Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 month

So yesterday i got any email stating that we were roughly at about 1 month before the end of alpha. So no extended alpha period ? One month will be enough to implement remaining core features and have them less or more playables ? Or do you consider beta stage as being also a period where new features will be implemented ?

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

Uber doesn't have a whole lot more to do. Once they implement multiplanet, which will probably come with a first bake for Orbital, all they need to do is polish off the biomes, add a few more units and they'll have a relatively complete beta. Then they can start working on balance and artwork (and get some sleep for once), more specifically the 100+ Commanders they have to do (I feel so bad for the artists that have to work on these), and in not so long they'll be done.

The big hurdle is getting orbital and multiplanet mechanics to work properly. Also optimization, that's a biggy that should be mostly done by the end of Alpha.

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

:lol:

Navy, Orbital, Multi planet wars, more biomes, units, performance, replays, ubernet-stats, ladder, I probably forget a lot here

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

Relatively speaking that isn't a whole ton. Ubernet probably has the backend for ladder, it just needs to be implemented, replay vault and mod vault are also in the Ubernet bandwagon.

What I'm saying is that they've gotten *this far* in 11 months, so in the time it takes for Alpha and Beta they will be able to implement everything they're planning.

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

The UI still needs a ton of work as well, it would be good if it were at least as functional as supcom even if next gen is not possible. At the moment we are still back in grandfather generation. This is important if a lot of talk about strategy over micro is to become action.

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

I get the impression that uber works on everything at once, then puts stuff in the game as it completes or is at least workable. 4 weeks may be more time than they actually need!

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

I don't see why this is all that surprising we knew all along pretty much that Alpha would end before the Beta Starts in September sometime.

As for not having enough time, I think you've forgotten what the Alpha is really about, it's not so much about things working right(but it is a plus) but just about getting things WORKING period, playability doesn't matter, you're not supposed to 'play' the Alpha.

Beta is when they building the playability on top of the functional framework built during the Alpha.

Mike

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

Ok but as i said i'm talking about core features.

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

Missing core features are multiple planets and orbital units. Maybe planetary collisions depending on how far the engine is in regards to changing geometry during a game.

Anything else is polishing and beta work imo.

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

I'm pretty sure that multiple planets is actually already in the game, it is literally just including ways to get between them that's a core thing that's missing. WAY back units just stayed relative to your viewpoint. But then a few builds ago, you could look at your base, from the moon, but it was still on the planet.

EDIT: an it was mentioned a while back that there were 2 people JUST working on the UI, so that'll prolly change a lot in the next month in prep for actual gameplay beta testing.

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

Multiplanet IS in the game, you just have to unlock the system editor and you can see.

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

What are the core features according to you then?

Mike

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

It is great to be optimistic :lol:

The game will not be ready for beta, it is obvious. TONS of everything is missing !

If you say the contrary, you are a liar or quiet naive.

Beta is about polishing the game, work on the balance etc... Do i have to remember you that the engine is not even able to run properly a 3v3 game without lag. So what about 40 players on a server (lol)? The bandwidth needed to play is also insane ! 70% of units are missing. The pathfinder is crap. The user interface is empty. I m not even speaking about multiplanet gameplay, and smashing planet with asteroids. etc...


Don't misunderstand me. I like the game, and i hope Uber will overcome all the problem. But don't be blind fans, the game will never be ready on time. If uber keeps their impossible objectives, if they release the beta in September and do marketing about it, the video game press will destroy the game reputation.
edit : the alpha price was already quiet a bad about reputation

edit : I participated to several beta. If the game go on beta in this state, it would be the most underachieved beta game i have never seen.

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

Sounds like exactly the kinds of things you deal with in Beta to me.

What Beta's specifically did you partake in? Many 'Betas' until recently have been nothing more than glorified Demos.

Mike

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

Tribes Ascend
Mechwarrior online
Hawken
Arma III (alpha & beta)

and all of them was playable from the technical point of view (framerate, connection with server, crash frequency). Beta was about adding content, balancing gameplay, light optimization of netcode / graphics.

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

Well those ones are pretty good examples at least, although I feel that MWO and Hawken are lingering in Beta too long IMO but anyways, I don't see how PA is any different from those listed, I mean, maybe if PA was as you describe at the END of beta there would be cause for concern, but Early beta is definitely going to be more rough around the edges. Uber might be a bit behind and might have a few smaller 'core' things to sort out in or before the beta starts, but all in all I think they've really got a good handle on it overall.

Mike

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

A bit... i find you are quiet indulgent. The engine is far away to reach the desired performance. Everybody says "it's normal nothing is optimized", well optimization improves stuff but it's not magic.

So i hope that Uber take his job seriously. It s nice to say "awesome" at every sentences, but now make the "awesomeness" real guys !

Good luck and don't mess the game

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

Well, to deliver a good product, what one need is Time & Money.

It seems Time is not a too big issue because Uber try to not put some fixed time Goal.
=> Good
Money is more problematic, but the Kickstarter, Pre-orders & Steam sales (+ revenues coming from other games & sources) should help them to hold some time.
=> Almost Good

The December final release date is nothing really fixed it seems, so they can certainly push back the date to 2014.
Now, will there still be enough money at that time, it will probably higly depend on what will be showed during the Beta...

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

I doubt it. Pretty sure mid December is the final deadline to launch before the Christmas season where sales are way bigger.

Re: Yesterday newsletter states alpha really ends within 1 m

Well you have to have something working before you can make it work well and making things work well is part of the Beta process. Given how Uber is writing the engine from scratch they have a very good understanding of how it works, and frankly from my understanding a lot of what people might think is basically poor performance is more so due to a bandwidth cap, which Uber is aware of and in part implemented specifically to see where the trouble areas are and have said they are able to make strides in that regard. Given that all the clients(us) handle is Planet Generation and graphical rendering this makes sense.

Pretty much, any later and sales will suffer as a result, luckily Uber is committed to Post Release support so even if there is a few loose ends missing at release we know they'll be tied up in short order after release.

Mike