Age of Conan at Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMOG Gamers to the Next Level!

What is a bug report?

A bug report is a detailed listing of information you provide to developer's through the /bug feature within the game. The most effective and useful way to write a bug report will be to include these basic steps.

• A detailed description of the bug and the circumstances surrounding its encounter. Be detailed, even the most minor details can help the Dev's track down the problem.
  
  
• Reproduce the steps and include them in the bug report. Explain in detail how you were able to reproduce it and if it can be done in different ways.

On a side note, bug reports that say things like, "This game sucks, Fix IT!!!" and "I went to the PvP area and the game froze." are not particularly helpful to the Dev's. In fact, they will waste valuable time sifting through useless reports like these trying to find information that will actually help. Be precise.

Is Beta forum feedback important?

Yes it is. The beta forums are a place for players to give feedback on mechanics and various other aspects of the game. This will aid developers greatly in figuring out what works and what needs improvements. Like the bug reports, feedback can be drowned out by useless drama post, so please post in detail your feedback and avoid drama and flames on the beta boards. That is not really the place to scream about casual vs hardcore, solo vs group, Smurfs vs Gargamel. The beta forums are for feedback. Opposing views are great, but long drawn out flames bashing other player feedback can only serve to drown out the useful information. So think before you post.

What is the NDA?

The NDA is a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) you sign with Funcom when you enter beta. What this means is that you agree not to disclose the information in beta until the NDA is lifted. You can look all around the Internet and find beta leaks for any game in development and these so called leaks should be taken with a grain of salt. If you need to understand why, read this guide again. And how reliable is someone who can't honor the NDA anyway? If you need further convincing not to break the NDA be sure to read this official statement from Funcom. My advice, wait until the NDA is lifted, read the official information from players who will have by then seen a more finished version of the game and judge for yourself.

Beta is a time of testing, but it can be a lot of fun. The tester is tasked with helping to make this game live up to its potential and that will require patience, understanding, and the ability to assess problems. If you lack those personality traits, you may want to pass on beta and wait for the launch. The important thing is to aid in the testing. Don't get discouraged if the game appears to be lacking. Beta tests are like that and a lot can change with a single patch.