The Information page on Civ III gives us a Firaxis quote on "not being ready to talk about beta testing yet" but telling us to stay tuned to the Firaxis website for more information.

With a release date (October) and system requirements posted, does anyone know when a beta test will go out? (or is there no hope?)

I've ready sxythots thread on a Civ III discount, and though I'm with the majority on it working, it does lead to an interesting question: Will Firaxis come looking here for beta testers? Who better to give them some solid feedback on the game engine and the interface and anything else they'd like to know than people who have been salivating for this game for months?

If anyone has any information on this, please, let us know.

Thanks.

Assuming for a moment that Firaxis do not have sufficient beta-testers and that they want some more (a major assumption really, but let's just suppose for a moment), what would they be looking for? I suggest that they'd be looking for two sorts of people: play-testers and beta-testers.

I suspect most people here would relish the opportunity of being a play-tester, but the beta-testing could end up being rather more structured, directed and (dare I day it) tedious. From my 20+ years experience in the software industry, I can vouch for this testing tedium!

Something they would probably require is for testers to sign an NDA - a Non-Disclosure Agreement - where you agree not to pass on the software to anyone else, nor (probably) even discuss it with anyone else.

But alas! I suspect this may all be fantasy! http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/smile.gif



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A less elegant way to beta-test the program is to hunt for it on different "exchange" servers http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/smile.gif Like Hotline, or Carracho.

But it's really more interesting to "unofficially" beta test it, because you don't need NDA http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/wink.gif

i am not familiar with such "exchange" servers what are they

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"Hannibol Ad Portas!"

Man, being a beta tester would be such an honor. It means they see you as an experienced and long time Civ player, trusted and honest, etc. Plus you get the game months ahead of time and a discount when you actually buy the game. You also get your name in the credits!

THAT is my life long goal.

I guess I have a different idea of what 'beta testing' means. I don't know how many of you play games from Blizzard Entertainment, like StarCraft and Diablo, but last time I heard of a public beta test, it was for one of those games, and the number of testers was in the thousands.

They had a sign-up for it on their website. With one beta they took the first people to sign up, and at another I think they had a window to sign up, then they randomly took names from those who did until they had enough.

That's the kind of beta I was hoping for. No hope on that, eh?

I think it was Diablo....

Yah a public beta testing for the public!
Civ3 forum would take fire!

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Originally posted by Az:
I think it was Diablo....

Yah a public beta testing for the public!
Civ3 forum would take fire!

It was Diablo 2. And I never got a copy. http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/frown.gif

There was only one person from Newfoundland that got one!!! Why him!! WHY NOT ME!!! http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/mad.gif

http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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CivFanatics Moderator and Tech Support
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I would give my right arm to be a beta tester!!! No wait better my right foot - since I use both hands to play Civ with!!! http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

I don't think that we'll be as lucky with Civ3 as some where with Diablo2 but I know that I'll do what ever I can do to become a tester - the problem is just I don't know what I can do!!!!!1

http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/snipersmilie.gif

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We are species 8472 - assimilation attempts are futile - the weak shall perish

No wait we are species 5618 and we got beer...... don't harm us!!!!!!

why would they want your bodyparts?

Hard cash is what they´d accept for sure!