maninalift wrote:I already wrote subversion on my spectrum 64 in 1992, and yes I know it was already 10 year old hardware but such was the efficiency of my city-generation algorithms it didn't matter.
Does that qualify me to be a beta tester?
It might qualify you for a white box component test to ensure it meets entry requirements for a beta test...
But that have their own developers for that.
I don't want that to be too barbed. The best qualification is obviously prior experience with an IV beta test. The next (and arguably last) is quality of forum activity, that is, being a community veteran. The cool thing about being a veteran is that all you have to do to be one is be a part of the community for a while. Participate in that and IV may trust you to participate in their "Let's make sure turn this inevitably bug-riddled piece of shit into quality software" initiative.
As an aside: Look at how
inactive practically all of the people saying "I want to beta test!" are in this topic. It's almost like they just want to play the game early and don't want to pay for it. If they only knew that they earlier test versions we were given for Defcon and Multiwinia were
unplayable, i.e. CPU controlled in its entirety. We sat there, watching a game playing itself, saying "That shouldn't happen" a whole lot before Chris let us give those submarines and stickmen instructions ourselves. Fortunate for them that this might not have that kind of AI. Unfortunate for them they didn't stick around and find out.
This, I would suspect, is a huge part of xander's complaint about this kind of thread. Put their "interest" down in writing and just clear off, presumably until it's closer to the time, more likely never.
bobusdoleus wrote:(I guess I haven't left after all! Good way to wile away an afternoon, this. Cheerio.)
You came back! Take me now, oh handsome acne-plagued overweight defender of the internets, you! Don't you hear me?
I must have you! I crave the gargantuan eat beast inside that white armour, glistening with your mighty pubescent greasiness, pungent with the odour of so much of your masculinity and so little of your bathing!