Beta-testing the Idiot Factor

To start, let me add another webcomic to the table for consideration:
http://imaginethiscomic.com/?p=1023
Unfortunately, this is one of those that does not have a "latest" button, so you have to re-bookmark it every time you read it. It's an argument for reading it less frequently, actually. When will webcomic artists learn? (*cough* Alphasim)

Let's talk about beta testing for a moment. As you know from his blog (you do read his blog, don't you?), Alphasim recently did some beta testing for Champions Online. He got to try out the gameplay and now plays for real. I think he may have done some beta-ing on one of the WoW expansions, but who can keep track? (him probably, lol)

Unexpectedly, I'm also now a beta tester on a casual gaming site. It's a new experience for me. I hadn't heard for several weeks, so I thought they hadn't picked me. So, when they sent me the confirmation email, the following train of thought ran through my head (rumbled down the tracks in my head--toot tooot!): 1. Yay! I've never beta-tested before! 2. Well, of course they picked me. How many serious gamers do they get on that site? 3. Wait...how many gamers do they get on that site?

So my thought for the day is to wonder if the folks who pick beta testers think to include slightly less...adept...players in their testing rounds. In the case of this casual gaming site, probably they have because the majority of their players don't know a frag from a ding (and yes I'm mixing genres).

What about Champions, for example? They're aren't likely to have casual gamers, but not everyone's a top-notch player. Do they include a handful of gaming idiots just to see what the idiots of the world are going to do? Inevitably an idiot is going to play their game. Why not beta test the idiot factor?

Digital Comics?

Hey all--long time no post.

I wanted to pass on that I was browsing my normal strips and Scott Kurtz (of PvP) had the following link on his blog (his comes with a comic strip :) ).

http://balak01.deviantart.com/art/about-DIGITAL-COMICS-111966969

It's a new perspective on comics--digital webcomics that aren't videos. It's clever, so pop on over and check it out.

Also, for any girl geeks out there, I recently discovered Girls with Slingshots by Danielle Corsetto. If you're a guy geek, stay away--some of it won't appeal, I promise. But then again, if you're adventurous, maybe it'll give you insight into us females? *shrug* I doubt it, but maybe.

http://www.daniellecorsetto.com/gws.html

God's Sandbox

Two short notes--

1. I recommend that everyone go and look at this strip from xkcd. If you've EVER had to do any statistical analysis, it'll totally make sense.

http://xkcd.com/539/

2. I'd also like to recommend a free game to all of you called God's Sandbox. Hope over to http://www.vertigogaming.net/index.php and download it. You get a set of miracles/plagues to cast upon the earth in each of several eras and the order you pick changes the results. You can make volcanoes or rabbit-men or nuclear war. You decide.

It's a simple game, but the idea is you keep going back and trying again (on different planets? Lol.) to accumulate all of the possible outcomes on your checklist. 7 rounds later, I've got about half of them.

A comment on Mother 3

I've been away from Mother 3 for a while because I was stuck on a level boss (New Fassad or whatever his name is. Techno Banana Man, let's call him).

So, long story short I picked it up earlier this week and got through him finally. No profound reasoning--I just used shields instead of Defense up Omega.

What I want to share with those of you who don't play much of the Mother series is a little taste of what comes after. For reasons I won't explain, your character is trying to get to an island south of the main village and your ride has a faulty jaw. So you land on the beach and a local tells you to talk to the sea. ...I'm like, um ok?

Thus the underwater level begins. The first thing you see is a pair of pig soldiers (bad guys) with a merman (as opposed to a mermaid) and the merman kisses one of them. "Air supply replenished" it says, and the soldier comments about how much he doesn't like this particular contraption. The other pig is like, "Oh really? I kinda like it." Oh pigs.

Ergo, what I want you all to envision is this: your character doesn't breathe underwater naturally either. In fact, none of your four characters do. So, every minute or so of going through the level you have to stop at an air machine and fill up. It kisses your main character (who I've named Eddie) before it cuts away to a blank screen and you hear three more kissing sounds. When the game cuts back to them, everyone but the superspy guy is blushing. Ah Mother. I didn't even know dogs could blush.

And of COURSE it's mermen. Of course.