Alpha/Beta Announcement thread. Next Alpha: ???

[King Zuca]

yea chat filters is not something i honestly think would stop SE from moving up to the next phase lmfao. they can just throw that in there next phase. and lag will always be there, even at retail. sure you can improve upon it (and they have), but to think they would'nt move forward until there is no lag at all? where do some of you guys live? heaven?

[Uzor]

I don't think alpha 2 or beta 1 will start until the lag issues are solved.

Although, I would indeed think most of the lag is because of all the 2k testers being in the same zone. If they opened up the other starting areas, the lag issues would likely be solved.

[MsUnknown]

I don't think alpha 2 or beta 1 will start until the lag issues are solved.

Although, I would indeed think most of the lag is because of all the 2k testers being in the same zone. If they opened up the other starting areas, the lag issues would likely be solved.

But that would defeat the purpose of them testing how much the server can handle. They WANT the server packed.. they WANT the server to crash so they can beef it up.

That's the whole point of putting everyone on one server.

[[Cookies]]

That wasn't trolling. You do seem to complain a lot and it makes everyone question.. are you there to test or to play and enjoy the game? 'Cause if you're complaining to BG how frustrating it is for you to sign on, which you have no business blabbing about anyway, then you're not fucking interested in testing. You're interested in playing.

To test, you must be able to login. Ergo, if I am complaining about being unable to login, I can not test. On the other hand, I didn't complain about logging in, I actually posted that I was ABLE to login.

Your argument is flawed. Not only that but you are an NDA fag. Stop posting.

P.S. I like how all (or at least most) of the people flaming me aren't in the alpha.

*puts anti-flame suit on*

[Jinko]

More notes

As of May 11, 2010, we have confirmed the following issues. Please note that the issues listed here do not need to be reported via the Bug Report form.

[Confirmed Issues]
- When the Windows Security screen is shown by pressing Control-Alt-Delete, the following may occur:
Title Screen: The FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Version may shut down.
Game Screen: The target cursor, log window, and other graphics may be displayed improperly.
* Please try to avoid using this command.

- During gameplay, the following may occur:
- Graphics may be displayed incorrectly.
- Error messages may appear.
* If you experience any such problems, please log out and then back in again.

- During gameplay, characters may become unable to move in certain locations.
* If this happens to your character, please use Warp or Teleport to free yourself. If this still does not solve the issue, please log in again or create a new character.

- On the title screen, after choosing "Start Game," the graphics may be displayed incorrectly.
* If this occurs, please exit the program and load the FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Version once again.

- On the character selection screen, after pressing "Login with Selected Character," "Delete Character," "Select Entered Name," or "Confirm Created Character," an error message saying "The lobby server connection has encountered an error" may be displayed.
* If this occurs, please exit the program and load the FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Version once again.

- If you enter active mode immediately after entering a new area, you may become unable to return to normal mode or use certain commands such as logging out.
* If this occurs, log out in any way possible and then log back in. If logging out is not possible, force the FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Version client to quit and then log in again.

- Control over the mouse and keyboard may be lost when returning to the FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Version window after changing windows with Alt-Tab.
* Please avoid changing windows this way.
* If this occurs, force the FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Version client to quit and then log in again.

- Occasionally the screen may go back to the beginning of a given event and then end with an error message.
* Once you have logged back in, you should be able to attempt the event once again.

- If the map is open when a given event begins, control over the main menu, action menu, and other areas will be lost after the event.
* If this occurs, please exit the program and load the FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Version once again.

- On NVIDIA(R) SLI(TM) and built-in dual GPU graphics cards from NVIDIA, the FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Version may not run correctly.
* This issue may be avoided by turning off SLI functionality. If the game still does not work even after turning off SLI functionality, we suggest adjusting your PC's hardware.

[Corrected Issues]

--- 04/12/2010 ---

- Occasionally Error 40000 was displayed under certain settings, causing the FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Version client to quit.

- Previously, the combination of Windows Vista(R) and NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) series graphics cards could occasionally cause graphics errors that would prevent game progression during the beginning cut scene.

- During installation of the FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Version, the following errors would sometimes occur and prevent correct installation:
Error 20526, Error 20614, Error 20613, Error 19903, Error -3

- Configuration settings would not be saved if double-byte characters were used in the Windows user name.

- Upon completing a levequest, there were instances when a levequest target would attack before it disappeared, causing the Alpha Version client to quit.

--- 04/28/2010 ---

- There was an error where the FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Version would close during any event and progress would then be impossible after logging back in.

- The server would crash when certain spells were used to attack a large number of enemies at once.

--- 05/05/2010 ---

- There was an error that caused the game to stop and only show a black screen with "Now Loading" displayed.

[Other]

--- 04/12/2010 ---

- We have implemented countermeasures to resolve the server load balancing and connection issues that occurred during the first alpha test.

--- 04/20/2010 ---

- We have implemented countermeasures to resolve character data corruption that can occur in certain situations. Characters with corrupted data are being deleted, so if this occurs, please create a new character.

--- 04/28/2010 ---

- We have implemented countermeasures to help improve the time it takes to do an area change or to log in when there is a significant load on the server.

- We have implemented countermeasures to prevent NPCs and PCs from disappearing when there is a significant load on the server.

- We have updated the login process so that characters with data corrupted due to server issues will not be able to log in, but will instead view an "errCode 3054" error during login attempts. If you receive this error, please try to log in again. If you are still unable to log in after trying multiple times and the "errCode 3054" error is continuously displayed, we ask that you please delete your character and create a new one.

- We have further stabilized the FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Version client.

--- 05/05/2010 ---

- We have implemented countermeasures to help prevent area changes from taking too long during times of heavy server load.

- We have taken steps to prevent certain conditions that could cause the servers to crash.

- We have further stabilized the server processes.

--- 05/11/2010 ---

- We have implemented countermeasures to help ease server load caused by battle.

- We have taken steps to prevent certain conditions that could cause the servers to crash.

[ringthree]

To test, you must be able to login. Ergo, if I am complaining about being unable to login, I can not test. On the other hand, I didn't complain about logging in, I actually posted that I was ABLE to login.

Your argument is flawed. Not only that but you are an NDA fag. Stop posting.

P.S. I like how all (or at least most) of the people flaming me aren't in the alpha.

*puts anti-flame suit on*

You are just complaining to complain. You do not understand the purpose of an alpha test at all.

What you fail to realize is that the things that you are "testing" are at best secondary to what they are actually testing. They are actually testing the servers and how they handle load and dealing with the lag and other issues behind the scene. The testing of in-game issues are of little relevance to them right now, but they need to have an incentive to get you on the server to test them.

You have an insanely inflated sense of self-worth. They don't need you, they just need bodies on the server. No amount of input you provide is going to matter all that much. They just want you clicking things in game, and guess what, you are doing that already.

Look at the update notes for the entire alpha, all of the notes are about getting the servers stable and dealing with load and lag. An alpha like this is obviously a test of the servers, it's not a test of the game play. While I am sure they love the input they are getting, it is not even close to their main concern.

As for your claim to special knowledge for being in the Alpha, have you considered that some of the people posting may in fact be in the Alpha, and they are just not so moronic as to claim it openly?

[Biggie]

It doesn't mean it should be 100% working, only that it would have no X, Y, Z, W, E, R, K, L, M, N, F, G,R, T, Y, U, I, O and C issues. Alpha or not those problems should not be present anymore because I participated in the NA FFXI beta and there were no such problems there.

That is just stupid.... FFXI NA beta was alreday 100% up and running in JP.... You can not compare an ALPHA to a BETA that was just released to make sure the servers were ok going global. Just like saying of well the xbox 360 beta for ffxi was fine, why isnt this alpha... just plain stupid...

But anywho, anyword rom the JP testing?

[Purrrfect]

That is just stupid.... FFXI NA beta was alreday 100% up and running in JP.... You can not compare an ALPHA to a BETA that was just released to make sure the servers were ok going global. Just like saying of well the xbox 360 beta for ffxi was fine, why isnt this alpha... just plain stupid...

But anywho, anyword rom the JP testing?

The post was a (poor?) attempt of sarcasm.

.

[Uzor]

But that would defeat the purpose of them testing how much the server can handle. They WANT the server packed.. they WANT the server to crash so they can beef it up.

That's the whole point of putting everyone on one server.

Which is what I said; they will not proceed to alpha 2 or beta 1 until they know the servers can handle the current load or an increased load, even though it is unlikely come release that all the players will be in the same area.

[[Cookies]]

You are just complaining to complain. You do not understand the purpose of an alpha test at all.

No. Read my post. I wasn't complaining. People bitched without reading my post. Looks like you didn't read it either.

What you fail to realize is that the things that you are "testing" are at best secondary to what they are actually testing. They are actually testing the servers and how they handle load and dealing with the lag and other issues behind the scene. The testing of in-game issues are of little relevance to them right now, but they need to have an incentive to get you on the server to test them.

No.

You have an insanely inflated sense of self-worth. They don't need you, they just need bodies on the server. No amount of input you provide is going to matter all that much. They just want you clicking things in game, and guess what, you are doing that already.

No.

Look at the update notes for the entire alpha, all of the notes are about getting the servers stable and dealing with load and lag. An alpha like this is obviously a test of the servers, it's not a test of the game play. While I am sure they love the input they are getting, it is not even close to their main concern.

No. That is what open beta is for.

As for your claim to special knowledge for being in the Alpha, have you considered that some of the people posting may in fact be in the Alpha, and they are just not so moronic as to claim it openly?

To answer your question, yes I have considered it. Moronic? Well that's your opinion. It's also my opinion that this alpha test hasn't gone to plan at all.

[Biggie]

No. That is what open beta is for.

Ummm.. your wrong buddy and that dont even make sense. SE has stated several times that Alpha is to get the servers stable... Why in the hell would they test gameplay on the Alpha, and save working on servers being stable for beta............ Please just go away, plenty of whinning little babbies over at ZAM, I'm sure you will fit right in.

[vrumpt]

I'm a retard

Ummm.. your wrong buddy and that dont even make sense. SE has stated several times that Alpha is to get the servers stable... Why in the hell would they test gameplay on the Alpha, and save working on servers being stable for beta............ Please just go away, plenty of whinning little babbies over at ZAM, I'm sure you will fit right in.

neither of you seem to understand what the word "development" means.

Alpha is the name of one stage of a game's development.

From dictionary.com:

–noun
1.
the act or process of developing; growth; progress: child development; economic development.

because this is an online game, server stability is part of that development process, in addition to testing the 5 things SE said they were going to test.

Test Content:
- Quest System
- Guildleve System
- Battle System
- Basic Controls
- User Interface

so they are testing gameplay, and they are continually fine tuning the servers to increase stability. And this also isn't restricted to SE, every online game that has ever existed has had lag and online stability issues when it went into beta. and we're in alpha, NOT beta.

[Trocian]

Who gives a shit about what Cookies does or doesn't do?

Just stop posting.

[Biggie]

No I understand, and sorry I should have said, why would they JUST test gameplay.

[King Zuca]

i think some people are missing the point. the alpha tests most important objective is to stress test the servers.

secondly, they are giving alpha testers an insight into the gameplay mechanics of the game, to see how people react to it. why do you think they mainly invited ffxi players? they are'nt "testing" the gameplay so to speak. they are gauging reactions to the direction they are headed with the gameplay, while fixing bugs and errors along the way. but mainly they are testing the servers, point blank period.

most developers dont even let players see the alpha stage of development let alone test it, a lot of the things in it are most likely going to change dramaticaly prior to release.they'll focus more on gameplay and whatnot come closed and open betas. its just how it goes.

this is an alpha/beta announcement thread, not a "remind cookies he is dumb" thread. we can clearly see this just by reading. hope mods do some cleaning, they can even delete this post. just shut up ppl and speculate on the speculate thread, and announce alpha shit on this thread.

[Gokulo]

i think some people are missing the point. the alpha tests most important objective is to stress test the servers.

Open betas are used for stress tests. Alpha tests are just to test the basics of the engine, gameplay and generally everything that gets developed along the way to check if it doesn't make the game explode.

[sruon]

Most people in this thread talk out of their asses, should just stop.

[King Zuca]

Open betas are used for stress tests. Alpha tests are just to test the basics of the engine, gameplay and generally everything that gets developed along the way to check if it doesn't make the game explode.

tell that to the developers that have been saying since we have even known about the alpha test that it would mainly be to stress test. it doesnt even make sense to test gameplay first, because (and im laughing having to even explain this) how can you properly test gameplay before knowing if people will even be able to get on to test anything?

that would be like driving a concept car down a road you have'nt even finished paving yet.

perfect example, and im not even a tester and i know this. of all the improvements and fixes they made to the alpha, they have all involved bugs and errors due to server issues. if they were testing gameplay first, how come they have'nt made any alterations yet? like the abyssmal speed of combat, the fact that you cant just tap a button to perform an action? you have to select it from the action bar. how come they have'nt put in chat filters to test if they work properly? i can go on and on.

p.s they don't need players to test the engine, im sure they know way more about it then any bug report from a fan can give them insight on. if anything they would have tested the engine before even beginning an alpha.

[Gokulo]

See, that's how the situation is here. S-E choice is an unusual one to let people perform alpha tests - usually developers do that themselves to prepare the game to be handed out to public during beta tests - clearly the Alpha version of XIV isn't really ready for that. I'm just thinking S-E is doing weird things, and I don't know for what purposes - marketing or wth?

And I'm not arguing about what their Alpha tests are - I'm just saying what it really mean to alpha test a game, and no it's not stress testing the servers because majority of alpha tests are internal.

[King Zuca]

See, that's how the situation is here. S-E choice is an unusual one to let people perform alpha tests - usually developers do that themselves to prepare the game to be handed out to public during beta tests - clearly the Alpha version of XIV isn't really ready for that. I'm just thinking S-E is doing weird things, and I don't know for what purposes - marketing or wth?

And I'm not arguing about what their Alpha tests are - I'm just saying what it really mean to alpha test a game, and no it's not stress testing the servers because majority of alpha tests are internal.

i'm not arguing either, im going off of what the developers themselves are saying. it IS a stress test. and i think primarily the reason why they decided to let players alpha test (and this can be found in multiple interviews) this time around is because they wanted the players to have a bigger role in shaping the game. they could have just done the alpha privately and tossed us a semi-finished product for us to beta test and say "here's what we're doing with this game, take it or leave it". instead they are going more along the lines of saying "this is what we would like to do with this game, ask us how you feel, and we will take your feedback into great consideration".

if anything, SE is doing us a favor by letting us play a bigger, albeit still limited role in their new baby. THAT is the reason they are testing the alpha like this. it just wouldnt make sense to build a game without knowing how solid the foundation is, i.e testing gameplay before ensuring a stable platform with which to test on.