Alpha & Beta testing of game updates

[Miwarre]

Background:
I am currently implementing my first game and I am facing a choice rather common in development: given a certain feature requiring a fair amount of testing and tuning, whether to include it since the beginning (delaying the release) or adding in a next update (with another, separate, round of testing).

Details:

• The game is Dots-and-Boxes.
• The feature is a kind of pie rule, which the top level players (on Little Golem) seem to require but it is not implemented anywhere else (if you are interested in the details, these is the link to the discussion), whence the need for a test and tuning step for this specific feature.

As I have no clear idea of the next steps of BGA releasing and updating cycles, my question is:

If I move the game in its standard version (no pie rule) to Alpha and then hopefully to Beta and and up to release while we define the minute details of this pie rule, there will be a way to Alpha and Beta test again (with other players, not just by me) a version with this addition before releasing an update? Or the only way to Alpha and Beta test it would be creating a separate project as a different game?

[Een]

There is the possibility to set alpha/beta status for options. For the case you describe I'd consider using that.

[Miwarre]

Thanks for the quick replay!

I have noticed the values parameter array of an option may have the beta value. So, if I set an option like, for instance, this:

Code: Select all

100 => array
(  'name'   => totranslate('Board size'),
   'values' => array
   (    505 => array( 'name' => totranslate('5 × 5'),
                  'size' => 505,   'tmdisplay' => totranslate('5 × 5') ),
      10505 => array( 'name' => totranslate('5 × 5 w/ pie rule'),
                  'size' => 10505, 'tmdisplay' => totranslate('5 × 5 w/ pie rule'), 'beta'=true ),
   ),
   'default'=> "505"
)

what happens when the game is released? The value of 10505 for option 100 is not public, but the alpha / beta testers can still test it?

And then, when the feature is ready, is it enough to remove the beta parameter (and commit) to have this value available in production too?

Is there also an alpha value? Thanks.

[Een]

Indeed this has been documented only in the gameoptions.inc.php comments

Code: Select all

// Another value, with other options:
                            //  description => this text will be displayed underneath the option when this value is selected to explain what it does
                            //  beta=true => this option is in beta version right now (there will be a warning)
                            //  alpha=true => this option is in alpha version right now (there will be a warning, and starting the game will be allowed only in training mode except for the developer)
                            //  nobeginner=true  =>  this option is not recommended for beginners
                            //  firstgameonly=true  =>  this option is recommended only for the first game (discovery option)

I have added it to the doc now https://en.doc.boardgamearena.com/Game_ ... me_Options

NB: for to the full game release process, while the game is in alpha, it's restricted to the reviewers group and players invited by reviewers or the developer. For an alpha option of a released game, there is no such restriction to a specific player group, only the warning and the constraint to play only in training mode. Beta (for the full game and for the option) is always accessible to all, there is only a warning.

[ufm]

btw, there are plenty of abstract games using pie rules already on BGA, including my abstract implementations and many of Mark Steere's games.
I'd recommend separating pie rule option and board size option, so they can be mixed without increasing options needlessly.

[richyfourtytwo]

In beta since 2 years? I don't see any problems.