Is DayZ really an alpha?

[herbster 34]

Why is the DayZ mod still an alpha? The standalone is use a different engine and already has features not available in the mod. So what exactly is it an Alpha for?

The reason I ask is after reading a post earlier (that was locked) regarding a problem with the update and the main response was that it's still and alpha and to expect problems. There was even the following:

"The updates usually do get tested before releasing to ensure that it works properly, however this may of been a last minute thing?"

I'm astounded that this guy thinks it's OK to just 'usually' test updates. This kind of attitude hardly instills confidence.

[kortez90 82]

The standalone is use a different engine and already has features not available in the mod.

LolWut?

[Max Planck 7174]

DayZ?

DayZ is a turtle.

Patient, confident, slow-moving. It crawls, it feeds, it lingers, it moves slowly towards the beach on which it was hatched.

There, it will lay its eggs before going back to its slow and somber business.

The spawn!

See them hatch, see them run! Look at them go!!

Darting towards the surf, eager to swim, to be free!

Hurrah!!

But really, alpha/beta/all that doesn't matter much, it'll be done when it is done.

DayZ is a turtle.

LolWut?

It's true! It's the modified TOH engine with a bunch of new stuff. Read the Tumblr posts! They're great!

FAKE EDIT: I'm not drunk, I'm at work.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Max Planck

[Chris529 380]

I guess it's alpha because there's no point in stepping it up and making big changes to the mod since the standalone DayZ is pretty much a separate game and already well underway. Normally though a game would be alpha then beta then released, though standalone will probably be released finished and the mod will stay in alpha.

[theirongiant 200]

I'm astounded that this guy thinks it's OK to just 'usually' test updates. This kind of attitude hardly instills confidence.

Testing is for bed-wetters, real programmers get it right first time but include random unexpected 'features'.

[herbster 34]

I guess it's alpha because there's no point in stepping it up and making big changes to the mod since the standalone DayZ is pretty much a separate game and already well underway. Normally though a game would be alpha then beta then released, though standalone will probably be released finished and the mod will stay in alpha.

Exactly. So if the mod is going to stay 'as is' it shouldn't be viewed as alpha as it's an excuse for shoddy testing.

[Max Planck 7174]

Exactly. So if the mod is going to stay 'as is' it shouldn't be viewed as alpha as it's an excuse for shoddy testing.

Alpha or not, it is still a mod, not a game that you pay for. The guys who develop it at the moment aren't getting paid for their time and effort, they do it because they want to contribute to the DayZ Mod project.

I don't know if you are used to using modifications for games, but I can assure you that the state/buggyness of this mod is normal for this sort of thing.

The DayZ standalone is a separate thing being developed by Rocket and his crew.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Max Planck

[Mos1ey 6301]

"The updates usually do get tested before releasing to ensure that it works properly, however this may of been a last minute thing?"

I'm astounded that this guy thinks it's OK to just 'usually' test updates. This kind of attitude hardly instills confidence.

Alpha builds are usually private. When you play an alpha build you are testing. :S

[herbster 34]

Alpha builds are usually private. When you play an alpha build you are testing. :S

Why is it still an alpha release?

Surely after 8 months or so it should have progressed to a beta release?

Or will it stay as an alpha release now that the standalone won't be based on the mod?

[Max Planck 7174]

It's a mod developed in people's spare time. Does it matter what we call it?

[herbster 34]

It's very naive to say DayZ is just a 'mod'. Matt Lightfoot is an employee of Bohemia Interactive and has a MASSIVE influence on what is or isn't implemented in this 'mod'.

I'm not saying this is bad at all, infact I think it's great, but what I do object to is all this talk about the devs getting no money when this mod has made loads of money for BI.

[plrsniper 87]

Well yes since there hasn't been a code freeze yet.

Alpha

A game/mod project has key functionality implemented and is feature complete. It's playable but still ridden with bugs and is still being shaped based on testing and feedback.

New assets are added and removed to balance the gameplay. Game mechanics are being fine tuned to make the game/mod become what the developers envision it to be.

Alpha stage usually occurs up to ten months before Beta but that is no guarantee.

Code freeze

At this stage, the developers are happy with the overall balance of the game/mod and have implemented all the features they want to have in the game/mod.

No more code is being added and the project goes from Alpha to Beta stage where only bugs are fixed.

Beta

The testing and finalizing stage. Here, all known bugs are being fixed. Nothing is added or changed drastically and the only real changes are those where one solution which is buggy is replaced with a less buggy solution which may alter game play to some extent.

At this stage, the game/mod is playable and ready for release already and any bug fixes are there to finish the product.

Release

The game/mod is finished and generally free of bugs. This is the final stage of the game. Anything done to the game past this point is to be considered an addon. DLC, Expansion or likewise and all are based off the original release.

Patches and hotfixes to the release may still be shipped to fix some bugs that wasn't detected/fixed during the beta stage.

-----------

Lets face it, as long as the DayZ mod is still being added to (new features, new weapons, new assets etc) it will stay in Alpha.

The question you should ask yourself is "Am i happy with all the features and assets that the DayZ mod has to offer?"

If your answer is anything resembling a no or maybe then you should just take a seat and wait like everybody else.

Finally, the DayZ mod is left in the hands of the community. As such, the DayZ mod will deviate from the SA in many regards and become a separate entity from DayZ SA.

DayZ SA is in it's "first playable" stage and is being tested for an alpha release. That is, The SA isn't really playable yet and as such would make no sense to be released as an Alpha yet.

When it's ready to be released it will be in Alpha and you will run into as many bugs as you have throughout the mod history and as many balancing changes and new assets as well.

The reason they made the standalone is because they hit an impassible restriction with the ArmA 2 engine and decided to use a newer, customized engine to ensure they could reach the vision that Rocket has for DayZ in alpha.

And that may also be the reason the DayZ mod has been in alpha for so long, struggling to implement features that couldn't with the A2 engine.

[ShokeR (DayZ) 29]

Did you played the mod? It's not even ready for beta, zombies are still buggy and not only the zombies alot of other stuff.

Dayz SA and dayz mod is two diffrent things, just because Dayz SA will use new engine it doesn't effect anything on Dayz mod, so why move to beta?

[SmashT 10907]

I wouldn't call it an alpha anymore, it is a free mod though so there will always be issues that ultimately cannot be fixed.

Edited February 26, 2013 by smasht_AU

[DazTroyer 227]

Rocket has said on numerous occasions that he wants to follow the "minecraft" model, so DayZ evolves into a great game. There will be bad updates, updates that don't work or break the balance of the game, bugs that slipped through testing. That's the very nature of the beast.

All this fuss over bugs in an update and tins of food will do more to put back the standalone imo. Rocket and Co can't win, rush it out because we want it now but make it bug free or else. Pathetic if you ask me.

Edited February 26, 2013 by DazTroyer

[herbster 34]

Hey, all I'm after is bugs getting fixed prior to new content being introduced. Don't think that's too much to ask TBH.

[TacticalN29 89]

Hey, all I'm after is bugs getting fixed prior to new content being introduced. Don't think that's too much to ask TBH.

You don't just click a magical button and fix all the bugs. You have to do actual work. As previously stated Rocket and Co. are no longer working on the mod. It is being developed by the community in their spare time and they are not seeing any money from it.

Edited February 26, 2013 by TacticalN29

[herbster 34]

Well yes since there hasn't been a code freeze yet.

Alpha

A game/mod project has key functionality implemented and is feature complete. It's playable but still ridden with bugs and is still being shaped based on testing and feedback.

New assets are added and removed to balance the gameplay. Game mechanics are being fine tuned to make the game/mod become what the developers envision it to be.

Alpha stage usually occurs up to ten months before Beta but that is no guarantee.

Code freeze

At this stage, the developers are happy with the overall balance of the game/mod and have implemented all the features they want to have in the game/mod.

No more code is being added and the project goes from Alpha to Beta stage where only bugs are fixed.

Beta

The testing and finalizing stage. Here, all known bugs are being fixed. Nothing is added or changed drastically and the only real changes are those where one solution which is buggy is replaced with a less buggy solution which may alter game play to some extent.

At this stage, the game/mod is playable and ready for release already and any bug fixes are there to finish the product.

Release

The game/mod is finished and generally free of bugs. This is the final stage of the game. Anything done to the game past this point is to be considered an addon. DLC, Expansion or likewise and all are based off the original release.

Patches and hotfixes to the release may still be shipped to fix some bugs that wasn't detected/fixed during the beta stage.

-----------

Lets face it, as long as the DayZ mod is still being added to (new features, new weapons, new assets etc) it will stay in Alpha.

The question you should ask yourself is "Am i happy with all the features and assets that the DayZ mod has to offer?"

If your answer is anything resembling a no or maybe then you should just take a seat and wait like everybody else.

Finally, the DayZ mod is left in the hands of the community. As such, the DayZ mod will deviate from the SA in many regards and become a separate entity from DayZ SA.

DayZ SA is in it's "first playable" stage and is being tested for an alpha release. That is, The SA isn't really playable yet and as such would make no sense to be released as an Alpha yet.

When it's ready to be released it will be in Alpha and you will run into as many bugs as you have throughout the mod history and as many balancing changes and new assets as well.

The reason they made the standalone is because they hit an impassible restriction with the ArmA 2 engine and decided to use a newer, customized engine to ensure they could reach the vision that Rocket has for DayZ in alpha.

And that may also be the reason the DayZ mod has been in alpha for so long, struggling to implement features that couldn't with the A2 engine.

Thanks for your post, it was very informative.

I think a problem lies in the fact that as far as the mod is concerned, it will never be developed into what might be envisioned by the developers/playerbase due to the (as you mentioned) limitations of the Arma II engine. The main issue being the zombie AI and movement which seemingly is either impossible or unfeasible to fix. As such, shouldn't it now be Beta or even release with the additions that it's 'as good as it can get' in certain areas?

being labelled as 'Alpha' gives carte blanche to developers to not test updates enough IMO. There's no doubt that people play and have been playing DayZ like a proper 'Release' game for months, and really updates should respect that. Not just for the players, but also the server admins.

[herbster 34]

You don't just click a magical button and fix all the bugs. You have to do actual work. As previously stated Rocket and Co. are no longer working on the mod. It is being developed by the community in their spare time and they are not seeing any money from it.

Doh, do new features not involve actual work? Is it too hard to fathom that time spend fixing rather than time spent on new features that also might go wrong isn't good in the long run?

[TacticalN29 89]

Doh, do new features not involve actual work? Is it too hard to fathom that time spend fixing rather than time spent on new features that also might go wrong isn't good in the long run?

Did you even read what I said? Rocket is no longer working on the mod. It is being developed by the community. By people in their spare time. Who are not being payed for their work. And you expect them to get the game bug free? Right. When games like COD still have bugs, despite releasing the same game every year they manage to not get the bugs out. Just chilax. It's called an alpha for a reason. Also the SA is coming out soon, which is going to be much better than the mod in so many ways.

Edited February 26, 2013 by TacticalN29

[plrsniper 87]

Thanks for your post, it was very informative.

I think a problem lies in the fact that as far as the mod is concerned, it will never be developed into what might be envisioned by the developers/playerbase due to the (as you mentioned) limitations of the Arma II engine. The main issue being the zombie AI and movement which seemingly is either impossible or unfeasible to fix. As such, shouldn't it now be Beta or even release with the additions that it's 'as good as it can get' in certain areas?

being labelled as 'Alpha' gives carte blanche to developers to not test updates enough IMO. There's no doubt that people play and have been playing DayZ like a proper 'Release' game for months, and really updates should respect that. Not just for the players, but also the server admins.

No, it's not a "carte blanche" for developers. They are still adding assets and code to make the DayZ mod a fuller experience than it currently is. For instance, in 1.7.6 you now get arrow quivers for the crossbow. That is something that has been missing so far and adding those things still makes the alpha stage valid.

The DayZ mod isn't finished yet and there are still oodles of stuff to add and refine upon before going into Beta.

That said, DayZ isn't following a traditional game development cycle. On top of that it's a community project now, people work on it in their spare time and if you feel you have something to contribute then join the team.

No player has the right to expect or demand anything from it. As far as I am concerned they can drop development of the DayZ mod at any time and nobody has the rights to complain about it.

"Want a refund?"

That's what it boils down to, not a single dime has been spent on DayZ from the playerbase so far.

What the players may have bought is ArmA 2: CO and that is a whole different purchase.

As such, developers are in no obligation to do anything at all and complaining about lack of features or the mod being in Alpha will only detract from the time they spent making the mod FOR FREE for you and all DayZ players.

[herbster 34]

What's the point of a forum if people can't make observations regarding different elements of the game. Since the game is still in 'alpha', the development of the game is a massive area up for discussion, especially so as you say it isn't following a traditional game development cycle. Which ironically makes it being labelled as 'alpha' rather strange.

[Elias (DayZ) 57]

What's the point of a forum if people can't make observations regarding different elements of the game...

Absolutely. I think DayZ-mod is great, I love all elements. I don't mind if it's called alpha, beta or anything else, cause I understand what DayZ really is. It's a mod by the community for the community, no

further labeling needed IMO.

[SlickShoes 21]

It is a mod for an existing game, the mod has been developed by someone in their spare time, there is no money involved at all.

Now that the people that made the mod are working on an actual DayZ game, the mod continues to be updated by members of the community, these people are not paid by any company, they are not game developers, they are people like you and me who choose to WORK on this mod for free in their spare time, they are human, they get things wrong. This will never go to BETA or RELEASE because it isn't a game, it's just a hobby.

[Uncle Zed 272]

That whole alpha/beta/release reply is rather misleading. I think of Alpha as very basic with lots of missing features and place holders. This is akin to a release as far as I'm concerned, but yes, by definition, it is technically an Alpha. Does the branding of "Alpha" really matter? Does anyone enjoy it less? Nope. I don't think so.