Definition of an Alpha

[Zetal 90]

So hey guys, I've been in the Suggestions forums for a few weeks now, and I've seen a lot of great suggestions, some downright terrible ones, and a lot inbetween, but I still consistently see very similar errors in this forum. Does this look familiar?

Person A: "Fix the bugs and hackers!"

Person B: "It's an alpha bro, add features, then fix bugs in beta!"

While Person A's very brief and ignorant reply isn't exactly useful, it is, in fact, true.

Now, before everyone grabs their pitchforks, let me explain. In the normal Alpha stages of development, a game does undergo very rapid expansion of features, ignoring the aftermath of what is produced. However, in this case and many others, this is a publicly available Alpha. Rocket himself has stated that he is interested in collecting Data from the Hive on multiple occasions.

In a public alpha, it's general practice and, also, in Rocket's best interest to iron out bugs and hacks to create a more usable testing and data gathering environment.

To sum it up,

(tl;dr)

Alpha software can be unstable and could cause crashes or data loss. The exception to this is when the alpha is available publicly (such as a pre-order bonus)' date=' in which developers normally push for stability so that their testers can test properly.[/quote']

I hope this helps make the suggestion forum a more productive place. Thank you!

[Zetal 90]

No thoughts on this? Not even a single view?

[Badjr 44]

So hey guys, I've been in the Suggestions forums for a few weeks now, and I've seen a lot of great suggestions, some downright terrible ones, and a lot inbetween, but I still consistently see very similar errors in this forum. Does this look familiar?

Person A: "Fix the bugs and hackers!"

Person B: "It's an alpha bro, add features, then fix bugs in beta!"

While Person A's very brief and ignorant reply isn't exactly useful, it is, in fact, true.

Now, before everyone grabs their pitchforks, let me explain. In the normal Alpha stages of development, a game does undergo very rapid expansion of features, ignoring the aftermath of what is produced. However, in this case and many others, this is a publicly available Alpha. Rocket himself has stated that he is interested in collecting Data from the Hive on multiple occasions.

In a public alpha, it's general practice and, also, in Rocket's best interest to iron out bugs and hacks to create a more usable testing and data gathering environment.

To sum it up,

(tl;dr)

I hope this helps make the suggestion forum a more productive place. Thank you!

Actually what is seen most often on the forums is.

Person A: "I bought this game just for this mod, fix this crap."

Person B: "Its an alpha, this mod is going to have bugs and we're here to find them."

You seem to be ignorant of the fact that Rocket is indeed trying to fix the bugs, while still adding in more functionality.

This is also not a game alpha, it is a mod alpha with future plans of standalone availability.

In alpha mods, it is typical to push towards future goals while taking care of complaints given by the testers. This is exactly what Rocket is doing.

[Zetal 90]

I very rarely see the situation you're referencing. Maybe once in a blue moon, but very rarely nontheless. The one I described seems to be much more common, in that someone suggests a feature that would attempt to solve a given bug or exploit, and everyone says "It's an alpha, deal with the bugs."

[Bludy 324]

this won't stop those who call alpha for everything they can't justify or explain

[Badjr 44]

I very rarely see the situation you're referencing. Maybe once in a blue moon, but very rarely nontheless. The one I described seems to be much more common, in that someone suggests a feature that would attempt to solve a given bug or exploit, and everyone says "It's an alpha, deal with the bugs."

"It's an alpha, deal with the bugs."

Does not equate to "It's an alpha, add features then deal with bugs."

The prior shows a knowlege of how the alpha process works; since the testers must deal with the bugs while the modder is fixing them.

The latter assumes the modder is attempting to add features rather than fix the existing bugs or maintaining a balance between the two.

[Zetal 90]

Sorry for the misunderstanding, Badjr. I did not mean "deal with the bugs" to mean "fix the bugs." It was more meant as a way of saying "Suck it up." You know?

As well, this post isn't meant for Rocket, not directly. It's meant for everyone giving suggestions. The hope is that a more informed group of suggesters will be a more effective group of suggesters.

[Badjr 44]

Sorry for the misunderstanding, Badjr. I did not mean "deal with the bugs" to mean "fix the bugs." It was more meant as a way of saying "Suck it up." You know?

As well, this post isn't meant for Rocket, not directly. It's meant for everyone giving suggestions. The hope is that a more informed group of suggesters will be a more effective group of suggesters.

I didn't make that mistake

I was saying "deal with the bugs" is telling those who keep reporting the same bugs over and over again to suck it up because it is already in the process of being fixed.

Contantly complaining about the same bugs and adding to threads about bugs that have already been acknowleged is just stupid. That is why people respond in this way.

[Zetal 90]

Complaining about bugs is unacceptable, I agree. However, creating topics that suggest methods of fixing, working around, or changing an exploit is not unacceptable, and never will be. Yes, people repeating topics because of their refusal to use the search bar is annoying, but that's a separate topic entirely. If people believe they have an original idea for fixing a bug, "It's an Alpha" should not be a legitimate argument against it.