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Breaking news from Steven: Alpha NDA drop moved to July 9th

2

Comments

  • AsgerrAsgerr Member
    Khronus wrote: »
    My ultimate dream would be to have Alpha 2 come out this year some time. Is it unrealistic? Sure. Would it be amazing and fulfill my need for consistent AoC exposure? Hell yes. When Alpha 2 drops, as long as we have a solid community who are there to help the development team in every way possible (which I believe we have) then development should proceed smoothly.

    I think there may be a case for Alpha 2 to drop in late December, early January.

    If that prediction becomes true, a Beta 1 in fall 2022, could be feasible I think, not knowing the first thing about game development.

    I would thus expect the full launch in late 2023? God it feels so far away.... and it might be even farther away.
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  • McShaveMcShave Member
    Ha, we gonna have the full game to test by the time we see it. Just kidding, but it feels like it.
  • DygzDygz Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Well, we can still test this weekend. It's just the NDA that has been pushed back at the moment.
    Sure, the month-long test has also been pushed back, but we're still supposed to get some more testing in in-between.

    That's better than having all the testing pushed back 2 months.
  • MahesMahes Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    Great decision. I know it feels like a disappointment, but it really isn't. First impression makes such a big difference. Hoping with the delay that we might get another class to test as well.
  • OrcLuckOrcLuck Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    I'm fine with this. I expect delays and the testing is very important.
  • VarkunVarkun Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    It's alpha 1 if things need to be pushed then push away I am fine with it delays will happen this is not the first and will not be the last. Will all make for a better and more positive test experience, the world will be watching.
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    Close your eyes spread your arms and always trust your cape.
  • AtamaAtama Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Daedrik45 wrote: »
    Blizzard- 1 Intrepid -0 the game continues. Like i said blizzard does this on purpose with everything they release, it’s calculated and every date has a purpose

    I doubt that this is true. Not because Blizzard would ever do anything like that (they totally would) but because I doubt that Ashes is seen as a threat or is really even on their radar.

    But if you're right that would be awesome, because it would mean that Ashes is making waves enough for the behemoths in the industry to not only take notice, but to make decisions around it. Especially around an alpha milestone for a game. That seems extremely far-fetched and is either a coincidence, or it just happens to be a good day to release stuff.

    I hope you're right, but I think it's wildly optimistic at this stage.
     
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  • AsgerrAsgerr Member
    Atama wrote: »
    Daedrik45 wrote: »
    Blizzard- 1 Intrepid -0 the game continues. Like i said blizzard does this on purpose with everything they release, it’s calculated and every date has a purpose

    I doubt that this is true. Not because Blizzard would ever do anything like that (they totally would) but because I doubt that Ashes is seen as a threat or is really even on their radar.

    But if you're right that would be awesome, because it would mean that Ashes is making waves enough for the behemoths in the industry to not only take notice, but to make decisions around it. Especially around an alpha milestone for a game. That seems extremely far-fetched and is either a coincidence, or it just happens to be a good day to release stuff.

    I hope you're right, but I think it's wildly optimistic at this stage.

    Considering their TBC pre-patch launch landed exactly on the Alpha 1 NDA drop, and that the full launch landed on ESO's expansion's launch; and this against everything WoW Classic players have been asking/telling Blizzard, it seems very clear that they chose those dates specifically to mess with any and all possible competition. At least in terms of publicity and presence in the public eye through Youtube and Twitch
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  • George_BlackGeorge_Black Member, Intrepid Pack
    Im still playing xD

    (testing....)
  • As soon as i saw Blizzard's Tricky TBC rushed date, i expected ashes to move its schedule, definitely a correct and extremely smart move, even tho it's kinda sad to have it postponed, i completely understand and praise Steven's decision.
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    Aren't we all sinners?
  • Kivek RhuKhanKivek RhuKhan Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
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  • @Atama all of wows biggest streamers got invites to AoC’s alpha with no nda. Asmon already said if he had to choose he would be playing TBCC... delay came 2 days later.
  • maouwmaouw Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    June 1st is a pretty significant day anyways, first day of the month, very close to End of Financial Year for a lot of countries - it's possible they intended to squish competition with these dates, but it's not impossible that it's an unfortunate co-incidence.

    Occam's razor, but vigilant.
    I wish I were deep and tragic
  • RazelthethirdRazelthethird Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    edited May 2021
    After players find out how much TBC will cost and all of its issues... they will come to aoc. Paying to play perpetual beta games for 16 yrs like wow, while increasingly monetizing everything in order to get ahead or catch up with unnecessary unwanted tedious, annoying and broken systems, drives players away. I forget how many million subs wow has lost in the last couple of months but it was a lot. I think around 5 million players. After all these years, they still nerf and buff classes almost each week, which is rediculous. I sometimes wonder if they do it on purpose, or maybe they are just incompetent. Its like staying in a bad relationship hoping it will get better over time lol. Some just need to grab and ounce of courage and leave the situation.

    Bliz's idea of content is, grind, time sinks out of this world, and repetitive daily quests. The problem with most game companies is they forget they are supposed to provide that dirty little three letter word. F U N. But as large corporations go, they can't seem to focus on anything other than quarterly earnings statements, and totally shoot themselves in the wazoo for the future. The second you forget about your employees, subscribers, or people in general, you have sealed your own coffin.

    That said, i know aoc will be a good game when its complete as it encompasses many features and ideas from many other games. While i'm not overly elated over this delay, i do respect Steven's transparency, which is a very rare character trait now days. Lets hope the delays doesn't become habitual.
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  • SunboySunboy Member
    edited May 2021
    A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.
    Shigeru Miyamoto

    Take some time off Intrepid and come back stronger then ever.
    Much love ❤️
  • CambiguousCambiguous Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
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    Just a little more time baking...
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    Someone you otter know.
  • maouwmaouw Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    edited May 2021
    Cambiguous wrote: »
    BarrenZealousDonkey-size_restricted.gif
    Just a little more time baking...

    PERFECT GIF!!

    You should immortalize it in the memes thread.
    I wish I were deep and tragic
  • JaymaJayma Member
    I'm not. sure the third reason to the report is a good one.

    - There will always be new shiny things that will take aways some testers. (And i still think the TBC move isn't against AoC, Blizzard struggle with Shadowland, if TBC classic was release later it will shadowed the release of 9.1 of Shadowlands. And Activision want probably some thing to release for this part of the year, just for monetize it).

    - Maybe it show the limit of use only testers that paid the entry fee. If they want more available people maybe they should open it a bit.
  • Right decision. Very clear on the whys, and it makes perfect sense.
    I mean, it sucks, yes, but for the long game it was the perfect choice.

    I mean, the other choice was to sabotage Wow and Eso launch, but I guess that would've been harder
  • RoelathRoelath Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    Lifting the NDA on June 1st wouldn't have done much. AoC wants exposure for their Alpha1 and that can't happen if there are big releases on that very day. They'll just wait it out rather than being another firework in the sky and have people ignore them.
  • HDCBlazeHDCBlaze Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    I can't wait to get started, but I understand that all good things take time. :)
  • Reading over Steven’s list of features for Alpha 1, I come away with the impression that they are attempting to take a huge bite of the apple. Got it that it is just the core features of those systems, but even that is far more than what I’ve seen out of other alphas.

    The fact, however, is that most would-be players do not have exposure to game development and alpha testing (not to be confused with what some other game developers call Alpha, Beta or even release). That drives a lot of unrealistic expectations. Expectations like “playing” the game during Alpha 1. I get the desire to provide the testers with some form of game experience, but it’s still an alpha. You need some room for experimentation, in my opinion, to rule in what works and rule out what doesn’t.

    One thing I was hoping from AoC was a much earlier look at the alpha testing process and some of the thinking behind the decisions that will lead to Alpha 2, the Betas and eventually initial release. That kind of exposure, while some might argue could be negative, can actually be a win-win if Intrepid can demonstrate the relationship between the CEO/visionary, development team, and players. I think there is a lot of that that may already be there, but just needs to be shared more broadly.

    NDAs can be a great thing to protect proprietary information, certain code, structures and design, but can be applied too broadly. And I realize it is far easier to slap down a global NDA than to break things out to more granular details.

    Exposure may also be the only way to level out the hype associated with this game. At the same time, such exposure could provide the supporting evidence to back such hype. Plus we’re at an odd point in game development history where hype can be viewed as a negative. Most likely due to other companies hyping up their recent cash grab - looking at you Blizzard and Todd Howard.
  • Brilliant decision.

    Blizzard moved TBC date to June 1st for a reason and we all know what that reason is: AoC and ESO. I am happy that Steven is transparent and honest enough to say it as is.

  • GubiakGubiak Member
    TBC and ESO definitely had an impact but I am not worried. I am a bit sad because I wanted to see more of the game asap but you only get to have one first impression. Smart move, even though some will be disappointed. Carry on.
  • Did AoC not provide an early first impression via Apocalypse?

    Some say, and it may be backed by research that I don’t have an exact citation for, that it takes 20 impressions after the first to change people’s perception.

    Recent criticism of the game, not that I really care about their opinion, are still referencing the visuals in Apocalypse and don’t seem to know how Intrepid has toned that down.

    There is also a built in mistrust of demos from developers due to players being burned previously by less reputable developers.

    Intrepid has to overcome impressions from Apocalypse plus the failures of other developers even though they don’t control what other companies do or have done in the past. It is more or less the inheritance of an industry that has dropped the ball far too many times to count. I happen to believe that a steady stream of positive player experiences from multiple independent sources is the best way to overcome whatever impression any given individual may have.

    Those who have already bought in, whether with actual cash or with their intention to buy upon release, are already in and experience has show the willingness of players who are sold on a game to put up with a bad experience and a lot of abuse. In fact that seems to be the driving reason Steven started all of this. Not saying AoC is like any of these past experiences, but indicating player perception and behavior. It is not enough to tell them it will be better, you have to show them. Much like writing a good story.

    Steven will be the best judge of all of this. Whether or not the May 14 testing will be positive or a hot mess. An emphasis on quality is never a bad decision. I also happen to believe there is no such thing as a bad test provided you get useful data. But I feel there may be an opportunity to build confidence over time for those players who are not yet sold on this game. One month delay isn’t the end of the world though, especially if people’s attention will be drawn away in multiple directions.
  • maouwmaouw Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    Also the Hype Train should only be let out of the gates once NDA is lifted - and even then, works better when there's a persistent test server and all the "gameplay" features are coming online.

    At the moment, A1 is building the basic, expected features of the game - this isn't something you build hype about.
    It's like trying to tell people that a prototype of the revolutionary toothbrush you're inventing can currently brush teeth. GET HYPED.

    It's too early to hype the game.
    I wish I were deep and tragic
  • NagashNagash Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    maouw wrote: »
    Also the Hype Train should only be let out of the gates once NDA is lifted - and even then, works better when there's a persistent test server and all the "gameplay" features are coming online.

    At the moment, A1 is building the basic, expected features of the game - this isn't something you build hype about.
    It's like trying to tell people that a prototype of the revolutionary toothbrush you're inventing can currently brush teeth. GET HYPED.

    It's too early to hype the game.

    You can have hype about a feature of it but never the full game, that road leads to disappointment
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    The dead do not squabble as this land’s rulers do. The dead have no desires, petty jealousies or ambitions. A world of the dead is a world at peace
  • RageconRagecon Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    Khronus wrote: »
    My ultimate dream would be to have Alpha 2 come out this year some time. Is it unrealistic? Sure. Would it be amazing and fulfill my need for consistent AoC exposure? Hell yes. When Alpha 2 drops, as long as we have a solid community who are there to help the development team in every way possible (which I believe we have) then development should proceed smoothly.

    Honestly with how the games already looking and what they Have shown us, shows good dev progress and there is a ton They have been working on that we haven’t seen, depending on how things go with the NDA drop session I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the start of alpha 2 near the end of the year

  • DygzDygz Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    edited May 2021
    They haven't really shown us much that isn't a typical MMORPG.
    And, they've barely scratched the surface of that.
    There is no evidence that there is a ton that hasn't been shown.
    We'll have to see how far along sieging is based on what was supposed to be in APOC.
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