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I thought the thread might have contained more details then BIG NEWS THE GAME HAS GONE ALPHA.
Oh ok, I understand then. Still a little confused as the topic is pretty specific, but I can understand the hope for more info lol. I myself originally read this with the hope of more info than this, but why be so disappointed or let down? Be happy we are receiving any info at all. They technically don't have to tell us diddly squat. Be happy my friend. We are one day closer to the release date! 
I think there's an element of people just not understanding how game development works, and how Bioware's game development works, and the specifics of what's happening on DA:I in terms of the scope and timelines.
Nobody outside the company is remotely qualified to judge the state of the game based on the information we have, so freaking out about it is pointless.
(The obvious answer is "give us lots of new information to let us judge", and they'll probably be doing that at E3. So... cool your jets, I guess.)
I'm curious, when should a studio declare alpha on a game? Further, how long should beta last? Upon what are people basing these numbers?
Really wondering that myself as well...
pfft this is the most uninteresting news I read this month, why should I care if it went Alpha, I only care when it goes Gold.
Because some people get excited about hitting a benchmark on the way towards their final goal? It's like if I said I am setting a goal of losing 30 pounds. I am likely to celebrate a benchmark of losing 10 pounds or 20 pounds, on the way to that ultimate goal of 30 pounds. Rather than getting to 10 pounds and then 20 pounds and being all, "Well, I'm unexcited. I won't be excited until I lose all 30 pounds." It's being excited about hitting a milestone that demonstrates positive progress towards the endgame.
My two cents.
Why worry you ask?
Lets look at recent example - Watch_Dogs. A truly next gen game... it supposed to be. Well, look at all the criticism flowing from reliable sources. The game was also delayed... for same reasons - to make it better. Turns out the optimalization is $hit, it struggles with decent framerates ranging from 30-120fps drops... and the graphics are not as astounding as they showed us they will be. Engine using 5 or 6+ GB ram even... on graphics looking not such awesome. It was/is tested on BEAST gpu's!
What was UBI saying prior release (yes, some people got the game earlier from retailers, whatever, its on torrents already)? Praising marvelous, detailed and vivd world to play in.
It's a trend, for the developers and publishers to deceive or blatantly LIE to us. Bioware did it too. ME3 being recent example (no, I'm not talking about the ending!).
I begin to think someone is forcing PC gaming back, at least not to go ahead of the nextgen, whatever the F* that is, so we are stuck with badly optimized, ufinished barely playable software.
So, yes, I have my concerns and no, I'm not wishing for the game to fail or dissapoint.
Negativism? Hardly. Fear more likely I would say.
@Hydromatic get off your high horse please.
Why worry you ask?
Then wait for the game to come out, read as many reviews as you can, and make your decision then.
Bioware aren't holding a gun to your head, and nobody is making you buy the game. Nobody is even making you feel interested in it - if you genuinely have misgivings, tune out entirely until people get their hands on DAI and can give you their opinion.
Worrying about it now is a waste of your time and energy. If it's awful, there's nothing that anyone can do about it at this point. What's the point in freaking out about a hypothetical? Or using Watch Dogs to say "hey guys every next-gen game must be awful because [reasons]"?
So again, how long should beta be? You mention it's a problem because we announced Alpha this weekend. When should we have announced it, and why?
Everything you listed is still an issue when you're not aware of our internal alpha/beta timeline.
Well to put it in to perspective, when this game launches it has been in production for 3 years and 7 months, give or take. Some of that is pre- production. Dragon Age II had about 1 year and 4 months development time and was an ok game. So not worried, at all! Finally they have taken some time to make this epic. As for Alpha, and beta. I do not know what is normal in the development cycle, but it seems like they have control.
Why worry you ask?
Lets look at recent example - Watch_Dogs. A truly next gen game... it supposed to be. Well, look at all the criticism flowing from reliable sources. The game was also delayed... for same reasons - to make it better. Turns out the optimalization is $hit, it struggles with decent framerates ranging from 30-120fps drops... and the graphics are not as astounding as they showed us they will be. Engine using 5 or 6+ GB ram even... on graphics looking not such awesome. It was/is tested on BEAST gpu's!
What was UBI saying prior release (yes, some people got the game earlier from retailers, whatever, its on torrents already)? Praising marvelous, detailed and vivd world to play in.
It's a trend, for the developers and publishers to deceive or blatantly LIE to us. Bioware did it too. ME3 being recent example (no, I'm not talking about the ending!).
I begin to think someone is forcing PC gaming back, at least not to go ahead of the nextgen, whatever the F* that is, so we are stuck with badly optimized, ufinished barely playable software.
So, yes, I have my concerns and no, I'm not wishing for the game to fail or dissapoint.
Negativism? Hardly. Fear more likely I would say.
@Hydromatic get off your high horse please.
'Forcing PC gaming back'?
Why worry you ask?
Lets look at recent example - Watch_Dogs. A truly next gen game... it supposed to be. Well, look at all the criticism flowing from reliable sources. The game was also delayed... for same reasons - to make it better. Turns out the optimalization is $hit, it struggles with decent framerates ranging from 30-120fps drops... and the graphics are not as astounding as they showed us they will be. Engine using 5 or 6+ GB ram even... on graphics looking not such awesome. It was/is tested on BEAST gpu's!
What was UBI saying prior release (yes, some people got the game earlier from retailers, whatever, its on torrents already)? Praising marvelous, detailed and vivd world to play in.
It's a trend, for the developers and publishers to deceive or blatantly LIE to us. Bioware did it too. ME3 being recent example (no, I'm not talking about the ending!).
I begin to think someone is forcing PC gaming back, at least not to go ahead of the nextgen, whatever the F* that is, so we are stuck with badly optimized, ufinished barely playable software.
So, yes, I have my concerns and no, I'm not wishing for the game to fail or dissapoint.
Negativism? Hardly. Fear more likely I would say.
@Hydromatic get off your high horse please.
I don't wanna get into an hour long arguement with someone who clearly can't be reasoned with.
You seem to think you know more about all of this than you actually do.
So again, how long should beta be? You mention it's a problem because we announced Alpha this weekend. When should we have announced it, and why?
Everything you listed is still an issue when you're not aware of our internal alpha/beta timeline.
^ THIS
I do think part of the problem is people worry and see this is such a huge project that they have been building for years...when they are just going to have four months to test it. But this forgets that in the beginning they have had to work with an entirely new engine, one that had never been used for an RPG before, so they had to build from the ground up. That takes a lot of time. And we also know that they have had a build of the game, which they could play, back at Christmas. AND we know they have at least one QA tester already working on the game who posts on these very forums. They didn't just decide to start 'editing' it now and working out the kinks they have been doing so for a while, and have a dedicated team of very passionate people who want to make the best game they possibly can for us, working out those kinks. I have no idea of the specific process, but everything looks fine to me.
The devs have been reading this thread, clearly:
amazing how many people seem to think testing only happens AFTER alpha or beta has been declared
dude, naw. we've been testing it for a while. i haven't been sitting here with my thumb up my ass for the last 5 months.
QA isn't a thing that happens AFTER development, it's a thing that happens DURING development
I believe that most people assume development cycles for MMOs are similar to other game development cycle. DA:I is in "Alpha" now and will be launched in around 4ish months. Now for an AAA MMO being launched, you can expect different tiers of "Beta" testing happening for a year prior to launch.
I'm curious, when should a studio declare alpha on a game? Further, how long should beta last? Upon what are people basing these numbers?
The devs have been reading this thread, clearly:
amazing how many people seem to think testing only happens AFTER alpha or beta has been declared
dude, naw. we've been testing it for a while. i haven't been sitting here with my thumb up my ass for the last 5 months.
QA isn't a thing that happens AFTER development, it's a thing that happens DURING development
Sebastian's comment illustrated this nicely... 
.@cancerbaby if QA happened after development
I would have expected Alpha to be about 3 months before Beta and at least 3 or 4 months for the Beta.
Those times are completely arbitrary, though. Why those, and not something else?
And why should anyone use their own judgement with kind of issue when collectively everyone in this thread knows practically nothing about the reality of DA:I's development?
'Forcing PC gaming back'?
I suppose you are FLUENT and can express yourself without a hitch in my native language? Dont be a dick, you know what I ment.
So again, how long should beta be? You mention it's a problem because we announced Alpha this weekend. When should we have announced it, and why?
Everything you listed is still an issue when you're not aware of our internal alpha/beta timeline.
Well, I dont know your timeline but if you read my 1st post you you will notice I was asking about that in the light of my concerns. If what you say is that BW is safe with 4 months for ALPHA and BETA then fine, case closed.
Then wait for the game to come out, read as many reviews as you can, and make your decision then.
Bioware aren't holding a gun to your head, and nobody is making you buy the game. Nobody is even making you feel interested in it - if you genuinely have misgivings, tune out entirely until people get their hands on DAI and can give you their opinion.
Worrying about it now is a waste of your time and energy. If it's awful, there's nothing that anyone can do about it at this point. What's the point in freaking out about a hypothetical? Or using Watch Dogs to say "hey guys every next-gen game must be awful because [reasons]"?
Sheesh, I guess you are right, but one thing leads to another. If the ports are bad, PC gamers will rage and stop buying -> then the pub's mantra comes its because of PIRACY! PC gaming is DYING and some other horse$hit we hear now and then.... If devs adhere to the same old pattern PORTING to pc eding with inferior games (I'm not saying BW does that), sooner or later, we'll all end in deep pit filled with feces. Metaphorically speaking. So excuse me that I care.
I wonder if BW can tell if the preorders for DAI took a hit after DA2 and ME3? Knowing such data would be interesting.
As I said many times before I'll wait and judge when the game comes out. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
And why should anyone use their own judgement with kind of issue when collectively everyone in this thread knows practically nothing about the reality of DA:I's development?
I'm curious, how long before the actual release date of a game is it actually "done," no more editing or bug testing, but shipped off as the final copy for release?
If you do not want to use your own judgement then why are you posting?
There's a difference between posting an opinion based on "feelings", and an opinion based on judgement. I can't question your feelings, but the judgement of a random fan in an area like game development is most likely entirely wrong. At worst it's actually misleading.
I can post in a thread like this and say, personally, that the game entering Alpha is cool. That's a (subjective) interpretation, and it doesn't require any further qualification. I am capable of giving an opinion about things I like in the game, but I have absolutely no knowledge of game development - so how would my judgement in that area be useful, or relevant?
Questioning timeframes and where the game ~should be~ at this point, with reference to game development, is hugely problematic. We are not developers on DA. Nobody here has any insight into the way Bioware develops games, let alone the specifics of where the game is at, what still needs to be done, or how much can be done before launch. We *cannot* know this - so why would people even try to post about it?
You can certainly go ahead and say "I feel that Alpha should be X months and Beta should be Y"... okay, but why should we even care about your judgement here? Why is that judgement relevant when it's so likely to be entirely incorrect? Fans don't possess the knowledge or the context to form an informed opinion about a game when it's in development. How can a useful discussion ever be conducted when all of its participants don't understand what they're talking about, and have no specific information about the topic?
Fans have an area in which we can confidently express a useful opinion - our personal enjoyment of the game, opinions about its content or lore, etc. Game development is not part of that area. I don't express unqualified judgements in that area because I know I'm going to be wrong.
There's a difference between posting an opinion based on "feelings"
Fans don't possess the knowledge or the context to form an informed opinion about a game when it's in development. How can a useful discussion ever be conducted when all of its participants don't understand what they're talking about, and have no specific information about the topic?
There is a LOT of butt hurt going on in this thread.
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