Closed Beta for UK CO Lifetime Subs

[aircool]

Ok, I know fine well that a lifetime sub to CO doesn't mean instant access to STO closed beta, I never expected that in the first place (and my lifetime sub was purchased solely for access to CO, the STO closed beta was a nice bonus).

However, I would like to know where we in the UK (and the rest of the EU) stand on this matter. I ask this because closed beta's don't always take place beyond the US.

Cheers.

[idoliside]

Actually yes, i'd like to know if people from the UK are being considered entry. If not then i'll stop checking my email every 20 seconds.

[Parxy]

I also would like to know this.

[khaless]

if u bought the sub then they are obligated to let u in closed beta from wherever u are. And science it will be only 1 server what good it would do for only US testers? How would they test game for Europe?

[Musterion]

Good question, one to which I'd like to know the answer.

[dvpl]

Hi guys,

I'm actually a bit puzzled, because I thought that actually CO lifetime subscription MEANS automatic Closed Beta access. When I look at my account I have STO Closed BEta as an "activated feature" (that's when I look at it in CO).

I'm not from UK, but from Poland, so anyway still EU. Would be great to know about the Closed Beta... anything...

By the way - do we still need to fill in the poll for the closed beta? I just assumed that buying CO lifetime grants the access to closed beta, and that's it. I get my key through email when the time has come.

Seems that I was wrong... it wouldn't be the first time... I was wrong allready before... once or twice ;).

[tarjan]

yes i want to know this to cause if none US citizens are not included ....... there will be a new storm of angry posts...

[Nyalani1st]

if it's any measure, I'm european and I was in the closed beta for CO, so Cryptic did let Europeans in that time, and that's not long ago.

[Foss]

Ok, I know fine well that a lifetime sub to CO doesn't mean instant access to STO closed beta, I never expected that in the first place (and my lifetime sub was purchased solely for access to CO, the STO closed beta was a nice bonus).

WRONG

Star Trek Online
Activated Features
* Closed Beta

Its not a bonus or a gift. And its not the beta but the closed beta.

[coldflow]

I doubt they would block any europeans from getting in but if they have limited hours of testing per day it may well be while europe is sleeping.

[dvpl]

Ok... what I would like to know is: do I need to fill the application for closed beta if I have it activated as an account feature due to Champions Online lifetime subscription?

[aircool]

WRONG

Star Trek Online
Activated Features
* Closed Beta

Its not a bonus or a gift. And its not the beta but the closed beta.

Eh? I don't quite understand what you're trying to say here. I'm simply stating that I was well aware that acceptance into the STO closed beta via the lifetime sub to CO doesn't automatically mean access as soon as the closed beta starts when I bought a lifetime sub to CO.

I was also stating that I bought a lifetime sub to CO because I wanted a lifetime sub, the closed beta access to STO was a bonus because I still would have bought the lifetime sub regardless of any access to STO; closed beta or otherwise.

So what exactly is your point?

[Foss]

So what exactly is your point?
My point of view is simple.
Some people have taken the 6 month subscription to CO only for guaranteed access to the closed beta of STO and nothing else. Not for CO or the beta, but for the closed beta.
Big difference.

And they paid for it. Seconds another big difference.

[Phaid]

As the Cryptic offices are on the West Coast (GMT -7, and -8 hours for a lot of Europe), coupled with the extended packet delay/lag. Then I'd expect that European Testers will be needed pretty much further down the line. However with the fact that CO is already up (and all the Net code is there), then the wait will probably not be as long as we would expect.

The start of open Beta usually has the Servers up for a few hours at a time (usually in the Developers afternoons/early evenings. So in the UK that two hour slot will probably appear sometime past Midnight. However as the Beta continues, then the servers are up for more hours. All day Weekend Testing happens more often etc.

So don't be worried about no key just yet (unless you don't need to go to work), because you'd probably be asleep when the servers are up. But in time Europe will probably be added, yup we'll be last in. But thats always the way for Beta when its a US based Developer. Its nothing 'American players first', more a matter of simple logistics and time zones.

BTW I used to live in the US, and it was a lot easier getting accepted into Beta. If there was an MMO developed in the UK, Then it would be easier for UK residents to get into early Beta. I just accept this as a matter of fact. There's no way around it.

[Wodahs]

if it's any measure, I'm european and I was in the closed beta for CO, so Cryptic did let Europeans in that time, and that's not long ago.

I was in the CO beta from the beginning. There were tons of Europeans in it, so I wouldn't worry about it either. However do be aware that Cryptic is in California and since most beta test have very limited play times. The few hours you may get to play a week in a beta test, may not be too friendly for EU players.

From what I've read it sounds like they are bringing in the CO Life/6 Mos players first. My guess is that they will be brought into beta in waves each week over the next few months. I'm not sure how many Life/6 subscribers there are, but I would guess a month or 2 to get them all in and keep the servers stable. (I would assume that if you get in you would also like to play, unplayable servers would not be a lot of fun.)

The guys who thought they would all get in on the first day had a very poor understanding of how the beta process works. It just doesn't work to dump that many players onto a new server setup all at once.

So just be patient... you will get in. But checking your email daily is more than sufficient to ensure you don't miss out on anything.

[KO_Gilligan]

The guys who thought they would all get in on the first day had a very poor understanding of how the beta process works. It just doesn't work to dump that many players onto a new server setup all at once.

.

To be fair - I said it wouldn't work long ago... but I also said that I didn't understand how they would let ANY non-subs on ahead of paying subs. I speculated an "Alpha" - never in a million years would I think they would make a big Beta Starting announcement first, then attempt damage control :eek:

[TwAgIssmuDe]

I wouldn't mind getting a key either, here is me crossing fingers.

[aircool]

My point of view is simple.
Some people have taken the 6 month subscription to CO only for guaranteed access to the closed beta of STO and nothing else. Not for CO or the beta, but for the closed beta.
Big difference.

And they paid for it. Seconds another big difference.

That's got nothing to do with the subject matter of this thread. You initial post doesn't make any sense. If you are wanting to make a statement about when 6 Month/Lifetime subscribers get access to the closed beta, there's plenty of threads already on that subject.

I was stating my reasons as to why I have a lifetime sub to CO so that people would understand that this isn't another thread complaining about closed beta access, rather, it's more about where the UK and EU might fit into the schedule.

As has been stated multiple times, if you purchased a 6 Month/Lifetime sub to CO purely for closed beta access to STO, then you'll get access at a time deemed appropriate by Cryptic. Purchasing one of these subscription offers and expecting instant access to STO closed beta as soon as it started, is, in my opinion, somewhat naive and lacking in appreciation of the closed beta process.

To clarify, this thread is simply about where the UK and EU stand with regards to the STO closed beta. On a personal note, I'm not interested in the argument about 6 Month/Lifetime subscribers to CO should get access, and that was reflected in my OP.

[Wodahs]

To be fair - I said it wouldn't work long ago... but I also said that I didn't understand how they would let ANY non-subs on ahead of paying subs. I speculated an "Alpha" - never in a million years would I think they would make a big Beta Starting announcement first, then attempt damage control :eek:

Ya i was pretty sceptical on the paid access myself. Problem is some of the people who purchased these subs had no idea what a closed beta really was, unfortunately that left them with no clue what they were getting. Just from reading their posts they seem to think it something like a party or an event. And it's not really like either of those, it's like a systems test of a software program.

You can't take a system that at most has hosted 300 people and suddenly dump 10,000 people on it. It just going to crash and it's going to crash so badly that you won't have a clue where to start to get it fixed. you have to ramp it up, it just won't work any other way.

The test also needs to be a test, Cryptic needs a balanced demographic mix in order to get some of the data they need from these tests. There is no guarantee that you will have enough in every category to only pull from the life/6 guys.

From the sounds of it paid is getting higher priority than non paid, which is as it should be.

[aircool]

The test also needs to be a test, Cryptic needs a balanced demographic mix in order to get some of the data they need from these tests. There is no guarantee that you will have enough in every category to only pull from the life/6 guys.

Absolutely spot on. Which is why I'm expecting those of us outside of the US to be pretty late to the party ;)

[Wodahs]

Absolutely spot on. Which is why I'm expecting those of us outside of the US to be pretty late to the party ;)

I didn't see that in the CO beta, there were quite a few EU guys right from the start. EU is a fairly large demographic, and since the test times were not too optimal for them they needed even more of them just to get a few of them into each test.

[Phaid]

Heh, its all wonderfully British...

"..Right, everyone form an orderly queue. "

There's not enough to go round, there's a war on don'tcha know.

Perhap Cryptic could hire Mr Chumley-Warner to organise Beta access :)

[aircool]

I didn't see that in the CO beta, there were quite a few EU guys right from the start. EU is a fairly large demographic, and since the test times were not too optimal for them they needed even more of them just to get a few of them into each test.

In which case, I shall do exactly what I was doing before I gained this knowledge; not expecting access into the closed beta until I recieve an email stating as such :D

[KO_Gilligan]

After all this, I hope they remember I was such a friendly chap in their last beta :)

[pabloman]

hi guys i signed up for the closed beta application from the UK too.

If the game is mainly run from the usa,
and if other paying people hav a place
we probably will see UK people on a bit later in the process
but i hope that its as soon as possible :)

one thing as a note though, (and probably not the best place to state it) is that i REALLY do hope that they cater for players who have lower spec graphics cards. .and hope that they dont make it nvidia only.

eg Blizzard made so many excellent games , star craft, warcraft, (unreal tournament, dawn of war and others from other makers), which run perfectly on motherboard integrated direct x graphics cards.

make the game run on these please and you wil have a lot more potential players and subscribers etc.
why? because a lot of people are going to find it easier to simply forget about this game and find another game/console game to get by, instead of buying a new gfx card/motherboard that fits it, or a new machine just to play the game - i wont, to be honest, so im sure a lot of others wont either.

thats my friendly advice :)
new technology is great to make use of, but dont leave out the rest of us - include us please :)

regards,
pablo

[Wodahs]

After all this, I hope they remember I was such a friendly chap in their last beta :)

They would be foolish to forget such a thing. :)

[Myopic_Aardvark]

I'm an EU resident and I was there throughout the Closed Beta of CO - granted, I had a few really late nights to be in it, but I was there.

And towards the end, the servers were up a lot longer, meaning that the EU could get in at reasonable times (around 6pm in the evening).

Since they've tested this part with CO, I doubt it'll take so long to go to longer hours (especially given that CO's Closed Beta was a very long one and this one will probably only take a maximum of 3 months, given the projected release date - after all, we've still got Open Beta to go through as well).

[Rillanor]

Nightlore - You a gentleman and a scholar! At last someone not screaming blue murder that they are NOT first thru the door for CB because they bought a life/6 month CO sub! Thank You for that... The balance is restored :D

[Sjampoo]

First: 'Myopic Aardvark' :D:D excellent name

That being out of the way, I think it would have been a good idea to add a disclaimer to the 6 month / lifetime deals. Cryptic could then clarify what their points of view are concerning accepting people to the beta. Maybe a more open approach is in order if Cryptic is thinking about using these 'access to CB' deals more often. Of course, this might cut sales in half :D.

Currently I don't mind waiting for a spot; starting a new MMO sounds like a lot of work to me. But since I bought the 6 month CO only for the chance to Beta test this game I'd like a bit more clarity on a) what they're currently working on and b) what the general procedures are in adding new players to the mix.

For example: "we've been having a lot of glitches on ATI cards lately, so we are taking in a few extra ATI users in the next invitation wave. We'll send the next round of invitations next wednesday."

Okay, that might be a *bit* unrealistic.. but still, no regularly updated info on the game's progress is resulting in lots of angry posts on the public forums. The first thing a possible new STO player will see is an angry mob climbing over each other with occult theories about what might be happening at Cryptic HQ.

(I hope I'm making sense here, I'm still getting to grips with the language :o)

[CaptainRAVE]

Of course UK people will get in.

A) They needed to test the servers in the UK.
B) There were lots of closed beta players from the UK in CO.
C) UK players paid for the same deal!

[Elanel]

Well I'm in the UK and I was in CO closed beta. Never had any issues with the server access myself.

Bought an LT sub for a plethora of reasons, one of which was the STO beta access. But I never assumed I'd be first in, just that I would get in eventually. I don't think we'll have long to wait. The testing period is quite short by comparison to CO, which suggests to me that the Devs have a tight program of testing in store, part of which involves a timely increase in server population. They only have one opportunity to get this right, so I believe it's important that rather than try and usurp that approach, we simply let them get on with the job they've set out to do.

[dvpl]

Yup... I agree... it's not even that I HAVE TO get into closed beta... I just payed for something, and even if this was just an added value, it still remains the value I payed for; I can also be compensated (I'd probably prefer that ;) ) with a in-game item, it's just that I don't want to get nothing. I just hope I'll get my parallel universe apparell for the avatar... it was supposed that CO lifetime subscribers get it...

Is there any poinht of ontact for gamers? Because I can't seem to find anything on the website; Soe sort of email I could write on with STO issue?

[Vlherg]

People from England are in closed beta already. I know of one.
And no, it's not me.

[tankercaptain]

UK people are being considered as a colleague of mine at work has just got in and i didn't which means im gonna be teased death as the biggest trekkie in the office whos been rambling on about it for ages and ain't in yet :mad:

Not that im bitter or anything :D

But to answer your question yes we are being considered/let in.