adrazz

It was running perfectly earlier, I am constantly being disconnected now, have given up will try tomorrow

That entirely depends on what you are interested in.
Most people are currently setting up industry chains to build more things for their ships/buildings.
Some are mining and trading ore with other players for stuff.
Most are in an organization that helps them figure out what they want to do next, though, and I would highly recommend you join one, solo play is less fun than playing in a group

Dear Noveans,
 
When we set out to launch our beta this summer, we also envisioned a series of major changes and improvements outside of the game. A major one was the complete redesign of the game’s website, as well as the migration to a brand new tech stack for the site’s front and back ends. We were also planning to launch several programs, such as a Content Creator program and a Recruit-a-Friend program, which relied on a new, versatile code system. That code system is also being used to grant our backers the beta invitations which are part of their Kickstarter or Alpha packs.
 
Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned, as you’ve been witnessing over the past few days (2020 strikes again...). We had to revert part of our tech migration, and postpone the move to a new authentication platform, among other things in our backend. So for the past few weeks we have been struggling to try and reconcile the new site and the code system with our legacy backend. This task has honestly been way more difficult than we had imagined. 
 
We already missed the boat when it came down to allowing you to invite your friends a week earlier, and we’ve come to announce more delays, sadly. As we approach the launch of the beta, we have to be realistic about what we’ll be able to deliver, as we had to make tough choices:

We will launch the new Dual Universe website tomorrow; it will have the most essential content and features, with some visual and quality of life improvements missing. We’ll add more content after beta.
 
The Content Creator program will be ready, using the above code system (see potential limitation below). You should be able to get the invitations included in your beta packs on day 1, though the system may not be as easy to use as we wanted. Making sure you have these codes ready is one of our top priorities (see potential limitations below). You should be able to go to the website and upload images for publishing in Dual Universe, which will go through an internal review process to ensure that they follow the game’s Code of Conduct.  
The Recruit-a-Friend program didn’t make the cut… and that sucks. We worked hard on it and we were really excited about it. The in-game content is ready, but the entitlement system isn’t. Unfortunately, we couldn’t work on all the entitlements in the limited time that we had these past few weeks.

There is a potential limitation with the code system, for both content creators and beta keys: in the next few days the codes may not be redeemable with existing accounts - only with new ones (like for the load test). We are trying to lift that limitation as soon as possible, as we know it’s not ideal. 
 
So what’s next? All these new systems, the new website, and these new programs will be constantly improved in the days and weeks to come. Our priority will be to lift the code limitation and to launch the Recruit-a-Friend program as soon as possible. We don’t want to give you a date that we may not be able to hold, but know that we are doing everything we can to make it as early as possible. 
 
Finally let’s tackle the question of “Why did we announce the Recruit-a-Friend program if it wasn’t going to be ready?” Well, that’s the point; we really thought it was going to be ready, just as when we announced the ability to invite your friends a week prior to beta. It’s disappointing, for you and for us. But we believe these programs are worth it, so we want to make them right.
 
We hope you’ll bear with us, and that you’ll be able to enjoy the Dual Universe beta in the meantime.
 
Sincerely,
The Novaquark Team
 
*Note: we unfortunately won’t be able to retrofit any recruitment that you may do between now and the official launch of the program. Recruitment will only count from the day of the launch of the program, when we can track who’s recruiting who properly.

Beta officially started today so I made a new introductory text for DUSleepers.
 
Now for my two cents:
 
Beta is finally here, "with all its glory... and all its horror".
 
Although I am delighted to finally see the game blossom from one development stage to the next, I now experience a feeling of disappointment at certain decisions in notable divergence with, almost in betrayal of the Kickstarter era: in 2016, "Dual Universe" was promised to us as a game where players - and ONLY players - could "rebuild civilization" and I think everyone who participated in the Alpha was ready, determined even, to build everything from scratch, to remake a world in their image and give it to the newcomers, with its faults and its qualities, its pettinesses and its virtues. Harvesting resources, founding an industry, leaving Alioth and reaching the Moon, planting one's flag and imposing one's mark on the universe were to be pioneering challenges for us. In two words: "Emergent Gameplay".
 
We woke up in a world filled with already amply-stocked Markets (on every planet!), huge Institutes, Ship Shops offering cutting-edge technology, free and insistant shuttles to the Moon, buried wrecks and even a guaranteed daily income: WHO built all this Eden ?! Not us. We weren't given the occasion.
 
Beta was to be a simulation episode too, with a last wipe before the Release's awakening; instead we have a “soft launch” where player-produced content can be seen as “fraudulent” - in a game still plagued by bugs, exploits and unbalances - but will nonetheless be the permanent basis of their upcoming empires. The Sanctuary Moon was to be a protected place but devoid of resources: there are now minerals on the surface and soon underground, one less reason to make the effort, to take the risk of launching into space. And finally, the Arkship was to defiantly bury itself into the ground, vertically erected like a colossal beacon, the conduit for a signal of hope. We get an oversized laser pointer.
 
I know. It was a matter of facilitating the arrival of new, more casual players not necessarily won to the cause of the first Noveans' pioneering spirit, therefore encouraging subscriptions and finally opening up a source of regular income for NQ in this delicate period for start-ups and private investors. It was about presenting a "suitable face" to the streamers, lured in with a provend of beta keys and camera-robots to promote the game. And we had to be kicked out of Alioth early to spare the server load, even if the corresponding technology has been the spearhead of NQ's promotion since the beginning.
 
No worries: the game is not done and if there is much work left to do, it is on tracks thanks to the incredible efforts of Novaquark's teams. The long awaited Beta is here, it's great, we are now launched more or less "for good" after years of waiting, I dedicate all my best hopes to this game and I'm even certain this lore discrepancy will be assuaged in time by NQ; I'm also confident they'll know how to monitor and maintain this complex balance; mistakes are made, mistakes are mended.
 
But my awakening to Alioth, my first non-virtual steps as a Novean will forever leave me with a lightly bitter aftertaste.

Greetings, fellow explorers, builders and settlers !  
   
 
Dual Universe Sleepers is a fansite presenting daily infos on your favorite game, along with (soon to come) fan productions such as an illustrated timeline and themed wallpapers.  
 
   
 
When the game goes live, D.U.S. will also form an informal network of observers within the galaxy, bent on collecting and recording knowledge and history. You can even join it right away without leaving any organization you already belong to.  
 
   
 
This is all in the "humble beginnings" stage, but will flesh out over time; any advice and participation is welcome !  
 
   
 
You'll find a weekly roundup on this thread every sunday, feel free to comment and suggest, as all of this is just taking shape.  
 
   
 
"As we go forward without hope of return, we sleep. And we dream."  

Well you just need to build a ship that can DU that...
You maybe need month and years of experience in shipbuilding in DU, but its perfectly possible to build a ship that flyes like that.

Just DU it !
 
(keep in mind: this is no NDA channel, and experience from the alpha dont belong here)