Not a fan of the insider alpha testing scheme

[Casualcas 830]

That's true, 40,000 airports is alot, anyone wanna help? Please? 

[Mengy 814]

I too am sad about not being chosen for the alpha testing.  I truly wanted to help test the sim to make it better like I've done for a few previous MS Flight Sims.

However, some of us were just very unlucky and lost the alpha lottery.  All we can do now is wait for release at the end of the year.

Sadly it does mean forums like AVSIM will be a lot less interesting as most of the meaty discussions about the sim are taking place in the alpha forums behind closed doors which we can't access.  That will just make the wait that much more difficult.  All we can do is grin and bear it really.

We'll all be flying in the new MFS before the year's end, at least we have that to look forward to.

[ca_metal 2,015]

3 minutes ago, nickhod said:

I totally get your points, and life certainly isn't fair.

Early access to a game, gadget, movie does tend to be fair though. Pay more money, get in a line, first come, first served, only top tier members etc.

People keep saying just how much hard work testing MSFS is. I guess we don't know because of the NDA. I have hard time imagining people are there with clipboards and Excel sheets of frame rates in different areas. Don't they just play the game and report issues as they find them?

It's not about how much work it is needed to test a flight simulator. It's just as complex as any other AAA games in development, like you said. It's just they are willing to test it within the community at this earlier stages (Alpha). Most studios that release the games on early-access are releasing BETA versions. Alpha versions are not really ready for release, hence why would be counterproductive to release it that way (PR Mess), because a lot of people would buy it, run it really badly and ask for refunds and post negative feedbacks. 

[nickhod 425]

1 minute ago, ca_metal said:

It's just they are willing to test it within the community at this earlier stages (Alpha). Most studios that release the games on early-access are releasing BETA versions. Alpha versions are not really ready for release, hence why would be counterproductive to release it that way (PR Mess), because a lot of people would buy it, run it really badly and ask for refunds and post negative feedbacks. 

I get what you're saying completely and I can understand why Asobo / MS chose to manage it this way.

What I'm saying though is that there were other options. A public alpha that only runs on certain (high end) hardware, limited to x thousand places, first come, first served, for instance.

When they posted the "16GB cleared" stuff, I think there was some expectation that masses more testers would get invited, which didn't happen. Expectations raised then not met. I'm not sure they're managing PR that well anyway.

[tpete61 227]

Another pity party post about not being selected and then the reply posts start...on and on about all the complaining about why one didn't get picked. This MSFS2020 forum has become full of this stuff. Avsim should just close these threads about Alpha testing. I come here to read about what people want and what we know. It now has become just as humorous to read all this nonsense instead!

At the end of the day ASOBO has a test program who cares what the criteria is for being accepted. They have there method. Why can't people just let it be.

It could be many of us will be disappointed when the real product releases anyway. Time will tell.

 

 

 

[ca_metal 2,015]

7 minutes ago, nickhod said:

I get what you're saying completely and I can understand why Asobo / MS chose to manage it this way.

What I'm saying though is that there were other options. A public alpha that only runs on certain (high end) hardware, limited to x thousand places, first come, first served, for instance.

When they posted the "16GB cleared" stuff, I think there was some expectation that masses more testers would get invited, which didn't happen. Expectations raised then not met. I'm not sure they're managing PR that well anyway.

Sure, I get it, that was for sure a let down for a lot of people. But still, I can asure you, release it as early-access at this stage would be a real mess. Not everyone would understand the current version is not final and will change a lot for the final release version.

About their criteria to select people to join, well, that's the way things are and we (the people wanting to test it earlier) need to accept their terms. I have no idea how many people subscribed for the Alpha Program but I heard that there are around 2000 alpha testers right now and probably we have 10-20x that number of people waiting to get selected.

What I'm trying to say is, there's no point in complaining about their methods. We have to trust they are doing it the best way to reach the best results. It will always seem unfair to the people not selected, it's natural, no matter which methods they use, people not selected would complain and ask for a different way of doing things.

[nickhod 425]

6 minutes ago, tpete61 said:

Another pity party post about not being selected and then the reply posts start...on and on about all the complaining about why one didn't get picked. This MSFS2020 forum has become full of this stuff. Avsim should just close these threads about Alpha testing. I come here to read about what people want and what we know. It now has become just as humorous to read all this nonsense instead!

I just looked at your recent posts. Almost all of them were on threads about the alpha program or NDA.

[b737800 470]

1 hour ago, Casualcas said:

I havery no hope for testing either, but not going on about it. I'll get it soon enough. Hmmm never picked for anything as a matter of fact. But not complaining as a have a great career that pays stupid money and my wife is 20 years younger. MSFS testing is hardly that important to complain about how people are chosen. #metoo

I think I fell from the same branch. First wife 10 years younger, current wife 26 years younger. Third wife not born yet. Will update when data available (and homework done).

[tpete61 227]

11 minutes ago, nickhod said:

I just looked at your recent posts. Almost all of them were on threads about the alpha program or NDA.

You are 100% correct but it doesn't imply anything! I'm as interested in MSFS2020 as my original post implies. Kind of why I was reading posts on this forum. Not sure what your takeaway is?????

 

Edited February 24, 2020 by tpete61

[nickhod 425]

1 minute ago, tpete61 said:

You are 100% correct but it doesn't imply anything! I'm as interested in MSFS2020 as my original post implies. Kind of why I was reading posts on this forum. Not sure what your takeaway is?????

That replying to threads and then saying people shouldn't be allowed to discuss the subject, (i.e. the thread should be closed), is interesting.

[WarpD 824]

3 hours ago, nickhod said:

Possibly unpopular opinion, and of course completely biased by me not being an alpha tester...

 

I would suggest that your entire post is all about that very first line.  They didn't pick you... 

More could be stated regarding that... but... 😉

[Dominique_K 10,138]

55 minutes ago, nickhod said:

I totally get your points, and life certainly isn't fair.

Early access to a game, gadget, movie does tend to be fair though. Pay more money, get in a line, first come, first served, only top tier members etc.

People keep saying just how much hard work testing MSFS is. I guess we don't know because of the NDA. I have hard time imagining people are there with clipboards and Excel sheets of frame rates in different areas. Don't they just play the game and report issues as they find them?

You have a point, you can be serious in your testing and have fun. Work is often fun anyway.

I do not want to repeat some good arguments in this thread so I will only remind you of the  old fable of a fox which concupiscently looks at grapes on a wall  but cannot reach for them, saying, they are not ripe enough anyway, only good for the common folk 😉.

 

[nickhod 425]

6 minutes ago, WarpD said:

I would suggest that your entire post is all about that very first line.  They didn't pick you... 

Gosh Ed, nothing gets past you does it.

That's the whole point of my post. The "you're not invited to the cool party going on over there" feel of the alpha program, and its restrictive NDA has never sat quite right with me, and I prefer the alternatives that almost every other game developer in the industry uses.

[Claviateur 789]

2 hours ago, nickhod said:

When people say "oh flight sims are so much more complicated than other games", I tend to tune out tbh.

Yes flight simulators are way more complex than other games no matter how fancy or sophisticated or cutting edge the games graphics and details are...

One of the senior devs of XP11, in one of his recent tech videos, talked about MSFS and the previews and was very impressed with the level of complex details (scenery + weather) and he explained how flight simulator engines are more complex than other games technically (dev + optimization). 

It's very obvious to say that rendering a complex world from any altitude / angle /speed + having the flight dynamics fit within the frame rate is a completely different level of development than any other game including the games labeled as Open Worlds...

The level of graphic realism and details in MSFS exist in other games but this is the first time such complexity and hyper realism is implemented in a flight simulator.

Edited February 24, 2020 by Claviateur

[mwilk 1,106]

I think this thread has moved into the realm of first world problems.