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Is it fair to say that beta-testing counts as a secondary form of proofreading? Naturally it's easier to just scan through a script for spelling mistakes and to make sure the sentences make sense and flow but I can imagine you don't really get as much of a feel for the characters and the gameplay as you would in a beta release. Or is beta-testing more specifically for bugs and to ensure there are no major coding errors?

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My beta testers look out for typos and whatnot, too, but mostly they comment on the gameplay and test for bugs. I'd say that beta-testing counts as a secondary form of proofreading, but proofreading isn't their primary job. My editors tend to also be beta testers, haha, but not all my beta testers are editors.

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I'm pretty sure a beta tester would mention a typo if they saw one, but like Camille said, it wouldn't be their primary function. I would think by that time the script should have been proofread a couple times by different people and there shouldn't be a great deal for the beta testers to pick up on that front. I don't think it is a good idea to use beta testers AS a proofreader though as it would be much easier to pick up faults in plain text rather than in gameplay.

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Hmm well, since visual novels are about the story, should betatesting naturally include proofreading? I'm thinking about getting a small team of betatesters that are also proofreaders/editors at the same time, since I'd like them to see how the actual game flows with the script.
I usually write my scripts in ren'py code to begin with, so by the time I have the script done it's already ready to be executed. I don't know if that is a proper way to script though, haha...

I do this too, since it saves a lot of time and I feel more in control of story pacing because I am writing screen-by-screen.

I am also wondering the same thing about beta testing vs. proofreading because my project is a kinetic novel and would not have much gameplay to test. I suppose the beta testers would then be making sure that the special effects, etc. worked correctly on various computers...?

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When I recruit beta-testers, I usually look for feedback on the over-all presentation of the VN. This includes spotting any inconsistencies in the plot, misspellings, as well as suggestions on the pacing and storytelling in general. So yes, I think beta-testing does count as proofreading if you don't already have a dedicated proofreader for the raw, text-only story -- if any.

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While it's good to see how the game and script flow together, I know now from experience that it's much easier to proofread a separate script document rather than proofread as you play a game...

I used to do this, too, and write only Ren'Py code, but when I had to convert it to give to voice actors/editors, it was a huge pain. Now I write the script first (yay Scrivener) and then convert it to Ren'Py code when I'm done and things have been edited. Much, much easier for me. Also, my editors can go through my script in GoogleDocs, etc., and highlight/annotate it with their comments/corrections. This is a lot easier than being like "Oh well there was a typo when the character said _____" or whatever.

Then again, I suppose if your game is short enough, it wouldn't matter, really. However, I've personally found that editors do much better with a nicely formatted script than with a bunch of Ren'Py code or just playing the game. It's easy to get caught up in playing a game and forget that you're supposed to be proofreading it.

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Hmmm. Actually what I did in my first project is proofread>alpha test>beta test ^^;;; (for my jap version)
I use 4 proofreaders, and they helped me too at the alpha/beta test, by checking the part they didn't proofread.

Anyway, sorry for asking this here but how many proofreader and tester you usually use?
I wonder if I need to start a new thread, but seems it's just a similar one... so......

Actually, I don't really like using too many proofreaders. They have their own interpretation about the story and character, and multiple proofreader might make the whole balance mess. I did use multiple proofreader for my first project since it's fairly long. But gladly one of them checked the whole composition later. I used 2 testers, and again, I'm glad since they can work fast (seems one of them worked full-time for the game). My English version team, however, seems to work slower than the Japanese team (since they have their own job). Therefore I wonder how many persons you usually use for proofread/test.

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