Mod-Merwyn

Because all community managers have a name beginning with a "N" .
 
~ Merwyn

That's because there is not much info on it ;).
It's probably too early in the development to have a proper character customization.
 
~ Merwyn

Well, I'd rather devs to work on the game and validate first messages myself, if you don't mind :).
 
~ Merwyn

I merged both topics, it will be easier.
 
~ Merwyn

Well, I'd rather devs to work on the game and validate first messages myself, if you don't mind :).
 
~ Merwyn

Related requests:
https://board.dualthegame.com/index.php?/topic/12884-supporter-packs-out/&do=findComment&comment=80851 https://board.dualthegame.com/index.php?/topic/12904-confused-about-new-packs/ (appears in the discussion) https://board.dualthegame.com/index.php?/topic/12906-iron-pack-question/ ~ Merwyn

As @Pleione does not have currently access to pre-alpha section, I'm not going to move this topic (else, he wouldn't get a chance to see this answer).
 
That being said, Falstaf is right: this question should happen in restricted area.
You will need to wait for a community manager to update your profile. Then, you will be able to head towards https://board.dualthegame.com/index.php?/forum/17-pre-alpha-feedback/.
 
I'm locking the thread to prevent distracted NDA'd reply, but feel free to reach me by PM if you need further explanations.
 
~ Merwyn

The following is what you will get as a Founder with the Automatic Supporter Rewards System
 
"Automatic Supporter Rewards for Founder Backers
 
Basically, we decided to upgrade founder pledges with supporter rewards except:
DACs from Supporter Packs Beta Keys from Supporter Packs In-game and forum titles from Supporter Packs Name in credits as a Supporter backer T-Shirt from Patron Pack.  What does it mean for each Founder backer level:
 
Silver Founder backers gain:
Alpha 2 Access (instead of Beta) Sanctuary Territory Unit (x1) Arkship Passenger Outfit (Bronze) Supporter Pet lvl.1 (different from Founder Pets) Legacy Resurrection Node (x1) Extra Character Customization (x3)  Gold Founder backers gain:
Sanctuary Territory Unit (x1) Legacy Earth Outfit (Silver) Arkship Passenger Outfit (Bronze & Silver) Supporter Pet lvl.1 & lvl.2 (different from Founder Pets) Legacy Resurrection Node (x1) Furniture Props set (10 props set) Character Animation Pack (5 animations) Fireworks (x50) Extra Character Customization (x6) Supporter Character Name Reservation (lower priority than Founder ones) Content Creator Pack  Sapphire Founder backers (and above) gain:
Sanctuary Territory Unit (x2) Legacy Earth Outfit (Silver) Arkship Passenger Outfit (Bronze & Silver) Supporter Pet lvl.1, 2 & 3 (different from Founder Pets) Legacy Resurrection Node (x2) Furniture Props set (20 props set) Character Animation Pack (10 animations) Fireworks (x100) Extra Character Customization (x9) Supporter Character Name Reservation (lower priority than Founder ones) Content Creator Pack"  
Source: https://support.dualthegame.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001639873-FAQ-Supporter-Packs
 
 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
As other's have pointed out, yes, they will include Alpha 1 and 2. While it may not have been the best way to answer the question, they are correct.
 
"We also announced a while back that those Supporter Packs wouldn't give access before the Alpha 2 phase. However, after many internal discussions, we have decided to proceed differently, for the reasons explained here. If you have only just discovered the project and are ready to dive into the many worlds of Dual Universe, these Supporter Packs will give you the opportunity to help back its ongoing development and redeem exclusive items, too! Not only that, but by pledging the Patron Pack, it will allow you to take part in the live testing during Pre-Alpha!"
 
Source: http://dualthegame.com/en/news/2018/03/07/new-supporter-packs-are-here/
 
See also; http://dualthegame.com/en/news/2018/03/07/regarding-access-to-pre-alpha-and-the-patron-pack/
 
"Nearing the end of August 2017, we made a second announcement in which we decided to delay the Alpha 1 phase. We wanted to adopt a more progressive approach in development by improving server stability first before adding additional gameplay features.You can find that announcement here.
 
Today we announced the Supporter packs, which give the following access:
Contributor Pack: Alpha 2 Sponsor Pack: Alpha 1 Patron Pack: Pre-Alpha You can find the announcement here."
 
The access phase stated in the individual packs just means how early you'll be able to get in to the development of the game. If you back Patron, you will have access to Pre-Alpha, Alpha 1, Alpha 2 and Beta.
 
Which also leads into the next quote and answer:
 
 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
This is why there are only 3 different packs this time around. You are not buying for the perks. You are buying for the access and to help test and support Novaquark in the development of Dual Universe.

The perks came and went with the Kickstarter and Founder Packs.

" Please choose the Supporter Patron Pack only if:
    - You want to help the Dev team improve the game experience immediately and you are okay to test the game under NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement).
    - You wish to support the game extensively without in-game access at this time.
"
Source: http://dualthegame.com/en/news/2018/03/07/regarding-access-to-pre-alpha-and-the-patron-pack/

This is why there is also a big red warning message confirming you this before you confirm and buy the packs.
 
Disclaimer: you are joining a game that is under development. While you will be able to play and we hope you will enjoy the game, this is a real Pre-Alpha and as such, you must expect the following : The game servers are available once per week (Each test date & time is available at the top of the Dual Universe homepage) The Pre-Alpha phase is under strict NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement). It means you cannot share footage of the game. There will be bugs, game crashes and the client isn't optimized for low specs computers. As we are in Pre-Alpha, not every gameplay feature (such as PvP and the Economy) is available in-game. You can check the homepage in order to see what is available now and what will come later. You can also check the community Trello for more information. Thank you @Alethion for posting this
 
See the lines I made bold and underlined @FullSend.
 
 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
 
The packs are not meant to be about the perks, but rather your faith in Novaquark and helping them with the Development of Dual Universe.
 
Lastly, I believe this should answer the question of the topic now!

~ Meldrik

Hi Ginger and welcome to the forum.
I hope you will enjoy your time with the community.
 
~ Merwyn

Quick update: silver founder access has been improved to alpha 2 as of today new: https://www.dualthegame.com/en/pledge
We currently don't know when alpha 2 will start though.
 
~ Merwyn

Cf. 
 
~ Merwyn

T - 2 days
https://twitter.com/dualuniverse/status/970720787564056576
 
~ Merwyn

T - 2 days
https://twitter.com/dualuniverse/status/970720787564056576
 
~ Merwyn

T - 2 days
https://twitter.com/dualuniverse/status/970720787564056576
 
~ Merwyn

To be more precise, gameplay-wise (and based on what we know as of now).
 
You can program basic (or less basic) scripts in Lua, auto-pilotes may be a thing for example, but:
Someone needs to stay near the program unit for the script to work. Script won't be able to shoot or engage any PvP action (or, at best, very inefficiently). ~ Merwyn

Hi everyone,
 
It seems the DevBlog was not clear enough on some points.
We have said it many times before, and we'll continue to say it again:
While many players wants to see Dual Universe with a dominant gameplay aspect, it's important to understand that it's NOT the case. 
 
Building gameplay is as important as Combat gameplay. Not more, not less. Balancing both won't be easy and we are aware of it. No, Building is not the major feature of Dual Universe. If the Building aspect has been made first, it's only because, it was making total sense to start the development with this part: we are pretty much in R&D field regarding the Voxel technology. It was an essential piece of tech to build the base of the game: Voxels were necessary to create editable planets in the first place. Then the logical next step was to develop tools to give players to manipulate voxels. That wouldn't make sense to develop Combat gameplay before the two previous steps because, there wouldn't even something to destroy, or even an environment where the combat could happen.
 
The order in which the features are developed are NOT by order of importance.
It's just a matter of logical game development roadmap.

We have no plan to make Dual Universe a total free for all PvP game, just as we won't make it a whole game universe safe, just because some players want to explore it completely without taking any risk. While we don't plan to make our game some kind of "EVE Online 2.0", we don't want either to make a "No Man's Sky 2.0". We understand this may not appeal to everyone taste, and we totally understand that. However, if there is something that is very unlikely to change, it's the fact that there's no intention to catter to only one specific category of players. 
 
A final word about the griefing and the mindset of the community. Our point of view is that griefing mainly proliferates when it's an easy way to get rewards with little effort, not necessarily because many people really wants to play that way. Of course, there are people who like to grief just for the enjoyment of annoying other players but we are convinced they're not a majority. If game mechanics are designed in such a way that griefing doesn't give easy rewards, then griefing will be naturally limited. 
 
Why not simply remove the possibility of griefing, then?

Yes, it would be clearly easier and quicker to remove the ability to grief other players, but while we have no intention to encourage griefing, removing it totally would go against the very definition of the sandbox concept: players are free to interact in the way they want. If we remove any kind of interaction, then we are not in a Sandbox MMORPG anymore: we would be in a Theme Park one. And that is not Novaquark's vision. We want a game universe where bad behavior is discouraged by game mechanics and heavy in consequences if a player still choose to do so, than arbitrarily forbid the said behavior. We want players to be free but also to live with the consequences of their choices. That's what Sandbox mean to us at Novaquark.
 
Best Regards,
Nyzaltar.

You are quite right!  I was frustrated that yet another "pre-alpha" had come along and i'd missed it yet again.  I paid up-front in order to be allowed an early preview of the game as promised and it was so long ago I can honestly say i do not remember reading anything that said, "Most of the early previews will be on European time" but regardless, i was irritated and took it out on my original post.  
 
To all those i offended, my apologies.  This doesn't change the fact that numerous "tests" have been conducted and a large portion of the US audience who will eventually become customers - were "left out" if only because of the test-hours.  Anyway that's no excuse for me typing text that definitely had an air of angst inside the content.  
 
Your scolding was kind and well worded, Nyzaltar and that's exactly how i should have worded my original post.  I can assure you and the rest of the forum trollers i will curb my emotions in the future and stick to the task at hand:  Help NQ build a better product.
 
Thanks to everyone for reminding me who i am
 
-LK
 

Hello,
 
I suggest you to check this blog post: https://devblog.dualthegame.com/2014/09/26/a-single-shard-continuous-universe-one-world-no-boundaries/ (from 2014 already)
... and this youtube demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeZtqoydXpc
They both explain how NQ developed single shard technology.
 
Also note that Dual Universe is PvP oriented. There is no creative mode.
 
PS: As Tsyolin uses EvE as a reference to raise specific concerns, I think it fits well here.
 
~ Merwyn

Also see 
 
And also relevant 
 

Sorry to hear that.
Though to be fair to NQ, this was always stated as the intention from the beginning: The arkship safezone(s) and the rest is like EVE: PvP weapons free (not free of weapons).  The MSA's are a recent welcomed addition.
 
This will happen regardless. Will these type of games be 100% without risk? No.  But I am sure we can get by with a little help from our friends.
 

Alliances, terrorists, and spies to start off 2018. Here's your January briefing from Ark Central.