Alpha test "soon"

[Sephrick]

Wait where is this coming from? I don't recall reading there would be a server downtime period for everyone who didn't get into Alpha? If so, Alpha betta be less than a week..

I guess they'd obviously have to stop charging at the start of Alpha then, instead of the start of Beta.

Seems there's a lot of confusion going on.

Final Fantasy XIV players, take note: Your days are numbered. Er, at least your days spent in the original FFXIV world. When the game's rebirth, called A Realm Reborn, occurs later this year, the game's servers will be taken offline. Rather than overlap the two versions of the game, Square-Enix director/producer Naoki Yoshida says the original servers will be taken offline "some day in the near future," precipitating an alpha and then a beta for the game's relaunch later this year.

"Basically what's going to happen is that the current story is still continuing now, but some day in the near future -- and we'll make sure we tell the players what day that is -- something is going to happen in the story, and at that time, the servers are going to shut down," Yoshida told us in a group interview this morning at Gamescom.

The reason for the shutdown is less thrilling than you might think. "Basically the player data will be taken over into the new game. So, to convert all this new data for the new systems, we need a certain amount of time to do this. There's so much data, so many thousands of characters that we must do this for. And so we have to shut down the servers," he said.

Yoshida was quick to point out that players will have plenty of warning ahead of the shut-down (consider this your first heads-up). He also notes that the original game's userbase will be prioritized in A Realm Reborn's beta queue and that players will "be able to use their current characters in the beta test as well." Though that may not be at the kickoff of the beta, he says, "We're working in a way to try to get it as close to the beginning of the beta test as possible."

http://i.massively.joystiq.com/2012/...relaunch-a-re/

[Aldora]

Seems there's a lot of confusion going on.

Yeah, indeed.

Source: http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/interview/20120820_554086.html?ref=twitter

...

For the 7th Umbral Era story, when will it end? Also when will the server stop?
Y: For the timing once we are to the point where we can announce the date will let you know. Please wait little bit more.

Doesn’t seem too far away but will the current server stop when alpha test starts?
Y: I think that’s a close line. Not all people will be able to participate in alpha test and alpha test itself is for server load testing.

So for alpha test not all current FFXIV players get to participate?
Y: This is basically server load test so it’s impossible for everyone. And it’s not for them to play but to actually participate in the testing. For playing, that will be from beta.

In another interview i've read that the server would be shutdown for the conversion process when the beta starts.

Basically, we should wait for an official post on Lodestone announcing when the servers will be taken offline. Then we will know for sure when the servers will actually be taken offline and what it will mean for everyone regarding the Alpha/Beta Access and billing process.

[Sephrick]

Yeah, indeed.



In another interview i've read that the server would be shutdown for the conversion process when the beta starts.

Basically, we should wait for an official post on Lodestone announcing when the servers will be taken offline. Then we will know for sure when the servers will actually be taken offline and what it will mean for everyone regarding the Alpha/Beta Access and billing process.

I don't see anything contradictory there.

All he's saying is Alpha is strictly to test the servers and beta is more for gameplay.

[Synfrag]

Basically, we should wait for an official post on Lodestone announcing when the servers will be taken offline. Then we will know for sure when the servers will actually be taken offline and what it will mean for everyone regarding the Alpha/Beta Access and billing process.

Exactly! But, the only people who should get excited about it are the ones with testing background or at least the willingness to use their time exclusively for organizing stress tests on game content.

1.x Alpha was poorly executed. We were asked to load test a few things but besides that the specifics were vague. They should not be allowing people who want to oogle at graphics, craft or explore the new map into alpha. All that will do is flood the forums with crap like "The grass looks bad".

Alpha should be setup with specific testing criteria such as: Everyone log in and go to the AH at once, Everyone Participate in XXXX Event simultaneously. Yada yada yada. 1.x was simply log in and do whatever for the most part. It was totally uncoordinated so very few bugs and glitches were found on the testers end.

One can only hope they do it right this time.

[Renen]

Exactly! But, the only people who should get excited about it are the ones with testing background or at least the willingness to use their time exclusively for organizing stress tests on game content.

1.x Alpha was poorly executed. We were asked to load test a few things but besides that the specifics were vague. They should not be allowing people who want to oogle at graphics, craft or explore the new map into alpha. All that will do is flood the forums with crap like "The grass looks bad".

Alpha should be setup with specific testing criteria such as: Everyone log in and go to the AH at once, Everyone Participate in XXXX Event simultaneously. Yada yada yada. 1.x was simply log in and do whatever for the most part. It was totally uncoordinated so very few bugs and glitches were found on the testers end.

One can only hope they do it right this time.

Id no problem doing that, provided I can get into alpha :-)
Get to go to AH, and watch it crash before my eyes... sounds fun (no sarcasm)