Midsummer Night's Choice -- BETA TESTERS NEEDED

Hosted Games Works In Progress
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A Midsummer Night’s Choice: an homage to Shakespearean comedies.

Email me, jason AT choiceofgames for access. DO NOT SEND ME A MESSAGE THROUGH THE FORUM MAIL SYSTEM. When you send your EMAIL, include your forumname and the game you want to test. I would also prefer if you included your real name, but you don’t have to.

(You cannot be testing two games at once.)

I will send you a link, a username, and a password.

Return feedback TO ME. Preferably part of the same thread, rather than a new email.

I’m looking for “high level” and “low level” feedback. Not mid-level feedback.

Low-level = typos and continuity errors. A continuity error is when a character’s gender flips, or someone comes back from the dead, or you run into a plotline that just doesn’t make sense (because it’s probably a coding error).

For these low-level issues, SCREENSHOTS are VERY HELPFUL. If you see a problem, take a screenshot, or copy and paste the text that is in error, and email that. Also, the “BUG” button is great; but if you use BUG, make sure to say in your email who you are, so I can give you credit for the report.

“High level” feedback has to do with things like plot, pacing, and characters. “Scene A didn’t work for me because x, y, and z,” is useful feedback. “B character was entirely unsympathetic, because u, w, and v,” is also useful feedback.

“I had a great time and saw only a few spelling errors,” is not useful feedback. In fact, it’s the sort of thing that results in you not being given access to future betas.

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I know you’ve explained this to death but I was wondering - you’re basically wanting to eliminate extraneous/unecessary feedback: ie “don’t report unless it’s high or low-level” and “don’t just report ‘great game!’”?

If we have a great time and don’t provide feedback because there is none, does that acquire a black mark on our beta-testing record? You aren’t interested that people get through the entire game without problems, I mean.

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Hm. It’s more: when you apply to be a beta tester, a black mark is added to your record. When you provide useful feedback on the game, the black mark is removed.

Saying inconsequential things doesn’t cause the black mark to be removed. :slight_smile:

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A handful of typos fixed; new version up.

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So when we’re testing, we’re “on notice”…find errors or live with besmirchment!

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Thanks for beta access. got your reply just fine

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@Hanon_Ondricek

If you had a great time playing the game, and can’t think of any sort of improvements to be made, I could just suggest that you write about what it was you liked about the game and what worked for you and just explain, in your email. Show that you did play the game, that you’re willing to provide detailed feedback, even if it’s of a positive variety. That way I’d think at least you won’t end up getting blacklisted from testing

“This game is great”. isn’t useful feedback. However, if you go into detail, if you explain you think it’s well plotted, and provide examples of that, or that you enjoyed the characters, and why you enjoyed them.

I’m fairly certain that sometimes my feedback has been that, it’s been mostly positive.

However, remember these games are beta versions, and chances are there will be problems, so maybe consider it a game in itself to try and find something? Even if you qualify it with a “I really loved the game and this doesn’t detract from my enjoyment, but…”

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An example of basic review notes. This is enough to “be invited back,” and if this person gives enough reviews of this quality or better, they earn “Beta Tester Extraordinaire” status, meaning they don’t have to apply for betas anymore.

[spoiler]Comments:
Overall love the story and the characters. Especially love the tongue-in-cheek writing!

  1. In the beginning the story refers to the main character’s mother’s portrait being removed, etc. But later we find out that the mother is really the Faerie Queene and her relationship with the Duke was a tryst and the Duke had an ailing wife… Which would mean the portrait of the Duke’s wife shouldn’t have been the Faerie Queene anyway.

  2. I punched the fairy-lookalike and it worked. The game said that he was never to be seen from again, but then later I hear stories from the shepherds but the fairy-lookalike causing trouble. I think I would prefer a way to get rid of him entirely - he was a pretty annoying character from my first playthrough so I was glad when I thought he wouldn’t be able to cause trouble anymore after being punched… but apparently not.

Bug Reports (bug reporter failed):

““I need to rest for a moment,” he says”
refers to Maroon Knight as male when it is female.

“evil, fairy lookalike”; “you have an evil fairy twin roaming around the forest”; “the fairy grove”
Is there is difference in the use of faerie and fairy? I think the usage should not be inconsistent.[/spoiler]

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New draft up! A variety of bugs squashed.

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After testing out Midsummer Night’s Choice for myself, I found that the overall plot was well-developed, the potential romantic choices to be perfect, and the stats to fairly well-balanced. I absolutely loved the flexibility of this game! This is exactly how Choice of Games should be. Just wonderful! There wasn’t a single thing I disliked about Midsummer Night’s Choice.

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People please, do not post your feedback here. When beta-testing you’re not meant to discuss the game publicly. Instead email Jason with your opinions.

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sorry I was late.
I was out of town. I sent a email your way.

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New draft up.

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Are you still looking for beta testers?

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@Gab19 Generally speaking, if the thread’s open, and the last post from Jason’s been fairly recent, and he doesn’t say they’re no longer accepting new testers, then the answer is yes, they’re still accepting new testers.

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New draft up!

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New draft up.

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New draft up!

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I’d like to beta-test

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Can I have a link? it sounds really cool.