Staff usually lets us know about 24 hours before the end of the test. Usually that information is added to a thread here in the Help forum, and then is readily available if you ask in Global Help.
There is also usually an announcement from God about an hour before the test ends.
I always check the Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/#!/isglitchopen). They usually let you know when the game is open, and for how long. They said 72 hours, and gave us an hour warning!
Getting really hooked, lol, can't wait for the next one!
I actually didn't know either. I just joined on the first day of the test, not knowing it was only going to be a few days (and was working when it closed, so I only found out when I went to go learn another skill).
I only perused the forums and twitter to find out when the next test is scheduled, because I JUST started getting into the game (and just learned the fruit changer skill!).
There was a lot of chat about it in Help, KevBob even worked out to the exact time. What a shame though about all the glitchen that were getting stuck. Jade had to rescue me three times, towards the end of the test.
I personally don't like twitter and would much rather be able to have the information either by pushing a button stating game times or thread from staff in forum for game times.
This can't be hard to do and would eliminate so much rhetoric from people posting threads as to when game opens, closes, already answered, how dare you ask again etc. etc. etc.
I have to wonder why this specific issue has not been addressed since it seems to effect every player in the game.
Julie, I don't like or use twitter either, but you don't need an account to go to their feed and read it.
It is the click of 4 buttons for me. Click the URL bar, type "is", then hit the appropriate link from my history. It would be one click if I bothered to put it in my bookmarks.
Less clicks than finding the button/thread here on glitch, too, as then I would have to: click the URL bar, type "gl", select the appropriate link, click on forums, click on the appropriate thread, and scroll down to the most recent update in said thread.
And here's a thing: While some sort of clock in game or button to push or whatever would be dandy... I am guessing that feature, a feature that is only helpful for beta testing, would never be high on the priority list of features. And if you really want to know when a test is scheduled to end, you can find that information here in the forums (if available at all). Sometimes it isn't available because they aren't sure.
Is that really so much to ask of us as testers? That if we want to know, we go look it up?
I had a nightmare twitter account, took me forever to delete parts of it off my computer, gives me the shivers just remembering how twisted twitter was intertwined into my F/S accounts. I was almost ready to delete all of my F/S accounts then BF did that to me anyways so double whammy. Now I'm just a happy little Glitchen and won't let any other accounts have any control or possible input into my favorite game. Oh and my cell phone is so old it doesn't text and you can't get text messages on house phones, well not yet anyways. I don't even have to worry about cell phone contracts until something stupid happens, like falling asleep on the sun and getting fried. :)
It would be REALLY nice if the "Game status" part of the Glitch home page would give specifics on game openings and closings. As the forums have become less informational and more contentious, many people have stopped reading them.
If you don't know when the game is closing - at least one person in Global Chat will know so ask there or one of your friends or somebody. It's not like no one knows until the last hour.