Discounted Subscription Fee for Testing Phases?

I have a few friends who are very interested in testing this game and ultimately playing it upon official release. However, they don't really want to spend $100+/- for an unreleased game that they will have to pay a subscription fee for ON TOP of paying to test. I know they are not alone and there are probably thousands of potential testers out there that just don't want to spend that much money up front. Since Intrepid is planning on a monthly subscription fee for the final product, couldn't they implement it earlier into either Alpha Phase 3 or sometime in the Beta for let's say $5/month? That way Intrepid is getting money still and nobody is playing for free, but players that are interested in testing can have an affordable experience and then when the game is released, they'll know a $15/month or $20/month is worth the price for such an involved and massive game? I personally had no problem paying the money because I knew I'd have access to all testing phases and the concept of AoC is quite literally what I've been waiting for for a very long time. I understand not implementing it into Alpha because everybody that DID pay $100 will be upset they spent so much and new people wouldn't have to spend as much, but I feel this would significantly increase the amount of testers for Beta at least. Am I delusional? Please let me know if my thought is unreasonable and why that is the case. Or let me know if you think it's a good idea or maybe how a modified but similar idea might work?

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TopWombat

There's no subscription fee until full release

Ludullu

Your friends can just save up those $5 a month for 20 months and then buy into A2, cause god knows this game will not be done in 2 years.

And paying that 100 would be cheaper than having a $5/m sub, because it gives you more access to the game than just A2. But having that high initial price upfront lets Intrepid spin up way fewer servers, which saves them money in the long run.

chaotictiger11

TopWombat wrote: »

There's no subscription fee until full release

Yeah, I am aware of that. Which is why I was wondering if a discounted subscription fee would be reasonable for people who want to test the beta and not pay full price....

chaotictiger11

Ludullu wrote: »

Your friends can just save up those $5 a month for 20 months and then buy into A2, cause god knows this game will not be done in 2 years.

And paying that 100 would be cheaper than having a $5/m sub, because it gives you more access to the game than just A2. But having that high initial price upfront lets Intrepid spin up way fewer servers, which saves them money in the long run.

Yeah, I agree 100%, which I explained to them. But they're more concerned with only getting 2 months of playtime and not liking it enough to stick around. My thought was just having that many more players to test their servers rather than not having to have "too many" servers.

Ludullu

chaotictiger11 wrote: »

Yeah, I agree 100%, which I explained to them. But they're more concerned with only getting 2 months of playtime and not liking it enough to stick around. My thought was just having that many more players to test their servers rather than not having to have "too many" servers.

There's plenty of people to test what's needed. Intrepid will develop the game and then people who are taking a break from testing can simply come back.

Also, I'm almost sure that in a year there's gonna be another key/bundle sale. Potentially cheaper than what it is rn.

Srixun

They get game time included, and embers (cosmetic shop stuff)

The pay wall was intended to keep people out that would just hop in for a day or 2 and bail. it was a good decision to do so.

Veeshan

Dunno if u can discount 0 much further

Veeshan

Ludullu wrote: »

Your friends can just save up those $5 a month for 20 months and then buy into A2, cause god knows this game will not be done in 2 years.

And paying that 100 would be cheaper than having a $5/m sub, because it gives you more access to the game than just A2. But having that high initial price upfront lets Intrepid spin up way fewer servers, which saves them money in the long run.

tbh there a chance it can be done in 2 years mark

the timeconsuming part are getting the systems dont and seem like most of them probaly like 75% of them when march update hits is in game are a bare minimum levels, adding landmass is what players use to see how long a game is away is a rather quick affair in comparison so who knows it could be quicker than it looks only time will tell i guess :P

Apparently their aiming to add a new biome every month now it seems and want the west island done by the end of summer, however i am assuming it just gonna be landmass with mobs so fairly bare bones.

Seems like biome = 1 month time then + 1-2 months to flesh it out when that team got there canvass to build on it atm going by the desert timeline

Imanek

chaotictiger11 wrote: »

I have a few friends who are very interested in testing this game and ultimately playing it upon official release......

Once again, in general, you're not buying a finished game, but a project still in development. Maybe it’s time to let go of this misconception and truly understand what these terms mean…

An alpha, even though Ashes of Creation looks promising and well-presented, is still an alpha. We are here to test, provide feedback, and help improve features so that we eventually get a truly polished game.

Treating it like a finished product and just wanting to play it as a complete game is the wrong approach. It will only lead to frustration. Just take a look at the forums—many players complain about features that aren’t even finalized yet. They’re only there as placeholders for testing, but the developers are still actively working on them. Five minutes of research will show you that the current system is nothing like what Intrepid’s teams are working toward for the final version (e.g., Node Sieges). Yet, some people already assume this incomplete version is final and write long-winded posts that make no sense… when in reality, proper testing won’t even begin until next month.

Introducing a limited subscription model would only reinforce this false impression of a finished game. Players would try it for a month, get the wrong idea, and leave with a bad experience or frustration. Many already don’t understand what “alpha” and “development” mean, and adding subscriptions would only make it worse.

If your goal is to contribute to the project, provide feedback, and engage in discussions about development, keep in mind that a console game costs $60-$80 for around 10 hours of gameplay. Here, for $100, you get hundreds of hours of content. Personally, I’ve logged 300-400 hours since October, and I still enjoy logging in, testing, and playing PvE/PvP.

New, lower-priced options will be available during the beta phases, since some of the older packs only granted access to that stage. At that point, you’ll have a more complete game, at a lower cost, and you’ll be able to test it under better conditions.

Finally, Intrepid remains an independent studio, and supporting this project means helping passionate developers who are striving to bring something new to the MMO genre.

daveywavey

chaotictiger11 wrote: »

I have a few friends who are very interested in testing this game and ultimately playing it upon official release. However, they don't really want to spend $100+/- for an unreleased game that they will have to pay a subscription fee for ON TOP of paying to test. I know they are not alone and there are probably thousands of potential testers out there that just don't want to spend that much money up front. Since Intrepid is planning on a monthly subscription fee for the final product, couldn't they implement it earlier into either Alpha Phase 3 or sometime in the Beta for let's say $5/month? That way Intrepid is getting money still and nobody is playing for free, but players that are interested in testing can have an affordable experience and then when the game is released, they'll know a $15/month or $20/month is worth the price for such an involved and massive game? I personally had no problem paying the money because I knew I'd have access to all testing phases and the concept of AoC is quite literally what I've been waiting for for a very long time. I understand not implementing it into Alpha because everybody that DID pay $100 will be upset they spent so much and new people wouldn't have to spend as much, but I feel this would significantly increase the amount of testers for Beta at least. Am I delusional? Please let me know if my thought is unreasonable and why that is the case. Or let me know if you think it's a good idea or maybe how a modified but similar idea might work?

Steven's always said: If you're not sure, then wait. If they don't want to get in and test, then it's certainly not worth them buying in just now.

Regarding your point about the cheaper subs, the earlier Supporter Packages came with included months of game-time on live release. They're just too late for that bit.
However, if they can send a referral code to enough others and convince them to subscribe, they could get to play for free, using the Referral scheme.

But yeah, sounds like they're better off waiting longer. Maybe try them in Beta once things are more in place.

Ludullu

Veeshan wrote: »

the timeconsuming part are getting the systems dont and seem like most of them probaly like 75% of them

That's the thing though. We haven't seen shit in terms of systems. Half the systems are fully controlled by the devs and have not progressed naturally, and another half is not even in the game yet.

Higher lvl nodes, node xp, node progression, node decay, node destruction (separate from sieges), node vassalship, node relations, properly implemented node wars, other node elections, hell properly implemented scientific elections lol (1 per acc and all that), node/mayoral caravans, mobs growing in lvl together with node lvls, dungeons unlocking together with node lvls.

And that's an, I'm pretty sure, incomplete list of JUST THE NODE STUFF. Which is also the biggest part of the game because it's literally related to everything else and is also the main differential from all the other mmos and one of the main attractions of the game.

Intrepid are building new landmasses with new mobs to satiate the playtesters (more play than test tbh), because those things are easier to present to people and say "yes, we're actively working". And I'm not saying that the systems are not getting worked on. Obviously both things are going on in parallel, because they require their own dev teams. I'm just saying that we've yet to see any system implemented to a good degree.

privateballs

I did not pay $ to play the game, just wanted to help support the team working hard and the studio attempting to bring something traditional yet innovative to the market. 👍

Vyllz

chaotictiger11 wrote: »

I have a few friends who are very interested in testing this game and ultimately playing it upon official release. However, they don't really want to spend $100+/- for an unreleased game that they will have to pay a subscription fee for ON TOP of paying to test. I know they are not alone and there are probably thousands of potential testers out there that just don't want to spend that much money up front. Since Intrepid is planning on a monthly subscription fee for the final product, couldn't they implement it earlier into either Alpha Phase 3 or sometime in the Beta for let's say $5/month? That way Intrepid is getting money still and nobody is playing for free, but players that are interested in testing can have an affordable experience and then when the game is released, they'll know a $15/month or $20/month is worth the price for such an involved and massive game? I personally had no problem paying the money because I knew I'd have access to all testing phases and the concept of AoC is quite literally what I've been waiting for for a very long time. I understand not implementing it into Alpha because everybody that DID pay $100 will be upset they spent so much and new people wouldn't have to spend as much, but I feel this would significantly increase the amount of testers for Beta at least. Am I delusional? Please let me know if my thought is unreasonable and why that is the case. Or let me know if you think it's a good idea or maybe how a modified but similar idea might work?

I get why your friends (and many others) might be hesitant to pay for testing access, but Intrepid's approach makes sense given their goals for Ashes of Creation's development.

🔹 Why Testing Access is Limited & Paid

Intrepid wants dedicated testers, not just people looking for early access to the game. By requiring a higher upfront cost, they ensure that those who join are invested in providing meaningful feedback rather than just playing casually.
A controlled playerbase allows for focused and structured testing, rather than overwhelming servers with an influx of players who may not engage in reporting bugs or balancing issues.
Unlike many other MMOs, Ashes of Creation isn't being funded by a publisher, so these Alpha and Beta access packs help sustain development while keeping the final game free of pay-to-win mechanics.

🔹 Why a Low-Cost Beta Subscription Might Not Work

Introducing a $5/month option could create a huge surge of players, making it difficult for Intrepid to maintain a stable testing environment.
It could devalue the investment of those who already paid for Alpha and Beta access. These players financially supported development early on, and offering cheaper access later could be seen as unfair.
Intrepid’s current model already ensures a smooth transition into a subscription-based system, since players who join later will only need to pay the standard monthly fee upon release.
I understand why a cheaper Beta option sounds appealing, but from a development standpoint, keeping testing access limited to paid backers ensures a more focused and productive testing environment. Intrepid has been clear that they want testers who are genuinely committed to improving the game, and this model supports that goal.

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