, as an American I am perfectly content to do nothing and sit on my butt and then bitch about everything later.

Kidding aside, I think ACW 2 will be a real make or break moment for AGEOD. They've done very well in the niche strategy/war gaming market, but aside from ACW 1 and maybe PON, they haven't really achieved much mainstream attention. With a new polished and shiny American civil war game though... and in a gaming market that right now is really hurting, this could be the one that sends not only AGEOD but the entire strategy gaming industry back into the forefront... or it could get hardly any press and once again only the diehards will buy it. Who knows, but I'm *cautiously* optimistic for them.

[Franciscus]

So I am not a complainer, but I have noticed this. My Ageod friends are not in the beta. Only Slitherine and Matrix players I know are in the beta. What concerns me, the people who know Ageod ACW System best will not be invited to participate in the beta.
I might be wrong, those who know me best know this is likely true, but I want the Ageod players to be a major voice. I fear this will not be 'our Civil War.'

Some of us old folks are in the beta... apy:

[Jim-NC]

There are quite a few "more experienced" folks helping with the beta (see Franciscus above for example, or myself).

[elxaime]

It is. It's mostly bug and error chasing, and there's quite a lot of it. The game engine itself is a tried
and tested program that is adapted to the game. I can tell you guys that you will still get essentially
the same game we all love with a LOT of extras, including a much larger map.

As regards the scale changes, I realize the game remains under NDA but I am wondering if it is possible to know certain general things such as:

1. How many regions ACW2 has versus ACW1?
2. Whether the time scales are the same, e.g. one turn equals two weeks?
3. If the types of terrain are more varied than AC1?
4. How many troop types in ACW2 versus ACW1?
5. How many ship types in ACW2 versus ACW1?
6. Whether areas like Canada, Mexico, Jamaica and Cuba, which in ACW1 are either truncated or handled with boxes, in ACW2 have the same region by region representation as the main theatre?
7. Whether additional and new native American tribes are represented in the expanded ACW2 map?

Since these questions go more to the macro scale of the game, as opposed to specific mechanics, I thought perhaps they could be answered by AGEOD. If not, that's fine.

[Durk]

There are quite a few "more experienced" folks helping with the beta (see Franciscus above for example, or myself).

Excellent. Thank you for reassuring me the sense and spirit of the old game will reside under the face and improvements of the new.

[DrPostman]

As regards the scale changes, I realize the game remains under NDA but I am wondering if it is possible to know certain general things such as:
1. How many regions ACW2 has versus ACW1?
2. Whether the time scales are the same, e.g. one turn equals two weeks?
3. If the types of terrain are more varied than AC1?
4. How many troop types in ACW2 versus ACW1?
5. How many ship types in ACW2 versus ACW1?
6. Whether areas like Canada, Mexico, Jamaica and Cuba, which in ACW1 are either truncated or handled with boxes, in ACW2 have the same region by region representation as the main theatre?
7. Whether additional and new native American tribes are represented in the expanded ACW2 map?
Since these questions go more to the macro scale of the game, as opposed to specific mechanics, I thought perhaps they could be answered by AGEOD. If not, that's fine.

You can see the initial image of the map here:
http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?27897-Ageod-American-Civil-War-2!
That thread will answer a lot of your questions.

[Pocus]

So I am not a complainer, but I have noticed this. My Ageod friends are not in the beta. Only Slitherine and Matrix players I know are in the beta. What concerns me, the people who know Ageod ACW System best will not be invited to participate in the beta.
I might be wrong, those who know me best know this is likely true, but I want the Ageod players to be a major voice. I fear this will not be 'our Civil War.'

70% of the people in the beta are in fact people who declared having a 'significant experience with an AGE engine game'. I see a lot of veterans in fact.

[H Gilmer3]

I don't know, as an American I am perfectly content to do nothing and sit on my butt and then bitch about everything later.

Kidding aside, I think ACW 2 will be a real make or break moment for AGEOD. They've done very well in the niche strategy/war gaming market, but aside from ACW 1 and maybe PON, they haven't really achieved much mainstream attention. With a new polished and shiny American civil war game though... and in a gaming market that right now is really hurting, this could be the one that sends not only AGEOD but the entire strategy gaming industry back into the forefront... or it could get hardly any press and once again only the diehards will buy it. Who knows, but I'm *cautiously* optimistic for them.

Just like Homer Simpson says (paraphrased), "Oh Lisa, whenever we're unhappy about something we just participate halfazzed and then complain about it. That's the American way!"

[planefinder]

Should we expect more beta invites this week? Not sure if I am counting my weeks right.

[Pocus]

Not this week, as most of the team is at the Historicon, so probably the week after this one.

[Caradoc]

Dotted line signed just must remember not to hold breath...............too much lol