How Does the Beta Work?

[Magicphobic]

So I signed up for Hot Lava way back in 2016 when it went public that we could sign up and be let known when the beta would be open. I got an email on March 28th of this year with a link to register my steam account with the Beta so I could receive the game and test it out. They did mention the game would roll out over a time period of one week, so I wasn't expecting to get it right away. I then saw the news and saw the delay to April 10th, okay no big deal, I am willing to wait.

April 10th comes and goes, I kinda forget about Hot Lava until today. I check the steam page to see if they finally rolled out the beta, and turns out they have. Actually it's over and their getting ready for Phase 2. I have been checking my steam library regularly, as well as my email, and I did not see the game show up in my steam library, nor did I get any email confirming it has been added as they claim they would send out once I receive it. 

So now I have to ask - was there a mess up on Klei's side and I was unfortunate enough to be missed or skipped over, or is this so called "Phase 2" something I'd be added into the pool for? When they say they are going to add 3k new beta testers, do they mean completely new people who didn't sign up from the start, or still fleshing out all of us who have signed up from the start?

The email they send out is kinda misleading honestly, and it'd be heartbreaking if it was an error and I just got completely left out from the beta. The email says you're subscribed now for Hot Lava and that you should receive the game/access within the next few days. Actually the exact words as copy and pasted from my confirmation email are:

"Throughout the beta period, we'll go through the list of registered users and add the Beta to their Steam library. We'll send users an email as they get selected."

To me that reads every user who had signed up on the list should be added within the period, does it not? I don't know, I just feel really upset and disappointed right now, and that's only because how this was presented to me. It just feels like that email was something that told me I was in the clear and garenteed to get access to the beta at some point during the time period. They didn't warn us or give us any mentioning about limits or that some users who have that confirmation may still not get in. Maybe I would of felt a little bit better of not getting in if it was mentioned that not everyone would get in with phase 1, but nowhere was that mentioned at all in these emails. It was just "sign up, great you're in, now wait and you will get it." not "wait and you may have a chance to get it" Y'know?

I did send in a support ticket about this wondering if it was an error or something because it could very well be, but if its not, then... Yeah it just hurts a bit. I feel kinda lied to? And I mean, no ill will to Klei, I actually love their products and have been following since the original Don't Starve game, but maybe take this as just a heads up to be more clear with your emails and betas in the future to avoid issues like this?

Thanks.

[Sinister_Fang]

I suggest you reread the original email alerting you of the beta. If you don't still have it, then I have this important chunk right here:

"Players who signed up on the initial beta registration will have first priority in order according to when they signed up. The first wave of participants will be admitted on April 3rd. About 2,000 players will be allowed in. Future, larger waves of Beta players will follow in additional beta phases."

So you likely weren't overlooked or anything, but there were simply 2000 people in line who registered before you. There were a lot of people who had priority but didn't get into the first wave. So for now I'd just wait patiently. If you have priority at all then there's a decent chance you'll get into one of these beta waves eventually. Although that's still not a guarantee. It depends on just how many people signed up for the beta that have priority.

[Magicphobic]

51 minutes ago, Sinister_Fang said:

I suggest you reread the original email alerting you of the beta. If you don't still have it, then I have this important chunk right here:

"Players who signed up on the initial beta registration will have first priority in order according to when they signed up. The first wave of participants will be admitted on April 3rd. About 2,000 players will be allowed in. Future, larger waves of Beta players will follow in additional beta phases."

So you likely weren't overlooked or anything, but there were simply 2000 people in line who registered before you. There were a lot of people who had priority but didn't get into the first wave. So for now I'd just wait patiently. If you have priority at all then there's a decent chance you'll get into one of these beta waves eventually. Although that's still not a guarantee. It depends on just how many people signed up for the beta that have priority.

Ah i see, so it is the case of the next wave is just backlog of users basically and not like a new beta sign up or anything, thank you for this information.

The other 2 emails you get though really should remind you of that, as most of us don't recall the email from 2016.

[JoeW]

@Magicphobic - People who originally signed up were sent an email informed of the content of the following post: https://forums.kleientertainment.com/topic/89200-beta-is-coming-april-10th-now-over/

From that email you can confirm your interest in the game and save a priority spot in the beta. Those who didn't sign up before can still signup now at https://beta.playhotlava.com

If you did that and confirmed, you just weren't part of the first phase. And if you didn't do that and have not confirmed yet, make sure you do so before May 8th so you have a chance of being selected for the next phase. 

[Magicphobic]

1 minute ago, JoeW said:

@Magicphobic - People who originally signed up were sent an email informed of the content of the following post: https://forums.kleientertainment.com/topic/89200-beta-is-coming-april-10th-now-over/

From that email you can confirm your interest in the game and save a priority spot in the beta. Those who didn't sign up before can still signup now at https://beta.playhotlava.com

If you did that and confirmed, you just weren't part of the first phase. And if you didn't do that and have not confirmed yet, make sure you do so before May 8th so you have a chance of being selected for the next phase. 

Yes I see that now, I wasn't aware of the contents of the first post, as I had forgotten them and just remembered "hey i got in for a beta for hot lava" and what i had on hand was the 2 confirmation emails about the phase.

I'm alright with waiting if its a phasing issue I just didn't know what was going on because it looked to me like it was a garenteed setup when it infact was not. I just thought I missed it or something, but I am confirmed and checked in so here's looking forward for phase 2.

Thanks for stopping by on my post to provide me this information.

[Sinister_Fang]

2 hours ago, Magicphobic said:

The other 2 emails you get though really should remind you of that, as most of us don't recall the email from 2016.

That was actually a snippet from the email sent out a few weeks ago.