Beta testers wanted!

[Sparehawk]

***This thread is dated.***

Version 0.5 will contain a lot of quite new features - RCM, sailing, new troops etc. All of them are quite complex and could contains a lot of bugs in their first versions. So, it would be really great if some of you will help me and Ron in testing.

I should warn you, that participating in beta-test is more a work then a fun, because there could be a lot of bugs, maybe even the ones that makes a game completely unplayable. Also, participating in beta-test will require, that you not only plays for your own pleasure, but mainly concentrates on several main features of current subject of testing. For example, the first beta session will be concentrated around Real Combat Model, so it will be needed to test as many different types of weapon and armor as possible.

Anyone, who want to help us and hasten final release of v.0.5, please sign up in this thread.

• 1st stage of testing: RCM.
  Download: link (April 09, 2008)
  Goal: Test possible bugs in weapons and armor stats.
  Discussion: RCM thread.
  Status: in progress.

[Ron Losey]

I'll post a memo over in the RCM/Native announcements thread too ... see if I can round up some of the test team from other RCM conversions....

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Edit:

And, it probably goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway.  If you're unfamiliar with the RCM projects, check out RCM for Native, Pirates of Calradia, or Onin-no-Ran (those are the only RCM mods ported to .90x and released public at this time).  If you've never seen this model in action, it will seem very strange to you at first - axes set to pierce damage, spears set to cut, all kinds of strange-looking stuff done to make the statistics come out right.  Plus the actual combat hits so hard and fast that it may be confusing at first.  You will need to be familiar with a working version before you can test a beta version.

Also, note RCM only works at full damage to player and everyone.  Use of lower damage settings constitutes a major cheat.  The AI setting, on the other hand, may be tweaked to your preference.

[Nahadiel]

I'd like to help if you don't mind. But first, as you said, I'll have to play RCM in Native to get familiar with it. I say Native cause I think it has very similar weapons to ISOAF ones. If OnR or Pirates should have more simillar weapons say me and I'll play those.

[Ron Losey]

I'd like to help if you don't mind. But first, as you said, I'll have to play RCM in Native to get familiar with it. I say Native cause I think it has very similar weapons to ISOAF ones. If OnR or Pirates should have more simillar weapons say me and I'll play those.

PoC uses mostly native weapons as well, plus a few and with a few changes.  It's more or less the same thing as RCM-Native.

OnR is better balanced and the weapon layout much more historical (like you could write a doctoral dissertation about combat in Japan off of it - it's being done to a degree of accuracy that you won't normally find even in generally respected history books) ... but if you don't know a good deal about Japanese weapons and armor, you won't be able to make heads or tails of what you are seeing (or even be able to read the item names, for that matter).  So from that point of view, take your chances with OnR as you see fit.

[Nahadiel]

Ok, I'll start with native then as it seems to have almost the same weapons than ISOAF (at the moment). To say the truth, a lot of time ago I followed the beginnings of OnR with great hopes, but I stopped playing M&B. I've come back recently to M&B to play OnR but then I saw there was a SoIaF mod. I also played Pirates when was firstly released I liked it a lot. I remember my jaw hitting the ground when I saw the ships for first time.

So, I suppose it's a question of time I try 3 of them before my uni-exams arrive.

EDIT: I've tried to download Pirates for 0.903 from the Repository but it seems it's just a copy from Native folder with RCM variations.

RE-EDIT: I cannot believe how stupid can I be sometimes. When I was talking about Pirates I referred to Yoshi Boy's mod about Caribbean pirates.

[Ron Losey]

PoC is not a full conversion ... it's just a group of changes to the game.  Specifically, it adds RCM, ship combat, and catapult attack against castles/cities (complete with fire damage).  Therefore, you will not immediately notice most of those.

PoC is also not intended to be a complete mod on its own - it's being developed with the intention of adding that code to other mods ... i.e. this one.

[Nahadiel]

Ok, thanks. I've tried a bit Pirates and I'm gonna try OnR. I must say you did a great job with RCM (nothing you didn't know ); now M&B is dangerous and more challenging. What is more important to me, now you can feel that danger. You even gave infantry an opportunity as horses fall in 3 hits as most.

I mean, in Native Sea Raider parties of 26 were an easy prey for a starting character. Now I see 19 sea raiders and wonder how many men I'm going to lose before their ranged weapons.

[Ron Losey]

OK, guys ... first round test. 

http://rapidshare.com/files/104720459/ASoIaF042-RCM-test1.zip.html

Just put these files into your current version.  I included the Python item file, just in case you want to look it over.

I promise this will run and is compatible with the current game.  That is the end of my promises ... the rest is probably full of bugs.  As previously stated, I threw it together while my brain was somewhere else, and while I think I picked off the absolute worst of the bugs, I suspect there are still plenty of bad glitches to go around.  (This has NOT been my best work.)

(Note that, except for the hit points on the shields, I didn't really re-work the arena combat.  Sport combat is balanced by arbitrary rules about equipment type anyway, and so it doesn't really show.  I mean, how much damage does a "practice mace" really do?  Who knows?  Depends on what the thing was actually made of.)

Things we are looking for include obviously inaccurate stats, bizarre weapon performance (i.e. weapons with thrusting attacks but zero damage on thrust, axes that stab rather than swing, anything illogical), graphics glitches (missing meshes, that sort of thing), or general imbalance in combat.

[HokieBT]

OK, guys ... first round test. 
http://rapidshare.com/files/104720459/ASoIaF042-RCM-test1.zip.html
Just put these files into your current version.  I included the Python item file, just in case you want to look it over.

Thank Ron, hopefully a few of us can check it out and see if we find anything.  I don't have a ton of free time but will do what I can.  Also, if anybody is interested in just looking over the item file to get a sense of the changes, I suggest using this item editor to view the stats, its very helpful and works well.

http://www.mbrepository.com/modules/PDdownloads/singlefile.php?cid=3&lid=567

[Ron Losey]

As I said, I included the Python source file, if anybody needs to look it over.  It will provide all the details you can get from an item editor, plus a few that the editor would probably miss.  And anybody can read it ... even simple text editors can make sense of Python script.  Take you about five minutes to learn to read it.

[Miluangwaith]

i'm in downloading now.. by the way where do we post bug reports?

EDIT: here or in "BUGS!!!" ?

[Ron Losey]

i'm in downloading now.. by the way where do we post bug reports?

EDIT: here or in "BUGS!!!" ?

Uh, here or in the "RCM for Ice and Fire" thread ... Not "Bugs" - that's for the last public standard release.

[Agent Griff]

After having played Mesoamerican Mod, Onin No Ran for both .808 and .903, Pirates of Calradia, The Last Days with RCM activated and fiddling with RCM Native, I think I can say that I am pretty accustomed to RCM. As far as I'm concerned, Mount & Blade is a pain to play properly without it. Peasants with cudgels and sickles killing knights in full plate and whatnot (I've seen it happen!) just makes me shout out inside. Of course, I vent my rage afterwards by cutting down unarmoured peasants in a mod where RCM is applied.

As for beta-testing this mod, I would happily do it since I have a bit of a responsibility (I did instigate the addition of RCM to this mod right? ) but do I also have to check with Python code or the item editor? Numbers and statistics aren't really my closest friends. Does my responsibility also include using these programs, in case I am a beta-tester? Or just playing and searching for bugs then reporting them here?

And is there a specific method for finding bugs? Something to help rookie beta-testers like myself?

[Sparehawk]

i'm in downloading now.. by the way where do we post bug reports?

EDIT: here or in "BUGS!!!" ?

Uh, here or in the "RCM for Ice and Fire" thread ... Not "Bugs" - that's for the last public standard release.

I think, "RCM for Ice and Fire" would be better, while in this thread we can keep posts about beta updates and general testing coordination.

EDIT: Just moved all testing-related messages to RCM for Ice and Fire thread. Seek them there.

[Gohda]

Bah, sorry I've been gone for so long, but I'll beta test now that I'm getting more time to be around and stuff.