Closed Alpha: Status update and lift-off for the 2nd shuttle!

The Closed Alpha Test of Tau Station is a success thanks to you, the testers! Time to share an important heads-up with everyone, because the test will be extended, and a 2nd Alpha shuttle is ready! Many additional passengers will soon start exploring our sci-fi universe. Read on to learn more about the updated schedule.

Content in a space-nut shell:

  • Extension of the Closed Alpha Test
  • First big Alpha update & update timings
  • Passenger list for 2nd Shuttle on Tuesday 16th, after the game update
  • Tips for the new, additional testers

Extension of the Closed Alpha Test

The Closed Alpha (CA) Test has been extremely useful. The play tester activity has been amazing, and your reports, comments, and suggestions have been constantly noted down and shared with the team. They in turn have been working hard to fix issues and review features. During the last couple of days, the Community created more than 200 reports. On top to that, many suggestions were provided and the majority took the time to fill in a special “Day 1 Feedback” survey with detailed insights about feature preferences and mechanics that need to be improved upon. Thank you!

Let’s continue the success of this CA test, and as you are still sharing a lot of feedback, we will continue listening. There is no end date defined for the test so far, to avoid any limitations on gathering your opinions and findings. We will inform you of the end date as soon as we know more. – Until then, enjoy testing!

First big Alpha update & update timings

Next Tuesday, January 16th, the Alpha environment will be updated with the first big batch of improvements and fixes, based on the feedback and reports of the diligent testers who docked on Tau Station with the first shuttle. This is a good opportunity to share some organizational details about the future update process in general: we aim for using standard time frames you can rely on to plan your game activities accordingly. All of you know already that you need to adapt plans sometimes. In case any change is needed, we will inform you. So here it goes, this is the current plan as to how updates and maintenance will be done from now on:

► Frequency: weekly on Tuesdays
► Next update: 16 January 2018
► Start: ca. 10:00 am CET (Paris time) / 04:00 am EST / 01:00 am PST
► Duration: hard to estimate, a website status message will be in place
► Game: needs to be closed, you can login afterwards again

Passenger list for 2nd Shuttle on Tuesday 16th (emails have been sent)

Besides extending the CA to continue the prospering cooperation with our Community, to help bring the game to the next level, we are inviting a second wave of test participants who took the CA survey in December 2017 (see blog post)! Again, we sadly couldn’t take everyone, but this time the shuttle is even bigger than the first one. Want to know if you’re one of the lucky owners of a shuttle ticket? Please check the list below! The emails with access to the CA environment will be sent on Tuesday, January, 16, 2018, after the update is done (emails have been sent!). We will inform you on our social media channels when the game is back online.

You can also check if you will get a ticket before next Tuesday. The screen names of the newly invited participants are listed below in alphabetical order. Aliases that had to be changed to match the naming conventions and technical recommendations (e.g. using spaces), are marked with an *.

A-C

0x4d, Adalene, AHrEJl, Akage, alHalla, Alundil, amberfx, angel_diva22,  Ansset,
Arhkonn, Arquebus, Ashley, Avicebron, Bert, best, BlackEagleOps, blindndangerous,
Bloop, Brand, BreariousNG, Buck, BZzzz, Cail, captaincarlos, CaptainVimes, CarpyIX,
CitizenZ, Coke, continuum,  Corwinte, Crane, crashmaster, Cror, Cthulhu

D-G

Damnlie, Darcsoul, Daromir, DeddoTenshi, Dipdkg*, Djh907, Dotsent,  Doug, druidah,
DudleyPippin,  Edgar-Smyth1542,  EMAXX,  Emuspawn,  Epiphan, Erez, Etton-Veil*, Farley637, feilong,  fffinkel,  Fidd,  firefu,  flippa,  floppypond,  fogzot,  FuPlaayz,
Glard-Gnnsappe*,  Glauschwuffel*,  Gleb216, Graedalus, Grehl, Grumps, Gustaf

H-M

HallusH, Hawkins, Heliolater, Hirokache, ian, icydee, InfinityGone, Ingk,  Inkarnate, Integral,
irca, ironcross32, Jdpnielsen, JediSplat, Jihd, jluis,  Johan, Johnny_H*, Johnny-Haxwell*,
JonSnow, Jordy, jren, Kaerhis, Kallmorgen, Khan, Kingoftowers9*, KMK, Knuze, koorchik,
Kpt_Khaos*, krakan, Kribban, Kyrith, LateNights, Lazy, Lemm, Lemming, Lord_Kybord, Maleghast, Malok, MancPixie, Masdus,  Mawhrin-Skel,  Me2018*, meknrj, Meribor*,
Mifuyne, Mihai10, mike, mikegrb, Milk, Mind-Booster-Noori, minego, miros, moritz,
Mouser, Mr_Vimes*

N-S

nbrown04, Not_Gozer*, Novex, Nurbs, OgreTech, okram, oldman, Onicen,  pacman, Patterner, Pax-1,  Plaz,  PraxisMeow,  preaction,  Primeape,  psyfi, PurpleSpaceBazooka, push, quanin, Quimera45, Raek, Razboinicu,  razi, rdsteiner, Regrav, Reverbarance, Revydestros, rhacer, Rigardo,  Roman, romanian, Rozallin, Ryuketsu*, s1ak, SaltPro, Shuryanon, Shutey,    simotrone, SKald*, Skeletor, SketchyTurtle, Slabby, smonff, soci, sotona*,    SoulHaven, Spazm, spidamoo, Steelhell, Stoing, StrangeSofa, SYC6,  sykloid

T-Z

takadonet*, Tankman, Tenthet, TheOldDozer, Thoeni83, Tibor, tmtowtdi, touya,  Tricky511, Trufulus, Tyler, VampireChicken, Velgus, vmbrasseur,  Vooper,
Walz, Warden, wesm, Wilper, wjr1985, xavdid, xenc, Xerafion,  Yerffej, Z0mbieHD,
zakame, zeldagamer, Zer0, ZeroDarkLux, Zgrug,  zicoler,  Ziggurat*

Listed, but no invitation email?

If your screen name is listed, but you didn’t receive the invitation email after the update was done on the 16th of January, please check your spam filter. In case you cannot find the message, please get in touch with us (alpha@taustation.space), using the same email address you provided in the survey. We will get back to you as soon as possible to make sure you can join the Closed Alpha Test.

Tips for the new, additional testers

Last, but not least, here is a summary of useful on-boarding tips for you.

The entire team is looking forward to extending and scaling up the Closed Alpha Test. Welcome to the new passengers, and happy testing!