What is Beta?

It's not mysterious. Beta is not completed. Most gameplay elements are present, but it will have bugs.

Generally, software goes through several stages: Alpha, Beta, then Release

Alpha is like your 'rough draft'. You just jot down the ideas and features. Nobody but your inside crew usually sees this.

Beta is your first 'revision'. You fix some bugs, get some more stuff working, but there's still some kinks in it so it's not ready for general people yet.

Release is like the 'final draft'. This is the one you present to everyone, because it's safe and generally works really well.

Also, with software, each patch the developers release has to go through the entire cycle before they release it to the public. So in case you wanted clarification: v1.0 (release) is newer than version 1.0-Beta, and version 1.1-Beta is newer than version 1.0 (release).

Sorry if that was too much info.

Ahhh...software development terminology. Here's something I hope you will find useful (from Wiki):

"A beta version or beta release usually represents the first version of a computer program that implements all required features although additional features may be added. It is likely to be unstable but useful for internal demonstrations and previews to select customers, but not yet ready for release. Some developers refer to this stage as a preview, as a technical preview (TP) or as an early access."

Here's a link to the full article which has more development terms than you'd ever need to know: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_version

Edit: Aww,rats. To get the link to work add "_version" into the address bar...for some reason the forum's HTML code left it out of the automatic URL dealy.

In other words, when people say they've downloaded the BETA patch number whatever, it means they've downloaded a patch that addresses stuff in the full release version BUT HASN'T BEEN TESTED enough to make sure it doesn't *regularly* conflict with other problems. A "full version" has (in theory, anyway) been tested to be free of the most common programming bugs, and has full access to all the (new) features/fixes of the game or program in question.

That is what I suspected but here is what I don't understand. Why would some body still be playing the beta version with the release version exists. Is it as simple as they are to cheap to buy it?

I guess you can scratch my last question. When they say there playing the beta version they are talking about the patch they are using.

The beta release out is newer than the official patched version. It's for those players who want to try out the newest features of the game and are willing to experience some bugs along the way which might hinder performance.

-HM

It's also there so you can find problems and report them so they can get a final version out sooner.

What you have here is one of the reasons that many of us LOVE Stardock.

Brad the HMFIC there has had the philosophy that dedicated customer support through continued work on the released software works to everybodys advantage. Other larger companies might work through the softwrae development cycle, including the first Beta version prior to final release of their software, and then might offer a patch or two to fix problems that might have come up after general release, and thats it. Thats the last time the developers work at it. So long goodbye. If you don't like it, buy the next version at full retail in a couple years, if there is a sequel.

Stardock is different. They treat us like adults and co-developers providing input. With every game they release they commit resources to support it in patches for a long period of time after the game's release. They not only fix bugs, that crash the game, or are causing problems, but they take our input and tweak the gameplay, add features, improve the game interface and design and listen to us to allow their game to reach a greater potential. And because they can use the feedback of many enthusiastic gamers, who understand this philosophy, they get useful feedback.

If you download only the released versions of the game through the Stardock interface, you are getting the original retail version plus the official tested update patches. If however, you do like many of us do, and live on the wild side, and enable the pre-release version downloads, you can see the newest tweaks and improvements and improve the gameplay a lot. The tradeoff is that the Beta versions are not fully debugged, and may have occassional problems. If you play the Beta and it crashes, you can post the Debugg.err file and provide some insight into the problems so that the guys at Stardock can fix it.

Unlike most game companies, the guys working on Galciv2 update the game constantly, tell us what they are doing and provide us access to these Betas.

So the reason one is playing the Beta versions is that it is the latest version of the game, (a bit unstable maybe) but with the latest and greatest gameplay and interface improvements. And by playing it you can help kill the bugs and provide feedback.

By the Way "HMFIC" is Head Motherf**ker in Charge" Frogboy rocks !

I can only pray that this lasts, and that this company won't slowly morph into EA .

I didn't read all of this, just so it's known.
Here's info on all development stages: Link

Alpha is like your 'rough draft'. You just jot down the ideas and features. Nobody but your inside crew usually sees this. Beta is your first 'revision'. You fix some bugs, get some more stuff working, but there's still some kinks in it so it's not ready for general people yet. Release is like the 'final draft'. This is the one you present to everyone, because it's safe and generally works really well.

Heh, I think it's a little of.

The beta is supposed to be the final draft. Because you can not, or should not be releasing a "draft" to the public. The Release version is simply the real piece, not draft, and you send it out to grading, in this case to the market.


The whole patching process can be consider the the revision process for a porfolio.



Also some companies (include Stardock I think), there is an extra step between Beta and Release - the Gamma process.

I thought that was in that thing too... weird. Must have read it somewhere else.

The beta is supposed to be the final draft. Because you can not, or should not be releasing a "draft" to the public. The Release version is simply the real piece, not draft, and you send it out to grading, in this case to the market.

It's more like the proof reading copy. You let others proof read what you did so that they can give constructive criticism. you then go back and edit out things, add in suggestions, and then prepare the Final copy, which is the retail version (in this case).

Patches are like a revised version of a book. Mistakes fixed, sometimes a little extra fromteh author, etc.

I would rather play Stardock's beta than EA's or Atari's final.

I would rather play Stardock's beta than EA's or Atari's final.