Sorry for my super slow responses! I've been so sucked in with the first wave of testers that I've not had time to do much else. With the release date pushed back to allow for more refinement, I'm also taking the waves of testers a bit slower, at least particularly at first, so that the biggest issues of each "wave" get resolved prior to the next wave coming in. With this first wave of redshirts, of course that list of issues is... well, pretty massive, given the scale of the game. But that list is getting smaller by the day, and we're hitting a point where new testers will be useful within the next week.
The really gratifying thing for me has been seeing that despite all of the expected carnage of confusion and bugs for the redshirts, that they were still really enjoying it / hypnotized by it. So that's a really exciting thing for me personally, because it speaks to what the game will hopefully be for people once it's actually properly fully polished!
Are redshirts the people that signed up on this thread:
http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,17238.0.html ?
They're folks who asked to be redshirts on any of the threads, really.
Very much interested in beta. I did the TLF beta and I was really happy to see that my feedback was valued here. Is the right thread to volunteer?
Thanks very much! Added you to the list.
oh, i signed up but missed needing to say I dont mind being "confused". I actually like playing without directions/tutorials/etc.
If its not to late, please add me to the redshirt list 
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I think what I'm going to do is start an "orange shirt" group to come between the redshirts and the blueshirts, on reflection. The redshirt period has been a lot longer than I expected, and a lot rougher on that group. I still haven't had time to focus on proper documentation for what the blueshirt experience is supposed to be. So I think I'll add this orange shirt level that is basically "redshirts round 2, but this time with way more balance and way fewer bugs compared to before." And anyone who was previously marked as a blueshirt and wants to become an orangeshirt can do so. I'll make another thread about that.
Anyway, I have now marked you as orangeshirt -- the first!
Providing feedback in a way that doesn't hurt is something I've been thinking about a lot in recent years, albeit in a slightly different context. A large part of what I do (both professionally and on open source projects) involves code review, as both the reviewer and the reviewee (which spellcheck thinks isn't a word, but I'm using it anyway).
...
This post ended up being about twice as long as I originally intended, so I'll stop here. Just remember that my list is a set of general guidelines and anything the Arcen team says about the kind of feedback they want should take priority. This is a topic I'm particularly interested in, so feel free to add to my list or disagree with it. I'm not particularly active on the forums, as you can see by my post count, but I'll be keeping an eye on this thread.
Thanks for that, that was really well said.
As an aside: Chris, am I on the beta list? I'm happy to wear whatever colour shirt you choose for me, but I "signed up" long enough ago that there may not have been a list yet and I'd hate to miss my opportunity to take over the world help you guys build an awesome game. ;-)
You are definitely on the list! I have the date of your signup as being November 5th of last year, making you literally the first one to ask to be a tester. I have now marked you down as an orangeshirt.
Judging by how often your name is in past release notes for games like TLF, you might not be on the forums much, but boy are you on mantis!
In the best possible way -- I have hugely valued your contributions, which have been very nontrivial. You and steelwing are going to be giving ptarth a run for his money soon.
If you have a use for more people in red shirts - I don't mind getting my nose bloodied 
Orangeshirt the third!
Into the breach people. Throw your bodies against the bugs, so we can climb over them with the piles that will form.
You better believe there are piles of bodies, holy cow. These redshirts have been troopers, haha.
Interested in being a blue shirt , I was in TLF beta before.
Yep, I remember you! Thanks again for your help with TLF. I've added you as a blueshirt, but if you'd rather be an orangeshirt since that's now a thing, let me know!
Sound advice. As a longtime tester here, I'll add just a bit.
Very well said what you added, also.
Hi. I have played every Arcen game, but was never able to beta test. I am super excited about SBR and would love to help this time. I am not daunted by bugs and a lack of documentation, so any wave is great with me.
Thanks and good luck!
Added you as an orangeshirt! Thanks for the kind words.
I haven't gotten a PM yet. Is that because I didn't specify where I wanted to be in the beta?
Yep, it's done in waves, and right now I have you as not any particular color shirt, so it would be after blueshirts. If you want to be earlier, just let me know! Right now we've only had 16 people come in, and we've got 70 and counting (I have a feeling it will top 100 once I finally get through the backlog today) on the list. I'll probably add people in batches of 10-15 over the next month and a half or so.
Hello guys!
I'm also quite interested in beta testing of Stars Beyond Reach. I'm following the game for a long time. I just hope I can help you guys out with anything…
Welcome back! I remember you from past patch notes, too.
I've added you to the list.
I'd like to test the game at some point, but put me in when it's convenient for you!
Added you to the list!
I would be willing to test. I think I do best being in the very last batch. I've been doing all I can to ignore this as much as possible, so as to come to it with "clean eyes" to properly test tutorials and other learning opportunities.
People like you who are willing to wait until that point are a godsend -- as much as everyone else is, really. But I need people in those last rounds who will take it serious and really absorb those final stray laser blasts just as much as the redshirts who come first out of the airlock.
Added you to the list with that note!
Where to apply for beta? Is here convenient for that?
Works for me! I've added you to the list.
