I think they may just be comfortable with somebody they can meet and sit with and drink coffee and chat. There's a lot to be said for interaction, especially when you're counting on them to do a very important job. They may not be willing to risk a distant stranger turning out to be a goof off, drunk, or quitter. Remember that Larian is a small studio and they each have a lot do do pre-release (so I read) and they can't just tell one to pick up another's slack.
However, I would like to get in on the beta testing next time if I could.
