I has been tested by a lot of people for 3 weeks in a public (as in everyone had a chance to apply) Alpha/Beta. Does it really matter how you call it?
Before that it was tested for ~2 months in a closed Alpha by a group of 30 to 40 CoH2 players who've been involved with balance for a long time. After the public Alpha/Beta there were also quite some balance improvements...
yeah public as in strict NDAs and a selection process.
you guys are what qduffy refer to as their "most rabid fans". i mean i like the game myself but i'm not going to defend it if it sucks. the fact that they don't want to have something as common as an open beta (which is more of a 'try before you buy' kinda thing nowadays) sends off a serious red flag. someone else mentioned that maybe it's because SEGA doesn't want to lose pre-orders - and that's exactly the point. what would cause them to worry about that? maybe the game itself isn't that good? it shows a lack of confidence in their product.