Posts made by Aurellas

Another one

This post: it is daily.

Welcome!

Another one!

I'm also in the Top 100, and didn't get an invite. I've been active almost every day for a year, and did not get a first wave invite. Do I mind? Not in the slightest. I will get into the Pre-Alpha at some point.

I know exactly why I'm not in the first wave.

I'm not that technical in my analysis of the game and it's mechanics. I think that's the simple answer and I firmly believe it to be correct. The first 12 that came into the game would have been some of the most active, yes, but that means diddly squat. What would be the point of letting the Top 12 in if they have nothing constructive to add? Sure, they might have. I'm not taking that away.

But consider this: These 12 people need to be able to enter the game, look at the technically broken parts and mechanics, and deliver feedback in such a way that DS would be able to look at the core of the game's performance and mechanics and fix the worst ones for when the rest of the players get into the Pre-Alpha.

It's hard to test mechanics and game breaking bugs if you can't log into the game, or the lag is so bad you can't even move. The game play we've seen so far had 2 people in it, and possibly it wasn't even online, but a closed private client. So 12 technically savvy people would be able to test the game on the live server and have maximum stability before the rest of us get in.

If you look at some of the posts in the Forum, these guys and girls go into mechanics and stuff that I can't even fathom. That's what an Alpha, and even Beta tester should be. Later tests should be about stability when the core mechanics of the game are fixed to a point where only minor annoyances crop up. I'll be the guy reporting on a glitched tree. They should be the people reporting that: "When casting magic missile, the i-frame on my casting causes player x to be able to hit me with his axe because I can't cancel out of casting fast enough to capitalize on re-casting for my ally to chain into his rock-wall combo." See? I can't technical test for crap.

I don't think it's worded as well as it should be, but what it comes down to is that I'm certain that DS has chosen who they believe will break the game wide open for them to fix it, so that the rest of us will have a better experience overall. Favoritism? I can't think of a single instance where DS has shown they stoop that low. And if they do, they will screw themselves over, which they would not do. Customer Goodwill these days is an extremely valuable asset in gaming, especially for indie studios.

Until proven otherwise and we see what was posted in the Pre-Alpha forum, I am choosing to believe that DS is making choices based on which players would benefit them the most. I'm almost guaranteeing that some of those posts in the Pre-Alpha forum I wouldn't even understand. Also, I'm thinking the first 12 aren't having much of a blast playing. There must be tons of poop hitting the fan. Internal testing and live testing are worlds apart.

I'm not choosing sides or taking anyone on, but until we see otherwise, I think we should refrain from jumping to conclusions. Besides, it's a 2 week difference in timing. Let's rather keep in mind that this is for the game's betterment.

Another 50!

Indeed! Grats all!

Get in there as soon as it opens, First Wave, and break the test!

Squash those bugs!

@lovechildbell said in The Hype is building; can you feel it?:

I'm hyped to see some big progress. But then again this feeling might just be me needing to poop.

Of course, this needs to be upvoted.

Also:

DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP – FROM ALPHA TO RELEASE

Extract:

"Before moving on to the next point, a couple caveats on the info displayed above.

Yes, it takes time to build an MMO. Whoever is telling you “we’re making an ambitious MMO and it’s going to hit full release in one year!” is either overly optimistic or downright lying. Or is a AAA studio that has deployed a 100+ people team on the project since the start, but that’s a different story. We’re taking the honest route: it’s going to take 3 years more to get Fractured to full release. While it may seem long, we’re committed to making the game already enjoyable in Alpha 1, which is doable – more on this in the next section!

Also, the time estimates above are based on a multitude of forecasts – from revenue streams and team size at any given time to various technical factors. While we’re trying to be as precise and realistic as possible, some predictions may prove to be wrong, causing changes in the schedule (negative or positive). Were those to happen, we promise to be totally open to you on the reasons why and on everything that’s going on behind the scenes."

Also, I think what's important on the other spectrum of things:

While the pre-Alpha and Alpha will have many bugs, there's more on the line than the game's performance itself.

Now, I backed Dynamight based on the feel that the company gave me. I like them, and this will be a great opportunity for them to show that all the trust placed in them so far is well founded. While it would be great to get our hands on something playable to at least see what the potential of the game could be, I think the true test is Dynamight's response time to bug fixing and feedback.

If you think about it: The coming 2 months (pre-Alpha and Alpha) is quite a big milestone for them. Their response time needs to be swift and sure, so they will have to divert valuable resources to customer support, likely halting development in a a few areas. Their one and only true asset is in the crossfire here: Customer Goodwill.

Therefore, I think they are way more anxious than we are. On one hand they want to let people play to get the good word out there, but on the other hand, they know what's at stake. You get one shot at a first impression.

I'm thinking that Dynamight's silence is likely to them having meeting upon meeting regarding QA even at this early stage. The Alpha reviews will say "that there are many bugs", but what you want to see in those reviews is "...but the Studio has been swift in dealing with these errors and listening to player feedback, which bodes well for the future of the game."

I think I'm waffling on at the moment, but I think Dynamight is going for the CD Projekt Red approach in that it will be ready when i's ready.

In conclusion, I'm hyped for the tests as well, but willing to wait as long as it takes. I kind of enjoy the build up to the game. I just don't want it to be like a toy that you're expecting to get and can't sleep because of, only to get it and shelve it 20 minutes later.

Nobody asked for my 2 cents, but the pond exists so I tossed it in anyway.

Hello, and welcome!

Adding 50 more to my account.

Welcome!

Another one!

Hello, and welcome!

Welcome! Hope you enjoy it here!

Hello, and welcome here!

It's really good to see the word of the game spread so much!

50 more for the day!

Another one from me too!