When releasing a game...

Oh what a great post, Simon! Thank you very much for this! Yes, I'm little paranoid I guess. I would have two more additional questions, though.

1) How many betatesters do you actually have? And how much of them are "strangers"?

2) What are your instructions to beta testers? Like what exactly do you tell them that you want from them? "Look for technical bugs?".. "What do you think about the story?"... "Would you improve any puzzles in my game?".. something like that?

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there is more risk with not sharing your game than sharing it!

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At first, I had this idea, that only I would play the game. I would not have a single one betatester. Not even a family member, best friend, girlfriend.. not a single person would play it, except me! I would just take the full risk. Well it is not realtime strategy, it is an adventure game, so what can go wrong? How crazy is that idea? But still, there is something romantic about that, isn't it? Absolutely no influence from others, you would just make the whole game on yourself, not a single person would play it before the realising.. and what a thrill would it be when the first customer buys your game ... but it would probably turn out to be a huge disaster.. especially these little technical bugs, you can't catch all of them on yourself, can you? Even if you played the game hundred times I guess.. What a silly idea..

But still, the thing is that I'm 100% sure of what I want. I have very clear and strong vision of my game. So even if 10 of 10 beta testers would say to me "Dude, you shoud change this puzzle, it's really stupid" I would listen but I wouldn't change it. So I only need testers for finding the technical bugs, really. And in some way I would feel bad that I would make use of them because I would give them false opportunity that they can participate into game, to make some suggestion to the design, but the true would be that they can't because I only need them for catching the technical bugs. To be honest, I wouldn't even care of what they think about the story or art. And I'm not sure this is ethically the right thing to do, you know, just to make use of them..

Hey Gusty,

1 - between 10 and 20 Testers depending on the projects and how people are interested.
Other devs can have much more!

2 - no specific instruction: play the game, and if something looks like an issue, please send me a feedback. Of course we're trying to analyse all situations and possible choices. In a 1st-person Adventure Game there aren't so many problems, happily.

Now regarding the other part of your message, I think I understand how you feel, but be aware that the main point of the Beta Test is exactly to find bugs.
I (personally) don't start a Test to ask people what they think of my ideas (art and puzzle), because this depends on my own choices (and I asked opinions long before the Beta). Of course it is interesting to read more opinions before the official release, but most of the time it's already too late to make any major changes regarding Art and Puzzles (unless it is very important).

On the other hand, you can't find all the bugs and problems by yourself. I had spent a huge lot of time on my first game to seek for them, but other people still found problems.
Some of these problems just can't be found by you alone! They just depend on the computer being used to play, the version of Windows, the packages installed (direct X version, .NET framework, video codecs, etc...).
Today, there are problems found by other people that I still don't understand, and that I cannot solve because I just don't find the same case on my computer.
So you see, it's very important to have a private (or public, why not?) Beta Test with several people. There's no real need to give instructions, you should only keep what's important to you in their feedback.

Thanks man, thanks!

Could you guys add a personal profile picture? It'd be better to distinguish your posts.

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So even if 10 of 10 beta testers would say to me "Dude, you shoud change this puzzle, it's really stupid" I would listen but I wouldn't change it. So I only need testers for finding the technical bugs, really.

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I think rating the puzzles is the main thing beta testers have to do. They can find bugs of course and spelling mistakes but the most important thing is to find out the logic of a game and how is the feeling to play it. Are there dead ends? Are the dialogs senseful? Are there stupid parts only running like a chicken? What happens if the player don't choose the main stream? Perhaps he move left but you want him move right? Suddenly he goes back? Don't get items, and is the game playable to the end if the gamer forget this? And so on... ;-) The best beta tester is someone who looks into every corner, does every action in a crazy way and does the opposite of the usual.

So, if 10 players don't like your puzzle.... think about. Perhaps 10 People wouldn't play your game.... and you have to check out why not.

Machtnix

It's more a matter of methodology and it depends on how you work, but of course if everyone complains about a puzzle, you should definetely change it.
My point of view is just that you should ask opinions about puzzles and ideas long before the Beta. Unless you are very confident!

Also, the situation I was explaining above was specifically for my game ASA: Remastered Edition. And because it is a Remastered Edition, I think that the puzzles are good (I don't say they're perfect, but they're ok) and I mostly ask the Beta-Testers to seek for bugs.
What I said to Gusty was more to answer to his questions, but of course there are many other ways to work on a game.

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The best beta tester is someone who looks into every corner, does every action in a crazy way and does the opposite of the usual.

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This is absolutely true! And beautifully said

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So, if 10 players don't like your puzzle.... think about.

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Yes, you're right. Gusty if you still read this forum, you should take into account what he just said!