What happened to the Beta?

[Valentine Z]

So I have been looking through at some of the things around NS in terms of gameplay side, and I am hoping that this would fit here more instead of the Got Issues? / GI subforums, so... I would just like to ask out of curiosity:

Any update with the Beta, or that has it been abandoned? For those who don't know what I am talking about, it's this one where there are proposed stat changes and they measure it up with different countries for these changes: https://www.nationstates.net/page=beta

Please don't take this as impatience, or demand, or anything of that sort. ^^; I actually love the idea of these Beta implementations, and I want to ask if it is still continued.

Thanks!

[Dabarastan]

I personally really like the beta's proposed changes to the way economic efficiency is scored and ranked. Also, the black market changes on my nation through the beta are astronomical.

[Outer Sparta]

I love to see future developments with the Beta and further updates on when/if they will be implemented and such. One idea I would love to see is the Black Market/Economic Output ratio to rank nations based on how prevalent their black markets are.

[Flanderlion]

I love to see future developments with the Beta and further updates on when/if they will be implemented and such. One idea I would love to see is the Black Market/Economic Output ratio to rank nations based on how prevalent their black markets are.

I still think the lifespan one is off. The rest look good.

[Outer Sparta]

I love to see future developments with the Beta and further updates on when/if they will be implemented and such. One idea I would love to see is the Black Market/Economic Output ratio to rank nations based on how prevalent their black markets are.

I still think the lifespan one is off. The rest look good.

How is the lifespan off? Elaborate on your thoughts about lifespan (is it too long, too short, etc.).

[Flanderlion]

I still think the lifespan one is off. The rest look good.

How is the lifespan off? Elaborate on your thoughts about lifespan (is it too long, too short, etc.).

viewtopic.php?p=34890290#p34890290

Essentially for my nation the lifespan should be lower than 65, as if we execute the elderly at 65, there is no one older than 65 to balance the deaths that must occur beforehand. My lifespan close to triples from this.

[Opstan]

I just can't wait for the 100 cap on the economic scale to be removed. Just so I can boast about my awesome Opstanian economy. LOL

[Outer Sparta]

How is the lifespan off? Elaborate on your thoughts about lifespan (is it too long, too short, etc.).

viewtopic.php?p=34890290#p34890290

Essentially for my nation the lifespan should be lower than 65, as if we execute the elderly at 65, there is no one older than 65 to balance the deaths that must occur beforehand. My lifespan close to triples from this.

Hmm that is a weird anomaly. All we can do is just wait for the tech team to implement these various changes. As always, inputs from the NS community can bring up new changes or bugs within the system.

[Krusavich]

I would really like some official word on this too, but the complete radio silence from staff for >1 year tells me its functionally abandoned.

[Outer Sparta]

I would really like some official word on this too, but the complete radio silence from staff for >1 year tells me its functionally abandoned.

Not necessarily, since changes to the game code will take a while to implement any new Beta changes. However, it is nice to get a few updates on how the Beta changes are coming along.

[Valentine Z]

I gotta be honest; I am dreading the day some of the changes become live, because for example, Pacifism will take a huge nosedive for me. Though... so will everyone else, so it is not just isolated to me, thank goodness for that.

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At the same time, I am eagerly waiting for the Economy thing to expand out to -5 and 105 as the lower and upper limits respectively.

[Krusavich]

Not necessarily, since changes to the game code will take a while to implement any new Beta changes. However, it is nice to get a few updates on how the Beta changes are coming along.

I mean, none of the other beta implementation phases up to now have taken anywhere close to this long.

This isn't the first time people have tried to get some update on the betas. Hell, even the editors have tried and failed to understand what exactly is taking so long, or why no one will say anything about the implementation status.

[Harmonic Empire]

Since these are violet's finest works, she probably busy with other projects and put BETA on delay.

[Flanderlion]

viewtopic.php?p=34890290#p34890290

Essentially for my nation the lifespan should be lower than 65, as if we execute the elderly at 65, there is no one older than 65 to balance the deaths that must occur beforehand. My lifespan close to triples from this.

Hmm that is a weird anomaly. All we can do is just wait for the tech team to implement these various changes. As always, inputs from the NS community can bring up new changes or bugs within the system.

Yeah. Being perfectly honest if its a choice between lifespan as it is and getting the rest of the betas implemented or not getting any beta, I'd prefer the betas implemented. I'm especially looking forward to the Black Market one.

Ideally though either it gets edited or implemented and a new beta to fix it for nations like mine, as I think overall the lifespan changes are good, just mine don't seem to make sense.

[Valentine Z]

Another Beta I would love, if it is not around, would be a balance of Defense Forces with Pacifism.

While it's true that a bigger army and a country dying (literally and metaphorically) to go to the war would be considered a warmonger with low Pacifism, it would also make sense for nations (like me, as a self-plug) to have a small and manageable DF (maybe around 5000-10000) for self-defense purposes.

Of course, I have seen nations balancing DF and Pacifism just fine, but I am wondering if this can be further improved. ^^

[Trotterdam]

Of course, I have seen nations balancing DF and Pacifism just fine, but I am wondering if this can be further improved. ^^

I think this is less an inherent flaw in the simulation, and more that there are relatively few issues that let you support the military without being excessively warmongering about it. It's entirely possible (I'm an impressive top 0.07% Pacifism, and a not-so-spectacular-but-still-respectable top 15% Defense Forces), but it requires thinking carefully about which issues to answer and which to dismiss.

[Valentine Z]

Of course, I have seen nations balancing DF and Pacifism just fine, but I am wondering if this can be further improved. ^^

I think this is less an inherent flaw in the simulation, and more that there are relatively few issues that let you support the military without being excessively warmongering about it. It's entirely possible (I'm an impressive top 0.07% Pacifism, and a not-so-spectacular-but-still respectable top 15% Defense Forces), but it requires thinking carefully about which issues to answer and which to dismiss.

True. There are indeed issues where you can increase Pacifism or DF, or both, without having the other negatively. So they are not exactly anti-correlated (unlike Intelligence and Ignorance), but just hard to get both to go up.

[Valentine Z]

I have been told that there are new Betas on the horizon, so it is still going on, just that I guess it was happening in the background. ^^

News piece: https://www.nationstates.net/page=news/ ... index.html

[Bear Connors Paradiso]

#59. Most Armed (Weapons Per Person)
World rank: 81st
Current amount: 131.07
After beta: 68.74
Change: -62.33
Ranking: ⇣47.6%

self

[Flanderlion]

I'm excited, glad to see these core features weren't left by the wayside by other flashier ideas.

Black market update is <3. Lifespan I've complained enough about being too high for nation's that execute at 65. But more interesting are the new stats. Looks like there aren't threads linked, but what is Patriotism defined by?

Also we should have an Exclusiveness stat, which would be the inverse of Inclusiveness.

[Valentine Z]

My pacifism is gonna take a big hit, so for the most parts, I welcome the betas, but for the other, dammit, there goes 55 points.

And so will my tourism, by a whopping 40%, i.e. 4997.46 -> 1992.86

[Krusavich]

Happy to eat my words, glad we're finally seeing these roll out .

The new stats look pretty interesting too, look forward to discussing those.

[Land Without Shrimp]

Happy to eat my words, glad we're finally seeing these roll out .

The new stats look pretty interesting too, look forward to discussing those.

It's a miracle!!! I am shocked.

I started to get really excited about all the new stats...then remembered it will probably be 2 years before we see them rolled out.

(To all those involved....I kid, I kid. I really am very grateful for all the (unpaid) work you do at making this silly game more fun for us =))

[The New California Republic]

And so will my tourism, by a whopping 40%, i.e. 4997.46 -> 1992.86

Whopping 40%? That's nothing. Mine goes up from 12.8 to 1,581.83, an increase of 12,260%

https://www.nationstates.net/page=beta/ ... a_republic

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I'm pretty happy too, as a load of ideas I came up with a long time ago have now been moved to public beta. Hoping Violet makes the discussion threads for those Betas soon, so I can explain my thoughts behind each.