Curse

worthless · Apr 02, 2005, 04:45 AM // 04:45

How did yall become alpha testers? just curious, something ive always wanted to do, im sure everyone wanted to do

Spooky · Apr 02, 2005, 04:56 AM // 04:56

Hmm. I spent somewhere in the neighborhood of half a year+ on various community forums, just helping people as I was able to. Things like answering questions, or just trying to get people involved and make sure they had a good time, you know? Whether I gained notoriety from that, or people were just held in the charismatic sway of neko mimi mode .. who knows. But, that's how I ended up getting my referral.

Sausaletus Rex · Apr 02, 2005, 05:26 AM // 05:26

Gaile really likes Belgian Chocolates.

What? It's still April 1st, Spooky doesn't get to have all the fun, you know (And the rest of the staff shot down my idea for a 5,000 word article on just how to use Unnatural Signet to the best effect. "Step 1: Get your opponent to use U-sig. Step 2: Win. Step 3: Point and laugh". I could *so* have stretched that out..."The base fundamental principle governing the useage of Unnatural Signet in this, or any, circumstance is that its utility is directly inverse to the actual effect it brings to bear - in a significant way - upon gameplay requiring that its potential be maximized in a similarly bassackwards way." See? But no, Spooky spends a few minutes puttering around with Photoshop and it's all "Oh no, Saus, we've already got one joke. We don't need another. Really, it's unnecessary." I'm not bitter just very very angry.)

Seriously, see Spooky's answer. Minus his odd anime catgirl fixation, of course. Substitute that with pure awesome.

Ranis Harlequin · Apr 02, 2005, 06:19 AM // 06:19

How about: What is it to be an Alpha Tester?

C'mon, your full-on job description. Your daily schedual and routines. The perks, the disadvantages, the fun. Might as well throw in your life story and a DNA sample too while you're at it.

Scaper-X · Apr 02, 2005, 09:19 AM // 09:19

I signed up on multiple forums and made an absolute nuisance of myself, exceeding a total of 1500 posts on the lot of them. Apparently, this got people talking about me and soon enough, ZoS picked me up. Please note, I'm not advocating spamming any BBS; every single one of my posts are at least three lines in length, including my signing.

As for my daily routine, I tend to alpha test at least an hour a day if not more. Academics have been preventing the half-days I pulled during my first weekend.
-- Scaper-X

lllCo2lll · Apr 02, 2005, 09:49 AM // 09:49

hmmm as much as the most of us (rest of us) that do want to go into alpha testing. I hardly doubt most of us qualify that well. Especially me, I'd love to alpha, but I'm just not that great of a tester. I don't hardly provide enough service to help and only critique on issues that I care about. Which always come down to character cuztomization.

Freyas · Apr 05, 2005, 10:34 AM // 10:34

I got in through the guild referrals via the fansites back in October. For those who weren't around at that time, ArenaNet allowed the major fansites at the time to refer some guilds that they thought would be good testers. SoW was chosen for one of the referrals by RPGStars, and I was one of the origional 12 SoW members referred through that process.

As for my daily routine for testing, I go to the all-calls(missed 1 total since October), participate in some late night runs through the pve content organized by one of the developers, and do some random testing of skills and such in PvP when I have the opportunity. I also occasionally work on special projects, like documenting drops from running missions, going through text for typos, scouring nooks and crannies of areas trying to find things you shouldn't be able to walk through(trees, large rocks) or places you can go where your character shouldn't be able to. Overall, I'd say that I average 4+ hours per day in-game, more some days, and less others. I'm likely one of the more active alpha testers, though not necessarily one of the best- I do what I can, and I've been trying to put in extra effort lately to help the devs get the game as good as possible before release.

Kirbie · Apr 05, 2005, 11:09 AM // 11:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freyas

I got in through the guild referrals via the fansites back in October. For those who weren't around at that time, ArenaNet allowed the major fansites at the time to refer some guilds that they thought would be good testers. SoW was chosen for one of the referrals by RPGStars, and I was one of the origional 12 SoW members referred through that process.

As for my daily routine for testing, I go to the all-calls(missed 1 total since October), participate in some late night runs through the pve content organized by one of the developers, and do some random testing of skills and such in PvP when I have the opportunity. I also occasionally work on special projects, like documenting drops from running missions, going through text for typos, scouring nooks and crannies of areas trying to find things you shouldn't be able to walk through(trees, large rocks) or places you can go where your character shouldn't be able to. Overall, I'd say that I average 4+ hours per day in-game, more some days, and less others. I'm likely one of the more active alpha testers, though not necessarily one of the best- I do what I can, and I've been trying to put in extra effort lately to help the devs get the game as good as possible before release.

wow...nice
but sounds hard work though

thanks for doing tedious work to help make the game as good as possible.
but you do have fun times too right

anyways, thanks alpha testers

Cain · Apr 05, 2005, 11:23 AM // 11:23

I got in the alpha test by a freak accident. Someone had sent a PM to me asking if I wanted to get in the alpha when it was actually mean for someone else, but the sender decided to let me have it anyway.

I've been an alpha tester since August and was pretty lonely until I was joined by 12 members for the guild referral program. I was playing with Legion of Exile at the time as I would have been a guild of one. They're a great group of people, and though I didn't play too much during that time, they were very helpful and very friendly. SoW now has 30+ members in the alpha test and I believe are currently the largest active guild in game and on the forums.

My role as an alpha tester is similar to Freyas, but being the Guild Leader, I have some extra responsiblities that take away from my testing time. I'm required to take and keep track of members All Call attendance, keep track and give out our guild referrals among other things. I actually spend more time making suggestions on how to improve the game design, rather than spending time bug finding as I don't have much time to actually play the game outside of All Calls. I spend anywhere between 2-3 hours a day on the alpha forums offering my suggestions and commenting on others.

Virtuoso · Apr 05, 2005, 12:52 PM // 12:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cain

I got in the alpha test by a freak accident. Someone had sent a PM to me asking if I wanted to get in the alpha when it was actually mean for someone else, but the sender decided to let me have it anyway.

Note to self: Create forum account "Spocky".

-Virt

Aladdar · Apr 05, 2005, 12:55 PM // 12:55

I got in by hitting on Spooky forever because you know he is a hot lesbian teenage girl. S/He apparently thought I was hawt xoxo and invited me in. Spooky really loves it when I do the female ranger dance for him.

Actually I first got noticed by winning the Fan Fiction contest on O'Gaming. I eventually fell into the good graces and respect of some other alpha's who recommended me into the test.

My usual schedule as an alpha is to open up the login screen and call all my friends and laugh at them as I happily hit the login button and login without receiving the little screen telling me that the next BWE is coming soon. I then laugh like a maniacal mad man. HAR HAR HAR HAHAHAHAHA

Allah_Mode · Apr 05, 2005, 04:02 PM // 16:02

i wish i could alpha, i have about 3 free hours every day from noon till 3 o'clock, cause i am doing half days at my school now. due to my academic pwnage. in science and english. (Math pwned me, i only made it past geometry and told myself i will never see a math problem ever again)

Anywho, wish i could join you guys

keep eliminating bugs, i hate them XXXX. you walk up to a bridge and get stuck in it and XXXX. That's so stressful, i wish i could bust out and reprogram the game myself.

***
Edited for language by Aladdar.

Uthar · Apr 05, 2005, 06:29 PM // 18:29

Well, I'm not in the Alpha, but I believe I've found the way: [i]It's ** ** **** on the evening side of a **** spoon, take two cups ******* and also ******, then, swivelling in a counter-clockwise manner, sacrifice one *** and also two *****. Be sure not to forget the three sheep.

Now, gently stir in the *****, snap on a pair of ***** and then do the sacred dance of ******.

Censored to protect the Alpha who gave me this information. Clear, everyone? Good.

Apr 06, 2005, 12:22 AM // 00:22

I was pretty much part of the community and got invited by someone. I was always active but never looked forward to getting an alpha invite(I wasn't really interested at the time).