Pay your testers (ie the player base)

justplainchips
justplainchips Posts: 133 Tile Toppler
edited July 2016 in MPQ General Discussion
First off, let me state that I'm a software developer. I know how difficult (ie impossible) it is to make bug free software. I also know that I'm glad I'm a dev and not in QA because that is also a very difficult and often underappreciated job.

That said, it sure seems like both dev and QA are falling down on the job with regards to bad bugs a lot more lately.

An alliance mate and I came up with a crazy idea this morning:
How much of the player base would be willing to take a patch early and act as the QA testers and report bugs, etc, for some kind of in-game compensation?
EDIT: I clarified below, but I'm not talking about running test cases or testing software, I'm talking about just playing the game and letting Demiurge know that there are game breaking bugs that mean a patch shouldn't be released.

They could reward anything: tokens, HP, ISO, CP, covers. I have to imagine that almost every player here would jump at the chance. Obviously different amounts would be worth more/less to different players. But I'm just thinking about the general idea here.

First, we're going to experience the bugs anyway.
Second, we all (most?) really do enjoy the game and want to help make it better.
Third, who doesn't like more stuff?
Failed to load the poll.

Comments

  • Linkster79
    Linkster79 Posts: 1,037 Chairperson of the Boards
    Testing is very boring and very repetitive so count me out. If I want boring and repetitive I would be a top 10 story event player.
  • TxMoose
    TxMoose Posts: 4,319 Chairperson of the Boards
    the return on time invested is pretty questionable in many aspects of the game as-is. if the return on time invested is decent, sure i'll do it. especially if it benefits the playability of the game overall. but I'm not doing testing for a lower ROI than pve, or even equivalent ROI to pve. so I guess you'd have to define how much time we are talking about dedicating. if I didn't think I could do it fully, I wouldn't do it at all. and the game is currently taking about as much of my time as I'm comfortable giving it.
  • justplainchips
    justplainchips Posts: 133 Tile Toppler
    I'm not thinking of running automated testing software or running whatever test cases that QA is (hopefully still) running.
    I'm thinking just playing the game early, before release to the general public. People just playing the game normally discovered banner bugs, timing bugs, match-3 detection bugs, etc. I think that just having someone play the game and then be able to say "Nope, there are some pretty brutal bugs, you probably shouldn't release this patch yet" would be beneficial.
  • mpqr7
    mpqr7 Posts: 2,642 Chairperson of the Boards
    Need more ISO, really.
  • ngoni
    ngoni Posts: 112 Tile Toppler
    Forum mods get one 5* cover of choice each month. Compensation should be the same for beta testers.
  • TLCstormz
    TLCstormz Posts: 1,668
    ngoni wrote:
    Forum mods get one 5* cover of choice each month. Compensation should be the same for beta testers.

    WHAT?????? Says who?????
  • JVReal
    JVReal Posts: 1,884 Chairperson of the Boards
    You mean we aren't already testers? I could have sworn we've played like 4 test story events... and reported a plethora of bugs after patches and updates...
  • SnowcaTT
    SnowcaTT Posts: 3,486 Chairperson of the Boards
    I optimistically said "test your own game". I'd certainly take ISO for being a tester over and over and over for all these bugs.

    Or at least boosting the health packs to 13....MAYBE that would make up for the near daily crashes I get on this game anymore.
  • justplainchips
    justplainchips Posts: 133 Tile Toppler
    JVReal wrote:
    You mean we aren't already testers? I could have sworn we've played like 4 test story events... and reported a plethora of bugs after patches and updates...
    That's why I thought of this. It sure seems like we're the testers as it is. Why not start that process with real players a little earlier?
  • TLCstormz
    TLCstormz Posts: 1,668
    TLCstormz wrote:
    ngoni wrote:
    Forum mods get one 5* cover of choice each month. Compensation should be the same for beta testers.

    WHAT?????? Says who?????

    I'm still interested in hearing more about this........
  • Moon Roach
    Moon Roach Posts: 2,863 Chairperson of the Boards
    TLCstormz wrote:
    TLCstormz wrote:
    ngoni wrote:
    Forum mods get one 5* cover of choice each month. Compensation should be the same for beta testers.

    WHAT?????? Says who?????

    I'm still interested in hearing more about this........

    I doubt that it's true, but even if it is, it's small recompense for putting up with us.
  • puppychow
    puppychow Posts: 1,453
    ngoni wrote:
    Forum mods get one 5* cover of choice each month. Compensation should be the same for beta testers.

    That's it? Didn't realize D3 is that cheap! (Or maybe I should have icon_e_confused.gificon_lol.gif )
  • puppychow
    puppychow Posts: 1,453
    I voted for ISO because even a million won't be enough to max out my roster. icon_eek.gificon_e_confused.gificon_lol.gif

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