April Alpha

[Luniticisi]

And why would I pledge for an early beta, if I would want to play a tested functional "classic" ?? I signed for the early beta to find bugs, report them, try to brake different game mechanics etc... that's what I love to do, I couldn't care less how many bugs there are or not.

to be honest I'm with devastat on this one, I am not expecting a complete game, running perfectly for Beta 1 .. that isn't what I paid for .. sure, it would be nice to have the game all hunky dory when it comes to Beta .. but then what is the point of pledging to Beta test a game that has been fully tested? .. Yes I know there will be other things to test but Beta wont be "a tested functional classic", it will be full of bugs, Ctd's and network problems ... that is after all what a beta is.

No it's not a April Fool joke, :3.4 dropped today.

Glad to see the Developer log is useful.

And please remember to keep it civil.

Yes T.j, thanks for the Developer log ... keeps me nice and up to date .... cheers for that.

 

[devastat]

we are starting to closing in being 6 months late

Utter guff!

I would appreciate it if you wouldn't quote me out of context..

The whole sentence goes "When we are starting to closing in being 6 months late".

 

[Riedquat]

Well, I'm pledged up to Beta too ..
I just don't see the point in worrying about when that will be
Beta will be less buggy, by definition, no?

I would of thought there would be a lot more bugs, seeing as the rest of the game will be opened up.

Universe is opened up.
Lots more goods/outfitting to purchase and trade (I'm assuming alpha trading will be restricted)
All the different mission types to test
more players

to name a few

 

[Mu77ley]

I remember DB saying, way back*, that they had the network code working .. what happened there ...?

*edit .. I believe that it was on the initial kickstarter video ..

Getting network code working on a LAN is a piece of ****, getting it working over the Internet is a whole new world of pain, with lag, unreliable connections, bandwidth throttling, poor networking equipment, badly configured routers, etc.

 

[Toumal]

Honestly I don't get the complaints about ED being "late". We had a DDF, which essentially meant that requirements changed and any estimate made before that is basically null and void. And DB has repeatedly stated that they're shooting for this and that rough estimate but each phase will take as long as necessary to get right.

If they had not done the DDF and ask us for what we want, then yes, we could hold them for the initial estimate. But we wanted more, and we're getting more (frameshift, etc), and that's gonna take more time.

 

[CMDR Texas Stu]

It IS getting better now. Which is good news... getting closer.

EDIT: And we alpha guys aren't that much better, you should have seen the uproar in January when we weren't sure when Alpha 2 was coming out. The tone of those posts was very similar to this thread.

Or the posts about spinning ships. Virtually all weekend that was the extent of 2.01 (I think it was?). Many posts and many unhappy testers.

I think it's great to hear there will possibly be an announcement regarding beta next week though! (~42 mins in on that interview)

 

[trekman]

Well, I'm pretty sure there will be lots of bugs left to solve in the early beta as well..

And I pretty sure there will be bugs in the final release as well simply because its impossible to produce a completely 100% bug free piece of software considering how many people will be playing and the differences in their setups. I'm sure it'll still be brilliant though.

 

[Tinman]

I think it's great to hear there will possibly be an announcement regarding beta next week though! (~42 mins in on that interview)

That interview was made during GDC two weeks ago so "next week" in this case would mean "last week".

I'm guessing the current bugs in the Alpha are making such an announcement a bit tricky right now since they can't say for certain when these will be resolved so that they can move forward.

 

[Daeron]

Let us not be like that publisher pushing for a rushed unfinished buggy mess. Surely 30 years of waiting for a good version, have teached us something. This must not be an alternate, but equally potent way, of producing a rushed unfinished buggy mess!

 

[Luniticisi]

Let us not be like that publisher pushing for a rushed unfinished buggy mess. Surely 30 years of waiting for a good version, have teached us something. This must not be an alternate, but equally potent way, of producing a rushed unfinished buggy mess!

I don't think the Beta backers are asking for the game to be rushed in any way.. after all Beta testing is also a testing phase and it is expected to be buggy .. and will not effect to final product if all testing is done correctly.

Frustrations are bound to be experienced by (some) Beta backers, it's the nature of the beast ... the constant reply about releasing a buggy game has nothing to do with the release of the Beta ... As someone said .. If the Alpha still had not been released by now these forums would be going bat-doo doo ...

We all understand the need for patience, but I would really like my Beta now (and some sausages ... nice Cumberland ones with some ketchup)

 

[KickahasTier]

I would appreciate it if you wouldn't quote me out of context..

The whole sentence goes "When we are starting to closing in being 6 months late".

I wish you'd use parse-able grammar, I feel dirty even quoting that. ;P

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

That interview was made during GDC two weeks ago so "next week" in this case would mean "last week".

I'm guessing the current bugs in the Alpha are making such an announcement a bit tricky right now since they can't say for certain when these will be resolved so that they can move forward.

They certainly planned announcement, as I remember from communication with FD before 3.0, but Michael said that it is "unknown" at the moment when it actually can happen. So I guess when network issues are solved out, we will know when beta will kick off.

 

[Cody]

I wish you'd use parse-able grammar...

'Parse-able'? <chortles>

 

[Amorelia]

I gambled and lost. Happens every day I guess but pretty frustrating.

In this case, the house says you lost but isn't going to tell you when you can see the hand of cards that you called.

 

[devastat]

I wish you'd use parse-able grammar, I feel dirty even quoting that. ;P

Apologies .. English is not my native language. In fact I don't even know what parse-able means.

 

[Amorelia]

I do not want early access to anything Alpha, and the OP made no mention of rushing anything.

But this thread illustrates the real point the OP set out to make: FD's actions and poor communications have created a 2-tier customer base, the larger of which are getting fed up with the attitude of the minority that FD are actively servicing.

Perhaps FD need to stop ignoring their growing PR problem.

 

[ZeeWolf]

I do not want early access to anything Alpha, and the OP made no mention of rushing anything.

But this thread illustrates the real point the OP set out to make: FD's actions and poor communications have created a 2-tier customer base, the larger of which are getting fed up with the attitude of the minority that FD are actively servicing.

Perhaps FD need to stop ignoring their growing PR problem.

Really? Did I miss something? Aren't you the OP?

 

[Luniticisi]

I do not want early access to anything Alpha, and the OP made no mention of rushing anything.

But this thread illustrates the real point the OP set out to make: FD's actions and poor communications have created a 2-tier customer base, the larger of which are getting fed up with the attitude of the minority that FD are actively servicing.

Perhaps FD need to stop ignoring their growing PR problem.

I don't think FD's communication has been that bad at all, yes the last 2 Dev Video's were pretty useless as I had already seen most (if not all) of the info that was in those vid's before (on You tube/twitch) but try being part of Godus if you want to see a lack of communication (Has gotten a little better now) but over 3 months of NOTHING from the Devs.

To be honest I do not see a PR problem, neither do I see a 2-tier customer base ... Yes the Alpha peep's (IMO) are lucky sod's for being able to test now ... If I had a spare £100 I would be right in there with them .. maybe even getting a little bored with the content because of the length of the Alpha and reported lack of content .. would I then suddenly be more informed than before .. No, I don't think so ... The Alpha backers have no clue when Beta starts ... and i suppose FD don't either (although I hope they have some clue )

 

[MrShadowfax]

FD's actions and poor communications have created a 2-tier customer base, the larger of which are getting fed up with the attitude of the minority that FD are actively servicing.

Perhaps FD need to stop ignoring their growing PR problem.

I'm part of your "2nd tier" and have no problem waiting patiently for Premium Beta..

Please don't project your own point of view onto all - or even the majority of - non-alpha backers and suddenly claim that FD have a "growing PR problem". Three or four incredibly vocal critics do not make a "growing PR problem", they just make threads like these that won't die.

 

[Daeron]

I don't think the Beta backers are asking for the game to be rushed in any way.. after all Beta testing is also a testing phase and it is expected to be buggy .. and will not effect to final product if all testing is done correctly.

Frustrations are bound to be experienced by (some) Beta backers, it's the nature of the beast ... the constant reply about releasing a buggy game has nothing to do with the release of the Beta ... As someone said .. If the Alpha still had not been released by now these forums would be going bat-doo doo ...

We all understand the need for patience, but I would really like my Beta now (and some sausages ... nice Cumberland ones with some ketchup)

Simply put, you want it to be harder to sort out problems that should be singled out, by the procedure of adressing them in the proper order. This have a tendency to carry problems into later stages, which would include the Gamma.

Because when Beta arrives there will be pressure from those that want the Gamma! So the Beta must be rushed!

If we -again- have learned anything in the last 30 years, it is that retroactively fixing a mess caused by impatient people, problems carried into the next stage and never adressed when the focus shifted, is the best way to get bugs/issues that will never be fixed, because they will be embedded into further layers.

Rushing ANY stage comes with implications, for ALL stages. That is why we have stages in the first place! Stages like when you construct a building. You simply do not rush if you want a solid one. You simply do not move in before it is all done!

Rushing one stage for any other reason than moving ahead in proper order, however noble the intention, is to ignore the purpose of these stages, and make way for a lesser product for everyone, as happens every time the power of impatience is invoked. It always end up in a lesser product. Because that is the reward for rushing. Every single time.

Sadly this cannot be debated away, for we end up with a technical product, not a rhetorical essay. And we will all be affected by this. So please do not allow the power of impatience to get the better of this one...

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