Alpha is almost here! In this post, we’ll cover:
- 🔑 How to access the Alpha Round 1 Test
- 📑 Feedback
- 🖥️ System Requirements
- ⏰ Alpha Timing
- 🤫 Secrecy during Alpha
- ❓ FAQ
🔑 How to Access the Alpha Round 1 Test 🔑
GET READY! Tomorrow at 12PM PT, we’ll be sending out an Alpha Key Survey for entering your information to get your Alpha Steam Keys. The survey will contain some quick questions about what types of games you like, and some information to help us with our Steam Key delivery. In the survey we will be asking for the email we have on file associated with your order. This is the email we will use to deliver your Steam Key!
NOTE: The Steam Keys themselves aren't tied to any email. They can be activated by any Steam account. The email is only to confirm your purchase, eligibility, and most up to date information.
If you need to update your email, please reach out to us at info@fluffnest.com as soon as possible!
⏰ Don’t wait to fill out your survey! Depending on the volume and timing of Alpha Key Survey responses and the performance of our systems, delivery of Keys may take longer than we’re hoping. We will send batches based on who filled out their survey first.
Steam Keys will be sent out in batches. We will send a Test Batch of Steam Keys at 10AM PT on October 31st, with the goal of sending the remaining batches starting 12PM PT on October 31st. We anticipate that all remaining batches should be sent in a matter of minutes or hours.
Unless there are unforeseen issues, the Alpha Key Survey will be open until ALL Alpha Testing Rounds are complete.
We have been doing exhaustive tests leading up to launch, and we will continue to do so in the coming days, but this is the first time we are launching something at this scale with these parameters. There is always a chance something goes wrong, and we ask for your patience and understanding if that happens.
This will be the first of many Alpha Testing Rounds. The timing and number of the Alpha Testing Rounds will depend significantly on your feedback. We anticipate this first round will last around two weeks, depending on your feedback. Read below to learn more about the timing and frequency of the next Alpha Testing Rounds.
For more info on Alpha Key distribution and Alpha Testing, read more below in our Alpha Timing section.
💖📑 User Feedback 📑💖
During Alpha, the most useful feedback will be about your experience with the gameplay and introduction of the world and features of Island Skies. For Alpha, these are rough, but your feedback will be critical in helping us shape them into what we want them to be.
We will be monitoring bug reports for new issues, but this won’t be our primary focus at this time. We want to keep Alpha stable enough to deliver a representative experience, but not burn too much time chasing down minor bugs until the state of the game is more locked down, toward the end of Alpha / start of Early Access.
There are 3 ways we’ll be collecting feedback:
- Surveys: We’ll send surveys with each Round of Alpha. These will cover the topics our designers are most interested in and give us data that will help contextualize conversations we’re seeing. This will be the primary way we collect and evaluate feedback.
- Discord: We’ll pay careful attention to conversations that are happening around the features and content in the Alpha. This can help flesh out our understanding of the feedback we’re getting from the surveys, and see what conversations are happening around specific topics.
- In-Game Analytics: In-Game Analytics will be some limited data we collect behind the scenes to gain insight on how players are engaging with the game. This will be the most objective, but least insightful way we collect feedback.
📣💻 System Requirements 💻📣
The following is based on our most recent build testing.
Minimum System Requirements
- Operating System (OS) Version: Windows 10, 64-bit
- Processor: Intel Core i3 or equivalent
- Memory: 6 GB RAM
- Graphics Processing Unit (GPU): NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 or AMD Radeon RX 550, with 2 GB VRAM
- DirectX Version: DirectX 11
- Network: no
- Disk Space: 2.5 GB
Recommended System Requirements
- Operating System (OS) Version: Windows 10, 64-bit
- Processor: Intel Core i5 or equivalent
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics Processing Unit (GPU): NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 series
- DirectX Version: DirectX 11
- Network: no
- Disk Space: 2.5 GB
Our build is constantly changing. Over time, we will continue to optimize and improve performance so Island Skies works better on a wider range of hardware.
It’s possible we will make changes between Alpha Testing Rounds that will temporarily hurt performance, but the overall trend should be toward a more performant game.
⏰ Alpha Timing ⏰
Alpha Key Survey Batches
The Test Batch will be made up of the first users who respond to the Alpha Key Survey. If there are any issues with the Test Batch, we will make an announcement on Kickstarter and in our Alpha Discord with more information.
Again, depending on the volume and timing of Alpha Key Survey responses and the performance of our systems, delivery of keys may take longer than we’re hoping. We will send batches based on who filled out their survey first. We have been doing exhaustive tests leading up to launch, and we will continue to do so in the coming days, but this is the first time we are launching something at this scale with these parameters. There is always a chance something goes wrong, and we ask for your patience and understanding if that happens.
After the first set of batches, we will try to process new batches every weekday during this first Test Round.
Alpha Test Rounds
The Island Skies Alpha will be unavailable to play between rounds. You will still be able to redeem Steam Keys. If you redeem a steam key between Alpha Testing Rounds, the Island Skies Alpha title will not appear in your library until the next Alpha Test Round starts. This is expected, and not a cause for concern.
Timing and frequency of Alpha Rounds will vary greatly depending on your feedback. If your feedback calls for larger changes first, there could be up to months between Rounds, or 2 weeks for the Round itself. If there are a lot of small tweaks we can make based on your feedback, the time between rounds could be as short as a week or less, or a weekend for the round itself.
It’s also possible we’ll push hot-fixes or revisions during a testing Round.
Keeping availability limited to the testing rounds will help keep the team’s focus balanced between issues and wants raised in the community, and behind the scenes priorities that might not be visible when you’re playing the Test, but still have a significant impact on the game or production. This is critical to keeping production focused and on track, as supporting feedback and player experience during testing can take up significant team bandwidth.
🤫 Secrecy During Alpha 🤫
Keep it secret!
Keeping Alpha content controlled will give us a lot more freedom to share a wider range of work in progress content with Alpha testers without worrying about confusing or upsetting people who haven't been part of the Alpha process, who might not understand the context of what's being shared or the state of production.
No streaming
Live streaming Alpha is not allowed at this time.
No screenshots
Do not share screenshots of the Alpha build outside of the Island Skies Discord at this time.
You can read more about secrecy during Alpha here ➡️ https://fluffnest.com/pages/island-skies-alpha-confidentiality
❓ FAQ ❓
When does Alpha launch?
On October 31st, 12pm PT the first batch of Steam Keys will be distributed via email. Once you receive your Steam Key you should be able to access our Alpha!
What if I forgot the email I used?
Be sure to go through any accounts and look for emails relating to Kickstarter or Island Skies. If you still can’t find it, email us at info@fluffnest.com !
What if I fill out the survey late?
The survey will be open throughout all of Alpha testing! You might get your Steam Key a bit late, and if you wait until the end of this first round, you might need to wait until the next one, but you will still get your Steam Key!
Will I be able to play Alpha in between testing rounds?
The Island Skies Alpha will only appear in your steam library during the testing periods (this one will be around two weeks, starting Oct. 31st). The Alpha will not be playable outside these times. This is critical to keeping production focused and on track, as supporting feedback and player experience during testing can take up significant team bandwidth.
How long will the first testing round last?
This will depend on your feedback, but we’re currently planning 2 weeks! We should have a firmer answer after the first couple days of the first Alpha Testing Round.
How long will Alpha last overall?
This could vary depending on your feedback over the course of Alpha, but Alpha testing should be finished by the end of 2024!
When will the next Round start, and how long will it last? How many Rounds of Alpha will there be?
This will depend on your feedback! For more info, see the Alpha Test Rounds section above.
Can I stream Alpha?
Streaming of Alpha is not allowed at this time.
What if I hate Alpha? Can I get a refund?
The purpose of Alpha is taking negative (and positive) feedback and using it to improve the game. If you hate Alpha right now, we hope you’ll like it by the time Alpha is done!
Is there anything Halloween themed in the Alpha?
Nothing at all! We’re sad about this.