Creating a page where I can alpha my mod and get feedback

[hyper_cubed]

Can I get advice from a veteran on how to go about getting testers for a mod?

I have just finished a massive mod that queries all units (vanilla and modded) and assigns AMLAs based on the unit's unique meta data.

I worked really hard to balance it but I just need people.

There are a ton of "classes" to spec in to and AMLAs for race, damage type, traits, class types. Most of which don't really take a damage approach. I intended to be more tactical and situationally strategic with my mod.

Please if you have an example I could follow I would be very grateful.

[enclave]

I have done couple of eras/mods and myself I find the only one way to test/balance it, - you go to multiplayer server and host a game with attractive title with your mod/era... and people join and play it... when you play it yourself you will feel what is imbalanced, find bugs etc.. if you advertise your game enough (host many games daily) other people are starting to host your mod/era too (after they download it from add-on server of course... so you need to have alpha version there ready for these active ones). When others host your mod you dont need to do much any more, you just observe games with your mod (either live, or download already played games from replay server http://replays.wesnoth.org/1.14/ (go to the today's date and ctrl+f your era keywords)), when you observe you see what is imbalanced and correct it for next update, you read comments what people say and gain new ideas, make adjustments if needed... upload new version on server.. possibly notify new players that the new version is out (ideally you put version number in objectives, so you can see Yourself which version they are playing, and let them know if it's updated, or see if bug is fixed or still present in that version..)

That's My way... other people tend to balance things forever without going multiplayer, and result is that nobody ever see that mod, coz it will never be finished (to be honest you will be modifying your mod forever, new ideas, bug fixes.. etc). Just upload what you already have, let people try it, try it yourself, see comments...

I don't think you will get any testers if you have Not interesting mod, unless you want to pay somebody
so it has to be something at least a little bit interesting (usually all mods are interesting, so you can't go wrong here much), just make attractive title, yes you have to host it... that's the way it is... when you don't host it you will probably not see anyone playing your era more often than once in 3-5 months... But when you host it, advertise it, get players to play it, others start to host your era, sometimes even couple of times per day.. every day...
But the problem is that if it's something complicated/advanced/long then when you stop hosting your era, other people stop hosting it too after a week or month, and u may see that nobody playing your era again.. until you host it. Wesnoth is small community.. you will need to make effort to get people to play/test your era/mod unless it's something really simple/stupid/attractive... some games are just like a virus.. you dont need to host them to get people to play them (examples are colleseum, creep wars, afterlife, all kind of basic survivals (for 2-3 people) where you don't need to download anything to join as well), while other games are a bit harder to get players, like conquest- (not on 1.14), new settlers (not on 1.14), a new land, modern warfare, qciv, half civ, and there are very hard games to get people into (complicated and requiring download the era to play, like.. galactic empires, while the mod is very interesting, nobody plays it).

So... host it couple of times a day.. as a general rule... nothing else needed.

you may not even need to play yourself if you dont have time for it (but it's a bit harder to do, just change your nickname into network player), the less people it requires the easier is to get people to play it.. team survivals are very popular... so u may try add survival part into your era on 1.12 I added zombie apocalypse mod to New Settlers, where 2-4 people just survive against zombie hordes coming from middle of map... even if your era is about ww2, u can still add zombies
basically do whatever u can to attract people (advertising... nice title... etc)

good luck.

PS. and for example on my "half civ" add-on on server .pbl file I also specified the forum topic id: viewtopic.php?t=48071 (for example your current forum thread id is 48658)

[hyper_cubed]

The multiplayer idea is great! I know what you mean by modifying my mod forever. I highly value what you have said, but I don't have alot of time to respond (I wear too many hats).

Would it be the same if my mod wasn't an era or faction? My mod is more of a era/faction enhancer. What it does is allow you to select any era or faction or campaign (except legend of the invincibles, my mod is incompatible with that mod as it 'respecs' units constantly) and assigns AMLAs dynamically during gameplay based on reading everything about the units. So the AMLA code isn't actually a part of the unit type, but is injected on the fly when the unit levels up at which point it is available in the AMLA menu. I use a bunch of queries to figure out what AMLAs to grant according to if the unit is tough and tankey, quick and agile, druid like, etc... (there are around 42 possible trees to dynamically spec into).

Is there a way to host recurring games on the server and me not be present? I work alot and have a young child so I don't have a ton of time (this mod took me about a half a year due to being busy lol).

[enclave]

I don't know ways to host games and not be present, this would be a question somebody else could answer maybe?... for example

Ravana

had a bot who stays online and does something, but I don't know any details on how to create one nor how it works and what functions it has.

I can only think of workarounds like just hosting a game without your name (network player instead) and then start the game when it's full and leave on turn 1 (possibly host new one straight away, so you could host 5+ games in 1 hour.. and then can download them and watch from replay server when its convenient.. just need to find a busy server period for hosting.. like saturday nights.. when lots of people on)

Sorry I wish I could help more, but I'm not experienced in hosting games without my presence

[Ravana]

I didnt implement hosting games, only observing them, implemented as https://github.com/ProditorMagnus/wesbo ... MD.py#L274