Seriously, go Early Access please

7V4sDuCq · Post by **7V4sDuCq** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 03:33

Usually i don't approve the dev use Early Access to rip off gamers' money by release an unfinished game.

But in this case, consider that how awful the X Rebirth has been done in its first release. I say, please go Early Access and let gamers debug for you.

EukaDealer · Post by **EukaDealer** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 06:34

agreed

Mental_Matt · Post by **Mental_Matt** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 06:47

X4 Early Access: $50000.
Cuz developing in quiet room... priceless.

Phaser Rave · Post by **Phaser Rave** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 07:16

Anyone know if they will be accepting applications for the closed beta, or anything like that?

KreXx · Post by **KreXx** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 08:17

Phaser Rave wrote:Anyone know if they will be accepting applications for the closed beta, or anything like that?

Bernd said everything is possible but nothing is decided yet.

Unbekanntes Feindschiff

Phaser Rave wrote:Anyone know if they will be accepting applications for the closed beta, or anything like that?

In case there will be a closed beta signup, it will propably be for NDA holders (L5+) only for obvious reasons.

vadiolive · Post by **vadiolive** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 08:26

where i can trow my money? >)

A5PECT · Post by **A5PECT** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 08:30

Phaser Rave wrote:Anyone know if they will be accepting applications for the closed beta, or anything like that?

Go to your user profile on the forums (click on your username at the top right corner of the page) and scroll to the bottom.

Check "Yes" for the bottom-most option that reads:

I want to participate in the X-DEVNET:

Then hit "Submit" at the very bottom of the page.

Open your user profile again and scroll to the bottom.

The bottom-most option should now read:

Click here to view and print the development agreement between you and EGOSOFT to gain higher access level in the X DEVNET development area.

Click on the link and follow the instructions to submit an application.

Phaser Rave · Post by **Phaser Rave** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 09:14

A5PECT wrote:
Phaser Rave wrote:Anyone know if they will be accepting applications for the closed beta, or anything like that?
Go to your user profile on the forums (click on your username at the top right corner of the page) and scroll to the bottom.

Check "Yes" for the bottom-most option that reads:

I want to participate in the X-DEVNET:
Then hit "Submit" at the very bottom of the page.

Open your user profile again and scroll to the bottom.

The bottom-most option should now read:

Click here to view and print the development agreement between you and EGOSOFT to gain higher access level in the X DEVNET development area.
Click on the link and follow the instructions to submit an application.

Thanks!

Sandalpocalypse · Post by **Sandalpocalypse** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 09:31

if they are going to Early Access, I would suggest setting the price at $100.

That way you only get dedicated fans, or rich people who don't care, and its more money for ego in the end. It's a sound modern game marketing principle to have ways for wealthier or dedicated fans to pay more money.

Alternatively, I would sell expensive pre-orders through the Ego site itself, and run it as a Steam Beta instead of EA. That way you don't have to deal with Early Access reviews. Given Ego's track record on releases, I believe this may be the wisest course.

EDIT:

Oddly, my devnet membership seems to have lapsed since the X3R days...heh.

Mycu · Post by **Mycu** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 10:45

After watching new X4 presentation and gameplay preview I'm very, very optimistic about it.
Thing that bothers me the most is NPC animations and user interface (except new map interface which in my opinion is good).
I know that it's an early alpha and a lot can still change but wouldn't it be a good idea to start a crowdfunding campaign so Ego could spend more resources for better UI and NPCs?

What do you think?

skullair · Post by **skullair** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 11:35

Sandalpocalypse wrote:if they are going to Early Access, I would suggest setting the price at $100.

That way you only get dedicated fans, or rich people who don't care, and its more money for ego in the end. It's a sound modern game marketing principle to have ways for wealthier or dedicated fans to pay more money.

Alternatively, I would sell expensive pre-orders through the Ego site itself, and run it as a Steam Beta instead of EA. That way you don't have to deal with Early Access reviews. Given Ego's track record on releases, I believe this may be the wisest course.

EDIT:

Oddly, my devnet membership seems to have lapsed since the X3R days...heh.

(Edit) It goes aginst common EA standrds and may therefore be recived negatively (Original) It could upset a lot of people). I think they will proceed like this

Closed alpha->closed beta -> (maybe) early access open beta-》release

Sandalpocalypse · Post by **Sandalpocalypse** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 13:00

why would it upset people?

spankahontis · Post by **spankahontis** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 15:51

Sandalpocalypse wrote:why would it upset people?

Can personally see what you're getting at.

Alpha testing at DEVNET isn't something everyone is cut out to do, i'm sure you need some coding skills among other talents to test a game that's going to be buggy as hell. For those that don't have that (like myself) I would stick to Beta-phase testing.

That said, not everyone who is alpha-testing capable could afford to pay that? We need every alpha-tester out there to help Egosoft as first day game reviews mean everything, it can make or break a game.

TSM · Post by **TSM** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 16:56

Looks pretty sweet.

But I really hope Egosoft does not rely solely on Steam EA for testers as my experience in other EA titles like ARK and Conan Exiles is that gamers do not make good testers :-

Random Steam user wrote:It does not f###ing fix your game you ####### seems to be normal as test report

If they do go for EA only I for one will not buy it until release as I already have far to many unreleased or abandoned EA games in my list.

Mackan · Post by **Mackan** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 17:32

When the game gets to a point where egosoft feel fairly confident they can maintain save game compatibility throughout development, then by all means go early access.

With how the release of X Rebirth went, it might be in both egosoft's and the community's best interest to provide access to the game to as many different type of players as possible, as soon as possible, to gain feedback on gameplay as early as possible.

Before the game gets to a state where it would be ready for early access, there will always be the DEVNET. And post-early access there's always the possibility to keep a "stable" branch and a test branch to allow for non-DEVNET players to help test and debug future updates, pretty much like how X Rebirth is already handled.

What is important is that the hypothetical early access version would have to be playable. Early access titles tend to be judged as is, not on potential or vision.

mr.WHO · Post by **mr.WHO** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 18:40

Sorry to break your dreams, but X4 1.0 WILL BE AN EARLY ACCESS (even if they will call 1.0 a release version), just like X-Rebirth 1.0, X3 1.0 and every other X-game after X-BTF.

The only unkown is if there will be some kind of broken/missing features or bugs that will make game unplayable (like X-Rebirth 1.0).

Post by **Alan Phipps** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 19:10

A missing factor is whether or not anybody outside of Egosoft (eg a publisher, finance house, partners, etc) will be in a position to put some pressure on Egosoft as to when and how to release the game.

Until such a situation is factually exposed or dismissed, let's perhaps try to be content with the rather more open and listening attitude that we are seeing concerning the promising directions that X4: Foundations is being taken in.

LTerSlash · Post by **LTerSlash** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 19:15

Considering they are now on X4 0.01 acording to the presentation, they still have a way to go until thinking about closed beta under NDA testers. For open early access, ill say come back in a year or so, i dont think they are even thinking about it yet.

Axeface · Post by **Axeface** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 19:50

I think they should only go early access for a short period to hammer out bugs, not for development. A few months maybe. Early access titles tend to stay in early access for many years, and i'm a bit tired of waiting for games to actually get official releases (I want to experienced finished games, not wear myself out on half finished games and not enjoy the final product).

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

Seriously, go Early Access please

Seriously, go Early Access please

Kickstarter campaign