Backer Beta: Coming August 18th

[J.E. Sawyer]

I really don't know if I should play the beta. On the one hand, I really want to help iron out any issues PoE might still have, provide feedback in case there are things I really don't like (or do), and get a bit of experience building characters.

On the other hand, I don't want to get spoiled too much, or become too familiar with a game ending that "new and exciting" feel that games have when you first play them.

 

I feel that if I want to debate about topics coming up, having some hands-on experience puts me in a better position to argue, but I wonder if that's needed.

Advice?

 

For people who are concerned about spoilers, the Backer Beta will feature a number of areas near the middle of the game that do not have strong connections (if any) to the critical path.  In addition to the characters you create, we are also likely to feature a roster of pre-made characters who are not companions.  We don't have any interest in using the Backer Beta to give out story info.  We'd much rather have people play it and throttle the mechanics, UI, etc. so we can make fixes and adjustments.

[Leferd]

Will we be able to play around with character creation and level up to the appropriate level of the demo or is your party made up of these pre-made characters exclusively? Will these characters be interactable like companions, or will they be like adventure hall party members?

Edited July 8, 2014 by Leferd

[Labadal]

 

I really don't know if I should play the beta. On the one hand, I really want to help iron out any issues PoE might still have, provide feedback in case there are things I really don't like (or do), and get a bit of experience building characters.

On the other hand, I don't want to get spoiled too much, or become too familiar with a game ending that "new and exciting" feel that games have when you first play them.

 

I feel that if I want to debate about topics coming up, having some hands-on experience puts me in a better position to argue, but I wonder if that's needed.

Advice?

 

For people who are concerned about spoilers, the Backer Beta will feature a number of areas near the middle of the game that do not have strong connections (if any) to the critical path.  In addition to the characters you create, we are also likely to feature a roster of pre-made characters who are not companions.  We don't have any interest in using the Backer Beta to give out story info.  We'd much rather have people play it and throttle the mechanics, UI, etc. so we can make fixes and adjustments.

 

Will we be able to level up the characters to the max level? Not that it's important to me personally, but more as a way for you guys to get feedback from q&a testers and backers.

[Lysen]

How big the beta is going to be compared to Divinity: Original Sin beta?

[LordCrash]

NICE! Great timing as well since many CRPG fans are occupied with Divinity: Original Sin atm anyway. Until August 18th most should be ready for new epic CRPG stuff.

[J.E. Sawyer]

 

Will we be able to play around with character creation and level up to the appropriate level of the demo or is your party made up of these pre-made characters exclusively? Will these characters be interactable like companions, or will they be like adventure hall party members?

 

You will be able to go through character creation for your main character and any character you choose to make through the adventurer creator.  They will all act as adventurers, not companions (meaning they don't have story content).

[rjshae]

Note to self: grab asbestos umbrella in preparation for s***storm of grumbling about disabled functionality in the beta release...

[BillyCorgan]

YES ! YES ! YES ! This post just made my day. 

So happy.

 

Today it's DIVINITY O.S. ... end of August Wasteland 2... and now... this.

2014... what a good year for RPG fans !

[Anaeme]

I wonder if it will show up on Steam

[Golden Saint]

How can I see if I'm eligible for the beta? Or is it open to all backers, including slackers like myself?

[Lephys]

We don't have any interest in using the Backer Beta to give out story info.  We'd much rather have people play it and throttle the mechanics, UI, etc. so we can make fixes and adjustments.

And throttle we shall!

 

What a splendidly pleasant surprise announcement, ^_^

 

Will there be a formal/organized feedback/bug-reporting system?

[TigrisW]

This is “perfect” news, I really want to “play” This game soon as possible and same help beta testing it. It is also nice to hear that the beta included only a little spoiler of the plot (or not any). I really wait to try out wide (?) character creation and first experiences venture in PoE word
It was good time joined to the Obsidian Order!

[axan22]

Awesome cant wait, wont play too much though as don't want to spoil it.

[Doppelschwert]

Let's just hope the beta will be available DRM free.

[Flow]

How can I see if I'm eligible for the beta? Or is it open to all backers, including slackers like myself?

 

Unless the tier you backed included the beta (or you added on a beta key) I doubt you'll get access. Given that people paid specifically for beta access, it would cause a good bit of grumbling if they rolled it out to everyone right away.

 

But, they may well pull a WL2 and roll the beta out to everyone soon before release.

[teac5]

Great news.

[Leferd]

 

 

 

 

Will we be able to play around with character creation and level up to the appropriate level of the demo or is your party made up of these pre-made characters exclusively? Will these characters be interactable like companions, or will they be like adventure hall party members?

You will be able to go through character creation for your main character and any character you choose to make through the adventurer creator. They will all act as adventurers, not companions (meaning they don't have story content).

Makes sense in that you don't have to take additional resources to create even more extra content for the demo. Really looking forward to this.

[Gromnir]

 

 

Will we be able to play around with character creation and level up to the appropriate level of the demo or is your party made up of these pre-made characters exclusively? Will these characters be interactable like companions, or will they be like adventure hall party members?

You will be able to go through character creation for your main character and any character you choose to make through the adventurer creator. They will all act as adventurers, not companions (meaning they don't have story content).

Makes sense in that you don't have to take additional resources to create even more extra content for the demo. Really looking forward to this.

 

is not an intuitive approach, but we think it is a good alternative to the games that allow you to play starting areas up to level X. play start/tutorial results in spoilage, and given the peculiarity o' relative impotence in a level-based system, the initial levels tend to be o' disproportionate insignificant importance. start us off at some mid-level range give us much better idea o' how game actual works. got a better idea o' synergy between abilities. will necessarily have more customization options. we will have a better idea o' how combat will work as 'posed to pretending as if killing rats or wolves is a useful example o' game combat. we will see at least some depth o' the magic system. etc.

 

am pleased.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Chairchucker]

Question re: game data. Will there be overlap between the data of the beta and the data of the full thing?

 

More specifically, will we be able to download an 'update' that upgrades the beta to the full thing once that's out, or will we have to basically delete the beta completely and download the whole game separately?

 

I only ask because my internet has a laughably small cap.

[Odd Hermit]

And I went with a tier just below the beta access because I thought "I should wait it out to play the complete game for the full experience blah blah". Past self, you're an idiot.

 

[Lephys]

And I went with a tier just below the beta access because I thought "I should wait it out to play the complete game for the full experience blah blah". Past self, you're an idiot.

 

Don't be so hard on yourself. You bet on probability. It was the non-idiotic thing to do. You just happened to roll low, is all.

 

Besides, I think they're still working on getting reward upgrades going on the backer portal. I would think that, with the beta coming so soon, that'll probably be up-and-going before then, so that you can buy beta access as an add-on.

[ManifestedISO]

Gameplay footage in six weeks! Quick, send a note to the parents of those complaining about the lack thereof. Actually ... no, don't. 

[ryukenden]

Let's just hope the beta will be available DRM free.

beta is not a demo. It cannot be "DRM free".  When you log in, you help the company iron out bugs from their server.

[Zwiebelchen]

 

I really don't know if I should play the beta. On the one hand, I really want to help iron out any issues PoE might still have, provide feedback in case there are things I really don't like (or do), and get a bit of experience building characters.

On the other hand, I don't want to get spoiled too much, or become too familiar with a game ending that "new and exciting" feel that games have when you first play them.

 

I feel that if I want to debate about topics coming up, having some hands-on experience puts me in a better position to argue, but I wonder if that's needed.

Advice?

 

For people who are concerned about spoilers, the Backer Beta will feature a number of areas near the middle of the game that do not have strong connections (if any) to the critical path.  In addition to the characters you create, we are also likely to feature a roster of pre-made characters who are not companions.  We don't have any interest in using the Backer Beta to give out story info.  We'd much rather have people play it and throttle the mechanics, UI, etc. so we can make fixes and adjustments.

 

 

You sir - and all of the PoE team - should feel standing-ovation'ed now.

 

Unfortunately, I noticed the project after the kickstarter campaign finished, so I can't participate in the beta, but I will definitely watch let's plays as soon as they are out.

 

I hope there will be someone who isn't a totally annoying douchebag LP'ing it.

Edited July 9, 2014 by Zwiebelchen

[Doppelschwert]

 

Let's just hope the beta will be available DRM free.

beta is not a demo. It cannot be "DRM free".  When you log in, you help the company iron out bugs from their server.

 

 

I don't understand your reasoning. It's totally viable to have an installer for a beta and manual patches. There are (mostly Indie developers) that do this kind of thing. Even with this approach you can have a system that creates log files on a crash, the difference being that you have to allow the program to send it to the developers. And those kind of betas usually also have a special subforum on the forums for bugs and the likes.

 

Is it less efficient than having everything automated while being permanently monitored through the internet? Yes.

But it also has the advantage that you don't need to program all this stuff in the first place as well.

 

Personally, I wouldn't care if they had their own client, but I would feel cheated if I had to use steam for the beta when I ordered my game with the intent on getting it via GoG. Or lets rather say I'd be dissappointed.

Edited July 9, 2014 by Doppelschwert