Anyone known what the content of alpha is likely to be? Will it be one ship flying around one small part of space with unlimited lasers. Possibly a spot of mining? Would we get to land in a space station? What about the Galaxy map? I suppose trade will be in beta? Anyone got any ideas or thoughts?
Content of Alpha
- Thread starter Buzzard
- Start date
Pretty sure this has been talked about by Michael, alpha will be a series of single player encounters, with differing scenarios. The first was cited as a tutorial on how to fly in ED.
From what FD have said, the first alpha test will be most probably combat scenarios, and probably in an asteroid belt setting... It'll be about testing flight controls, feel, targeting and shooting each other in what I would expect to be a closed environment. It'll be our first chance to get to grips with the ships and blast each other to bits 
Can't wait
Can't wait
We only really know what the first build will bring, which is single-player, getting used to your ship and flying against enemy AI. It's possible that later builds will bring multiplayer, though it's hard to see how many builds there can be if Beta starts in January.
From what FD have said, the first alpha test will be most probably combat scenarios, and probably in an asteroid belt setting... It'll be about testing flight controls, feel, targeting and shooting each other in what I would expect to be a closed environment. It'll be our first chance to get to grips with the ships and blast each other to bits
Can't wait
I thought at first it will be single players in their own instance - no multi player scenario
I thought at first it will be single players in their own instance - no multi player scenario
That's what I seem to recall from a post in another thread, I'd personally not be worried if we didn't see multiplayer until beta ... I'm interested to see the markets and trading but there's no mention of that for a while :-/
More importantly.... When will Alpha start....
<impatiently huffing>
They will serve no wine before it's time.
My bad if it's single player first test... I may have made the multi player bit up in one of my dreams
Single player would be fine, the important bit is getting the feel of the ships, weapons, and dog-fighting
And very importantly getting the chance to practice docking - flying around an open space firing of my weapons isn't one of my biggest worries about being thrown into a new game :smilie:
I thought at first it will be single players in their own instance - no multi player scenario
Correct.
Initially all offline:
- first free roam to familiarise you with the controls
- next scenarios with enemy npcs
- later more and more complex scenarios including at some point MP
Ahhh... memories of the original Elite.
Oh yes, and by what I've read it sound like there will be much more to it in ED - entering the station is just a part of the docking procedure - how are we going to land on a pad within a rotating station?
I'm expecting beta to be delayed, really. Or for it to be much more alpha - quality than usual. To be a true beta then it would need to be a fully integrated set of all game systems, each of which need to go through alpha first. Sounds unlikely in a month, especially considering the Xmas break.
is there any reason that some parts of the game cannot be in alpha while others move on to beta testing?
for example the trading systems could be alpha tested while the PVP/Combat part of the game moves on to the wider beta group?
for example the trading systems could be alpha tested while the PVP/Combat part of the game moves on to the wider beta group?
I'll just have a Guinness then
Correct.
Initially all offline:
- first free roam to familiarise you with the controls
- next scenarios with enemy npcs
- later more and more complex scenarios including at some point MP
I suspect you're correct, except maybe the use of the 'offline' word. Surely Frontier will tie our alpha access to account, and we'll have to sign in to access it. Also, online allows for much better data collection.