Explanation of Alpha Build Needed

[Mikejones1964]

Can anyone who understands or has technical knowledge of game production please shed some light on what an Alpha build is?...Also how does an Alpha build differ from a beta build...?...Thanks

[LBzrule]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mikejones1964

Can anyone who understands or has technical knowledge of game production please shed some light on what an Alpha build is?...Also how does an Alpha build differ from a beta build...?...Thanks

I'm guessing but I think Alpha = unfinished and not balanced out yet. So imagine playing a game like Xmen Legends II for instance and all the characters are not there, no bosses to fight ect.

I think Beta = everything that is going to be in the game is in but may need to be tweaked.

[LBzrule]

Hmmm I may have describe Pre Alpha instead of Alpha. I get confused on them.

[BOOKOO]

Quote: Originally Posted by LBzrule

Hmmm I may have describe Pre Alpha instead of Alpha. I get confused on them.

An Alpha build is the very very beginning game in the production life cycle. Beta means the game is essentially complete but untested for bugs. Thats why we have the term BETA TESTER..you are playing a finished but untested version of the game. So lets hope what we are saying is an Alpha build..unfinished..if it is Beta build then it is finished but simply untested for glitches, algorithmic anomolies, paranoid schizophrenia and things of that nature.

[LBzrule]

Quote: Originally Posted by BOOKOO

An Alpha build is the very very beginning game in the production life cycle. Beta means the game is essentially complete but untested for bugs. Thats why we have the term BETA TESTER..you are playing a finished but untested version of the game. So lets hope what we are saying is an Alpha build..unfinished..if it is Beta build then it is finished but simply untested for glitches, algorithmic anomolies, paranoid schizophrenia and things of that nature.

Ok so I got it right then. So with an alpha the game is still under heavy prodution. A beta is a near complete game ready for final testing.

In the Alpha stage developers are simply trying to make sure everything works properly. So with respect to animations for instance, all of them may or may NOT be apart of the alpha build but they will all be in the beta.

[BOOKOO]

Quote: Originally Posted by LBzrule

Ok so I got it right then. So with an alpha the game is still under heavy prodution. A beta is a near complete game ready for final testing. In the Alpha stage developers are simply trying to make sure everything works properly. So with respect to animations for instance, all of them may or may NOT be apart of the alpha build but they will all be in the beta.

Exactly..EVERYTHING is in a beta version... the only difference between the beta version and the final version is that it hasnt been poked, prodded, tested by the consumer..so they pretty much finalize the game and send the beta version to get tested and report any glitches. glitches are resolved the final version is presented, mass produced and distributed.