So we just launched our Closed Beta through FilePlanet yesterday. So far we've conducted quite a few playtests and have gathered quite a bit of information from the new players. We have also experienced a handful of bugs which we are already addressing through the Public Beta. I've been asked a lot of questions recently, such as:
"Is the FilePlanet Closed Beta the same build as the Public Beta 1 coming out on Friday?"
The answer is NO. Far from it. We are changing quite a bit of things by Friday.
Not only our we tweaking performance and gameplay, we'll be adding new content for the first public beta.
This includes 4 new levels:
CTF_SHADOW:
CTF_MYST:
CTF_CATCHMENT:
CTF_QUAGMIRE:
So that'll bring us up to 7 levels on release day.
PUBLIC BETA 1.0 CHANGELOG:
I've also been asked quite a few questions in-game recently regarding the lack of content or what's to come. We have 4 scheduled Betas:
BETA 1.0
Release Date: December 11th, 2009.
Comes out THIS Friday. Features the core of the game (weapon functionality, player movement). It comes with 7 levels and one game mode ( Capture The Flag ). It only features HUMAN weapons. Also features things like Radio Commands, Melee Attacks, Firemode changing, and more!
BETA 2.0:
Release Date: January 1st, 2010 (tentative).
This will introduce all of the Alien weapons. On top of this we'll be adding two smaller game modes ( Team Deathmatch & Deathmatch ) in order to help you wait for Beta 3 (the big beta!). 4 new levels are being released with Beta 2 - all of them are winter themed for the holidays!
Some details about Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch: There are NO classes. Everyone starts with a 'default starting' weapon (up to the server host, otherwise its the pistol). Weapons will be scattered around the level just like the good 'ol days. Oh yeah, everyone also has a jetpack. We will shortly introduce specific Deathmatch maps for this when they are completed.
BETA 3.0:
Release Date: May 7, 2010 (tentative).
This is the big big beta. Featuring two new player classes ( Tech & Demo ), 10 new weapons, removal of all HL2 content, drivable vehicles, dinosaurs, 1 new game mode, 7 new maps!
(This will be an awesome beta!)
BETA 4.0:
Release Date: Fall 2010
No details have been announced. We know what we are adding in it, we just aren't talking about it yet.
Also, we will be announcing a Orion Public Beta 1.0 Release Party event tomorrow afternoon. It will either be on IRC or SteamGroup Chat. If you have a preference, you better hop on our forums and let us know! And shortly after the release of Public Beta 1.0 we will be announcing a Level Design Competition - so start messing around with that SDK! And if you haven't already tried out the Pre-Beta 1 FilePlanet Closed beta, just go here to get your copy: Fileplanet.com
See you in-game soon!
Oooh, cool.
HOLY CRAP!
DINOSAURS, had I previously missed something...
will there be zombies as well? dont answer that.
DINOSAURS.
Keep it up gentlemen, this is going to be stunning.
I really hope you're up for the sperging that'll come with those tentative dates if this mod really catches on. Estimates or not, you just set nerd rage in stone.
haha Beta 2 will hit on time - Beta 3 will be a challenge but with the releases out now theres motivation and new talent offers daily so it should be fine :)
But I totally understand - fires WILL be lit if we miss a release date :P
Well, not only that exactly. Intensive schedules and deadlines take their toll retail games especially. Dates set as motivation is one thing, but beyond that tends to become unhealthy and promote sloppiness.
I don't get it, Beta 1 comes out...this friday....
Beta 2 and 3...come out in January and May...of 2009? :S
yeah you didn't know they made this game from the top and working there way down you missed out on beta 3 and 2 those where alot of fun can't wait for beta 1 !!!
no really thought I can't wait to play this Friday keep up the great work
been watching this game over the past 4 years and I finally get to take a nibble of the cake :D
But that makes no sense D:
It seems that the awesome features like vehicle combat,dinosaurs and alien weapons aren't in the latest release D:
>CTF_Myst
>Has nothing to do with Myst at all
Goddamnit.
How very disappointing
How appropriate your avatar is.
Im sorry, but im gonna have to download this beta on friday! :O
Hahaha.Awesome.Congrats with the release.Friday will be mayhem =) Now i'm just curious what you guys have planned for the beta 4? Tell us plz :)
I'm definitely interested in the level design contest. I ideally want to make a large open map for the vehicles, but seeing as how we're quite a ways away from getting them, I guess I'll have to start small(er).
important: will there be a patch for the closed beta, or will we have to dl the WHOLE(1.3gigs is a big deal if you dont live in america) thing again?
Shadow looks gorgious...
Very Nice, Great update. ;)
Aww I won't be here Friday :( I'll get to play it though when I get back :D
Beta3 FTW =D
Sounds good can't wait to play. I hope it's better then some of the other space mods out there i really didn't like ethernal silence or jailbreak for some reason.
We hope you like it :P
Nicely planned. Let's see how it turns out. So far the FilePlanet Closed Beta is pretty amusing.
Looks like this mod will have a long life span
I don't get it,
a closed beta should be for selected people, but everyone can take part in the closed beta
isn't that an open beta???
...anywayz... care
good luck with your mod, it looks awesome
Yeah but quite a few people didn't grab it BECAUSE of the download waits and queues over at FilePlanet. So it sort of expanded our user base in order to conduct more tests on a larger scale (which we wanted) and also grab quite a bit of publicity (over 2,000 downloads in just 48 hours with only 4 download servers (as in 4 people can download at once while others wait wit a file size of 1.25gb - - Not too shabby!)
But the Open Beta will be available literally everywhere and it'll be a much larger (and cleaner) release due to Patch 1 fixing over 30 things as well as adding 4 new levels!
So if you haven't grabbed it yet I'd say wait for Patch 1 (either tomorrow or Monday due to some things sort of lingering around behind closed doors).
And thank you for the kind words :P
Hey i love this game and i have cleared all the stages of the same. I got the patch of this from the techarena.in/download/patch/orion-patch