First beta - best practices?

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rudi_pioneer
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First beta - best practices?

Post by rudi_pioneer » Mon, 14. Jun 21, 21:04

This is first beta since I've gotten X4, and I'm both excited about trying out QoL changes and providing feedback reports.

Have few quick questions to get a feel how to proceed:

1. I plan to backup save files daily. In past experiences (meaning, no promises needed since beta is beta, and things can break), are players often able to sustain a game over several beta updates, or is going fresh from backup frequent (like more than once per week)? This will help me figure out which types of games to play and how often to switch beta/release
2. Once 4.1 leaves beta, are save games played during beta usable in final release? (I know that avoiding beta for release saves is best, but still worth checking esp if I put lots of hours in beta save game)
3. Is beta ideally meant to be closer to:
- iOS public beta - meaning, carry phone as usual, report bugs, things might break but overall ideal is that user doesn't need to wipe anything
- iOS dev beta - things will break. use separate phone for real life. cutting edge testing
4. Where is metadata, like unlocked starts and timeline entries, saved? if I backup my saves, is that all that's needed to make sure I don't corrupt my metadata?

Alan Phipps
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Re: First beta - best practices?

Post by Alan Phipps » Mon, 14. Jun 21, 21:46

I think almost everything you asked is pretty much covered in the Public Beta Sticky threads here and linked.
A dog has a master; a cat has domestic staff.

rudi_pioneer
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Re: First beta - best practices?

Post by rudi_pioneer » Mon, 14. Jun 21, 21:49

Alan Phipps wrote:
Mon, 14. Jun 21, 21:46
I think almost everything you asked is pretty much covered in the Public Beta Sticky threads here and linked.
Thank you, that thread is detailed in how to do the beta, but I couldn’t find the info on recommended approach: for example, is beta meant to be something to dip into occasionally to test stuff but too breaking for regular play, or keep playing and report issues as they happen and revert save if needed.

Alan Phipps
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Re: First beta - best practices?

Post by Alan Phipps » Mon, 14. Jun 21, 21:56

The latter mainly. The devs try to allow you to play on from the beta evolution into release version, but betas have been known to introduce unforeseen quite serious game issues that compromised long-term gameplay and might have been irreversible if the player had no backed up saves to revert to. The devs are very good at trying to recover saves from such issues but the results are not always perfect.

Of course betas and modded games rarely mix well.
A dog has a master; a cat has domestic staff.

rudi_pioneer
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri, 2. Apr 21, 21:06
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Re: First beta - best practices?

Post by rudi_pioneer » Mon, 14. Jun 21, 22:00

Alan Phipps wrote:
Mon, 14. Jun 21, 21:56
The latter mainly. The devs try to allow you to play on from the beta evolution into release version, but betas have been known to introduce unforeseen quite serious game issues that compromised long-term gameplay and might have been irreversible if the player had no backed up saves to revert to. The devs are very good at trying to recover saves from such issues but the results are not always perfect.

Of course betas and modded games rarely mix well.
Perfect, thank you! I’ll switch to beta and keep playing on it. Understood on long term unforeseen game issues.

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