Its "just" beta

[MrVibrating]

At this time (beta )there is only the page you see when you first access station services that shows tank and reservoir, and a bar on the right side of the cockpit under the fuel use number. After having read the DDA on fuel , It feels like fuel usage mechanics, information and jump ranges are in their first crude iteration, and a little buggy. I expect it to get better/more detailed.

Ah i get it - it's 'about soo' much fuel. I was expecting some kind of empirical value, alongside a corresponding current jump range.

OK time to dive back in. I'm hoping i might be able to complete my first mission this weekend. Seeing as how i'm three weeks in now, and all..

 

[Toumal]

Every time a poster bring up a valid point or error with the game people shout: "its only beta" or "it will be fixed before release".

Well, if it's a legitimate concern or suggestion, then no, "it's beta" is not the response to give. And there have been plenty of points that were brought up, like the call for alternative cockpit color schemes and the likes.

But if someone moans about supercruise taking too long and being too boring, then yes, it's beta! That's why it's not yet fully fleshed out. In such cases, that's a perfectly valid response.

 

[Hooplah]

Bolthammer anyone who ever succeeded at Elite knows that patience is a big part of the game.

Still you have some valid comments as if FD expects to release the full version of the game in the 4th quarter of 2014 which is only months away versus the current Beta tests I don't think they will make it. But what do I know. They will have to seriously accelerate their additions while currently they are still working on 123 countries all logging into their servers at the same time.

I can always be optimistic while knowing realistically it probably won't happen. That is OK as it will eventually be completed.

I invite comments from FD to tell me different...or not. I know their dedication and commitment to meet the deadline so let's let FD get it together. I don't really care if they miss their release goal date. I do care if they don't keep us informed. Just give me some issues in the News Letters and what the current problems are or start a programmers blog if you are all about promoting ED on the News Letters without going into the current problems. The News Letter is more of a PR issue which really doesn't help working out the problems. There are many programmers out here who still remembers how to look for coding errors. I even fixed Frontier: First Encounters in the coding making it playable. The Russians went even farther with higher resolution graphics. Maybe we in the world with our talents could help. It doesn't hurt to get a programmers point of view on the user end.

 

[Bolthammer]

Bolthammer anyone who ever succeeded at Elite knows that patience is a big part of the game.

Still you have some valid comments as if FD expects to release the full version of the game in the 4th quarter of 2014 which is only months away versus the current Beta tests I don't think they will make it. But what do I know. They will have to seriously accelerate their additions while currently they are still working on 123 countries all logging into their servers at the same time.

I can always be optimistic while knowing realistically it probably won't happen. That is OK as it will eventually be completed.

I invite comments from FD to tell me different...or not. I know their dedication and commitment to meet the deadline so let's let FD get it together. I don't really care if they miss their release goal date. I do care if they don't keep us informed. Just give me some issues in the News Letters and what the current problems are or start a programmers blog if you are all about promoting ED on the News Letters without going into the current problems. The News Letter is more of a PR issue which really doesn't help working out the problems. There are many programmers out here who still remembers how to look for coding errors. I even fixed Frontier: First Encounters in the coding making it playable. The Russians went even farther with higher resolution graphics. Maybe we in the world with our talents could help. It doesn't hurt to get a programmers point of view on the user end.

+1
You read my post and understood it and replied what i was thinking also.

To the others. I have read the DDA multiple times. I miss alot fromt the DDA in the game. I dont listen to the kerrash & co radio.

 

[Guy DudeBroMan]

'Any sufficiently advanced information is indistinguishable from noise.'

Ha! +1 rep seems 'not good enough' for this.

 

[Iskariot]

Still you have some valid comments as if FD expects to release the full version of the game in the 4th quarter of 2014 which is only months away versus the current Beta tests I don't think they will make it. But what do I know.

About that I have expressed my doubts too.
It is difficult to assess. I have no idea what FD has hidden behind the curtains. It is most likely they will hold back certain stuff from the alpha and beta testers too so they have some cool fresh new stuff to discover in the final release.

I will be disappointed a bit if FD is not able to release this year, but I will understand and accept it because I feel they must take no risks with the basic retail release. It has to be a solid release. A debacle like the latest X game would be terrible.

 

[Wavey]

+1
You read my post and understood it and replied what i was thinking also.

To the others. I have read the DDA multiple times. I miss alot fromt the DDA in the game. I dont listen to the kerrash & co radio.

Yes because its still a Beta its not a game yet ,So many parts of the game are not implemented yet ...

 

[gravityStar]

Trying to dig through pages of pages of random "noise" to find tidbits that describe something in a muddled way is probably not what the OP was after.

What about this: http://www.scribd.com/doc/230681554/Elite-Dangerous-the-Beginning-Early-Game-Designs-2014

Everything in one convenient location.

 

[Hydrino]

It is and it is also an impressive "just beta"

Every time a poster bring up a valid point or error with the game people shout: "its only beta" or "it will be fixed before release".

So in other words. What do you miss now, find off or dislike but know will be 100% perfect before christmass this year? Since we all know its beta ...

<snip>
What do you know will be in the game within a few months?

I expect by end of December easily 80% of DDA lists to be achieved with 20% in DLC after release and a few items that just can't be implemented. A lot of what needs to be added is 3D models and graphics plus enhancements to already rolled-out modules like the galactic map rather than totally new systems.

New mission type already seen since Beta1 started (courier), larger player instances (just recently increased to 32 on 21 August, also without client-side update), a lot of art/3D content of which some is undoubtedly already finished or close to it like new asteroids (seen in newsletter weeks ago), the Empire specific ships, new station types (Outposts seen in last newsletter), scooping fuel from gas giants and further LOD/animation/graphics updates (also seen in last newsletter). New asteroid types with metal in them already seen in newsletters past so mining is on the way in as are asteroid belts and new planetary ring types. Michael Brookes stated 21 August that comets are already in, we just can't see them yet but Nebula are still being worked. Also I expect external camera drones as mentioned on the Forums by lead designer Sandro Sammarco. Hyper-space following option, slaving with wingmen and other players, new things to do in Super Cruise.

Biggest additions to be seen Beta2 or 3 are 3 scooping fuel, mining and exploring.

As FD have stated, they did the most risk, most balance required items first and those items were really pre-requisites to additional game-play anyway. How can one explore without a base hyper-drive, fuel mechanic and galactic map? How can one mine without cargo-scoop and markets to sell the ore?

I'm sorry to say so, but sadly it's true, that NPC's with funny hats won't be coming to you. At least not in commercial release 1. Maybe when the FPS mode is released.

 

[cmdr awesome]

I love the way that DB likened building the game to building a house.

Alpha. Single player combat, ship handling. The foundations of the game.
Premium beta. Multiplayer. The walls.
Beta is decorating, but most of the interior design (missions, mining, stations, ships, factions) is still to come.

 

[Kawboy]

Just my opinion, but when I hear or say "It's Beta", what runs through my mind is that we are testing not playing the game. To me, that means we are seeing only the parts of the program that FD has determined needs testing... by a large crowd...

This game is based from several previous successful titles and a lot of that content is apparent already. As has been said, this has been worked on (off and on) for long time now. Personally, I suspect that there is a huge amount of content that we haven't seen, and probably won't see for a while because they're concentrating on the 'new' stuff that NEEDS testing. The other things could very well be available, but not included so as to not complicate testing more than it already is. I have enough confidence in the developers that I'm more than willing to be patient. They've accomplished amazing results considering that the first release was in December and was barely playable.

There's more to come and my guess is that it will hit rapidly when it does.

 

[CMDR Andy Dufresne]

I love the way that DB likened building the game to building a house.

Alpha. Single player combat, ship handling. The foundations of the game.
Premium beta. Multiplayer. The walls.
Beta is decorating, but most of the interior design (missions, mining, stations, ships, factions) is still to come.

There's only one problem with this analogy. You'll get wet when it rains.

 

[Iskariot]

There's only one problem with this analogy. You'll get wet when it rains.

But only if you live in it before it is finished.
We, the players, will only actually live in it when the retail is released.

(Analogies are almost always crap when taken too literally )

 

[SAB380]

I expect by end of December easily 80% of DDA lists to be achieved with 20% in DLC after release and a few items that just can't be implemented. A lot of what needs to be added is 3D models and graphics plus enhancements to already rolled-out modules like the galactic map rather than totally new systems.

New mission type already seen since Beta1 started (courier), larger player instances (just recently increased to 32 on 21 August, also without client-side update), a lot of art/3D content of which some is undoubtedly already finished or close to it like new asteroids (seen in newsletter weeks ago), the Empire specific ships, new station types (Outposts seen in last newsletter), scooping fuel from gas giants and further LOD/animation/graphics updates (also seen in last newsletter). New asteroid types with metal in them already seen in newsletters past so mining is on the way in as are asteroid belts and new planetary ring types. Michael Brookes stated 21 August that comets are already in, we just can't see them yet but Nebula are still being worked. Also I expect external camera drones as mentioned on the Forums by lead designer Sandro Sammarco. Hyper-space following option, slaving with wingmen and other players, new things to do in Super Cruise.

Biggest additions to be seen Beta2 or 3 are 3 scooping fuel, mining and exploring.

Stop it .....thats all just ...too beautiful....

 

[Guy DudeBroMan]

Just my opinion, but when I hear or say "It's Beta", what runs through my mind is that we are testing not playing the game. To me, that means we are seeing only the parts of the program that FD has determined needs testing... by a large crowd...

That is *absolutely* what Beta means, but too many people don't think about that. So many people have this fantasy about what it means to be a beta tester, 'playing games for a living.' You're *not* playing games for a living, you're 'being played' by a broken piece of utterly un'playable' software, finding ways of breaking it in a controlled manner so you can help the programmers fix it. Just imagine the level of outcry if this were an *actual* beta test, and not a public beta that has been vastly cleaned up before we ever get our hands on it!