Beta Requirements
01
Beta Testing and What to Expect
A beta test lives and dies by the feedback it collects.
As a beta tester, you will be one of the first players to experience Hvalla first hand in its crude, untested form. The ability to complete tasks and perform feature tests will be essential; active participation will be required. This is not a polished end product. Features may be removed, missing, or scheduled to be rolled out at a later date. With the involvement of the community, Hvalla will continue to grow and evolve as the developers receive feedback, update, and add content.
As a beta tester, you can expect:
- Content that is not optimized, resulting in grind, overly difficult encounters, loot, and experience errors, etc.
- Missing content and features that may be temporarily or permanently removed, updated, rescheduled, etc.
- The loss of items, currency, experience etc., in the event of necessary rollbacks.
- To dedicate several hours a month to participate in feature tests, bug reporting, and feedback submission.
- Delays in loot issuance, combat results, etc., as our team becomes proficient in the management of back end systems.
- Collaboration with other testers and contribution to each others feedback.
Requirements and Eligibility
Testers will be expected to provide regular feedback throughout the test period, which can include anything from bug reports, to feature requests. Developers may reach out for clarification about your feedback. It’s important to respond quickly to all messages and requests from the beta management team.
To be eligible for beta, you must:
- Be 18 years or older.
- Have access to Discord and DeviantArt.
- Have a positive attitude and a passion for the game play subject: Wargs, Nordic themes, art, and roleplay.
- Have the ability to provide feedback for the duration of the beta test with 100% participation expected for surveys and tasks.
- Be self-motivated, have strong communication skills, an eye for detail, and good writing skills; English as your first language not required.
- Have good time management skills and be available to respond to the beta management team in a timely manner.
- Have the ability to collaborate with an understanding that you have joined a community of testers that are also interested in contributing to the development of Hvalla.
Activity
Our goal is to improve product quality. Beta testing is an opportunity for developers to observe real player interactions with live game systems, with the goal of uncovering any bugs or issues so they can be addressed before full release. There may be times you are assigned to a team at random and provided with a checklist of test items for team members to complete individually or as a group. Targeted test requirements will be rotated as needed and you may be assigned additional tasks at any time throughout the beta test.
Minimum Activity Requirements
- Per month, 1 activity piece from a specified list of options & one other form of participation.
- The activity piece may be a collaboration and must be chosen from one of the two activity specified options for the period. We will list the activity options for the period on the front page of the Group. Racial leaders will also attempt to encourage plots that help inspire one or both of these activity options.
- Other forms of participation include: posting another art/lit/rp piece, posting in a group rp that is ongoing, helping to organize collabs or other group projects, or general head-cannoning or planning surrounding the plot.
Current Activity Options
- Combat (PvP, PvE, Raid, Boss)
- Exploration
Transparency
For transparency purposes, staff who are also Beta Testers are not required to meet this requirement as they are inputting hours that they could spend playing, creating assets for the world. However, if staff are able to meet the check, they are encouraged to submit for it.
Beta Tester Duties
As a beta tester you agree to report any flaws, errors or imperfections discovered in any content or materials that you have been granted access to during the beta test. You understand that prompt and accurate reporting is the purpose of the beta tests and commit to making the best effort to provide frequent reports on all aspects of the game both positive and negative and acknowledge that any improvements, modifications and changes arising from or in connection with your contribution to the game, remain or become the exclusive property of the development team of Hvalla.
Termination of Beta Status
At any time, the beta management team may revoke your beta status without prior written notice should they deem you unfit for tester status. If your beta status is revoked due to failure to meet the activity requirements, the beta management team will freeze your character and their progress until full release, at which time you will be able to resume leveling.
Your beta status may be revoked for:
- Any failure to comply with code of conduct protocols, rules, or guidelines.
- Behavior that intentionally detracts from others' enjoyment; testers are expected to treat each other with respect and promote a positive environment.
- Failure to meet the activity requirements established during the testing period.
Warnings and Termination
Beta testers will receive one warning after the first missed deadline; any deadline missed back-to-back will result in immediate removal. Should any tester accumulate three missed deadlines over the course of the beta test, their status as a beta tester will be revoked.
Beta Activity Waivers
Activity waivers are available upon request. Our team is flexible, and we do take into account that sometimes things come up offline that may limit your online activity. The sooner you let us know you need a waiver, the easier it will be for us to accommodate you. We would, however, like to make some clarifications as there have been a few non-emergency last minute requests.
- Submission waivers must be requested by no later than the 15th of every month. The only exception to this would be unforeseen emergencies, i.e. a natural disaster, family death, a medical emergency, etc.
- Back-to-back monthly waivers will be denied, with the exception of emergency requests.
- You are not required to provide any personal details when requesting a waiver.
- You may request a maximum of 4 waivers a year.
How to Request an Activity Waiver
- Open a #beta-support ticket on Discord.
- Our team will review your request and inform you of their decision. Requests are approved or denied on a case-by-case basis.
Beta Rewards
We value your feedback. As a thank you for your hard work testing the features available in Hvalla, you will receive several exclusive perks.
All beta testers will receive the Forn Gevir, a legendary accessory crafted from a shard of Eikthyrnir's antler. Both beautiful and mysterious, a character that is blessed with the Forn Gevir will earn additional experience and loot.
Select one of the three legendary companions. Each companion comes with a unique bonus to aid you in your adventure.
Get a head start with the Adventurer's Coin Purse and begin your campaign with enough gold to hit the city markets.
Defeated a challenging boss? Found a cool item? Keep the levels and loot you earn! All beta characters will carry their progress over into the full release version of the game.
How to Initiate a Beta Freeze
If a player wishes to implement a Beta Freeze, they are required to open a #beta-support ticket via the Discord server to express their desire to 'freeze' their character's progress.
Once the freeze is approved, they will be removed from the Beta Discord channels; the DeviantArt member's list, and their character will be moved from their racial folder to the 'Beta Freeze' folder in the Hvalla gallery.
How to Reapply to Beta After Initiating a Freeze
A returning Beta player has two options if they would like to return to the game as a player. All players returning after a freeze MUST reapply with the same character they froze previously. They cannot create a new one and receive Beta Rewards for a second time on a new character.
Application Options
1. Return during a group opening. They must complete the appropriate application form with their character details and indicate that they are a returning player. The character must be the same as the one they originally applied with.
2. Return via Support Ticket. They must submit a support ticket via the Hvalla discord with their details and character details, as well as an explanation why they would be able to participate now while they were unable to before. The character must be the same as the one they originally applied with.
There is no guarantee that a beta tester will be reaccepted during either of these reapplications.
PLEASE NOTE: A Beta player who freezes their character only has one time that they are allowed to reapply after initiating a freeze, if they refreeze again after returning, they will not be allowed to reapply again until full opening.
Beta Activity Waivers
Activity waivers are available upon request. Our team is flexible, and we do take into account that sometimes things come up offline that may limit your online activity. The sooner you let us know you need a waiver, the easier it will be for us to accommodate you. We would, however, like to make some clarifications as there have been a few non-emergency last minute requests.
- Submission waivers must be requested by no later than the 15th of every month. The only exception to this would be unforeseen emergencies, i.e. a natural disaster, family death, a medical emergency, etc.
- Back-to-back monthly waivers will be denied, with the exception of emergency requests.
- You are not required to provide any personal details when requesting a waiver.
- You may request a maximum of 4 waivers a year.
How to Request an Activity Waiver
- Open a #beta-support ticket on Discord.
- Our team will review your request and inform you of their decision. Requests are approved or denied on a case-by-case basis.
07
Beta Status as of November 1st, 2023
We are currently in PHASE TWO of beta testing which includes the testing of COMBAT and RAIDS.
Check out our Development Roadmap HERE.