Algared Asks: How/when do you envisage implementing the Beta testing? Will beta testing be implemented by module while alpha is testing other modules, or will beta be a final test of the whole package prior to release?
Answer: So I know I read this on the forums where everyone argues over what alpha/pre-alpha/beta etc is, but to give you my ideas: The reason we call AC pre-alpha is because my definition of alpha is not content complete but generally functionally complete, where beta is content and functionality complete but you're trying to fix bugs. So in alpha you're kind of honing and tweaking bugs without having all your content in, but in Beta you have the content AND features, you're just getting rid of bugs. SO for AC you could say that at the moment we're pre-alpha for AC, when we get to v1.0 we'd call it an Arena Commander Alpha, and then it'll roll to Beta once. But the alpha and beta descriptions we usually use to mean the whole game, so one of the reasons we call AC a pre-alpha is we're rolling out sections of a bigger alpha of the whole game individually to test them and get feedback to improve them. Once they're ok we'll roll them all into a main alpha, then beta, then release. They're released much in much rougher form than what we would usually in any other game, just to stress test things with many many users. So once all these modules are in alpha we can roll them together to form a game alpha, but with missing content, like planets and missions/scenarios/ships etc, but all the functionality is there, but then once the content is ready we'd start calling it the BETA of SC, where it was mostly bug fixes and optimisation before release. I hesitate to say "done" because as long as you guys are having a good time, and we can keep a viable business going we'll keep adding content and features, to keep getting closer to the BDSSE. There's a long way to go there, so, I don't want anyone to think that's where we are now, but that's definitely our goal and ambition, that's the beauty of being online is that we can constantly work to make it a better and bigger game. I know people are worried about things like feature creep, but people have code they can sit and play/interact with and as we get more of it we keep adding to what you have and I hope we'll be around long enough that in 10 years time we'll get to see what the universe sees and feels like compared to what we're thinking now, looking back over all the cool changes and the twists and turns along the way. Even now when you look at the 2012 Hornet you can see the constant improvement and iterations along the way. I understand that at the moment it's like, you're seeing the sausage get made, but at the end it'll be damn good good sausage at the end!
