Battlefront is looking for more playtest groups, so now is your chance to get involved!
What Do Playtesters Do?
The most important thing playtesters do is to play games that test new games and expansions that we are developing. If your playtesting group has been assigned to a project, everyone in the group will be expected to play at least one playtest game each week for the duration of the project and report on the outcome. Playtesters also provide less structured feedback on the project, highlighting issues that they see and contributing their unique experiences and insights to the design process.
How Do I Become a Playtester?
The simple answer is: ‘Form a playtest group!’
A playtest group is a bunch of six to twelve committed players under a playtest leader. The group must have a venue where they can meet and play weekly games in an environment that allows them to maintain confidentiality (so not in a shop during opening hours for instance).
Once your group is signed up, you will be given access to the secure playtesting forum where you can see the latest playtest material, give feedback from your playtest games, and discuss the outcomes. Your group will then volunteer for projects as they come up, and run playtest games each week until the end of the project.
Your Responsibilities
Aside from playing weekly test games, a playtester’s most important responsibility is to maintain the confidentiality of the material they are provided with – You DO NOT talk about Playtest Club!
This confidentiality does not end with the public announcement or release of the product. Even if Battlefront staff members are discussing an unreleased product on a public forum, you as a playtester may not do so. Once the final product is released to the general public, you may discuss it product to your heart’s content, but anything that happened in playtest stays in playtest.
The group’s playtest leader has additional responsibilities. They are responsible for their group’s behaviour and will be held accountable for both the groups’ contributions and indiscretions. The playtest leader is also responsible for the group’s administration. They recruit new playtesters as needed and remove inactive playtesters from the group. They maintain communication with Battlefront about the state of their group and administer rewards.
One important thing to note is that you don’t have to be any particular sort of gamer to be a great playtester. We want a wide range of playtesters so we can evaluate the project across our entire audience. So, if you are a hard-core tournament gamer, you’re welcome as a playtester. If you’ve never played in a tournament in your life, you’re welcome as a playtester. If you are new to Flames Of War or Team Yankee, you’re welcome as a playtester. If you’ve been playing Flames Of War for longer than you care to remember, you’re welcome as a playtester.
Your Reward
Yep, that’s right, you don’t just get the satisfaction of making great games greater, you also get rewards for playing games (and reporting them, but that’s not too hard!). The rewards vary from project to project, but typically include acknowledgement in the credits and some product related to the project.
What to Do Next
Organize your playtest group and get the playtest leader to apply to
playtesters@battlefront.co.nz with the following information:
• A short biography highlighting why you should be a playtest leader
• A short description of your playtest group
• Where and when you are planning to run playtests
• The name and email of each of the playtesters in the group
• A sentence or two on each playtester highlighting why they’d be great playtesters
Once your group is approved, the playtest leader will get everyone to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement and you’re ready to volunteer for your first project!
