Pretty much what I was thinking. I also echo the notion that I don't hold t_3 solely (or even primarily) responsible for my frustration.leblancd wrote:It is a rather silly notion to think that a small number of people can test a myriad of features, under every situation, on a variable list of supported hardware combinations, in different (versions of) operating systems...
...unless the few testers have clones of ALL of our hardware with all the same drivers and try to perform the same functions under the same conditions we do, and expect the exact same results.
In the software world, there is "regression testing" that tests if new features introduce new bugs. Developers that perform accurate and efficient regression testing have very little or no need for beta testing at all. Creating a regression test suite for this plugin, which attempts to hit two moving targets (Octane and Daz Studio) would, in itself, be a multi-year project.
A beta fleshes all this out by getting the software to as many testers as possible so that bugs and glitches are found, and resolved, to produce a final release.
Anyone that tells you differently either doesn't really know what they're doing, or they are fooling themselves.
A "closed beta" typically comes very early in a software project because only the concepts have been coded into software.
(Does the software terminate prematurely, or when you click EXIT? When you click a button, does the button do ANYTHING?)
This is because a software developer does not want to look like a fool in releasing laughable software that clearly does nothing it was intended to do, and also wants to avoid the deluge of complaints about very basic functionality, which would be a complete waste of everyone's time and effort.
Instituting a "closed beta" after years of having open betas would be indicative of starting again from scratch.
t_3 is not who I paid to obtain beta access to this plugin, Otoy is. When t_3 had personal issues and disappeared for a few months (which I understand completely, life happens), Otoy either didn't know (which wouldn't surprise me), or didn't bother to let us know anything. Neither of these qualify as their nebulous claims that they are working closely with their independent plugin developers. Perhaps some of them, but certainly not others. Otoy are also ultimately responsible for monitoring the representation of their product and company by their contractors. I don't doubt that t_3 has every intention on delivering an excellent final product, but I paid for beta access fully aware that the plugin would have issues, as again, that's why betas exist in the first place (and there may or may not be some truth to the idea that t_3 didn't want to do a beta, it was Otoy's call, which makes them even more responsible, in my mind, if true).
Sadly, for the first few weeks after the 2.1 prerelease, it actually felt like one. We got builds, found bugs, reported them, interacted (you know, like beta users), and got new builds and even a little info on how things were going to a degree. Then it went dead again for months, now we have an apparently elite few with access to builds they claim are stable. In my mind, this means one of two things:
1, they are specially qualified to be given access, which to me indicates they are helping with more than testing, meaning any and all defenses of t_3 doing it solo are null and void, and there is zero reason we are not getting information.
2, this beta went closed without notice, for reasons that make absolutely zero logical sense, and Otoy should do their actual freaking job, and get on their contractor to get us access. You know, since that's what we paid them for.
Realistically, there's nothing stopping t_3 from walking away from the plugin as is, and no guarantee of ever getting another build, but the onus is still on the company we paid to -at a bare minimum- inform us of what in the actual **** it is we're being made to wait for, or get us a build, already.
