I propose a pre-order open beta.

Auncien

Prince
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Feb 23, 2010
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I would really like to participate in the Civ V beta, but I realize that such an invitation is highly unlikely as I'm not a modder and am pretty non-existent community-wise. So, as a last-ditch effort at squeezing my way in, I would like to shamelessly propose that those that pre-order the game recieve access to an open beta test.

This would solve many problems for the dev team and for the publisher:

1) You get to test all those awesome integrated community features in a post-launch-like environment with a large number of willing fans as the sounding board.

2) You get to showcase the Steamworks platform so that everyone who hasn't experienced it can do so and maybe dispell some of the community anxiety with regard to this issue.

3) You're going to increase your sales because let's face it, who wouldn't pay $5 for early access to one of the most anticipated titles of all time?

Civ is a game that's all about the replay value. Most of us get this game and play it for YEARS. Seeing it early won't spoil anything for me.

A couple of requests. Please allow a partial fee for pre-order (similar to the way Gamestop does it... you put $5 down and if you decide to back out after getting your beta access then you're only down $5). Second, let us in early enough to actually give useful feedback / bug reports. We want to help make Civ V the best that it can be.

How does everybody feel about this?
 
Does sound like a good idea. Depends how far apart Beta and Final product are I guess.
 
I think pre-ordering defeats the purpose of an open beta. Open beta should be open beta and everybody with Civ IV installed and registered on Steam should get it.
 
pre-ordering is only about money, an open beta would be about finding errors, before release.
 
I figure ( based on the Civ IV & expansions experience ) they know that the Aussies will get to it early and rave about how great it is and compile the bugs for them here at CFC.

Australia is The Beta Continent.
 
Sorry to get off topic, and for talking about specific posters(sorry mods) but whats up with Abaddon's 16/f/Cali? That would mean you joined here at 8? Also your advertising this to do what exactly? Talk to 16 year old boys? I find this very concerning.....

If you are infact 16, then sorry.... But I have my doubts.

On topic... I dont think there is a need to have an open beta of that magnitude, assuming anyone could "test" if they preorder. I could see many doing it just to play it earlier, and also many people flooding firaxis with ideas of what to add/change, instead of actual bugs.
 
Sorry to get off topic, and for talking about specific posters(sorry mods) but whats up with Abaddon's 16/f/Cali? That would mean you joined here at 8? Also your advertising this to do what exactly? Talk to 16 year old boys? I find this very concerning.....

If you are infact 16, then sorry.... But I have my doubts.

[I mean no offense to Abaddon]
[I have no hard feelings for Tylerryan]

Mr. Tylerryan, if she's giving out her age and location, then she's obviously looking for a fellow Civ fan to share her life with. Are you saying that this is wrong? (It's better here than some shady dating site!)

If you'd bother to click the "Find Threads by this User" button, you will see that she's very active on the forums. She's not here just to catch some guys, but to actually discuss world events, economics, and the like. So Tylerryan, please don't go arround making assumptions until you have ample facts to support it, 'kay?



Then again, I still believe 2K Elizabeth was hired to purposely annoy us, so what do I know? :lol:;)



ON-TOPIC:
Get real. It's a multi-millionaire video game corporation! If it were an unfinished Flash game, or an in-development Civ mod, betas would be a great idea. However, big corporations don't do that sort of thing; they hire proffessional beta testers for a reason!
 
Get real. It's a multi-millionaire video game corporation! If it were an unfinished Flash game, or an in-development Civ mod, betas would be a great idea. However, big corporations don't do that sort of thing; they hire proffessional beta testers for a reason!

So the Starcraft II open beta that I just participated in as part of a pre-order didn't happen? I mean, Activision-Blizzard is only one of the two largest video game publishing companies IN THE WORLD.
 
I was thinking more along the lines as she is a dude pretending to be a 16 yr old girl to talk to young boys...... She says she took over her brothers account, and therefore she didnt join here when she was 8 yrs old in 2002, as the join date says. also in her public messages someone had said that she was 20, a guy, and from england. I found it creepy and suspicous, however i have no reason not to believe her, i just was watching to catch a predator, and a lightbulb went off. Id like to publicly apologize, sorry.
 
Jun 06, 2010 01:10 PMAbaddon
Since the internet began, and Chatrooms existed, there was a remarkably high percentage of users claiming to be 16/f/cal. I'm just having fun with that.

Alas, I am actually a 23/m/uk


Ha! I was right! Check his public profile, second or third post down, view the convo log. This guy wrote me that he took his brothers account. Never once says haha jk im having fun, either way its really creepy.
 
Team Fortress 2 allowed those with preorders to play in the beta. I had a great time using my superior TF experience to knife noobies in the back :D

In this beta you did, what was your goal? Do you just play? Or do you write a report ect.? I only ask because the link with preorders sounds like an advertisement ploy to get more people to preorder by giving them a chance to play earlier.
 
In this beta you did, what was your goal? Do you just play? Or do you write a report ect.? I only ask because the link with preorders sounds like an advertisement ploy to get more people to preorder by giving them a chance to play earlier.

Just played, reporting bugs was optional, I don't think I reported any. Bear in mind open betas aren't just to find bugs, but also to balance the game better... for instance in the TF2 beta the pyro was initially too weak and needed to have its range increased.
 
I see, honestly it does sound kind of like a gimmick, but what do I know. I would jump at a chance to play early as long as there was no fee, and as you said, its optional to report anything. If I did find something Id probably report it, but Id mainly want to get at the game sooner.

If you dont mind another question, what was the time frame you got to play for? And how soon before release?

Edit- this may sound stupid, but games such as TF2, do you get mp free or is it like wow with monthly subscriptions or however its done? Ive never played a MP game my whole life, and always assummed youd have to pay. Lol sounds kinda silly asking.
 
I see, honestly it does sound kind of like a gimmick, but what do I know. I would jump at a chance to play early as long as there was no fee, and as you said, its optional to report anything. If I did find something Id probably report it, but Id mainly want to get at the game sooner.

If you dont mind another question, what was the time frame you got to play for? And how soon before release?

Yeah it's a bribe but it does help with game development, so it's win win I guess.

I think we got to play a week or two before release, so it was as though it got released earlier for those with preorders.

On a side note, it will be trickier for Firaxis to balance than it was for Valve, because the Civ/leader specific advantages tend to be discrete rather than continuous. For instance you can make the TF2 pyro better by increasing it's range by 5%, or 7.7%, or whatever, but if you wanted to make Babylonian Bowmen better you could only really do that by increasing their strength by 1, which would make them overpowered.

The best way to balance the game would be to give each civ some continuous statistic, that can then be adjusted as need be for balance. For instance each civ could have an X% bonus to their research, so if a civ is too weak they could add 3% to it's research rate, then Firaxis could keep stats on which civs are winning/losing the most, and buff or nerf them as need be.
 
Edit- this may sound stupid, but games such as TF2, do you get mp free or is it like wow with monthly subscriptions or however its done? Ive never played a MP game my whole life, and always assummed youd have to pay. Lol sounds kinda silly asking.

I've never heard of a first person shooter on the PC that has a subscription model. Valve in particular is a great company for continuing to support and improve their products even after you've paid, TF2 has seen a LOT of additions even this many years after it's release.
 
Thanks oob. I Understand how its done now, so basicly Im down for a civ v preorder beta aka give me the game 2 weeks early. Win win right.

As for my other question, like I said I dont buy or play multiplayer games, and my only experiance with them is xbox live model, pay per year I think? I dont know, but I thought it was too good to be true, spend 60$ and play MP free for ever. Im only 25, but as you can see Ive been out of the gaming loop for too long.
Edit-I dont even know what TF2 is :)
 
Thanks oob. I Understand how its done now, so basicly Im down for a civ v preorder beta aka give me the game 2 weeks early. Win win right.

As for my other question, like I said I dont buy or play multiplayer games, and my only experiance with them is xbox live model, pay per year I think? I dont know, but I thought it was too good to be true, spend 60$ and play MP free for ever. Im only 25, but as you can see Ive been out of the gaming loop for too long.
Edit-I dont even know what TF2 is :)

TF2 = Team Fortress 2, my favourite first person shooter.

On PC, it's generally only MMORPG's (eg. World of Warcraft) that have a subscription model, which is justified by them requiring a lot more maintenance than other games.
 
Given how capitalistic they're being over Civ5 already I could see them offering to let you pay extra to get into beta a few weeks before release.

I'm surprised more companies don't do this in general. There would be uproar from some but you know others would readily pay.
 
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