How long is the Alpha phase of the Beta phase?

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Everyone moved to here, heh?

If you read newsletter what's actually says, it means alphas get same build betas will get, just early. How early - don't know - but for FD there's no point to hold off it longer than one or two days because they want game to be tested on most larger scale possible due of multiplayer testing.

 

[Rog]

Everyone moved to here, heh?

If you read newsletter what's actually says, it means alphas get same build betas will get, just early. How early - don't know - but for FD there's no point to hold off it longer than one or two days because they want game to be tested on most larger scale possible due of multiplayer testing.

Nobody's moved here, the OP was a polite request for clarification from FD:

As title:

Since there is a firm date for closing Alpha applications (25th April), would FD like to give the beta backers some indication as to how long they anticipate the Alpha-only phase of the beta phase (or whatever we are supposed to call this new phase) is likely to last?

Will it be the same amount of exclusive Alpha access for 'premium' and 'standard' beta builds?

So, to recap: can we have an *ESTIMATE* of how long the surprise all-new alpha 'exclusive' (FD's term, not mine) will last. Not *WHEN* or exactly how long as this is obviously not practical.

EG: 'We anticipate it will be 24 hours, 3 days, one week, three weeks, a month, we have no idea whatsoever, etc'.

Surprisingly, still waiting.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

So, to recap: can we have an *ESTIMATE* of how long the surprise all-new alpha 'exclusive' (FD's term, not mine) will last. Not *WHEN* or exactly how long as this is obviously not practical.

EG: 'We anticipate it will be 24 hours, 3 days, one week, three weeks, a month, we have no idea whatsoever, etc'.

Surprisingly, still waiting.

Have you tried DM Mark Boss for example? It is good to start asking it for clarification directly.

 

[kilvenny]

I wouldn't expect an answer. How could FD know?

If there is no bug I would expect twenty four hours.

If its a bad bug then it could take a day, two days, maybe longer to fix.

And worse the replacement build could fail too....

Hey this is software after all

 

[KING5TON]

I wouldn't expect an answer. How could FD know?

If there is no bug I would expect twenty four hours.

If its a bad bug then it could take a day, two days, maybe longer to fix.

And worse the replacement build could fail too....

Hey this is software after all

Depends on if this is genuinely to provide a stable build for Beta backers to test by allowing Alpha backers to test it (because for some contrived reason they're better suited to test the game than Beta backers are) or it's got nothing to do with testing the build before releasing to Beta backers and everything to do with making more money by flogging Alpha access when there's around a month or less to go.

 

[streki]

So, still no clarification from FD ?

 

[Rog]

Have you tried DM Mark Boss for example? It is good to start asking it for clarification directly.

Indeed, that was next on the list, however since it affects everybody below alpha backer level, I assumed it would be of wider interest to just me.

It may be worth remembering that the vast majority of backers are of course below alpha level.

 

[CMDR Texas Stu]

Just my opinion, I am suspecting FD is trying to protect the majority of players from issues that would stop them from playing (ie. the weekend we watched spinning ships or were constantly disconnected).
I suspect the beta backers will still be able to play the previous build while the alpha players are unable to because of a broken build.
Other than the first delay is this really such a bad thing if true?
Tossing aside the presumption that participation means premiere hands on, is it worse off to still be playing the previous build than to not be play-testing at all for lack of being able to?

 

[Michael Brookes]

Repeating what I've posted in another thread:

The reason for the Alpha testers to get a candidate beta build first is to test it before a wider release. Beta is divided into phases where premium beta access includes the early phases and normal beta access covers the later stages.

Michael

 

[Rollo]

May I then suggest a change of wording. Premium beta should be called second beta or early as 'premium' suggest 'first' or the likes. It just isn't premium anymore.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

May I then suggest a change of wording. Premium beta should be called second beta or early as 'premium' suggest 'first' or the likes. It just isn't premium anymore.

You have very strange definition of "premium". It doesn't imply in what order you will get anything.

 

[Mazhurg]

May I then suggest a change of wording. Premium beta should be called second beta or early as 'premium' suggest 'first' or the likes. It just isn't premium anymore.

Really?

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/premium

Nothing in there defines as first.

 

[Gibbonici]

You have very strange definition of "premium". It doesn't imply in what order you will get anything.

It does imply a certain, um, premium though, especially since it was renamed from first beta.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

It does imply a certain, um, premium though, especially since it was renamed from first beta.

It is premium compared to normal beta.

 

[Rollo]

In this specific case it meant the highest pledge of the beta access. Premium usually means something at it's best, at least in my language. If it is something else in English I apologize and stand corrected if so.

 

[metanoia]

It's a space game, countdowns are big in the space scene. 5 4 3 2 1 Liftoff

so if 1 is Premium Beta
Liftoff is pre premium beta Alpha beta

 

[Michael Brookes]

Premium beta means being involved in the early stages of the beta test phase, normal beta does not provide this access.

Michael

 

[Leonick]

The name of the tier "Premium Beta" just as the description for it implies that you are in the first rounds of the beta, before anyone who is part of the later rounds of beta.

That hasn't changed.

I do hope more news really do come soon, telling us just roughly how long alpha testers will be on new builds before it is pushed to the out the full scale beta but really, it's going to be measured in days at most, not weeks and months. I would have prefered if they just let anyone opt-in to the early possibly unstable builds rather than using Alpha tier players but oh well.

 

[Mazhurg]

The name of the tier "Premium Beta" just as the description for it implies that you are in the first rounds of the beta, before anyone who is part of the later rounds of beta.

That hasn't changed.

I do hope more news really do come soon, telling us just roughly how long alpha testers will be on new builds before it is pushed to the out the full scale beta but really, it's going to be measured in days at most, not weeks and months. I would have prefered if they just let anyone opt-in to the early possibly unstable builds rather than using Alpha tier players but oh well.

As short as a few hours:

http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showpost.php?p=341994&postcount=195

 

[Gibbonici]

In this specific case it meant the highest pledge of the beta access. Premium usually means something at it's best, at least in my language. If it is something else in English I apologize and stand corrected if so.

Exactly so. I think it's a lot easier to adjust expectations from the word when your pledge was honoured five months ago than when you've been patiently waiting for almost as long with nothing more to go on.

Anyway, let's see what FD says about it all when they give us more details. It's been an ugly week in my favourite forums and I'll be happy when we all know where we stand and can move forward.