April Alpha
- Thread starter Amorelia
- Start date
FD was always going to struggle to keep everyone happy given the pretty massive cost differences between tiers, the shifting nature of the reward structure, moving deadlines etc.
But I can't help but look at threads like this and wish they would do a bit of a better job with their comms. Their natural reticence (hell... make that natural secretiveness) works against them when it cones to community management.
Ho hum. Not the end of world, and personally, as a 'fire-and-forget' twenty-pound gamma backer I don't feel agreived, but I understand the frustrations of those who have made a far greater monetary commitment than I did and now feel annoyed. FD can manage this easily through better comms. But they're choosing not to, and that's a shame.
#stuckrecord
But I can't help but look at threads like this and wish they would do a bit of a better job with their comms. Their natural reticence (hell... make that natural secretiveness) works against them when it cones to community management.
Ho hum. Not the end of world, and personally, as a 'fire-and-forget' twenty-pound gamma backer I don't feel agreived, but I understand the frustrations of those who have made a far greater monetary commitment than I did and now feel annoyed. FD can manage this easily through better comms. But they're choosing not to, and that's a shame.
#stuckrecord
The "minority that FD are actively servicing" are the Alpha testers. The phase you (and I) didn't join. It's the phase that seeks to iron out major problems before moving on to the next phase. It's bound to seem like they're concentrating their efforts on that before announcing beta.
The PR problem you refer to is one that is being manufactured by a minority of trolls.
On the surface of it, it does seem a little odd that Alpha backers will get the beta releases earlier than the beta backers (I am an Alpha backer)
But there must be some logic behind this, I don't know what it is, but if I had to guess I would suggest it must be a way of testing the beta releases with a smaller number of players to pick up on any major problems, before releasing it to a wider player base. As we know, expansions to the first release will go through alpha, beta and gamma stages, so perhaps the initial game will have bits and bobs added in a similar modular manner each update going through alpha & beta phases, eventually building up to a full game. It's the only thing I can think of that makes any practical sense at the moment.
I think FD perhaps need to clarify their thinking on this to settle things down.
But there must be some logic behind this, I don't know what it is, but if I had to guess I would suggest it must be a way of testing the beta releases with a smaller number of players to pick up on any major problems, before releasing it to a wider player base. As we know, expansions to the first release will go through alpha, beta and gamma stages, so perhaps the initial game will have bits and bobs added in a similar modular manner each update going through alpha & beta phases, eventually building up to a full game. It's the only thing I can think of that makes any practical sense at the moment.
I think FD perhaps need to clarify their thinking on this to settle things down.
I think exactly like you. It is uncertain and even dangerous, perhaps, to want inject 50,000 backers of a sudden in the start of the beta. It would be a nightmare for developers and players, perhaps ...
That is indeed what's happening - I don't think anyone believes FD are slacking off! But there are unnecessary bottlenecks (for example does Mr B really have to sign off every newsletter personally?) which fixing will not delay delivery and might actually help create more goodwill and word of mouth sales. The need for regular effective comms sort of comes with the territory when you have tens of thousands of "stakeholders"!
Choosing not to address this means they - and us - have to live with a certain degree of unhappiness and complaint which they could have very easily avoided.
Like I said, it ain't the end of the world from my point of view, but I get why some aren't too impressed.
I'm aware I'm a bore on this subject so I'll shut up about it for now!
It is sure that we would want more informations. But there is already a good amount with the forums, the videos, the newsletters, the meetings with the team, the trade press, the events as the Bafta, etc ... Once the first retail version is released, the informations should increase even more.
:smilie:
Dangerous? Is there a risk the server will crash so hard it will cause us serious injury?
If it's uncertain and dangerous to start a beta phase with 50,000 backers, then perhaps that would have been something to consider before selling beta access to 50,000 people? Just saying.
I'm sure it's something like that, yea. It's a smart thing to do. That said, I do not like how they do it. Usually during betas that small testing to check for any of the big game breaking bugs is done internally. Of course, when you have so many ready to test your game why not use that, I understand. So why not use the standard way for that then? Opt-in like Minecraft's snapshots or Starbounds unstable beta channel.
It'd probably be a good idea for them to elaborate a bit, probably wont calm everyone down but it'll likely help some...
I don't have any numbers for it but I highly doubt there is 50 thousand beta backers, even less so premium beta.
After the KS campaign there was 1125 backers on the premium beta.
O.k ... so I have had a nights sleep, thought about it, read everything people have to say and, to be honest, still not happy ... O.k the 50% off insurance isn't a big advantage .. but it is still an advantage, essentially it means that Alpha backers can afford to be destroyed twice as many times as everyone else .. less risk.
But giving Alpha backers, Beta first, to me personally is bad form.
And let me make one thing perfectly clear here, If I had the Alpha already I would be on the side of the Beta backers, As I am sure I will prove when the inevitable Bonus to Premium backers is rolled out just before the second round Betas get to watch the version they paid for being play tested by others first.
To the Alpha members that have been saying that this is a reward for the hardship of being in the alpha and having to put up with CTD's all the time and watching spinning sidewinders for a week and so on and so forth.
You brought an ALPHA!, what on earth were you expecting to happen, and be honest here how much downtime have you really had in the last 3 and a half months? .. A few days, weeks maybe even a month, considering you paid for an Alpha that was estimated to last a month, you have done pretty well.
Lets be honest here, it's less of a thank you to Alpha backers and more of an incentive for people to upgrade or just purchase the Alpha build.
I am still looking forward to the game, I am going to have to not look at the videos or this forum after Alpha 4.0, so at least in my head ... my experience isn't tainted by knowing everything that the build I paid to play has in store.
Oh and just to chuck this out there, the April 24th cut off date for Alpha is by no means an indicator of Beta's imminent arrival, it could be the release date for Alpha 4.0 then we have the Alphas-Beta run ... we could be looking at the end of May beginning of June for (Not so) Premium Beta.
and Patrick_68000 - 50.000 premium backers would equate to £5.000.000, I think that we are looking at 1.500 - 2.500 Premium backers at most.
I have said it a million times, exaggeration isn't good in debate
Well I'm off for my second cup of Tea ...
But giving Alpha backers, Beta first, to me personally is bad form.
And let me make one thing perfectly clear here, If I had the Alpha already I would be on the side of the Beta backers, As I am sure I will prove when the inevitable Bonus to Premium backers is rolled out just before the second round Betas get to watch the version they paid for being play tested by others first.
To the Alpha members that have been saying that this is a reward for the hardship of being in the alpha and having to put up with CTD's all the time and watching spinning sidewinders for a week and so on and so forth.
You brought an ALPHA!, what on earth were you expecting to happen, and be honest here how much downtime have you really had in the last 3 and a half months? .. A few days, weeks maybe even a month, considering you paid for an Alpha that was estimated to last a month, you have done pretty well.
Lets be honest here, it's less of a thank you to Alpha backers and more of an incentive for people to upgrade or just purchase the Alpha build.
I am still looking forward to the game, I am going to have to not look at the videos or this forum after Alpha 4.0, so at least in my head ... my experience isn't tainted by knowing everything that the build I paid to play has in store.
Oh and just to chuck this out there, the April 24th cut off date for Alpha is by no means an indicator of Beta's imminent arrival, it could be the release date for Alpha 4.0 then we have the Alphas-Beta run ... we could be looking at the end of May beginning of June for (Not so) Premium Beta.
and Patrick_68000 - 50.000 premium backers would equate to £5.000.000, I think that we are looking at 1.500 - 2.500 Premium backers at most.
I have said it a million times, exaggeration isn't good in debate
Well I'm off for my second cup of Tea ...
optional extras, been happening in car sales for years, want a sunroof? electric windows? satnav?......... pay more!!!
if this is honestly an unknown concept to you then you need to get out more.
The post you are referring to was my initial reaction to the newsletter, I am fully aware of optional extras (and your comment about getting out more was unnecessary) but this Bonus is Not what Alpha backers paid for ... there isn't a single Alpha backer out there that knew they were going to get a 50% discount on their ship insurance (which to honest, isn't really an issue to me)or that they would have access to the Beta before the Beta backers (which is the issue) .. this isn't an "Optional extra" it's an incentive for people to get into the Alpha before it closes.
The Alpha's getting Beta first, is like me walking into Maccy Dees, ordering a cheese burger and then being told that the fella in front of me has to take a bite of my burger first 'cos he brought a Big Mac.
They have no trouble finding the time to produce another newsletter (which IMO are quite high quality), and they employ folks (like a community manager) who presumably aren't busy with network coding.
I'd sooner eat my own balls than a Big Mac, so the analogy is lost on me
But as I said in (I think) another thread, you're looking at this all wrong. I suspect the alpha backers are having beta unleashed on them early to make sure that it doesn't fall over under load, to ensure that the beta is actually playable for the beta backers. This is FD covering your back, and making sure your experience of beta is a good one.
I'd sooner eat my own balls than a Big Mac, so the analogy is lost on me
But as I said in (I think) another thread, you're looking at this all wrong. I suspect the alpha backers are having beta unleashed on them early to make sure that it doesn't fall over under load, to ensure that the beta is actually playable for the beta backers. This is FD covering your back, and making sure your experience of beta is a good one.
Hi Noodle,
Have you read the newsletter? ED would be delighted if every single Beta-backer paid to upgrade to Alpha. Early Beta access is not being given for testing, it's being given as a sales incentive to upgrade.
I'd sooner eat my own balls than a Big Mac, so the analogy is lost on me
But as I said in (I think) another thread, you're looking at this all wrong. I suspect the alpha backers are having beta unleashed on them early to make sure that it doesn't fall over under load, to ensure that the beta is actually playable for the beta backers. This is FD covering your back, and making sure your experience of beta is a good one.
I understand what you're getting at but how can they test the load with only the Alpha backers, when the 2000 odd extra players come in for the Beta the system is likely to fail anyway.. I just personally feel as it is an unnecessary further delay to the Beta, so that FD can hopefully get more people to buy the Alpha ... that's just how I feel
Emphasis mine.
That's a huge copulating amount of Overly-Heated, steam-producing Bovine-related Organic Polyphosphates...
Seriously? Am I a child that my mum has to nibble from my spoon to see if the food is too warm?!?
It's a beta phase, and the beta backers are not in the tenth of thousands.
IF a beta phase happens to wobble a bit under the load, so be it. It's BETA not the full release.
We're big boys we can take that.
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