I was lucky enough to receive a key for the Closed Simcity Beta on Saturday. Whilst this beta only allows you to play 1 hour at a time and it ends tomorrow, it did make me think about how we as writers can test our ideas.
All betas need beta testers. In games they are gamers, in writing they are readers and reviewers.
So what are the purposes of the Simcity beta test and how do they relate to writing?
All betas need beta testers. In games they are gamers, in writing they are readers and reviewers.
So what are the purposes of the Simcity beta test and how do they relate to writing?
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| Simcity Closed Beta Cover Image from bearvilleinsider.com |
Server Stress Testing
For a game like the new Simcity making sure the servers can handle all the users (as it is an online only game). Server stress testing essentially checks how many users a server can handle before it buckles. The Maxis team would then know how to configure the real game servers when it is officially released.
For writers we can liken stress testing to character limit testing. How many characters can a single scene, or indeed the whole story, handle before the reader buckles and says 'I can't handle this many characters!'
If a reader says they are confused, it may be that you have too many characters. Look at each of your characters and work out if they are strictly necessary. If not then you might want to consider cutting them.
