Tailor Archive

Please apply sooner rather than later! Although TH hasn't given me a timeline, once he asks for names, I will have to give him a list right then, and you'll have missed your chance!

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What the heck is that?

The combat balance sandbox is a closed server where the correspondents and the devs will be testing the changes to the combat balance. It will be a very very closed beta.

At this time I do not have the timeframe, but my best guess is approximately 1-2 months from now.

What does that have to do with me?

Well, TH wrote: "we are also going to add the correspondents Top 5 picks from each profession to also come on to the sandbox server and take part in the testing." Link.

So I get to pick 5 of you to help us test the combat balance changes.

What can I expect?

First, let me dispel any myths. This is not a perk, this is a job. You have to take direction, and spend a lot of time doing boring "grunt work". It's not glamourous. You have to be dedicated and committed. Expect to spend a lot of time repetatively testing certain weapon combinations, in either PvP or PvE, and to spend even more time giving feedback and discussing the changes. Expect it to take up the majority of your allotted gaming time, require time every night, and to take priority over logging in to your regular server.

I am trying to get more specific details about what exactly is expected from testers.

Am I a good candidate?

At this point, I don't have the exact criteria that the devs want, but we should get the ball rolling on who is interested so in case I'm called upon to make a quick decision, I have a list of people who are interested, and who would do a good job.

So before you apply, ask yourself the following:

Do I have the time to test this? This may be harsh, but because this is a small selected group, we need testers who will dependably logon every day. If you can't do that, you need to leave the spot open for someone who can. The sandbox will take priority over your normal gaming, including restocking. Normally I say, work around real-life priorities. Now, I say that you need the ability to clear your schedule. If your job is 60 hours a week, if you can only sneak online for 2 hours a night in any case, if workload has a tendency to bloom at inconvenient times, this job is not for you.

Do I have the patience to give feedback? As a correspondent, I can say that you will probably spend twice as long giving feedback and writing up your findings as you are actually online testing. It's not glamourous, expect to feel like a glorified secretary.

Do I have the ability to take direction? This is not a game where you run off and do whatever you want. You're not going to be able to focus on going cool places, getting loot, or making money. The devs want you to test aspect X, you test aspect X. If it's boring, too bad. If you have to do it 50 times, that's life.

Do I have experience testing? If you already play on TestCenter or have previously been involved in beta testing, then you know what to expect, and what is expected of you. It's not required, but it is helpful.

Do I have combat experience? Sorry folks, this is the combat balance, not the crafting balance. It's true that combat-related crafting will be tested and tweaked (such as armor and weapons), but tailoring will probably not be receiving tweaks. So, primarily we're not going to be crafting (well, probably not), we're going to be whacking each other with sticks. If you have no experience with combat or healing, you will be less useful to the devs. (Now why they want 5 picks from me, the tailor correspondent, is beyond me - but there ya have it.)

Do I have what it takes to join TEAM HAWTPANTS? We're tailors. Of course HAWTPANTS are required.

How do I apply?

Please send me (NOT TH) a PM with:

1. Your station name if different from your handle (no passwords, please)

2. Why you want to test in the sandbox, and why you feel you would be good at it. Please include the answers to the questions listed above.

Thanks

Message Edited by NJ62 on 08-18-2004 09:26 AM

Message Edited by NJ62 on 08-18-2004 03:03 PM

Gah! What a tease. For about half a second there, I thought you were saying that five of our top ten problems were going to be fixed on that little server.

Yeah, it took us a while to figure out what TH meant by that quote.

I'm out. That whole "Balooning time" thingy and my first semester of Grad School, it uh, it just doesn't fly. Good luck to whoever goes though!

Well I didn't mean to *scare* you, but there are only a few spots, so best that they go to people who have time to test

Some of the correspondents doubt the power of Team Hawtpants. They think they will triumph over us. But no, we will totally r0xx0r their puny full-length pants!

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NJ62 wrote:

Some of the correspondents doubt the power of Team Hawtpants. They think they will triumph over us. But no, we will totally r0xx0r their puny full-length pants!

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VIVA LE REVOLUTION!!!! (hawtpants revolution of course!)

*is saddened by 2000 word PM limits*

I'm REALLY trying to apply, but apparently I have a tendency to run-at-the-mouth.

I'd love to help, but having worked RL QA before, I can honestly say that I won't have the time to do it properly (unless I cut my sleepytime back from the six hours a day it's at now)

ZZzzZZ