Honestly, it's not even a full month from when I was expecting it. I was predicting september 30th, since that's technically within the release window but at the very tip top edge of it. "Sometime in October" is, what, a maximum of 4 weeks more? Given how long we've been waiting that's hardly a problem.
'Ready when it's ready' indeed. It's how it should be, and I'm totally willing to accept short delays.
I am not mad... I am disappointed. That's all
....They have to do what they got to do .. But this is the 1 thing I am really looking forward to . On the plus side . Death is not anticipated anytime soon... See how I use the term Soon...I am mean. Some things are learned
Think they’ve already started it, just not for everyone. Just not in the persistent sense right now. Suppose we’ll learn more in two weeks. The Alpha 2 road map is more interesting to me.
Is Christmas in October this year? They are already advertising pumpkin spice at the start of August. So maybe we get Alpha 2 at Christmas.
Can Someone Please give us at least the Reason ? " Why " is it delayed ?
Is it Bugs ?
Is it the Engine itself ?
Is there a Problem with creating the Biomes ?
Is there a Problem with the Node System ? The Classes ? The different Weathers or four different Seasons ?
Questions over Questions.
And Yes - i edited your Comment a little bit in this Quote to better fit the legendary Meme.
And the other Question is also still legit and remains.
If it wouldn't have been delayed ... ... ... ... ... WHAT* , Please - was the exactly planned Date for the Start of Alpha Two ? I can not imagine that i am the only One who is curious about that.
Some Answer like : " Never. Because in the End it got pushed back into Quarter Four. " doesn't count.
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Kinda starting to look for a Guild right now. (German)
Can Someone Please give us at least the Reason ? " Why " is it delayed ?
If it wouldn't have been delayed ... ... ... ... ... WHAT* , Please - was the exactly planned Date for the Start of Alpha Two ? I can not imagine that i am the only One who is curious about that.
Probably just missing class features, biomes, quests,
unfinished systems like sieges and the UIs for it.
The thing you have to remember is that the Alpha is work. Specifically work for the studio. They can't just start the servers and let the gamers have at it. That would create a ton of redundant feedback they'd have to sift through unnecessarily because systems get overriden because they weren't ready for the Alpha test. And it would unnecesarily burn out Alpha testers before the real testing conditions are in effect.
Not to mention they need to prepare their testing conditions, measurement tools, feedback analysis tools and infrastructure, and project scheduling.
They don't have any incentive to start Alpha 2 early; no one would benefit from it besides impatient players who are signed up to the Alpha for fun instead of productive reasons.
Starting Alpha when they're ready = more development time spent on real development progress.
The only one who can validate you for all the posts you didn't write is you.
Can Someone Please give us at least the Reason ? " Why " is it delayed ?
Is it Bugs ?
Is it the Engine itself ?
Is there a Problem with creating the Biomes ?
Is there a Problem with the Node System ? The Classes ? The different Weathers or four different Seasons ?
Questions over Questions.
And Yes - i edited your Comment a little bit in this Quote to better fit the legendary Meme.
And the other Question is also still legit and remains.
If it wouldn't have been delayed ... ... ... ... ... WHAT* , Please - was the exactly planned Date for the Start of Alpha Two ? I can not imagine that i am the only One who is curious about that.
Some Answer like : " Never. Because in the End it got pushed back into Quarter Four. " doesn't count.
Exactly the reason why I'm disappointed by Intrepid. Why not just tell us the reasons for the delay? It won't hurt us.
Also, I think Intrepid could have just posted in the forums or on social channels that Alpha 2 will not hit Q3 because of said reasons. But going from one stream telling us that they are on track for Q3 to another saying they will miss Q3 without giving reasons is just not the right way. They always communicated well with the community, but I feel it has gotten worse over time.
Maybe I just inhaled too much copium, who knows. Just wishing for the truth; we can handle it.
Likely delayed because they didn’t hit one of their internal milestones on time and wanted it in Alpha 2. That might be a feature we weren’t even aware of. I think they know they need to hit a home run at the start of Alpha 2. I also think the Road Map is their way to be more open on the milestones going forward. We’ll learn more on 8/16.
I know some were hoping A2 would hit the start of Q3. I joked 9/30 was still Q3. So if it’s October, which could be anywhere from 10/1 to 10/31, we are not looking at a very long time. Plus a lot of folks would prefer A2 opens when it’s right and ready rather than having to grind through glitchy stuff for months, although this too is part of the deal for an alpha. Seems Steven wants an Alpha 2 that is somewhat playable and fun.
Exactly the reason why I'm disappointed by Intrepid. Why not just tell us the reasons for the delay? It won't hurt us.
No, but it might hurt them. There's only so much detail that they should give out, because some people will attack any reason.
The delay could be because of the new lighting. It could be because streamers want more time to chew on WoW/T&L before moving to Ashes. It could be because they want to finish a 2nd/3rd design pass on all classes that will be in A2
Exactly the reason why I'm disappointed by Intrepid. Why not just tell us the reasons for the delay? It won't hurt us.
No, but it might hurt them. There's only so much detail that they should give out, because some people will attack any reason.
The delay could be because of the new lighting. It could be because streamers want more time to chew on WoW/T&L before moving to Ashes. It could be because they want to finish a 2nd/3rd design pass on all classes that will be in A2
It might be none of those 3, but 5 other reasons.
Thanks for your response. I completely agree that sharing too much detail could potentially lead to backlash, but I also believe that the community deserves transparency, especially when many of us have financially supported the project through the pre-order packs and other means.
Most of us are not here to attack Intrepid but to support and believe in the project. We understand that game development is complex and often faces unforeseen challenges. Clear and honest communication about delays or changes can help maintain the trust and support that we’ve built over time.
By explaining the reasons behind the delay, Intrepid can help manage our expectations and prevent unnecessary speculation and frustration. It's not about avoiding negative reactions but about showing respect for the community that has been there since the beginning.
Ultimately, we’re all here because we want Ashes of Creation to be the best it can be. Transparency and open communication are key to maintaining a strong and supportive community.
Personally, I am not too disappointed, but I 100% understand why others are. Like many pointed out, it can be kinda frustrating that until the very last moment Intrepid did tell us "we are very optimistic that we can hit Q3" which in light of the history of far-off calls feels a bit like a repition of past mistakes.
Not sure if communication with the community has become worse because Maragret possibly being in the process of stepping back for the birth of her child (understandable), overhype on the side of Intrepid to getting close the next "big step" and having misjudged the crunch they'd have to do or some other reason.
Again, for me the delay is not too frustrating or disappointing (kinda expected it tbh), but I can see why this is a bad look for them as a company and why people much longer involved with the project would be taken aback by this.
It might be a good and important step to start the August 16th stream with clarifying what led to this and reestablish the transparency with the community.
I think it was good of them to tell us when they did, rather than stringing it out and waiting until late September to let us know.
They let us know when they knew...just the kind of good behavior we hope for.
Agreed, and really the reason doesn't matter for the community. Knowing if it was because of a major bug they found or if it's because of optimization issues or simply just because they aren't going to have the server infrastructure in-place through AWS doesn't do anything for the community. In the end it all just comes down to "the game wasn't going to be ready in time" and that's all that actually matters.
I’m feeling a bit let down by Intrepid after the latest stream. While I appreciate their dedication, the announcement of different phases for Alpha 2 was unexpected. According to the wiki, Alpha-2 was supposed to be the "persistent alpha," with servers up 24/7 until launch. Intrepid always emphasizes communication, so it would’ve been helpful if they had mentioned these phases earlier, maybe when they announced the month last stream.
I’ll still play through all the phases, but I can see how some might be frustrated that they won’t be able to play as they intended. Sure, it’s an alpha and meant for testing, but people did pay for it. The limited playtimes could also mean massive server loads, potentially making it hard to play or test the game in the first place—though maybe that’s intended for testing purposes.
They should never have announced the Q3 Alpha 2 date. They should have continued development across this year and then announced it at the end of the year for Q2 of 2025. They are breaking a straightforward rule. Under-promise and over-deliver. They are over-promising and they will not be able to deliver.
People do not understand what "True Alpha" means. After all this time and a million statements, people are STILL talking about "playing the game" in October.
They are sailing into incredibly choppy waters and the project will be crucified over the coming months.
Xeph
Member
Comments
Sure was!
You've been expecting it for a long time, haven't you ?
I have been waiting SINCE 2018 FOR THIS DAY!
'Ready when it's ready' indeed. It's how it should be, and I'm totally willing to accept short delays.
I'm okay with it as well. Those are just memes for the joke. I don't really mind that much.
Welcome to software development. Missing dates and release windows happens damn near every day.
... ... ... WHAT would be the exact Date of the Alpha Two - if it wouldn't have been delayed ?
Still August ?
Or sometime in September ?
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Kinda starting to look for a Guild right now. (German)
....They have to do what they got to do .. But this is the 1 thing I am really looking forward to . On the plus side . Death is not anticipated anytime soon... See how I use the term Soon...I am mean. Some things are learned
Is Christmas in October this year? They are already advertising pumpkin spice at the start of August. So maybe we get Alpha 2 at Christmas.
Can Someone Please give us at least the Reason ? " Why " is it delayed ?
Is it Bugs ?
Is it the Engine itself ?
Is there a Problem with creating the Biomes ?
Is there a Problem with the Node System ? The Classes ? The different Weathers or four different Seasons ?
Questions over Questions.
And Yes - i edited your Comment a little bit in this Quote to better fit the legendary Meme.
And the other Question is also still legit and remains.
If it wouldn't have been delayed ... ... ... ... ... WHAT* , Please - was the exactly planned Date for the Start of Alpha Two ? I can not imagine that i am the only One who is curious about that.
Some Answer like : " Never. Because in the End it got pushed back into Quarter Four. " doesn't count.
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Kinda starting to look for a Guild right now. (German)
unfinished systems like sieges and the UIs for it.
The thing you have to remember is that the Alpha is work. Specifically work for the studio. They can't just start the servers and let the gamers have at it. That would create a ton of redundant feedback they'd have to sift through unnecessarily because systems get overriden because they weren't ready for the Alpha test. And it would unnecesarily burn out Alpha testers before the real testing conditions are in effect.
Not to mention they need to prepare their testing conditions, measurement tools, feedback analysis tools and infrastructure, and project scheduling.
They don't have any incentive to start Alpha 2 early; no one would benefit from it besides impatient players who are signed up to the Alpha for fun instead of productive reasons.
Starting Alpha when they're ready = more development time spent on real development progress.
Exactly the reason why I'm disappointed by Intrepid. Why not just tell us the reasons for the delay? It won't hurt us.
Also, I think Intrepid could have just posted in the forums or on social channels that Alpha 2 will not hit Q3 because of said reasons. But going from one stream telling us that they are on track for Q3 to another saying they will miss Q3 without giving reasons is just not the right way. They always communicated well with the community, but I feel it has gotten worse over time.
Maybe I just inhaled too much copium, who knows. Just wishing for the truth; we can handle it.
I know some were hoping A2 would hit the start of Q3. I joked 9/30 was still Q3. So if it’s October, which could be anywhere from 10/1 to 10/31, we are not looking at a very long time. Plus a lot of folks would prefer A2 opens when it’s right and ready rather than having to grind through glitchy stuff for months, although this too is part of the deal for an alpha. Seems Steven wants an Alpha 2 that is somewhat playable and fun.
The delay could be because of the new lighting. It could be because streamers want more time to chew on WoW/T&L before moving to Ashes. It could be because they want to finish a 2nd/3rd design pass on all classes that will be in A2
It might be none of those 3, but 5 other reasons.
Amen to that. I hope it will be a very worthfile and informing Stream.
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Kinda starting to look for a Guild right now. (German)
Thanks for your response. I completely agree that sharing too much detail could potentially lead to backlash, but I also believe that the community deserves transparency, especially when many of us have financially supported the project through the pre-order packs and other means.
Most of us are not here to attack Intrepid but to support and believe in the project. We understand that game development is complex and often faces unforeseen challenges. Clear and honest communication about delays or changes can help maintain the trust and support that we’ve built over time.
By explaining the reasons behind the delay, Intrepid can help manage our expectations and prevent unnecessary speculation and frustration. It's not about avoiding negative reactions but about showing respect for the community that has been there since the beginning.
Ultimately, we’re all here because we want Ashes of Creation to be the best it can be. Transparency and open communication are key to maintaining a strong and supportive community.
Not sure if communication with the community has become worse because Maragret possibly being in the process of stepping back for the birth of her child (understandable), overhype on the side of Intrepid to getting close the next "big step" and having misjudged the crunch they'd have to do or some other reason.
Again, for me the delay is not too frustrating or disappointing (kinda expected it tbh), but I can see why this is a bad look for them as a company and why people much longer involved with the project would be taken aback by this.
It might be a good and important step to start the August 16th stream with clarifying what led to this and reestablish the transparency with the community.
They let us know when they knew...just the kind of good behavior we hope for.
Agreed, and really the reason doesn't matter for the community. Knowing if it was because of a major bug they found or if it's because of optimization issues or simply just because they aren't going to have the server infrastructure in-place through AWS doesn't do anything for the community. In the end it all just comes down to "the game wasn't going to be ready in time" and that's all that actually matters.
I’ll still play through all the phases, but I can see how some might be frustrated that they won’t be able to play as they intended. Sure, it’s an alpha and meant for testing, but people did pay for it. The limited playtimes could also mean massive server loads, potentially making it hard to play or test the game in the first place—though maybe that’s intended for testing purposes.
People do not understand what "True Alpha" means. After all this time and a million statements, people are STILL talking about "playing the game" in October.
They are sailing into incredibly choppy waters and the project will be crucified over the coming months.
... ... ... did they Announce a certain Date in October ?
If not - then i guess we will have to wait until the End of this Month, or the End of September.
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Kinda starting to look for a Guild right now. (German)