New Testers Needed

[Daffyflyer]

Update 2:
Thank you very much for your applications! We have considered all of them until this point. Unfortunately,
we cannot consider any further applications as the final beta run before demo release comes very close.
There is an additional round of selection for the potential new beta testers. If you were selected, you will
receive a PM from me (Killrob) asking two questions which we would like to have answered. If you are
chosen to partake in beta testing after this, you will be notified via email soon!

Cheers!
/Killrob


Update:
Thank you all for the great response! There are a lot of good offers in here and many of you will be accepted
into the beta... probably already at the end of this week. You will be the first to test the newly implemented
scenarios. Also: no need to put in hours upon hours of testing. It is well-structured and focused testing that
is worth much more than many hours. One to two well-documented testing hours a week are worth a lot to
us already - and if you do that, we don't care how much you play around in the beta with the rest of your time.
Although, more good feedback is always appreciated!

Keep the posts coming until Wednesday Feb 29, this will be our cut-off for this wave.
/Killrob


New Testers Needed

The devs are making great progress on the engine designer currently, moving ever closer to a demo release.
The proposed inclusion of scenarios has started and their in-game mechanics are now fully functional.
Of course you will be able to sandbox-it-up in the demo too!

The good news:
At this pace the demo will be released within about a month, if all goes well and no major problems surface.

The not so good news:
Currently the engine designer demo is in its true beta-phase, meaning there are bugs, but it is basically
feature complete. So what is bad about that you ask? Well, we do not have enough (wo-)manpower willing
to test and fine-tune certain aspects of the demo. More specifically there is a specific task we had in mind:
precisely model existing engines in Automation and compare their performance figures to their real-life
counterparts. One major question mark right now is how accurately the fuel octane rating is modeled in
Automation. And we need help with that!


So here's the deal:

If you:

• Have preordered Automation
• Are willing to test the demo
• Are willing to document your findings in a detailed fashion in the tools provided (Pivotal Tracker & Engine Spreadsheet)
• Know that "testing" does not mean "just playing around"
• Are able to give detailed feedback to assist in making Automation more polished and fun
• Write here in this thread how much time you are willing to put in

You will:

• be accepted into the beta if we deem your offered effort both reasonable and sincere.

If you like the sound of this, you are most welcome to post down below! Also, be honest. We don't need more
people not doing any testing and playing around. Your help would be greatly appreciated, and will make the
Automation Demo a better product in the end - and the consequences of that should be to everyone's
advantage!

Cheers!
/Killrob (Lead Beta Tester)
Edit: Now with proper Killrob-esque formatting!

[Orbitstrider]

Oh how I DO LOVE the sound of this. If you do deem my effort both reasonable and sincere than I would gladly be more than willing to assist in testing.
Anything and everything I can contribute to helping this game along is my current goal.


Right.. almost forgot to mention my knowledge of a large variety of 4cyl motors. Mazda, Honda, Toyota, and many others.
And I have TONS of spare time on my hands

[7driv3r7]

I can put in a minimum of 2 hours a day on weekdays, 4+ a day on weekends, depending on my schedule, if y'all are willing to have me as a tester.

I do have some experience with the GM Ecotec and Ford Duratec series, and I know a little about some of the older GM 4's. I'd be glad to help you know how the designer compares to the real thing. (I like to compare and analyze all kinds of data too. I've been keeping an eye on that engine spreadsheet for a little while now )

Might be a little OCD, but I like to try out every little option in things like the engine designer. So... I guess that would help me be pretty thorough in trying to find any bugs

I'm willing to help with whatever testing you need to keep this thing movin' forward

[Rob_G]

I would Love to be considered as a beta tester, i have been following the progress of the game for a while, and although i work all day, i have alot of spare time in the evening, i also work as a mechanic so have a good knowledge of engines, my pc is also more than capable of running any monitoring tools along with the demo itself.

[machalel]

Awesome!

Definitely interested! I would probably be able to put in 1-2 hours per night on weekdays, and anywhere between 0 and 10 hours on the weekends (depending on life commitments). Possibly more during any lunch breaks at work...

Oh, and I can also volunteer to be a spelling / grammar nazi for you

[ICE_0101]

id love to help with this, ive been following automation for awhile, and i could put in several hours each day after school and probably twice that on the weekends.

[Azurael]

I'd love to be considered for this testing phase. I'd be happy to re-build engines and document my findings and have plenty of free time at the moment. Sounds like automotive heaven to me

[Punkal]

I would be willing to help, I have a few hours every day after work and on the weekends I have a lot of spare time especially as my partner works on Sundays

I have experience with beta testing, part of my last job involved testing new software, confirming/replicating bugs experienced by users and completing/finalising bug reports, the other part was helpdesk We were even in the basement, have you tried turning it off and on again...

[Kosey]

I would love to be a Beta tester if you are in need. This is going to be the best "build your own vehicle, test, and tune it" ever made to date and i would love to be a part of it! I can spend around 1-2 hours a day on it...I have a lot of free time. I also have experience with beta testing! So, if you need me, I'm here for ya

[Coastlein]

Like everyone else posting, I would love to be part of the beta of the engine designer. I would be able to dedicate 6-10 hours a week and I'm used to tracking software "bugs" as part of my day job. I also have specs on most post-2000 GM engines.

[chickennoodles]

I would love to be a beta tester, I could put in 2+ hours a day weekdays and weekends.
I want do anything I can to help!

[greusome1]

Hello, I was one of the first to preorder. I consider myself to be a "mad car enthusiast" I would love to think that I know EVERYTHING there is to know about plymouth, dodge, and chrysler engines. I have tons of reference books related to engine specs, and would love testing out the automation models vs real life engines. If you think I fit the bill, Im more than willing to dedicate some hours for you guys and all end users.

[AngryKhan]

I would also like to be a tester. I could put in at least 2 hours a day, probably more. I do have experience with beta testing. Also, being a programmer myself, I can understand the need to have real testers rather than people who just play around for a few minutes and call it testing.

[Darkness_2]

Have preordered Automation: Yep

Are willing to test the demo: Of course I am! I've closed beta tested before and I try to offer feedback on bugs as well as possible improvements.

Are willing to document your findings in a detailed fashion in the tools provided (Pivotal Tracker & Engine Spreadsheet): Sure, just provide the tools.

Know that "testing" does not mean "just playing around" : Well I can do both can't I?

Are able to give detailed feedback to assist in making Automation more polished and fun: Yep! I have to admit that I'm not too much for a car guy but it might be worth it to have a newbie's point of view on the learning curve and the level of fun of the game for a non-car geek.

Write here in this thread how much time you are willing to put in: 1-2 hours/per day. Probably more if I get hooked on it.

[Killrob]

Awesome guys, it's great to see such resonance. Looking forward to seeing you in the beta!
But we need more still... so continue posting.