A New Season amidst the Alpha testing?

[Splendor]

Teebs I think your prize should be 1 free ticket to see The Quarter Master performing live at Not That Bridge Again! However, not to be too much of a downer, but it remains to be seen whether the update will really be available by Friday or not...

[Teebs]

Where do I collect my prize?

https://forum.makingfun.com/forum/eternium/feedback-suggestions/202424-a-new-season-amidst-the-alpha-testing?p=202441#post202441

[Shy]

27

[Heikki Gross]

Thank you for the reply and your post gives hope, that the feedback really was listened this time. I dont really care how long it takes to fix and balance everything, if it takes the whole season and the outcome is worth it, so be it. Just im worried that we will not be able to test stuff properly if the plan is to rush beta from alpha2, for example I did not test Arc set properly because ripple does not work. Maybe you fixed the ripple and the set can be tested, but then you will not have time to react to that feedback.

[Ozymandius]

Alpha testers took a risk to help improve the game. As always it is a calculated risk, which is why the tester pool was so small. I am with Romme, let's not rush into anything. I would rather see the Devs act on our feedback instead of just rushing into alpha2. I just picked up 10k gems and $10m gold from the last season ending, so the gem and gold banks are not that big of a draw right now. The rest of the season rewards can be earned just by running an ANB event.

I also like Nhat suggestion to build a group of dedicated players and give them adequate resources to test everything. I never liked the "random" nature of assigning beta testers, and the "risk factor" of the beta format resulted in lots of beta tests being played on separate accounts will low resources. I would accept being blocked from the leaderboard on my test account in exchange for access to the test team.

[Nhat]

^^^^^ This is the biggest blocker for players considering joining Alpha or not.

Use main account with resourses and potentially get blocked, messed up, whatever else that comes with the territory... or don't go in at all. Mine, and others based on feedback, now have "broken quests flag" - luckily it' nothing major...

We REALLY need a proper TEST environment for proper feedback, since a new account do not have proper resources to test equipments.

Please take a leaf from the Ironbound team, get a test team, give them unlimitted resources and let them loose on the alpha - since you have proven you can block leaderboard postings, so there's no issues there... please keep blocking mine

[Romme]

Thanks for the info. I'd rather have devs listen to feedback and make better changes than to rush alpha2 and have the players disappointed again. As long as we make strides to improving the game and balancing sets I don't care how many weeks alpha/beta takes.

I would suggest for future alpha tests that 77 ephemeral boxes are given out so we don't have to grind so much to get mediocre gear. If there was a way to have all gear ct too so it simulates end game stats that would be even better.

[Travis | Support Mgr.]

Ah Travis, you are correct, but remember early September ends next week. Hope Devs are burning the midnight candle!

They planned to get another alpha build out this week, but they want to apply some late feedback that came in, so the new ETA is early to mid next week. "Alpha2" will run for a couple days, then go into beta pretty quickly.

Also if there is no recompense for the loss of gems there is going to be a shortage of alpha2 testers!

Alpha testers opted into alpha until it's done. In other words, people who have opted into the initial alpha will also be opted into this upcoming alpha.

[Ozymandius]

I have to side with Teebs on this one. The alpha group had a number of veteran players that could be considered "influencers" in that they are frequent contributors on the forum and Discord. They will want to pull those players back into the fold sooner rather than later. Two weeks is probably the goal, but I will guess that they will make the switch in 30 days, even if they have to shortcut the process.

Look for a quick reset of alpha version with another ANB as a lure to try to draw some more victims, er I mean alpha players. ; )

[jay clarke]

Ah Travis, you are correct, but remember early September ends next week. Hope Devs are burning the midnight candle!

Also if there is no recompense for the loss of gems there is going to be a shortage of alpha2 testers!

[papa jim]

We knew we were locked in when we loaded the alpha so, disadvantage no- though there are problems with the quest that won't complete costing us daily gems and some of us can't purchase a season pass.

[Teebs]

Splendor , the 'worst case scenario' (in my opinion) for them would be that they unwind the alpha with an updated android version - similar to the unwinding of the much berated Windows (1.5.48? I think) release by releasing 1.5.50 (now .51) which essentially just rolled back the changes to a more stable version.

Again - I am "guessing", and I am not sure it is based on optimism as much as realism that the Season may generate a certain level of income for them, but it seems the ANB events are perhaps even more important - AND they probably don't want to tick off the people who did install the "alpha" because of the nature of those people who did install it (perhaps more likely to be a source of income for them? or just dedicated and the community holds a certain intrinsic value in and of itself - which effects the revenue as well)

Sticking by my "guess" of 46

... KTB

[Travis | Support Mgr.]

The alpha is voluntary. A very clear warning was posted that alpha testers would be stuck with the alpha build until "early September".

So Alpha players are disadvantaged even before the season has started. Even this is a new one on me. To be fair, they said they were working on balance changes before Gold #11. Now the true test will emerge, if either Gold 11 or season end comes before the completion of Beta testing then their really is no hope for this game.

On a side note, I think introducing a season, or any event for that fact, whilst alpha and beta testing is underway, is utterly sacrilege! However not out of character for this game. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$£££££££££££££€€€€€€€€€€€€¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥₩ ₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩

[Romme]

Splendor haha you're savage. Was wondering if anyone would guess a negative number.