This board is only for beta testing addons.
If you have made an addon and you want it to be beta tested?
This board is the right place to put it.
Beta testing can sometimes evoke seemingly negative comments from beta testers, but, in general, they are meant to help you and are not meant as an attack on your abilities as an addon maker.
Beta testers can help solve problems if they know a solution to a particular issue, or they may even suggest an alternative method to achieve a resolution to a particular problem.
Follow the points outlined below before posting your addon to avoid some of the more common errors and make the whole experience go swimmingly for you and your beta testers.
The first checklist is essential to encourage people to beta test your addon, the second checklist is highly recommended.
Essential Points************1./ Put it in here for beta testing
BEFORE submitting it to the
Addons Depot.
Submit it in a
zip file attached to your post, unless it is bigger than 1 Mb, in
which case you will need to host it elsewhere and provide a link to its location.
Addons can range in size from a few kilobytes (particularly if it is a config only addon), to
many megabytes.
In many cases an addon will be too large to attach to your post.
Here is a list of places you could try for hosting your addon if
it is too large to attach to your post.
a/
YouSendIt Files up to 1 Gb. (7 days) b/
RapidShare Files up to 30 Mb. (30 days) c/
FreeWebSpace2./ Your addon and its associated files
MUST all be prefixed with your
TAG.
GO HERE for details about
TAGS.
3./ Describe your addon, explain what your addon does, be precise, don't presume
that the reader knows anything at all.
As well as describing your addon in the topic, it is essential that you also include all the
relevant details in a
Readme in your addon attachment or download.
4./ Specify what version of OFP is required for the addon to be used correctly.
5./ Provide a demo mission, if relevant to the addon, instead of just the addon.
Using desert island with a few units will do fine, as long as it shows what
the addon does and how it works.
The user can then run the mission in the game and see how it works without
having to set it all up by themselves.
Afterwards, they can play around with it and see if they can find any problems.
6./ Don't use large music or sound files.
7./ Don't use other third party addons unless absolutely necessary.
If your addon has dependancies on other addons, or if you are also using other
addons in some way, for each one provide:
* The name.
* The name of the creator.
* Description.
* The exact url of the page where the addon is located, don't link to the
addon file itself.
* The file size.
If possible, try to provide more than one link in case the first is not available
for some reason.
8./ Write a short overview if there is more than one addon, describing each one
and what each one does and how they all work together.
9./ Describe any scripts that the addon, or addons use, describing what each one
does and how they are implemented.
Also list the parameters the scripts might expect and the range of values each
parameter needs.
10./ List any problems or bugs that currently affect your addon, so everybody knows
not to assassinate you when one of them pops up.
Some beta testers might even have suggestions that may circumvent or eliminate
some or all of these problems.
11./ If during the course of the beta test it is necessary to provide an updated
version, update the link in your first post as well as posting a new link in your
latest post.
Remember to clearly label it with a new version number and mention in your
latest post that the link in your first post has been updated.
Highly Recommended Points*********************1./ List some ideas of how the addon can be used, also try and list any uses that might
not be immediately obvious.
2./ List any future improvements you are planning for the addon, if you need ideas
then ask for suggestions from the beta testers.
3./ If there are any aspects that you specifically want tested, for instance, how AI
interacts with it, or if it has any problems in MP, or if there are particular conditions
or situations that you would like testers to test for, then list those as well.
4./ Listen to your beta testers, be prepared to at least try out some alternative
methods that might improve your addon or make it more efficient.
Be prepared to learn new tricks that you never thought of before.
5./ Let your beta testers know if you are going to be away or unavailable for any
length of time, just so they don't think you have abandoned them.
Be sure to thank all your beta testers for their help in the development of your
addon when the time comes to submit it to the
Addons Depot.
When your addon has been honed to near perfection and is deemed ready for
general release, submit it to the
Addons Depot, where it will be available for use
by the whole OFP community and will be preserved for all eternity, or maybe longer.
If you subsequently want to modify or further improve your addon, you can always, if necessary, update it after it has been submitted to the
Addons Depot.
Many thanks go to various
OFPEC members for contributing some of the ideas and suggestions in this thread.
Another great community effort!!
HAPPY EDITING!!
Aside by macguba, bolted on from another thread.
Addon makers, if you want your addons used in missions:-
- Ensure you actually know what you are doing, technically
- You MUST use OFP tags
- You MUST include a readme
- Include a short, simple demo mission
- Make useful addons, not pointless ones repeating existing units
- DO NOT release betas as "final" versions[/color][/size]
Topic: POSTING GUIDELINES (Read 5372 times)