So I’ll preface this by saying sorry if I’m duplicating this. I did a search and didn’t really see threads devoted to this issue.
So Bless Online just came out and initial response is... not good. It’s buggy, glitchy, optimized poorly, sometimes to the point of unplayability. Translations are completely messed up (one example is you’re trying to talk about “combat positioning” but the game calls it “combat poisoning”; another “you are 5level” instead of “you’ve hit level 5”). Youtubers, some of whom have been asked to be emissaries for the game, have had nothing good to say, except a few like the combat system and think the cash shop is okay. Here’s just one example of a disappointed emissary. There is coarse language:
https://youtu.be/1ILii5tmYW8
There’s been a response claiming that “it’s early access” and “they’re still testing” and “it’ll get better”. It highlights one of the big concerns I have.
I don’t know if this is a trend, but I’ve personally noticed more commentary about games coming out incomplete, or using early access as an excuse to release something that should be a beta with foundational issues that will take months or weeks to fix. I’m okay with an open beta. I’m even okay with a closed backer beta. But I don’t want to see early access for this game become a “bad word”.
I trust the devs to make the best choice for us, but I want to request it anyway: please make sure any early access that is done is a true early access - a complete game, with testing and bug fixes done. Early Access should, in my opinion, serve as a soft launch of a completed product and not be treated as a “paid beta”.
Name: Safehouse
Ranger: Gunner
Primary: Force Blast
Secondary: Atrophic Aura
Tertiary: Kinetic Melee
Travel Power: Parkour
Status: Traveling. Following rumors of a huge city in Massachusetts that is teeming with supers.
A lot of developers abuse early access (not just on steam, in general). Probably one of the most famous examples was the debacle that was double fine's space base DF-9.
It is ok to have *some* polish needed. Safehouse is right though, the majority of work left to do on a game by the time it goes early access should be content and additional features, and even that shouldn't be missing so much that you make a bad first impression.
I get the feeling the devs are purposefully being very cautious in this regard since they have been very tightlipped and put out very limited displays of their work. They really seem to want to wait and only show their cards when they know they've got those aces ready.
Which I think most of us are fine with. Everyone wishes we could play right now, sure, but everyone wants a good game more. The other CoX inspired projects seem to be gaining ground a bit faster, and if they come out first there is nothing stopping people from trying them out. I think CoT will ultimately prove itself the best of the bunch. Everything I see shows that it seems to have more craftsmanship and depth.
I agree 100% with what you’re saying. I definitely am okay with some amount of little things being needed here and there. Heck, games that have been out for a while are always fixing bugs and optimizing things and whatnot. But there’s always a line as to what “acceptable” means, and I don’t want to see CoT cross it.
I also agree that I trust the devs. They have been methodical and thorough and very careful - even sometimes to the point of frustrating some - but in the end I know they are working hard on providing a great product to us. I trust they won’t rush out the product to satiate our hunger.
I sometimes wonder if that’s why so many devs call what REALLY is “beta” “early access” instead: pressure from somewhere to just release the game already.
Name: Safehouse
Ranger: Gunner
Primary: Force Blast
Secondary: Atrophic Aura
Tertiary: Kinetic Melee
Travel Power: Parkour
Status: Traveling. Following rumors of a huge city in Massachusetts that is teeming with supers.
You didn't try very hard.
Forums > Player Help and Information > Questions about the Game > [url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/early-access-good-or-bad]Early Access: Good or Bad?[/url]
Forums > Development > Developer Communique: The Devs Ask You > [url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/what-do-you-think-early-access]What do you think of Early Access?[/url]
Forums > Development > Suggestions and Ideas: You Speak to the Devs! > [url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/early-access]Early Access[/url]
Forums > Lairs and Hangouts > General Discussion > [url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/how-guiding-should-early-gameplay]How "guiding" should early gameplay?[/url]
Who or what is Bless Online and why should we care?
This Bigfry person is a Twitch streamer, thus all he does is chew through content to keep his channel alive. This is exactly what I am talking about when I say that MWM should absolutely NOT give special privileges or access to Twitch streamers. Take a look at his semi-excited video where he claims he is one of the ninety five people granted early access.
[youtube]C8KRfFFgIaQ[/youtube]
In the time between being bestowed the privilege of being an "Emissary" and the initial review you posted, it appears he did nothing to educate himself about the game/system and walked into the game cold. Thus the poor review compounded by the poor delivery (bugs).
MWM has stated that they are limiting the open beta to the Character Creator only. A lot of the gameplay mechanics have been argued and hashed out here on the forums over many years and countless forum topics. If you have a specific concern, do a forum search or ask a specific question so someone can direct you to the pertinent posts.
"Just, well, update your kickstarter email addresses, okay? Make sure they're current?" - warcabbit
Actually I did do a search for the words “early access” and a couple others with some variety of similar terms. I did not see those threads talking about the specific concern I had regarding developers treating early access as a fully paid beta. I’ll reread those threads though to see if I missed it; they’re just old threads and I didnt know if things had changed/didn’t want to necro.
Bless Online was the most recent example of a series of games I’ve seen come out with early access where people were excited only to be let down. I’m not telling anybody what they should and should not care about. I only care about it because it’s the most recent I’m what appears to be an unsettling trend.
That guy was one video I watched. There were numerous.
Name: Safehouse
Ranger: Gunner
Primary: Force Blast
Secondary: Atrophic Aura
Tertiary: Kinetic Melee
Travel Power: Parkour
Status: Traveling. Following rumors of a huge city in Massachusetts that is teeming with supers.
I will do that in the future thank you.
Name: Safehouse
Ranger: Gunner
Primary: Force Blast
Secondary: Atrophic Aura
Tertiary: Kinetic Melee
Travel Power: Parkour
Status: Traveling. Following rumors of a huge city in Massachusetts that is teeming with supers.
I... uhm... what? That is not the impression that I have gotten.
The impression I have gotten is that with Second Chance they will release the character generator as part of the drive and its announcement. Later on (or perhaps during) they will have som closed beta access, and then an open beta that includes access to the game world itself (more for stress testing I guess) before going live.
I sort of assumed Planet10 meant to say something like the Character Creator is going to be released [b]first[/b] for people to test and/or play with [b]before[/b] the rest of the game. Almost without doubt there will come a time when the "rest of the game" is released/unlocked for a different open beta testing period [b]after[/b] the Character Creator has been more-or-less verified as being good to go.
The sequence of events I just described has basically been "The Plan" the Rednames of CoT has been describing for years now. I'd be amazed to see something different happen at this point.
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
I believe you meant to say "paid alpha" instead ...
[center][img=44x100]https://i.imgur.com/sMUQ928.gif[/img]
[i]Verbogeny is one of many pleasurettes afforded a creatific thinkerizer.[/i][/center]
Some games you're lucky if it even makes it to alpha quality....some devs are not great at using early access. All too often they can have devs burn out, the studio falls apart, or the creator's vision detours wildly from what supporters expected.
That being said the system is cool when done well.
New t-shirt:
[b]I FUNDED THE PHOENIX PROJECT KICKSTARTER AND ALL I GOT WAS CLICKY CAPE[/b]
(Just kidding...)
If you want Clicky Cape you just have to ask.
Technical Director
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