Auran needs beta testers

[JRT]

Auran needs beta testers for what....TS2009 Engineers Edition or something like that.

Cheers,
JRT

 

[PatrickTaylor89]

Where did you hear that? As far as I know, beta testing is still going on for the next update to WBE over at TrainzDev.

I don't know for sure, but I can only assume that when EE does head into beta testing that Auran will probably do another public beta as they have with WBE.

Patrick

 

[Captain_Collins]

Please see the following link for Spiffy's Post on the matter:
http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=37387

 

[amigacooke]

Hmm another change of policy.

 

[PatrickTaylor89]

Thanks for the link. I guess I was wrong. I thought the current system was working quite well, so I'm a little surprised to see a change.

Patrick

 

[wreeder]

I don't think it is a change of policy. WBE was an open beta to allow content creators to get a head start before release. Since TEE will include much new content created by Auran and 3rd parties, I can see the reason for a closed beta perhaps with a NDA.

IMHO, I'm not sure having an open beta was a good thing. A good look at the beta test center shows that a lot of people did not take beta testing as seriously as they should have. For every real reproducible bug there are dozens of reports that make little sense like "(pick an asset) doesn't work". No details and of little value to the programmers.

But I must say in fairness that there was a core group of users that hammered every version as it came out and found many bugs that got fixed.
My hat is off to those guys and girls.

William

 

[ex-railwayman]

I would have thought that BETA testing Auran's products is a huge privilege and not to be taken lightly, after all, they do rely on as many of us serious Trainzers to enable them to get rid of the majority of the bugs before any version is released.

Cheerz. ex.

 

[SuperFudd]

Auran will use a wide variety of Trainzers for BETA testing. I hope it will include a sharp newby and a not so sharp Trainzer that has been at it for maybe 6 months.

 

[OverlordNZ]

Just don't let them say "SOON" , or we all in the deep poo-doo

Old Timers will know what I mean..

 

[S301]

Whats wrong with Soon(TM)? We use it relatively often these days

Zec

 

[amigacooke]

Just don't let them say "SOON" , or we all in the deep poo-doo

Old Timers will know what I mean..

wickedpt (wickedpt): Any ETA on Book7? Pretty please? I have cake. *wink*
Turbine_Floon: I like cake.
Turbine_Sapience: Soon ™

It seems 'soon' is not just confined to Auran developers.

 

[wreeder]

Just a quick note, Over at Trainzdev, Chris (windwalkr) warns not to read into this posting that it means beta testers for TEE or WBE. He said it means what it says, future Auran products. I know they did have problems trying to reproduce the two bugs listed on the form in-house. Maybe they just want a database of users with different experience and equipment they can turn to for specific bugs. Who knows?

William

 

[geoffwilliams]

Oh Dear! missed something here.... I'm still beta testing TRS2009 surely?
Geoff

 

[S301]

Please try reading the announcements...

The form is for a NEW group of 'permanent' beta testers (for 'closed' testing, not the 'public' testing that has been running lately). Auran needs people who are going to provide the feedback that they need, in a way that is helpful, and will be available to test all builds. Many of the current 'beta testers' only really joined to get a preview of 09/got the beta because they pre-ordered.

Please fill out the form if you are a current tester or interested in becoming one.

Please read, and re-read, that quote from Spiffy's announcement... It should clear up the standing of current beta testers (from the 'public' group), and the new beta group...

Zec

 

[GPavlich]

Hi Guys,

Just thought I might try to give you all a bit of clarification. We are just looking to change up our current group of 'closed' testers a little, clear out the people who aren't interested in testing anymore and introduce some fresh blood. At present we are only testing patches leading up to SP2.

I know they did have problems trying to reproduce the two bugs listed on the form in-house. Maybe they just want a database of users with different experience and equipment they can turn to for specific bugs.

This is also part of the reasoning. We also want to ensure we have a decent spread of hardware/experience so sections of Trainz don't get neglected. We may also use this information to set up focused testing groups.

Hope that clears it up for you guys!

 

[wreeder]

Thanks G,

For anyone thinking of signing up you should know that being a closed beta tester is not fun. It is more like a job that you don't get paid to do. You have to really, really love the game to do the job right. I was a beta tester for URU a few years ago

Here is what it is like. You get to install buggy software that crashes your computer. You are either trying to find ways to make it crash or trying to reproduce a crash someone else found. You have to spend a lot of time reading bug reports and keeping detail notes. When you find a way to crash the game and turn your hard drive into a mass of goo, you get to diskscan your hard drive and then try to reproduce the crash. Just when you get good at crashing and fixing you get a new build. You uninstall, defrag and install. You get really good at this part. Then you find more bugs that cause more crashes. Just keep doing this for months.

So if you really love Trainz and that sounds like something you want to do then put your name in the hat.

 

[FSP]

@Auran
I have heard You are extremely exerted fixing bugs.
That makes me very happy.

But: Are You joking? I have to pay a pre- Alpha program to be an Betatester?
That's really a bad joke.