14 DAY TRIAL // Spiderweb Software, a small indie video game developer founded in 1994 by Jeff Vogel in Seattle, Washington, have revealed on their old-school beta tester application page that the studio is seeking Mac beta testers for the ground-up rewrite of the old Avernum RPG.
The enhanced Avernum: Escape From the Pit will include a new engine and new graphics, according to Spiderweb, but it will retain the original plot which follows the adventures of those exiled to an underground realm.
The game tells a story of “imprisonment, rebellion, and the struggle for freedom against overwhelming odds.
If you want to be a part of this before the game is even released to the public, here’s what Spiderweb Software has to say:
“We currently need a handful of testers to beta-test Avernum: Escape from the Pit for the Macintosh. To test this game, you will need a Mac and enough time to play the game, slowly and attentively, over a 2-3 month period,” the studio says.
As any respectable gaming studio, Spiderweb expects a lot of tester applications to arrive, therefore they ask applicants to just stay put and wait to be selected.
“We get lots of tester applications. Lots and lots of them. Sorting through the flood takes a lot of time. Due to the large number of applications we will receive, we will not respond to every application. Please do not E-mail us asking if you were accepted. We will only E-mail those who have been accepted. Many apologies, and good luck!”, reads their message.
There are some requirements on the tester’s end, of course, such as owning a reliable internet account, capable of e-mail and of downloading large files, the ability to write and converse coherently in English, and plenty of time to spend on testing.
According to Spiderweb, “…even if you don't find bugs, you need to be able to frequently give us reports on your progress in the game.”
In other words, they want to know you’re not signing up just to have fun.