The first early-alpha invitations are out. If you are reading this from inside the galaxy, welcome aboard - and thank you for being early enough to break things on purpose.
What we are testing
This round has three concrete goals. We are not chasing perfect endgame curves yet - we want signal on whether the foundation holds:
- Core technology - Does the stack work across most browsers? Any glitches, crashes, or visual hiccups? Does the data model hold up under real play? Is the game fast enough when you jump between planets, buildings, and the star map?
- Early-game balance - Can you get your first system explorer on the road without hitting a wall? Do refinement, power, storage, and the construction loop behave as expected? Watch for logic bugs, timing issues, and dead ends in the first hours.
- Map interaction - How does it feel to pan, zoom, open planets, and juggle overlays on the star map? What is confusing, slow, or missing at first contact?
What this is not
Most mid- and late-game systems are not in scope yet, and this build will ask for a lot of manual clicking. That is intentional. Automations, bulk actions, and faster workflows will land in later alpha rounds once we know the underlying loops are sound. Do not treat current pacing as final design.
One week, then back to the drawing board
This alpha runs for about one week. I will collect data, read your reports, and iterate before opening the next cohort. When the servers reset for the next round, your commander progress will not carry over - but achievements you unlock during this test are stored and will count going forward.
Report everything through Command relay
I will not be active on Discord during this window - family and focus time still matter. Please use the in-game Command relay instead (open it from your commander menu on the star map). File malfunctions, feedback, fleet wishes, and rough notes there. Every signal is read by a human on the team.
Thank you for stress-testing the resurrection with me. Break things loudly. The next dispatch will share what we learned and when the next alpha opens.
Sebastian "Degola" Lagemann