Alpha 2 HAS to be this year.

I don't say that because I hope it to be this year, but because it is necessary that it is. If Alpha 2 isn't this year, it's very likely that Ashes of Creation will be DOA. While excitement for the game remains high, it's waning. The community is desperate to play Alpha 2, even if it's not finished, even if it's full of bugs, even if there is very limited class and race selection. If they have to wait a whole nother year to play it, most won't want to play it at all and those who do will be dissatisfied, "we've waited this long for game development, for THIS?!". It won't matter that it's just an Alpha, they will be upset, no matter how good it is.
Intrepid, it HAS to be this year.

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Kilion

This will be my last comment on this threat, I'm getting tired of these tantrums.

"Where is your outrage?"

Simple - I'm not obligated to feel the same way as someone with different expectations to mine.

I don't get emotionally invested in an Alpha stage game. If you fly off the handle because of something like that I advise looking at the way Alpha / Early Access / Kickstarter projects as a whole category seem to go. Also get a grasp of how long different games in the genre where in development or what it meant for games to have newly established indie dev teams, or running at below full capacity. There is tons of information to be aware of before it is time for outrage.

"This game is taking it way too long for it to not possibly be them making a grip of money dragging their heals off monetization."

I'd still be thrilled to know about your expertise regarding game development and the finances of the company. It seems to me that at best, you are speculating and coming to a negative conclusion, that's fine, you do you. But don't expect everyone to share your point of view, especially when all your "arguments" are emotional outrage bait instead of solid information that allows people to make their own informed decisions.

"Meanwhile we sit here and listen to empty promises"

There it is again - "WE". Doesn't seem like you are talking for much of the community tbh.

And empty promises? I never heard anything about them promising Alpha 2 to be online by August of last year. For people to make an INFORMED DECISION, you should link up the source for the claims you make. And while you are at it, link up some of the other false promises.

I think there is an understanding and awareness amongst many that the early expectations of Steven and possibly the broader team of Intrepid were far off reality. But it would also seem to me that a good number of people despite that being the case think that the progress they are seeing is still within what they deem acceptable.

I'm just not excited anymore I'm frustrated angry because it's been probably going to be a decade before this game is even going to have a release date. So we're looking at 2027.

Exactly. YOU are frustrated. YOU think it is impossible or unacceptable for a game to be that long in development. I see multiple reasons why this is far from surprising. And I also happen to enjoy looking into the development process to learn what it takes to build all of what will become the complete game some day. The money that I am paying is money that I am comfortable losing 100% of. To me this is still kind of a Kickstarter project and for most of those you will find a "Risk" section at the bottom, that states that there is a risk for complete loss of money being given to the development team. I'm not surprised that people are positively biased towards their endeavors so of course Intrepid will be optimistic about the things they do. A grain of awareness for reality will teach you that.

Also: If you have money on the table or you plan to put money on the table do your own due diligence. If a promo video and an Alpha 1 got you to forking out 500$ that you couldn't afford to pay, than that's on you. Might not be a "nice" move or "good" practice of the dev to not deliver but don't try to divert all the blame away from yourself.

And if you are not excited anymore - then let this one go. There is better stuff to concern oneself with than optional things that make you frustrated.

do you guys not have the balls to release the game?

Aaand we degenerated back to school yard insults. "YOU DON'T HAVE THE BALLS" "Nuh-uh!" "Ah-huh!"
Big L.

And you'll tell me to get used to the idea of a 2028 release date.

hey, no. i wont
I have cancer.

Well if that's true that's sad to hear, but it also doesn't mean that reality of core mechanics not working (to the degree that it would warrant an Alpha 2 or a Beta or a release) changes.

And maybe, just maybe, flip this one around for a second. Imagine someone throwing the shaming tactics and the vague accusations you made your way. You'd be be furious to the high heavens and be reporting the sh*t out of anyone who would distort your situation to the degree you did it here with the devs. You can be frustrated, absolutely, you can expect differently, of course, but you are not commanding reality, unfortunately, and you could have voiced your concern in a way that it made it actually seem like you were something else but than just hostile to the whole project and desperate about your personal situation. I've been there, I've seen multiple family members die due to cancer so I get the frustration as much as an outsider can, but it doesn't make it any more right to lash out like that. There are more dignified ways to argue and also to deal with illness.

daveywavey

STOP_THE_ASH_MONEY wrote: »

doooooooooom

Drezden

Thinking about Alpha 2, I'd be very surprised if it doesn't appear this year, it's just that the game is more ready for it than not in my observation. I perfectly understand everyone who is really looking forward to the game from the experience of SC, when I updated the computer in preparation for the release of a single company of this game, I waited a couple of years, in the end, for some reason, I had to throw my computer away. It's been about 10 years and I've built myself a new computer again in anticipation of Ashes, but cloud flashbacks still haunt me.

Ironhope

Looking at how much other less ambitions projects took to fund, there is no chance this project is funded to completion as we speak.

Intrepid will absolutely need to sell A2 keys well and this won't happen unless it releases an A2 which is capable of leaving a good impression and to leave people asking for more.

Millions of people will see AOC for the first time through the streamers and youtubers who will check it out and will not give AOC a second shot if they don't get a good impression then and there.

Your average gamer Joe is physically incapable of understanding what an Alpha is and that a lot can change betewen Alpha 2 and release date. They are utterly incapable of it no matter how much it is explained.

If Alpha 2 doesn't look great, public impression about it will go sour from then onward.

Intrepid has to release and do stuff for testing eventually anyway.

Might as well wait a while longer to release it in a better state for the public to make a good impression out of it.

What is the alternative? Give in to ree-ing copium addicts on forums? Yeah, that doesn't sound too smart.

I (for their sake and ours) hope they will just wait and throw a decent A2 at us, one to make a good impression.

Releasing a polished A2 can make the difference between selling 10.000 or 200.000 keys.

Personally I don't think they have a choice.

Alpha 2 needs to come out reasonably polished and with enough content to make streamers and youtubers go ''wohooo, let's go for some more''.

It at the least needs the classes (combat, especially combat), the node system (including sieges) and the caravan system to be in an impressive state.

Together with a couple of polished, difficulty-adaptive dungeons and some good quality questing and lvling zones.

For this reason I sincerely doubt A2 is anywhere near and I would be extremely surprised if it hits us in Q1 of 2024, yet alone 2023 (I see no chance of a 2023 A2).

Intrepid has a lot of work to do.

Kilion

Drezden wrote: »

Thinking about Alpha 2, I'd be very surprised if it doesn't appear this year, it's just that the game is more ready for it than not in my observation. I perfectly understand everyone who is really looking forward to the game from the experience of SC, when I updated the computer in preparation for the release of a single company of this game, I waited a couple of years, in the end, for some reason, I had to throw my computer away. It's been about 10 years and I've built myself a new computer again in anticipation of Ashes, but cloud flashbacks still haunt me.

The most I expect to get regarding Alpha 2 will be more details about Alpha 2 (what part of the map, server size, run time and such) and maybe the date when it will start A2. My best guess for its start is early 2024.

Blip

Kilion wrote: »

Drezden wrote: »

Thinking about Alpha 2, I'd be very surprised if it doesn't appear this year, it's just that the game is more ready for it than not in my observation. I perfectly understand everyone who is really looking forward to the game from the experience of SC, when I updated the computer in preparation for the release of a single company of this game, I waited a couple of years, in the end, for some reason, I had to throw my computer away. It's been about 10 years and I've built myself a new computer again in anticipation of Ashes, but cloud flashbacks still haunt me.

The most I expect to get regarding Alpha 2 will be more details about Alpha 2 (what part of the map, server size, run time and such) and maybe the date when it will start A2. My best guess for its start is early 2024.

2024 they should deliver in 2023, ffs they need to give us something. This project is starting too look like Star Citezen for christ sake.

Sjelden

IAmWarden01 wrote: »

If Alpha 2 isn't this year, it's very likely that Ashes of Creation will be DOA

What do you base this statement on?

Empirical data indicates a more polished A2-release will be beneficial for the project.

Roxi

Taerrik wrote: »

Your logic doesn't hold at all.

But, having played failed game after failed game because they pushed it over the finish line from the halfway point, because they were greedy about making money finally. . .

I for one, and possibly several others even I dont know, are probably ok if the community excitement pre-launch dies down a lot. Even if A2 does not happen this year. I am grateful for Intrepid's passion for this project, and the determination they have shown us to take feedback and fix issues rather than try to shove crappy systems or things down the players throats, forcefeeding us and making us believe it is great.

It is a blessing to have gamers making a game. I dont mean people that play games, almost everyone plays games. A GAMER, someone who lives for the game, is what Stephen was looking for as part of his hiring process, and we are lucky to have it.

Have some patience if you can. If you have never created anything in your life before from the design phase, then realize that a project that takes several people, dozens of people, becomes significantly more complicated and time consuming than just one person dreaming up a system and writing some code to make it happen.

If this project dies for you, because you cant get into a --TESTING-- phase, might be better to just stop closely following the development with so much expectation, we all knew what we were getting into long ago when we first started supporting Intrepid.

I can promise you, regardless of when the next Alpha phase happens, than when the game releases in 2031, the launch population will be just as happy and excited and of the same scale of people than not. Believe it or not, the vast majority of MMO players do not buy into alpha or beta testing of new games. Ashes will be just fine.

I love your screams... go to the red room of pain...

Kilion

Blip wrote: »

Kilion wrote: »

Drezden wrote: »

Thinking about Alpha 2, I'd be very surprised if it doesn't appear this year, it's just that the game is more ready for it than not in my observation. I perfectly understand everyone who is really looking forward to the game from the experience of SC, when I updated the computer in preparation for the release of a single company of this game, I waited a couple of years, in the end, for some reason, I had to throw my computer away. It's been about 10 years and I've built myself a new computer again in anticipation of Ashes, but cloud flashbacks still haunt me.

The most I expect to get regarding Alpha 2 will be more details about Alpha 2 (what part of the map, server size, run time and such) and maybe the date when it will start A2. My best guess for its start is early 2024.

2024 they should deliver in 2023, ffs they need to give us something. This project is starting too look like Star Citezen for christ sake.

I don't agree with the comparison, even though I get why you made it. The reason why I think this year won't be the year of the Alpha is that they will put their nose to the grindstone, now that they have a sizable team to do so and finally pick up some significant speed regarding development. Its worth remembering that Intrepid struggled to get their staff positions filled until now, they are still looking for more people. And again, as much as we would like it to be different - 7 years from the FIRST announcement that from now on they are working towards that without a team.... thats not a long time. Established teams take 7 years to make games like this and they often turn out meh (looking at you New World). Which is why I suspect the A2 environment being finished this year with an announcement of Alpha 2 by the end of this year, probably beginning in spring of 2024.

kudaja

Bad take, its always the few that tend to be the loudest. The ppl who you say would leave, would do that anyways and that is fine we will still have a massive player base.

Blip

Ok here is a idea, people here says Alpha 2 has to be polished or the unwoke ashes viewers wont understand its a Alpha. Then let Intrepid have a NDA on the Alpha 2 until they find it ok to remove, but let people test the god dam game before we are old and gray.

They have alot in place and they are always bosting about we have so much we just dont have time to show you and so on. Ether its not true or it is let the work speak for it self instead of this echo chamber that is emerging in this community.

Let us actualy give meningfull feedback on development and not speculate and theory craft our ass off.

Sure some videos are bound to get posted but Intrepid can get them taken down in a heart bit when Alpha is under NDA. And most wont risk there account anyways so i doubt that it will be much of a problem anyways.
Instead of always come back with the same lines.
* It is ready when it is ready.
* It has to be almost perfect before they let us test Alpha 2
* Streamers will play the game and everyone wont understand is a WIP.

NDA is a good and resonnabel compremise.
Early testing is a good thing anyone that says otherwise is just trolling.

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