Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)
It's back! The interactive fiction competition that you don't have
to write a game to enter: I am thrilled to announce the arrival of
the 2004 Beta-Test Competition, hereafter referred to as Beta Comp
04. Yes, the new and improved Beta Comp 04 will allow you to match
your skills at testing against those of other IF players! How well
can *you* beta-test? If you've been thinking about entering a comp
but you can't seem to finish the game you're working on, then this
comp is for you. Note that by being part of this competition, your
name or online identity will be released to the IF community, as a
potential beta-tester. Don't let that scare you - authors need you
to help test their games!
What's new this year? First of all, there will be prizes for first
and possibly second place, unlike last year where there were none.
Second, the game being tested is more substantial than last year's
and has the added bonus of being not written only for this comp. I
won't spoil it, but there's another tricksy part about this year's
subject game that should make the comp entertaining - at least for
me. Anyway, on with the details.
Here's how the Beta Comp 04 will work:
First, you have until 11:59pm EDT on August 14, 2004, to notify me
of your desire to enter Beta Comp 04. At that time, I will let the
entrants know where to download the game file, which will be z5 or
z8. Then entrants will have about three weeks to test the game, to
make notes of any bugs or suggestions, and compile all reports and
comments into a report which constitute their entry into Beta Comp
04. The reports must be in by 11:59pm EDT on the 4th of September,
2004. Then the entries will be judged, probably over the course of
the next week or so, depending on the number of entries. Then, the
results of Beta Comp 04 will be announced here on rgi-f as soon as
they are available.
Note - I don't expect anyone to spend an entire nineteen days just
testing this game. I would expect it to take, at the most, several
evenings' worth of time, just to give you an idea.
The reports will be judged, in part, on the following criteria:
x Organization. Is there any? If so, how is the report laid out?
Is it easy to tell which section I'm looking at?
x Clarity. Ease of understanding what the problem is, as well as
what the tester tried. Well-written reports are easier to read
than reports that are poorly or incompletely written. Does the
tester fully explain herself?
x Thoroughness. If there are lots of problems with the game, how
many does the tester find and report?
x Ability to criticize. Does the tester comment on and criticize
the bigger issues in the game, such as bad plot holes, overall
design and layout, general comments about puzzles and the game
as a whole? How well thought-out are these comments?
If this sparks any interest, why not give it a shot? Send me an e-
mail at jessicaknoch@mindspring.com and let me know. If you have a
question or comment about the comp, feel free to e-mail also.
This information is also available at:
http://www.strangebreezes.com/if/comps/beta2004/default.htm
You can see last year's results announcement at:
http://www.strangebreezes.com/if/comps/beta2003/default.htm
(Please be kind -- the website is undergoing a slow, page-by-page,
conversion to a more useable design. Thanks.)
It's back! The interactive fiction competition that you don't have
to write a game to enter: I am thrilled to announce the arrival of
the 2004 Beta-Test Competition, hereafter referred to as Beta Comp
04. Yes, the new and improved Beta Comp 04 will allow you to match
your skills at testing against those of other IF players! How well
can *you* beta-test? If you've been thinking about entering a comp
but you can't seem to finish the game you're working on, then this
comp is for you. Note that by being part of this competition, your
name or online identity will be released to the IF community, as a
potential beta-tester. Don't let that scare you - authors need you
to help test their games!
What's new this year? First of all, there will be prizes for first
and possibly second place, unlike last year where there were none.
Second, the game being tested is more substantial than last year's
and has the added bonus of being not written only for this comp. I
won't spoil it, but there's another tricksy part about this year's
subject game that should make the comp entertaining - at least for
me. Anyway, on with the details.
Here's how the Beta Comp 04 will work:
First, you have until 11:59pm EDT on August 14, 2004, to notify me
of your desire to enter Beta Comp 04. At that time, I will let the
entrants know where to download the game file, which will be z5 or
z8. Then entrants will have about three weeks to test the game, to
make notes of any bugs or suggestions, and compile all reports and
comments into a report which constitute their entry into Beta Comp
04. The reports must be in by 11:59pm EDT on the 4th of September,
2004. Then the entries will be judged, probably over the course of
the next week or so, depending on the number of entries. Then, the
results of Beta Comp 04 will be announced here on rgi-f as soon as
they are available.
Note - I don't expect anyone to spend an entire nineteen days just
testing this game. I would expect it to take, at the most, several
evenings' worth of time, just to give you an idea.
The reports will be judged, in part, on the following criteria:
x Organization. Is there any? If so, how is the report laid out?
Is it easy to tell which section I'm looking at?
x Clarity. Ease of understanding what the problem is, as well as
what the tester tried. Well-written reports are easier to read
than reports that are poorly or incompletely written. Does the
tester fully explain herself?
x Thoroughness. If there are lots of problems with the game, how
many does the tester find and report?
x Ability to criticize. Does the tester comment on and criticize
the bigger issues in the game, such as bad plot holes, overall
design and layout, general comments about puzzles and the game
as a whole? How well thought-out are these comments?
If this sparks any interest, why not give it a shot? Send me an e-
mail at jessicaknoch@mindspring.com and let me know. If you have a
question or comment about the comp, feel free to e-mail also.
This information is also available at:
http://www.strangebreezes.com/if/comps/beta2004/default.htm
You can see last year's results announcement at:
http://www.strangebreezes.com/if/comps/beta2003/default.htm
(Please be kind -- the website is undergoing a slow, page-by-page,
conversion to a more useable design. Thanks.)
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