Starbase is now in Closed Alpha, which means a closed (private) test with a small group of users outside the development team. We will be expanding the amount of players in the Closed Alpha gradually over the course of the coming months.
While everyone is excited for Closed Alpha, for us developers it's an important tool to make the game better and prepare for the eventual Early Access release. During Closed Alpha the game will break often and many features are missing or not fully functional - the game is not yet ready for the majority of gamers to join in. That's why we're doing a Closed Alpha instead of e.g. an Open Alpha or other open test.
For most gamers, we would recommend wishlisting Starbase on Steam, that way you will get notified when the game enters Early Access. When the game enters Early Access, that's when we think the game is ready for most players.
That said, read on to find out more about the Closed Alpha.
When is Starbase coming out?
Starbase has a new Early Access release date target: May 2021. Aiming for May 2021 will allow us enough time to better prepare the game for Early Access, and add a few more important gameplay loops. For example we have recently added Fast Travel gates and the beginnings of a player-based economy, and in the coming weeks we will be doing fixes and improvements to those. In addition, we will be adding other important gameplay features such as the tutorials, player stations and gravity. Once these are added, we expect to start inviting Alpha testers in larger numbers!
How can I join the Alpha?
There's two main methods we use to select participants:
• We pick people from the community (mainly Discord) based on their activity and contribution to the community (not a scientific process and definitely not a popularity or activity contest!).
• Survey/signup form. We did a survey in January 2020 that we replaced with a new one in May 2020 (the Alpha signup). We have a lot of eager players in these surveys and will invite them based on our needs and specific criteria. You can fill out the sign-up form here:
Starbase Alpha Signup. There is no guarantee of when or if you will be selected, but over time you will probably have a good chance to join the game.
When will you select more participants?
We are selecting more players on an active basis at the moment. There's no typical day or week for selections - they happen based on what we need at any given time.
What if I made a typo in my email in the survey response?
If we get a bounced email, we will look at the Discord username and contact you.
How will I know if I have been selected?
If you are selected, then you will receive an email inviting you to the Closed Alpha aswell as the Alpha Tester role on Discord - but please note that this may happen a long time into the future, and prior to that we suggest you keep up with the latest news on our Discord and Forum.
How many players will be invited to Closed Alpha?
We don't know. We have been talking about over 10,000 players internally. We have roughly that amount of players already signed up for Closed Alpha. We may go over that number, and it's not unfathomable that we would simply invite everybody who's signed up right around the time of ending Closed Alpha and starting Early Access.
We do not have a plan of "this many players by date X" or anything of the sort - we'll see how development goes and what makes sense at any given time. But it's safe to say that we will be in the thousands quite quickly.
Will there be an "Open Alpha"?
The Closed Alpha will grow over time and your chances to join testing will be rather high by the end. The developers want to stress test their game before Early Access with as many people connected as possible, so the alpha will be much more "open" at the end.
Are the servers on 24/7 or is there downtime?
Starbase servers are on 24/7 and Closed Alpha players can login at any time. There's only downtime when we update the game build or do some other maintenance, which isn't planned to happen very often.
Can I lose my access?
Yes. We can revoke the Steam key given to you at any point if we feel you have gone against these rules. Cheating and bad behavior are obvious reasons.
How long will the Closed Alpha last?
Closed Alpha will last an undetermined amount of time. Possibly even up to the launch of Early Access.
What happens after Closed Alpha?
The game world will be wiped and be available to everyone to purchase on Steam Early Access here. Closed Alpha testers do not get a free copy of the Early Access version of the game.
Will I get Starbase for free if I participate in the Closed Alpha?
No. Having access to the Alpha does not give access to the actual game when it enters Early Access, so you will have to pay for the game eventually.
Will my progress and character transfer to the full game/Early Access?
Possibly to a degree, but we cannot make promises yet. We may have to do a "server wipe" once or multiple times during the Alpha (we will try our hardest not to, though). Likewise some elements of your character may transit from Alpha to the final game (like blueprints). Nothing is decided yet, however.
How will the Early Access launch go?
Our goal is to release a smooth experience for Early Access, but some features will still be missing at that time. We have very ambitious plans for Starbase and that vision takes time to fulfill, and while we are getting closer with Closed Alpha, the full vision will be unleashed in Early Access and beyond.
The purpose for Closed Alpha is to make sure we don't run blind into Early Access. In CA the game is still buggy and messy in terms of both technical and gameplay features, and once we reach a bit more stable status and have more features, then the game is ready for Early Access.
In our opinion Starbase Closed Alpha shows a "glimpse of the vision", allows CA players to imagine what Starbase can be. Early Access will make that more real.
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