Beta Player of the Week: How All the Cool Kids are Doing it

Over time, The Matrix Online Team has noticed an increase in the amazing contributions to the game from our community of beta testers. The Matrix Online Community Team thought it was about time to turn the spotlight on our hard working beta testers and shower them with some well earned kudos. Thus, the Beta Player of the Week was born. Seraosha was the first in line for this honor, having been active in the community for a long time. Seraosha gets involved in events, and takes time to help others around him. His positive contribution spreads to the message boards as well, offering constructive criticism and insightful ideas that others may learn from.  So that’s how Seraosha came to be recognized as Beta Player of the Week- the question is, how do you? When you consider the many different ways players can interact with each other, the possibilities for positive recognition are nearly limitless.   Factor in how much The Matrix Online Support Team depends on our beta testers for accurate and timely reports, and the opportunities for recognition are exponentially multiplied.  From well executed in-game events to thoughtful posts on our message boards, immaculately written petitions and regularly offering a helping hand to a fellow beta tester in need, these are just some of the ways to make a difference and get noticed as the Beta Player of the Week.

Hosting an Event

We’ve talked about some of the amazing in game events that have been coordinated by individuals in the past.  Nothing builds community like a group of people working together on interesting and unique in-game activities, and while The Matrix Online Community Team will have its own events to add to the mix, we find the most fantastic and creative events to be the kind that are completely run by players. It proves that anyone involved in the game can come up with an interesting idea and deliver it to the community at large.  We are keeping our eyes open for folks who have a knack for innovative in-game events- so take a moment to think about what your contribution could be. You may see your work rewarded when you become the next Beta Player of the Week.

Posting on the Message Boards

What kind of message board posts make the grade for Beta Player of the Week?  Several factors come to mind.  Posts that demonstrate an attention to detail, outlining areas of concern with level-headed professionalism or posts that offer a calm and thoughtful approach to a heated discussion go directly to the head of the line. Providing hints and tips or offers of a helping hand to fellow beta testers is another way to become noticed.  It’s not the number of posts you make to The Matrix Online beta message boards that will attract attention—it’s the quality of your posts that will put you in the running for Beta Player of the Week.

Submitting Petitions

Writing petitions is important- after all, the primary function of a beta tester is to test the game and provide detailed reports on anomalies as they are discovered.  But there is a method to that madness.  Did you know that every single petition filed by a beta tester is reviewed, catalogued and replied to?  Did you also know that each submitted petition can be rated -- from “not at all valuable” to “exceedingly valuable” -- by the Game Master that reviews them?  Our Game Masters review and respond to hundreds of petitions during any given day. This makes the process of submitting quality petitions an incredibly important function of The Matrix Online beta tester. 

So, what do you have to do in order to have your petition rated “exceedingly valuable”?  Ask yourself a few questions before you submit one; Did you state the problem clearly and concisely, with enough detail that someone who wasn’t there could understand exactly what happened?  Did the petition include a step-by-step accounting of what occurred (whether it be a description of a problem between players or steps that might assist in reproducing a bug)?  Did you remember to include all the pertinent attachments?   All of these things, when tied together with an eye for professional presentation, are a recipe for receiving Beta Player of the Week.

These examples are only a few facets of what we will be on the lookout for when considering players for the honor of Beta Player of the Week. We hope this will give you each some idea of how the selections will be made, but there are other components as well that we’ll demonstrate with our choices in the next few weeks.  The Matrix Online Community Team is looking forward to recognizing the most active, professional and sportsmanlike testers, so get out there and be the best you can be!

Posted by Aether