The Python 2, Type-8 Transporter, Mandalay and Cobra 5 were all released in 3310 with access initially via Arx, providing both a single pre-built starship and Shipyard access¹ to get more as needed. The consistent phrase used by Frontier to announce these was Early access, and this suggestion focuses on its connotation.
In the context of those as products, their high quality and completeness upon release—or even prior, considering Partner Program members—deserves a far more polite phrase! With relatively few examples of being conducted well, the Early access notion often connotes incompleteness, ill-faith² and possible abandonment, and thus can be used to derogate a product unfairly.
Setting aside direct opinions on the matter or whether one is happy to wait instead³, the 3310 releases were all far above that level and could have been self-regarded much more highly in announcements and promotions. Premier access would be a good replacement term which describes better the temporal aspect, emphasising that the access is first or initial as opposed to early or premature. Premium access is also good; it risks hiding that temporal aspect, although it is more decent in emphasising the purchase aspect.
I think Premier access is slightly better in informing more fully that general availability will follow later, and I could not find a single-word term which implies both aspects in a literal way, only words which may imply both while bringing negative connotations of their own. Such may exist though, and would be surely better than allowing early to infer that the product is premature!
1. Despite being stated on the respective Arx store pages, some Commanders still fail to realise that buying pre-built via Arx also gives Shipyard access; this could imply a lack of clarity within Elite itself. Some are also only associating with the phrase available for credits, despite the present Shipyard access already being a much better term!
2. As opposed to small, independent studios using Early access because funding is genuinely scarce and they have at least some reputation available to stake on it.
3. I have been very pleased with buying the Python 2 access immediately, content to wait for the others, and pleased to buy Mandalay access during the Christmas discount.
In the context of those as products, their high quality and completeness upon release—or even prior, considering Partner Program members—deserves a far more polite phrase! With relatively few examples of being conducted well, the Early access notion often connotes incompleteness, ill-faith² and possible abandonment, and thus can be used to derogate a product unfairly.
Setting aside direct opinions on the matter or whether one is happy to wait instead³, the 3310 releases were all far above that level and could have been self-regarded much more highly in announcements and promotions. Premier access would be a good replacement term which describes better the temporal aspect, emphasising that the access is first or initial as opposed to early or premature. Premium access is also good; it risks hiding that temporal aspect, although it is more decent in emphasising the purchase aspect.
I think Premier access is slightly better in informing more fully that general availability will follow later, and I could not find a single-word term which implies both aspects in a literal way, only words which may imply both while bringing negative connotations of their own. Such may exist though, and would be surely better than allowing early to infer that the product is premature!
1. Despite being stated on the respective Arx store pages, some Commanders still fail to realise that buying pre-built via Arx also gives Shipyard access; this could imply a lack of clarity within Elite itself. Some are also only associating with the phrase available for credits, despite the present Shipyard access already being a much better term!
2. As opposed to small, independent studios using Early access because funding is genuinely scarce and they have at least some reputation available to stake on it.
3. I have been very pleased with buying the Python 2 access immediately, content to wait for the others, and pleased to buy Mandalay access during the Christmas discount.
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