Great Battles Beta Test Sign Up!

[IainMcNeil]

We're pleased to announce that the Great Battles of the Middle Ages is approaching Beta and we're now accepting applications to join in the beta testing.

Anyone interested should sign up at www.slitherine.com/beta_test

Great Battles of the Middle Ages is Slitherine's upcoming role play strategy game set during the hundred years war. It's innovative gameplay offers a whole new experience to gamers and we know you're going to love it!

Features

* Next generation engine with advanced shader effects and lighting.
* Free form quest map that allows players to decide when and where to fight within a historical framework.
* More than 20 different units all accurately researched and carefully modelled in amazing detail.
* Weapons and shields are added to each unit by the player, meaning an almost infinite number of equipment combinations are possible.
* Every equipment change changes the appearance of the models. Never before has this kind of customization been possible on such a scale.
* Specialise your squads with over 100 unique skills.
* Animations and behaviour change to match the equipment you have allocated.
* Play as the English under the Black Prince or the French under Joan of Arc.
* Historical events effecting game play.
* Innovative Battle Card system that gives bonuses and penalties in battle.
* The most detailed and realistic medieval combat model ever created.
* Special ambush missions.
* Completely new control and battle system designed to work on console and PC.
* Multiplayer over LAN & Internet.

[pipfromslitherine]

It should be noted that while the game is designed for graphics cards with shader 2.0 support, it will also run on non-shader systems. It won't look as pretty, of course, but you can still play the game. In fact testers with lower end machines would be very useful to us.

Cheers

Pip

[scouserlee]

This looks nice ive already signed up. Im running a lower end laptop 1.4 celeron ,1gb ddr2 and a 32meg ati mobile video card. When is the testing going to start ?

[IainMcNeil]

Initial testing will be in early May but that will be wtih a small group and we'll open it up to more testers as we go.

[scouserlee]

Thanks for the quick reply, looking forward to hearing from you.

[anguille]

I have signed up...hope it saved correctly.

I guess that my system will barely have the minimum requirements for the game but hopefully, it will run nethertheless

[honvedseg]

My system should fall into the "low end of the high end" bracket: nothing extreme, but fairly current and with a "better than built-in" video card. Not quite a "gamer" system, but a step up from "vanilla". If I can't run something at decent resolution or FPS, then it's going to be a problem even for a lot of people with new equipment over the next year or so.

I won't have all the time in the world to test the thing, but it should be enough to make a meaningful contribution, so I stuck my name on the list.

[IainMcNeil]

Everyone is welcome - the more systems we can try it on the better.

[Bjonatan]

Hello!
im from Germany and also just signed up for beta testing.
unfortunately i think i wont be avaliable after early august, even so i hope i can help you a little bit.

really looking forward to seeing the game

keep up the good work.

EDIT:
maybe i could ask my brother if he can replace me when im away.

[glorious_hoplite]

can i live in a distant country and still be a tester? BTW i live in india and have a lowest of the low system with 256mb ram and 64mb intgrated video card

[anguille]

When will the beta start? Did it start?


By the way, i am upgrading my computer to 2 GB ram (512 MB now). Still, only 1.8 Ghz processor...

[IainMcNeil]

Thanks - recruitment is complete and we're going to enter testing soon!

[honvedseg]

I was starting to wonder about the lack of new posts....

If we haven't heard anything yet, does that mean we were "passed over" for the current round of beta testing?

[anguille]

I don't have any news either...

I guess we'll be contacted as soon as our "round" (may or may not be the first one) comes...

I am getting impatient as well...

[Bjonatan]

i hope we won't wait much longer.
my data hard-drive already crashed while i was waiting....

and there is only one drive left now

well...
now that my schooltime ist almost over ill propably have lots of time for testing...

[honvedseg]

A month ago, I was wondering about the lack of news. I'm STILL wondering. There appears to be little or no recent activity in the related Area 51 topic, and none here. Just curious, is the beta test still "imminent", or has everything been pushed back a while for a few changes or corrections?

[Bjonatan]

ok.
I think im out of this now.

I replaced my computer through a notebook.
First it runs Ubuntu on it, and second it doesn't have the needed power anymore i think.

hopefully I may find a replacement, but you better do not count me

[Redpossum]

Enquiring minds want to know!

Oh gods, I just had a mad flash on that. For those who aren't in the US, the National Enquirer is the ultimate trashy supermarket checkout stand tabloid.

And so, for your entertainment, direct from the fevered imagination of one over-anxious wannabe-beta-tester...

<humor>
The National Beta Test Enquirer

NEWS FLASH! GBotMA Beta Test delayed amid Rumors of buyout by Sun Microsystems!!!

Slitherine offices receive midnight visits by flying saucers?!?!? Full details INSIDE!

Beta-tester's baby born with three heads! Mother's tearful story on page 5!!

Slitherine staffers arrested by french police for nude sunbathing! Pictures on page 12!!!
</humor>


Yes, I'm crazy. It's part of being a 5th generation Californian. Sue me

[anguille]

Lol...

[IainMcNeil]

Nothing quite like that happening

We just wanted to get the multiplayer in before we did a beta release. As always it's a little bit of a pain but we;re getting there!