March 8 (Testing 1... 2... 3)

With a modest group of testers signed up, beta testing began in earnest last week. Having some outside help is paying off as the testers have already found enough bugs to keep me busy through the weekend. I've had the pleasure of pushing out a second build of the game which speaks volumes about how thorough the folks playing the game are. Much appreciated!

The beta test will last throughout the month and I've divided into four phases, lasting roughly a week each. Each phase is designed to focus the testers attention on a specific part of the game I'd like to get feedback about. Here's the breakdown as of right now:

Week One: Phase 1:

• Offline/singleplayer training campaign testing (bot intelligence, overall 'fun' factor, effectiveness at teaching how to play, etc.)
• Control scheme feedback (turning rate of hovertank too slow, too fast?)
  

Week Two: Phase 2:

• Testing Capture & Hold gametype and each of the five C&H maps (looking for feedback on map balance, powerup placement, etc.)

Week Three: Phase 3:

• Testing Find & Retrieve gametype and each of the five F&R maps (looking for much of the same feedback from week two)

Week Four: Phase 4:

• Miscellaneous feedback on GUI, HUD, etc. Anything is fair game here. Some of the feedback from previous phases may spill over here.

At the end of each phase I plan on asking the testers to wrap up the week with a summary of their thoughts on the game. Their reviews will be submitted via the MyDreamRPG feedback link for the purposes of the contest and, of course, I'll look over each one and hopefully get some useful feedback as a result.

Back to bug fixing I go. Until next time!