Seems like just another company dragging things out in forever development just to keep selling "pledges". I gave up following this kind of garbage and was only reminded of it here.
I don't think it's anything like that at all.
I think it was a project with a failed kickstarter that then tried to continue without it only to have a turnover of staff and a "new start." Then it continued but without a strong hand on the rudder only to constantly have to vie for money and eventually have Brad die.
The people still involved were still dedicated to the project and they managed to make significant changes that allowed them to actually move along at a better pace with better tools.
In no way shape or form did this project hit the ground running. I remember speaking with Brad and another one of the developers at PAX East and the developer made a comment that one map had many iterations but still needed "another go." Brad turned to him with a somewhat serious look and said "no, it's fine the way it is."
I suspect that a lot of the project had tinkering and "a bit here and a bit there" with no finish in sight.
It's not as if they had their engine (they are now using a different engine it seems) their vision and their experienced team and they started work on good footing. I bet it was more like them getting anyone with at least "some" experience who was willing to work for less than nothing.
So not dragging things out so much as a comedy of errors.
It's like they have encountered 'Scope Creep' without actually changing their plans. All the delays, without the unbridled optimism.
I had thought this *might* have been a 'proper' successor to carry the EQ3 label, but I think they simply lost the trail.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
Pre - Alpha? LOL this will be the 2nd year in a row that they put out a PR release in January and said they would be in ALPHA by the end of the year.
Why are they so afraid to call this Alpha? Oh I know, because a lot of people will actually get a chance to see all this BS once they call it Alpha. Then the hammer will come down.
They are deathly afraid of letting the community see this project for what it is.
That was the real telling point of the announcement, confirmation pre-alpha will continue into next year.
I'm sure the extension is partly to reduce potential negatively but a more likely driver is only high tier backers, including the recently added $750 tier are granted pre-alpha testing access.
There's been a push on their forums and reddit to encourage those at lower tiers, especially the $500 backers to up their pledge, even reminding them about the options to pay in installments.
When they finally get to Alpha it will be interesting to see if they do the same, try to encourage the beta backers to buck up for earlier test access.
Probably the way to bet.
Don't agree with this. If this game was trying to delay for upgrades to pre-alpha, it would put out a much longer pre-alpha delay like a year or more. But right now, who knows when Alpha will start 2 months, end of year, next year who knows. Nobody wants to dish out 2x or 3x cash on a pledge just to find out next week the alpha starts. So with this uncertainty Alpha buyers are unsure of if to upgrade or not.
This game has been doing this for years, pretending Alpha is just around the corner. Alpha is where a HUGE basket of people are in. If this game is really good, then all the Alpha people could come out and praise how amazing the game is. They would see a huge windfall of people upgrading from Beta or nothing to Alpha. There is so much more money to be made at this tier. Right now nobody has any info really and are all really skeptical, I know I am.
BUT what if its not good? What happens then? The team is deathly afraid of this question and doesn't want to find out. A very bad alpha release could see this game in complete shambles and ruin any future funding and hopes.
Look at Valheim, that game made most of its money in Early Access years ago, it still hasn't released, and when it finally releases it wont make much more money because people already bought the game. It was good enough, and did amazing and people bought the game in early access.
Pantheon is terrified that this game is going to come up short in the eyes of the huge amount of Alpha players. Once you remove the mask, you cant put it back on. Their entire future probably rides on that alpha release.
If I was this team, I actually would avoid going to alpha even if the product was good enough for alpha.
I would basically go to Alpha with the equivalent of a Beta+ product.
Here is why,
This game has been delayed for so many years, what's another year going to mean? The damage to their rep is baked in. People are super skeptical of this game, most people think its going to be trash just like most of the other Kickstarter projects.
If they release an Alpha in an almost completed state, people are going to be completely caught off guard and give this game Amazing reviews. If you release a game in Alpha after this many years but its better than people are expecting that's going to set off a huge positive reaction.
Probably a bunch of people will pay big money to jump into the alpha because its in such a good state, the hype train would be real. People without the money will be drooling while waiting Beta/Release.
Releasing a solid product in Alpha is the smart move. This coming from someone with access to Alpha.
Pre - Alpha? LOL this will be the 2nd year in a row that they put out a PR release in January and said they would be in ALPHA by the end of the year.
Why are they so afraid to call this Alpha? Oh I know, because a lot of people will actually get a chance to see all this BS once they call it Alpha. Then the hammer will come down.
They are deathly afraid of letting the community see this project for what it is.
That was the real telling point of the announcement, confirmation pre-alpha will continue into next year.
I'm sure the extension is partly to reduce potential negatively but a more likely driver is only high tier backers, including the recently added $750 tier are granted pre-alpha testing access.
There's been a push on their forums and reddit to encourage those at lower tiers, especially the $500 backers to up their pledge, even reminding them about the options to pay in installments.
When they finally get to Alpha it will be interesting to see if they do the same, try to encourage the beta backers to buck up for earlier test access.
Probably the way to bet.
Nobody wants to dish out 2x or 3x cash on a pledge just to find out next week the alpha starts. So with this uncertainty Alpha buyers are unsure of if to upgrade or not.
This game has been doing this for years, pretending Alpha is just around the corner. Alpha is where a HUGE basket of people are in.
"You" don't want to dish out more money for pre-alpha access now if it's moving to alpha "soon", doesn't mean some subset of the rather large alpha players wouldn't mind tossing in an extra $250 to do so. (Not all gamers pinch pennies as we all know)
You are correct, they've been teasing backers with promises for years now, but especially since their "revamp" got underway regularly discussing the past year or so how much more amazing everything is now vs before.
You can see it on Reddit, some backers are salivating at the mouth to see more, to try it out, and I think some will bite.
As you said, no guarantee that pre-Alpha ends any time soon, so this "trick" can be used a couple more times most likely to keep the money coming in. (It's been working pretty well so far)
As for fears about what might be said after the Alpha "flood" comes in, the NDA will likely be kept firmly in place which will permit them to control the dialogue and prevent the spread of any huge amount of negativity beyond what is already out there now in the public's minds eye.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I used to love hearing news about this game. Now I honestly hate hearing about it, was so excited but now it seems to be just another kickstarter. Which we all know what that means. As usual, I hope I'm wrong because I would love to play this. Buuut....
Seems like just another company dragging things
out in forever development just to keep selling "pledges". I gave up
following this kind of garbage and was only reminded of it here.
I dont have any numbers on that but Star Citizen has an Alpha, which is why they sell pledges.
PRotF doesnt have that, so I doubt they sell much in regards to pledges.
Seems like just another company dragging things
out in forever development just to keep selling "pledges". I gave up
following this kind of garbage and was only reminded of it here.
I dont have any numbers on that but Star Citizen has an Alpha, which is why they sell pledges.
PRotF doesnt have that, so I doubt they sell much in regards to pledges.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Alpha test: a period of testing of a game that precedes beta. So, pre-alpha means for them a period of testing that precedes alpha? Oh come on now!
Inventing titles for these MMO releases gets exhausting; what the heck is a "Pre-Alpha" anyways? Either you have an Alpha or you don't. Enough of these nonsense confusng terms.
Going to make my pre-coffee now, please excuse me!
"Pre-Alpha" means whatever you need it to mean.
But, in this case like with Star Citizen, it's the version of the game where you are not ready to take responsibility for not meeting promises.
Comments
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
Don't agree with this. If this game was trying to delay for upgrades to pre-alpha, it would put out a much longer pre-alpha delay like a year or more. But right now, who knows when Alpha will start 2 months, end of year, next year who knows. Nobody wants to dish out 2x or 3x cash on a pledge just to find out next week the alpha starts. So with this uncertainty Alpha buyers are unsure of if to upgrade or not.
This game has been doing this for years, pretending Alpha is just around the corner. Alpha is where a HUGE basket of people are in. If this game is really good, then all the Alpha people could come out and praise how amazing the game is. They would see a huge windfall of people upgrading from Beta or nothing to Alpha. There is so much more money to be made at this tier. Right now nobody has any info really and are all really skeptical, I know I am.
BUT what if its not good? What happens then? The team is deathly afraid of this question and doesn't want to find out. A very bad alpha release could see this game in complete shambles and ruin any future funding and hopes.
Look at Valheim, that game made most of its money in Early Access years ago, it still hasn't released, and when it finally releases it wont make much more money because people already bought the game. It was good enough, and did amazing and people bought the game in early access.
Pantheon is terrified that this game is going to come up short in the eyes of the huge amount of Alpha players. Once you remove the mask, you cant put it back on. Their entire future probably rides on that alpha release.
I would basically go to Alpha with the equivalent of a Beta+ product.
Here is why,
This game has been delayed for so many years, what's another year going to mean? The damage to their rep is baked in. People are super skeptical of this game, most people think its going to be trash just like most of the other Kickstarter projects.
If they release an Alpha in an almost completed state, people are going to be completely caught off guard and give this game Amazing reviews. If you release a game in Alpha after this many years but its better than people are expecting that's going to set off a huge positive reaction.
Probably a bunch of people will pay big money to jump into the alpha because its in such a good state, the hype train would be real. People without the money will be drooling while waiting Beta/Release.
Releasing a solid product in Alpha is the smart move. This coming from someone with access to Alpha.
I'll take that bet. You send me a dollar if it releases or I'll buy you a doughnut if it never does.
You are correct, they've been teasing backers with promises for years now, but especially since their "revamp" got underway regularly discussing the past year or so how much more amazing everything is now vs before.
You can see it on Reddit, some backers are salivating at the mouth to see more, to try it out, and I think some will bite.
As you said, no guarantee that pre-Alpha ends any time soon, so this "trick" can be used a couple more times most likely to keep the money coming in. (It's been working pretty well so far)
As for fears about what might be said after the Alpha "flood" comes in, the NDA will likely be kept firmly in place which will permit them to control the dialogue and prevent the spread of any huge amount of negativity beyond what is already out there now in the public's minds eye.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I dont have any numbers on that but Star Citizen has an Alpha, which is why they sell pledges.
Remarkable the faith some gamers have.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
And I havent baked them, so I cant claim I have any faith in them.
Yeah, yeah, yeah...
Respect, walk
Are you talkin' to me? Are you talkin' to me?
- PANTERA at HELLFEST 2023