The beta version is almost ready for release. I am currently working through the game save/loading code and fixing up some missing/out of data functionality, and once that is done, I’ll roll out the game to the testers.
Note that although I call this a Beta, that’s not really an accurate term for it. A traditional Beta is usually based around a nearly complete game; this release is more like an “early access” style approach. What those of you who have signed up for on the beta list are getting is a (hopefully) playable, but still very much unfinished game. What I’m looking for is the same as other early access efforts: feedback, suggestions, and help finding the bugs in the code.
If you’re a tester: Be prepared that P&T2 will feel like a step back compared to the existing game, at least initially.
A lot of the more complex functionality in P&T2 is either not implemented yet, or has been deliberately disabled in the first version, in order to focus on the core gameplay: ship to ship battles and trading. Since the former is pretty much entirely new (multiple ships), I expect there to be a lot of problems with this initially. Also, expect a high pace of updates and having to restart beta games occasionally. At this stage of development, saved games will break.
If that bothers you, I’d strongly suggest not jumping into the beta, lest it sour you on the game. I prefer to stay out of betas/early access programs myself, so I’ll think nothing less of you if you should decide it would be better to wait.
I’ll of course be using the feedback/criticism to try and improve the game, and plan to push out updates frequently to fix bugs, make the interface more user-friendly and add/release the game elements that I feel are missing. Most of the communication will occur through the MicaBytes beta community on Google+, but it’s public so those of you interested but not intending to be a part of the beta can follow it there. If you’re interested, you can also follow work as it happens on the new public Trello board for P&T2 where I plan to register issues/bugs as they get discovered.
Thanks for reading.