April Alpha

[Amorelia]

Ok so it's now April, and Alpha backers await the release of Travel & Trading.

How about an update from Frontier Developments on when we might reasonably hope to see Beta. Y'know, that Beta we thought we'd paid to see 3 months ago.

You must have some idea of when you hope things will happen, and not really think it's OK to just trot out the line "when it's ready".

 

[Nagual]

Ok so it's now April, and Alpha backers await the release of Travel & Trading.

How about an update from Frontier Developments on when we might reasonably hope to see Beta. Y'know, that Beta we thought we'd paid to see 3 months ago.

You must have some idea of when you hope things will happen, and not really think it's OK to just trot out the line "when it's ready".

When Alpha 4 is complete and all bugs, fixes and updates to the code and game have been made so that Beta runs as they expect.? Until Alpha is complete how can they say a definite time?

 

[Asp Explorer]

I've got to agree with Nagual.

We were expecting a release in March - and that is simply not going to happen. I think Alpha will continue through til May, and perhaps Beta in June or July.

Release I can see in September or perhaps December. I am very happy to be proved wrong though!

Doesn't matter as long as they don't rush things and do it right, and I have full faith that they will do it right

 

[DraigUK]

I don't mind them taking their time to get it as good as possible.
I've waited so many years for this game, what's a few months more?

Also, I'm glad the Alpha backers who spent £200 or so are having their playground and getting their moneys worth out of the Alpha stage - if I'd paid £200 I'd like a good run as an Alpha player as well.

So, it kinda works out not so bad for everyone.

Like you I bought Beta access and I'm looking forward to that stage, and in fact upgrading to a higher package when allowed to do so again, but it will be ready when it's ready. No point in rushing it whatsoever. Intending to spend many years playing this game, so I hope it is very good - there are certainly some high expectations around.

I think a September release is optimistic at best, I'm expecting this to come out for Christmas at the very earliest.

 

[CMDR Texas Stu]

How can they tell when the network issues will be fixed to
Their satisfaction, let alone travel & trade bugs squished?
Any GUESSIMATE they make would be held against them like a white hot branding iron. Just look how the "estimated delivery date" from Kickstarter has been (almost) daily thrown in their face, despite corrections as more plans developed (which require more time to make a better game)?
Further, I think anything released today would be quite possibly comedy-driven?
Or do they play April Fool's jokes on April 1st 'cross the pond'?
Many have speculated May for 1st round Beta and I would like to think that's a realistic goal but would you really want them to compromise their high quality efforts and push out an inferior game just to be able to play it? I think it would be a hollow victory myself. YMMV?

 

[ToadMan]

I have no information at all just my feeling...

Based on where the Alpha is right now, I think the beta won't be here in April, I'm not even certain Alpha 4 will be here this month.... There are a lot of problems to solve with 3 and introducing Alpha 4 may well make that more difficult.

Toad.

 

[Jack Booted Thug]

There should be beta info coming out next week.

 

[MDK-187]

I have no information at all just my feeling...

Based on where the Alpha is right now, I think the beta won't be here in April, I'm not even certain Alpha 4 will be here this month.... There are a lot of problems to solve with 3 and introducing Alpha 4 may well make that more difficult.

Toad.

Expect a mid May 2nd/3rd week Beta imo

 

[Patrick_68000]

Apparently the problems of network are not fully resolved in the alpha v3.0. I think that the beta will come this summer and the gamma in september and the retail version at the end of the year. The good work takes time, it is normal

 

[kilvenny]

Alpha has been going for three and a half months and we have had 3 main Alpha stages. That's a minimum of a month for each stage. Judging by what I hear on these forums about the current Alpha there will be at least one more set of patch fixes for this stage. So my best optimistic estimate is late May or early June for first Beta.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

My Gut feeling is Alpha 4 will come in April sometime,
Beta1 sometime may,
beta 2 sometime june,
gamma July (just in time for my DK2 rift)

and then retail release for the anniversary (end of september iirc).

But this is complete guesswork on my part.

It would be nice to have a big retail launch on Elites 30th birthday

 

[Patrick_68000]

My Gut feeling is Alpha 4 will come in April sometime,
Beta1 sometime may,
beta 2 sometime june,
gamma July (just in time for my DK2 rift)

and then retail release for the anniversary (end of september iirc).

But this is complete guesswork on my part.

It would be nice to have a big retail launch on Elites 30th birthday

Perhaps the gamma for the birthday (early September) and the retail version for Christmas ?

 

[Fromhell]

Ok so it's now April, and Alpha backers await the release of Travel & Trading.

How about an update from Frontier Developments on when we might reasonably hope to see Beta. Y'know, that Beta we thought we'd paid to see 3 months ago.

You must have some idea of when you hope things will happen, and not really think it's OK to just trot out the line "when it's ready".

I think it is perfectly fine that alpha lasts 5 times longer than what people paid for, and everyone else gets nothing, not even a spinning ship although the delivery date has passed months ago.
Really, nothing wrong with it.
Do it the right way, the Frontier way

 

[Sterlino]

for my personal experience (as amateur developer)
imho... it's too early for beta.

remember what is it the beta: testing the real game (the whole game, not only separate sections) preparing for the final official release

consider what we have until now and consider what it must be yet done.

actually we have :

as cockpits: sidewinder, cobra (and probably soon, eagle)
as space station : the corolis st. (even with some glitches to be fixed).
as fuctions: just some basic spaceships settings and some basic spaceship functions, cockpit hud full functional except for cargo manteinance and hyperspace/supercruise travel.
combat multiplayers: in advanced state to be fixed furthermore.

seems a lot of things, but in facts they are few things.

to have a beta we should have at least:

as cockpits: the plan is to have 25 ships ? then we could start the beta with the 2/3 cockpits actually available with further update asap.
as space station: at least another kind over the corolis one + further updates (as the ships/cockpits).
as fuctions: we need the whole functions to play a beta - maps/cargo/selltradeinfos
as travel: i think we need the galaxy to start the beta, not only few stars systems ..and this is the major step for the whole game - once they are ready to drop the whole random generated galaxy we can begin to test the real game... not before that.

until that time it will be always an alpha stage and nothing more.

further things, further details of the game can be added in the beta stage (as Braben said in one of the devdiary)

so, i think you should be ready to consider other little alpha stages for the next months.
end of april/beginning of may: alpha 4: travel/trading with some star systems
whole may: fixing the bugs for alpha 4.
june/july: further alpha to fix or to add something more.

then the final alpha to test the whole galaxy when they are ready to update it in game. ----> beta

 

[Francois]

it is sure folks, that it will be long. it has to take time itll take. sometime its about the feelings .. you dont want to rush the best game ever !

 

[Riedquat]

When David referred to beta a long time ago he used the words 'open up the rest of the game'.

I think mid May for Beta and I think its going to last for a while as there is going to be a LOT to test.

 

[devastat]

Also, I'm glad the Alpha backers who spent £200 or so are having their playground and getting their moneys worth out of the Alpha stage - if I'd paid £200 I'd like a good run as an Alpha player as well.

I'm glad that those who payed £200 got their moneys worth out of the alpha stage past last 3 months.. But what about those of us who payed £100 pounds in the good faith that we could get into the early testing on January?

 

[mr71mb0]

I really really want this game and usually I'm quite impatient. But Elite is special and I'd rather they took their time and got it right. From the countless videos I've watched, they are spot on.

I'm premium beta and I don't expect to be getting access until July at earliest. If it's any sooner then that's a bonus. July is fine though, just in time for my Oculus Rift Dk2 that's on pre-order ;-)

I predict It's gonna be a cold summer this year. Absolute Zero infact ;-)

 

[Flavio]

I hope that we don't get any news today as it will most probably be an April fool, but tomorrow would be great.

Personally, I think that the majority of peoples thinking is correct in saying that alpha 4 will be out by May and the first round of beta in June.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

I think it is perfectly fine that alpha lasts 5 times longer than what people paid for, and everyone else gets nothing, not even a spinning ship although the delivery date has passed months ago.
Really, nothing wrong with it.
Do it the right way, the Frontier way

Thats great than. I am pleased you are happy with this and are mature enough to realise that sometimes software gets delayed and you not some whining idiot throwing toys out of pram and trolling every change he gets.

Good work!.