Request Extern beta testing please

[Gordon]

Better not new Tables before update comes out, user say tables ok and then Leaderboard reset.

 

[Matt McIrvin]

I can understand the tables having bugs that are very hard to reproduce, but the MB bug was so obvious it couldn't be missed at all.

Provided you're good enough at Monster Bash to (1) get as far as multiball, and (2) get control of the balls instead of just knocking them around haphazardly, which would tend to obscure the problem. Anyone who's competent at pinball can do this without much trouble, but most human beings aren't that competent at pinball.

Which is to say, they need extensive playtesting with competent players.

 

[DJ Clae]

I am pretty sure the leaderboards and achievements will go online within the next few days (like last time) and then DLC pack 3 will be made available on the marketplace once again. As for patching the bugs, I think we will have to wait for an official update, which could take a while. One would hope that the leaderboards for Monster Bash will get reset too after the bug is fixed.

Indeed. And it was the same with the Medieval Madness flips being too far apart, and the Black Hole switch, and the plunger at launch...

The Black Hole gate was due to confusion about the official rules (some machines are different) not an oversight.

 

[Brandon Debes]

One would hope that the leaderboards for Monster Bash will get reset too after the bug is fixed.

I wouldn't bank on this one. I'm not sure Microsoft have a mechanism in place for developers/publishers to issue leaderboard resets on XBLA titles. I've never heard of that happening in the past, and there have been other titles released with score-affecting bugs.

 

[Carl Spiby]

Just set filtering to weekly once it's fixed if they can't be reset.

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

Provided you're good enough at Monster Bash to (1) get as far as multiball, and (2) get control of the balls instead of just knocking them around haphazardly, which would tend to obscure the problem. Anyone who's competent at pinball can do this without much trouble, but most human beings aren't that competent at pinball.

Which is to say, they need extensive playtesting with competent players.

Release the PC version and give me access to beta tables, and I'll be happy to competently playtest as extensively as required.

But while we're on the subject, how does stuff like RBION's Atlantis and MM's Battle for the Kingdom get tested? Those aren't exactly modes you can reach at will, even for competent players.

 

[Brandon Debes]

how does stuff like RBION's Atlantis and MM's Battle for the Kingdom get tested? Those aren't exactly modes you can reach at will, even for competent players.

The same way end bosses get tested in JRPGs. See also: cheat codes, origin of;

 

[DJ Clae]

Release the PC version and give me access to beta tables, and I'll be happy to competently playtest as extensively as required.

But while we're on the subject, how does stuff like RBION's Atlantis and MM's Battle for the Kingdom get tested? Those aren't exactly modes you can reach at will, even for competent players.

Need a debug mode that allows you to skip to those modes.

 

[DJ Clae]

I wouldn't bank on this one. I'm not sure Microsoft have a mechanism in place for developers/publishers to issue leaderboard resets on XBLA titles. I've never heard of that happening in the past, and there have been other titles released with score-affecting bugs.

I'm pretty sure the leaderboards from the old tables have already been reset. I can't even find some of my scores.

 

[bavelb]

If pinwiz is to be believed (and generally he is) fs aims for the leaderboards to not come up before this is fixed.

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

The same way end bosses get tested in JRPGs. See also: cheat codes, origin of;

Need a debug mode that allows you to skip to those modes.

Right, but FarSight doesn't have total control over the ROM like other software companies have over their games. Mike has said as much when answering my question as to why they can't just fix missing ball issues by discarding the current ball and creating a new one at the plunger - because the ROM gets confused and in an inconsistent state. So I don't think you can just tell RBION "start Atlantis now" and have it work right. I'm not even sure "start Atlantis now" is a valid thing to say to the ROM, since when to start Atlantis is something the ROM would normally determine internally.

 

[Brandon Debes]

Right, but FarSight doesn't have total control over the ROM like other software companies have over their games. Mike has said as much when answering my question as to why they can't just fix missing ball issues by discarding the current ball and creating a new one at the plunger - because the ROM gets confused and in an inconsistent state. So I don't think you can just tell RBION "start Atlantis now" and have it work right. I'm not even sure "start Atlantis now" is a valid thing to say to the ROM, since when to start Atlantis is something the ROM would normally determine internally.

You're half right. What they can do though is "save" a natural ROM state and reset the game to it. This is exactly how the "new game" menu item works, Mike has confirmed in the past. So they would only need somebody to reach the point of being one shot away from Atlantis once (and they surely have some superb pinball players on staff) to then dump that state and set up a debug process to return to it as often as they like.

 

[Sinistar]

I can put FarSight into contact with Combat Studios , a beta testing studio I know of . Im not allowed to say much , but they sign NDAs and have a great testing process . they're not Exterminators but they do hunt bugs.

 

[bavelb]

You're half right. What they can do though is "save" a natural ROM state and reset the game to it. This is exactly how the "new game" menu item works, Mike has confirmed in the past. So they would only need somebody to reach the point of being one shot away from Atlantis once (and they surely have some superb pinball players on staff) to then dump that state and set up a debug process to return to it as often as they like.

Also, while they cant trick the ROM itself, they can trick the switches into trigger, the same way an operator can fling a pinball with his hands when the glass out to trigger switches.

 

[Mike Reitmeyer]

Most of the harder modes are tested with "ball control" It allows us to move the ball around on the table with the analog sticks. That way you can hit any target.

As for allowing beta tests for Xbox, it would require us to release a special product which requires certification and all the certification fees (quite expensive). I'm hoping we will be able to do PC beta tests once our PC version is out. It's most similar to PS3 and Xbox 360 so it'll help us find issues that appear on those platforms (and not on the phones)

I'm still waiting on a response from Microsoft about why the DLC was pulled.

The MB Bug will be fixed in the next title update patch.

 

[Jan Duin]

Thanks for the info Mike. I find it unbelievable that MS can pull a product without informing the parties involved in a proper and timely manner btw..

 

[xNiCeGuYx]

But the next title update is 3-4 weeks away isn't it? Also the leaderboards have to be resetted for MB after the update.

 

[Mark Miwurdz]

But the next title update is 3-4 weeks away isn't it? Also the leaderboards have to be resetted for MB after the update.

No matter how many times people here are told the X Box 360 Monster Bash leaderboard doesn't exist atm, some are still asking for the (non-existent, remember) Monster Bash leaderboard to be reset.

 

[Sinistar]

Thanks for the info Mike. I find it unbelievable that MS can pull a product without informing the parties involved in a proper and timely manner btw..

No, I'm sure MicroSoft has a business contract that allows them JUST that , in specific language , we reserve the right to restrict or remove any submission from Microsoft Xbox Live Store for any reason, ect. at our discretion without prior notice or warning.

 

[xNiCeGuYx]

@Mark
Ehhh, the leaderboards WILL be working in a couple of days when MS updates their servers. This was also the case with DLC #1 and #2.
So there WILL be working leaderboards BEFORE the title update arrives.