Any idea on a Beta List?

[Catgh_MatrixForum]

Don't look to close in the FPG... You might get blinded by the lase on target...

FPG is really close to popping out. cWiF... Well it will be while... Greyshaft hit on the head though about getting on the beta test floor.

[Greyshaft]

Still thinking of you guys and trying to help. I suggest wannabe BetaTesters think of a specialty that will round out the beta-team. For example, in FPG I volunteered for the jobs that no-one wants such as writing the manual and Tutorial and a number of AARs in the FPG Forum. I'm doing the same in Empires in Arms and will offer that again for MWiF. Documentation is tedious but essential, and I'm sure that putting my hand up for that job helped me in the door with FPG.

Here's some other ideas:

• Can anyone get up a 4 PC home network with an XP machine, XP Home machine, Win 98 machine and a Win 95 machine... well, maybe forget Win 95 Become the MWiF networking testbed.
• Get a list of all the WiF web sites and be the person who knows what info is where on the web. Patrice probably wins this one hands down ...http://perso.wanadoo.fr/froon/Links/Wargame.htm but there's no harm in trying to beat him.
• I heard there's Cyberboard version of CWiF out there. Find it and start a game of cardboard Wif and write up the AAR in the MWiF forum.

In other words, don't just sit there doing nothing for the next two months then whinge that you didn't get on the BetaTest list.

[stewart_king]

I have played the Marinacci cWiF beta at great length and have been playing WiF since 1986. I'd love to be a beta tester. I have been beta-testing for a competing product (a good one -- HOI2) but I think that WiF has something different to offer. I teach history at the college level and have used computer games in teaching for some time. I'd love to see CWif become something that I could use to teach grand strategy and politics to students of 20th century history.

Stewart King

[Ballista]

I would also be up for further beta-testing. I have a roommate who also has played the game (introduced me to it actually) and the computers set up for head-to-head or network play.

[ravinhood]

Sign me up at the explicit AI analyist. I will test the AI to death, and gripe on a daily basis until you make it where it can beat me. lol

[coregames]

ORIGINAL: ravinhood
Sign me up at the explicit AI analyist. I will test the AI to death, and gripe on a daily basis until you make it where it can beat me. lol

One of the great aspects of WiF is the relatively gradual learning curve; The two training scenarios (Barbarossa and Guadalcanal) teach the mechanics very effectively. I would be content if the computer could play as well as a moderately intelligent person who had played each of the training scenarios once. If Matrix delivers an AI that plays close to as strong as a veteran WiFer, I will be very impressed!

[vonpaul]

If the only way the AI can be a challenge is that it cheats then so be it in my opinion. Lots of games out there allow this to give the AI some backbone. It could work in WIF as well assuming the AI was basically functional.
With the old WIF beta could you PBEM? cant remember.

[coregames]

ORIGINAL: vonpaul
With the old WIF beta could you PBEM? cant remember.

no, pbem was not a feature of the Marinacci beta.

[scout1]

Add me to the list of beta testing candidates.

I am by nature, detail minded and critical. (Which my wife just loves ..... [;)] )

[DavidFaust]

A arse kisser or someone who knows what to say to get on the beta team will never get the same results as someone who has 100's of hours playing time. 10 years exp is greater than 2 months of trying to learn what you should know already.

[Greyshaft]

ORIGINAL: kingtiger_501

A arse kisser or someone who knows what to say to get on the beta team will never get the same results as someone who has 100's of hours playing time. 10 years exp is greater than 2 months of trying to learn what you should know already.

No-one suggested kissing arses... (ah... I love being Australian... words are more direct) but beta-testing is a lot more than just knowing how to play the game.

Anyway, my post was for people who were looking for help to position themselves as potential beta-testers. If you have better ideas then feel free to post your alternative suggestions. I'm sure our eager audience are open to all suggestions.

[Cheesehead]

Is this all wishful thinking? What gives you reason to believe this game is anywhere near beta testing? [&:]

[Mziln]

ORIGINAL: Cheesehead

Is this all wishful thinking? What gives you reason to believe this game is anywhere near beta testing? [&:]

If it wern't for the AI, PBEM, and Matrix Grafics changes the game could be in beta now. It was in beta with ADG.

[Cheesehead]

If it wern't for the AI, PBEM, and Matrix Grafics changes the game could be in beta now. It was in beta with ADG.

Those are pretty big ifs... without AI or PBEM it is kind of like a car with no engine...fun to sit in and pretend, but it doesn't go anywhere. I'm not impatient for a finished product...only to hear that this game is being worked on and progress is being made.

[coregames]

ORIGINAL: kingtiger_501
A arse kisser or someone who knows what to say to get on the beta team will never get the same results as someone who has 100's of hours playing time. 10 years exp is greater than 2 months of trying to learn what you should know already.

All arse-kissing aside, Matrix needs feedback from both experienced WiF-ers and newcomers to the game. They shouldn't release a game that is not stand-alone, meaning it should be digestable by those who have no previous WiF experience. At the same time, a primary component of the market (especially at first) is going to be dedicated WiF fans.

New players will try things that would never occur to those with experience (often including inherently "bad" moves), and if a glitch appears during such a seemingly foolish activity, it is still a glitch that needs to be remedied.

On the other side of the coin, solid, experienced players will be able to test the AI in ways newcomers cannot, and can provide lessons about game flow and interaction gleened from years of over-the-board play.

These are some of the reasons I think a balance between new and experienced WiF-ers would be best for beta testing.

[Yellowcactus]

Hello all,
Let me get down to business here! I want to Beta Test World in Flames. [&o] My qualifications are as follows.

-I understand just about every rule in the board game.
-No woman in her right mind would marry me, so I have lots of time to work on CWiF.
-Professionally, I teach math, and have a dorky laugh.
-WiF has been my favorite non-alcoholic hobby for about ten years now, and I've even played it with OTHER people!
-Must admit, I do play WiF by myself <see above reasons for details>
-Extremely bad habit of buying and playing strategic wargames that rarely meet they're potential *Cough-Paradox-Cough*

So....am I on the Team?

-Yellowcactus

[coregames]

ORIGINAL: Yellowcactus
-Extremely bad habit of buying and playing strategic wargames that rarely meet they're potential *Cough-Paradox-Cough*

Not a fan of realtime wargames Yellowcactus? Or perhaps it's just HoI2 in particular... Your comment causes me to be glad I have chosen to wait for GGWaW to tide me over until the WiF ball gets rolling. Still, I am surprised you were that underwhelmed by HoI2, given the reviews I've read and the feedback I've heard in these forums.

[Yellowcactus]

I love the concepts in HOI2! (Yum Yum, great ideas) The Ai may as well stop trying though. So that leaves Multi-Player, which is what you really want anyway. But the Multi-Player game is unstable and blah. I hope to be playing HOI2 in a couple years.
Back to CWiF. I remember when ADG had this Australian guy(Chris M?) build the first CWiF. He built the game all by himself! Don't know if it's still around somewhere, but I sure would love to Beta test Matrix's CWiF![&o]
-Yc

[coregames]

ORIGINAL: Yellowcactus
I remember when ADG had this Australian guy(Chris M?) build the first CWiF. He built the game all by himself! Don't know if it's still around somewhere, but I sure would love to Beta test Matrix's CWiF![&o]
-Yc

Chris Marinacci did an impressive job of coding one of the most complicated board games ever... but his application did not have AI, nor did it have PBEM capability. Matrix has already announced that they have brought Chris into consultation on this project, and his legacy code from the original beta will undoubtedly be helpful. I am certain that Matrix will have a more user-friendly interface for their adaptation, as well as the features CM's version had not yet implemented.

[Yellowcactus]

I think the biggest challenge of Computerizing WiF will be to format the game in a way that will allow players to study the map with a holistic view. Perhaps if we all bought 60 inch monitors, the world could be seen in detail. The problem lies that (Expecially with naval stuff) you have to be able to connect units in distant sea zones in your mind. I feel like the interface will be a great challenge. -Still want to Beta Test the game though!-
-Yc