Community
On Orbit => Space Shuttle Mission Simulator (tm) => Topic started by: vinny002 on July 28, 2010, 11:35:58 PM
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Hi, guys!!
In the twitter page of the space shuttle mission website, I saw the we're currently testing the alpha version of the space shuttle mission simulator, please contact space shuttle mission dot com for the beta tester application so what does that mean? It looks very interesting!!
Cheers,
Vincent
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It means you can contact them for info on applying to become a beta tester for SSM. the address to contact them is: info at space-shuttle-mission dot com
at=@
dot=.
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Hi, Spaceboy 7441!!
Got it!! Thanks for the link!!
cheers,
Vincent
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Hi, guys!!
I and tell them I wanted to beta test the SSM2010 and ask for the beta tester application and I haven't heard from them yet.
cheers,
Vincent
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Vinny,
IMHO you're setting your hopes too high and too early:
1. There is no Beta Program for "SSM2010" yet. We are at the internal testing Alpha phase and there are no positions open for this one.
2. WHEN the Beta Program opens, the priority goes to the current Beta Team members. We always consider the addition of new members but bear in mind that the power of a beta team is not in its size, but mainly in the quality of its members. That means that we may not add new members, unless one or more of our current team members decide to take a long break.
It's basically "don't call us, we'll call you" - in other words, if it was not marked as "spam" by an over-zealous server along the way, your email has been most likely filed, and WHEN relevant it will be reviewed, and IF relevant you'll be contacted for clarifications and further "processing". The fact that you requested to join the Beta Team does not guarantee anything.
IMPORTANT NOTE: since you will be expected to sign a Non Disclosure Agreement, we accept only legal adults, so make sure you're 18 y/o or more (proof needed). We cannot accept parents' signatures instead.
Last, before contacting us for this purpose, you must also make sure you've completed ALL the missions at least at LOW and MEDIUM difficulty settings. If you've also finished them at HIGH, that's a definite advantage. You must be extremely "intimate" with the Shuttle systems, procedures, etc. at least at the sim level. If you also routinely refer to the SCOM, Data Dictionary, real checklists etc. that's even better.
I hope that this post clarifies the situation in general, and maybe also provides you and others interested, with some answers.
/Admin
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Hi, Admin!!
Got it!! That makes sense!!
Cheers,
Vincent
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Also another thing to remember: Beta testing software/a game isn't about using it early. The real purpose of beta testing is to find and accurately re-create/report bugs. Basically you want to try to 'break' the game by bringing bugs out into the open, and remember step-by-step what caused them =p It's kinda like test piloting, only less dangerous, much easier, and for computer nerds <_<
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Also another thing to remember: Beta testing software/a game isn't about using it early. The real purpose of beta testing is to find and accurately re-create/report bugs. Basically you want to try to 'break' the game by bringing bugs out into the open, and remember step-by-step what caused them =p It's kinda like test piloting, only less dangerous, much easier, and for computer nerds <_<
Yes. This is a quite accurate job description :)
That's why it is so important to know the game and subject inside-out - to be able to spot the difference between a bug in the game and in the gamer ;)
/Admin
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I was very disapointed to find out I needed to be 18 but oh well. Maybe in 2 and a half years
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I was very disapointed to find out I needed to be 18 but oh well. Maybe in 2 and a half years
It's funny. I used to feel that way about a lot of things, but I finally turned 18 a few days ago and I feel no different =p
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@ all,
what´s basic diff between Alpha and Beta testing in general?
Thanks!
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Alpha is more basic and sometimes instable and has more bugs as Beta and the graphics are very basicily.
Beta is the phase wehre the game is stable and has better graphics but with bugs.
This is it in general.
(To have an example: look at the Clonkforge. (www.clonkforge.net)(A website to the game clonk (www.clonk.de (http://www.clonk.de)))
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During Alpha, they're still adding new features and testing them. Typically once all the planned features are added, the software moves into Beta where the goal is to just make the software more stable.
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That's right, too.
But not typical for Clonk so I didn't know.
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Anyway, thanks for information!
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I'll try to clarify a few terms:
An Alpha code may have incomplete features, concept testing, stability issues and so on. During the Alpha stage, features may be added, removed, changed etc.
As we mentioned in our announcement, the current testing is concentrated around the new, high resolution Earth, testing performance, stability, compatibly and of course, bugs :)
Betas have a more complete features set, usually have less obvious bugs and as Beta testing moves on, more stressful and exhaustive testing and bug-fixing cycles take place, until we reach the first Release Candidate which is mainly bug-free, but still being tested until we are satisfied and move to a Release version.
As everybody knows, Release versions are usually still buggy but the bugs are much harder to find, much less critical, and more obscure, basically because the Beta team cannot possibly emulate the real-life situation where hundreds of thousands of users play the game under thousands of different conditions. That's when the Service Packs come to be ;)
/Admin
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Yeah, I still occasionally find bugs with the current release =p Only very minor things that don't interfere with gameplay and which I don't think are worth reporting <_< If only it was possible to make a computer program bug-free =p
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Yeah, I still occasionally find bugs with the current release =p Only very minor things that don't interfere with gameplay and which I don't think are worth reporting <_< If only it was possible to make a computer program bug-free =p
Regardless, you are encouraged to report them to ground crew by following the procedure explained in the "Help, Hints & Tips" board :)
/Admin
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The statement about a new "high resolution Earth engine" is very encouraging. I haven't used SSM2007 at all this year, because I decided that I wanted to wait for the "next generation" SSM2010 before I resumed shuttle operations. Broadband speeds are getting faster all the time, so multi gigabyte downloads (required for high resolution textures right down to ground level) would be no obstacle to me.
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Hi, Mogget!!
Yes, I think the high resolution earth textures what I see in the twitter is very encouraging and very interesting!!
Cheers,
Vincent
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How do I see them on the Twitter page? Do I need to join Twitter to see them?
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How do I see them on the Twitter page? Do I need to join Twitter to see them?
Yes, you need to be on Twitter and be "friends" with us in order to see our Twits. We are "SSM2007".
See you there,
/Admin
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Sorry Admin, but to my information there is no need for joining Twitter or for being a "friend" of you to see your twits.
I don't have a twitter-account and can see your twits whenever I go to
http://twitter.com/ssm2007 (http://twitter.com/ssm2007)
I even sat an RSS-Link on my Firefox toolbar and am always up to date.
/Armin
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Yes Pocci, the same for me, but I imagine that Admin was thinking to the previous question: we cannot see any image, only read the twits, without to be registered users and "friends" with SSM2007.