Private Beta Testing

[Fidcal]

I'd like to recommend where possible that mappers set up private beta testing. There are forums available - I think there is one link from our Howto thread. But it occurred to me that you can do it here in these forums simply with a multiple pm. If you look at any pm can anyone say if they cannot see the option on the left:

 

Invite Participants

You may invite up to 4 more members

 

So if you are already exchanging pms with one person presumably that means you can have have a group of 5 which is 4 beta testers which ought to be enough for most. And the messages are listed just like a private forum.

 

So on your public forum thread if you invite would-be beta testers to post on that public thread in the first instance so everyone else can see you have a decent response. I'd usually be willing to help if you only have one or two but I'm mostly busy so I don't want to commit if you have 3 or 4 already.

 

Then YOU pm the first accepted reply as the start then any other pms you get you go back to the first pm you sent and add the name of the 2nd, 3rd, etc as participants.

 

The above should work but if someone can confirm that option is available to all forum members I'd appreciate it.

[lostbuthappy]

You may invite up to 1 more members

 

Seems like the number of invitations is determined by user/group privileges.

[Namdrol]

I agree about the private thing and I've also only got one other member invite in my pm's

 

The Shalebridge Cradle is a beta testing forum for Thief fm's and Thief software of all persuasions.

An fm author gets their own forum of which they are the moderator and then they invite their testers to join.

Works really well.

An advantage over PM's is you can have different threads for loot, hints n spoilers and each different beta etc, with it all being easily referenced.

[Serpentine]

This is what we are using with Bikerdude, and I must say it works pretty well. I'm not 100% sure how he did the invite but there are 5 of us (4 testers + bikerdude) I think he used the method you described, the first message I got looks like the first that is in the 'thread'.

 

... And it works quite damn well, the only issue seems to tbe the lack of html/bb script, tho the editor allows you to use them when the message is sent it leaves in the tags.

[Fidcal]

Yes, Shalebridge I've heard is a good one and I think there is at least one other. at ttlg I think. Years ago I used one at cheapmissions.com but I don't know if that's still available.

 

Bikerdude is the same group as lostbuthappy but been registered longer - maybe one of the particpants has extras?

 

OK, apart from the above, if anyone else wants to try the pm method but only see they can add 1 then when the time comes I guess you could pm me and I think I could add 4 then presumably you see the others as well. I don't even necessarily need to be participating I guess other than to add participants if I'm not needed.

 

At least we have options.

[Bikerdude]

ah I was wondering where the testing posts in my thread went... I wanted to alpha test it on here before heading over to SB, but I shall do that over there..

 

Heading over to Shalebridge now..