We are in need of (pretty much in order of need):
- Instruction manual writers/editors as well as help file editors. The documentation has not kept pace with added features or knowledge gained by players asking questions.
- Scenario designers/editors willing to work with the existing battleset scenarios fixing victory conditions, orders, and possibly improving the scenarios themselves.
- Photo searchers, look at the platform display, many platforms do not have photos despite many hours of effort prior to HCE release and also before the 2008.024 release. Obviously many more platforms could have photos.
- A support person or three to provide player support. I expect a support person to explore the problem in depth, only then giving a useful answer. This means looking at the particular problem, testing it yourself, and then post up your suggestion. Support is about enabling a player, not dressing them down or speaking vagaries about whatever issue the player is having.
- Beta testers willing to undertake assigned tasks (looking into bug X, testing fix Y).
- Managers - if we get a fair number of people executing the above tasks, a good manager (or two) will be needed, too much of my time is spent managing, prodding testers, offering support, and too little coding the game.
- Stick figure artists - see the missile hit animations, I'd like to see volunteers to draw new stick figures for the animations.
What do you get?
- Access to the latest builds. 2008.024 was the first patch, beta testers are playing with 2008.037 containing bug fixes and new features. It is rare for the testers to keep up with the builds I spit out (fixes/improvements from March still haven't been checked), of course I'd like enough testers to make that a thing of the past!
- Your name in the credits if you contribute materially to the game, which all volunteers around more than 6 months will have done.
- Potentially a free copy of the game, this requires effort a step above but is by no means rare.
- The satisfaction and joy of having helped [8D]
- A larger than normal say in the future direction of the game.
- If you are the best of the best, maybe a Harpoon shirt, ballcap, or letter from UncleHarpoon himself.
No doubt on the whole it is thankless work, us wargamers are never happy, though I've been genuinely surprised at the multiple positive comments about HCE so maybe there is hope [:'(] .
Feel free to ask questions on this thread, if you want to go ahead and join the team, head over to http://forum.computerharpoon.com/viewtopic.php?t=49 where you'll find the text to e-mail on to join us. Please cc hc3@harpgamer.com with that application so that we know you have applied and can keep track of you in the approval process. Since all HCE beta testing is done at HarpGamer.com you'll also need an account at the HarpGamer forums.
