For whatever reasons MS/Asobo chose to use the word "alpha" in the name of this special stress-test build, and also chose to not NDA its selected users.. but what should be pretty clear to all who actually choose to read what they've stated, in no uncertain terms:

• this is a special build meant for stress testing their online services, and also a test of the kind where they are getting the feedback and data they want from their server-side end automatically without needing any reports and issues/bugs being opened by the users
  • note: part of this stress testing is to also test how their server-side handles and gathers any data when the client-side has errors or CTDs
• it is NOT a build indicative of functionality, stability, etc in their current codebase that is progressing towards release in November (quite obviously the sim would not STILL be in alpha stage in the traditional software sense given the time left)
• it has added telemetry code, likely also different code paths, etc all meant to gather server-side data for this stress test period
• https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/microsoft-flight-simulator-2024-technical-alpha-live-now/658433
  • Please note the TECHNICAL Alpha is an in-development build and not at all representative of the final product. The Technical Alpha build was created with the sole intent to gather telemetry and feedback on online services. The content available for the Technical Alpha is limited in scope. You may also encounter obvious crashes, bugs, and issues. Instructions on where to provide feedback will be shared with those selected to participate.
• it is obviously stripped of various functionality as clearly stated, and that also doesn't mean that whatever functionality that *is* there in this build necessarily matches their latest codebase for the final release
   

29 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

 This testing process looks like a real mess.

?
 

    This isn't what you think it is. There is no bug reporting required for this Alpha technical test. Microsoft specifically warns there will be bugs and crashes. There is no NDA either.
 

    Microsoft want to stress test their servers and the core sim performance by telemetry only. Merely participating in this Alpha provides useful information to Microsoft. 
 

     
 
https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/651159-msfs-2024-cant-get-joystick-to-work/?do=findComment&comment=5191050

1 hour ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

I’m old school Russell and the rules were devised for good reasons. This testing process looks like a real mess.

Just wait until they release it. You might want to get some extra rest in advance lol.

50 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Russell, I’m not sure of the rules regarding quoting other fora so I’ll tag staff who will.

@charliearon?

Probably not the best idea to reference other forum sites here.  @Bob Scott Root Admin may possibly agree!

1 hour ago, DD_Arthur said:

This isn't what you think it is. There is no bug reporting required for this Alpha technical test. Microsoft specifically warns there will be bugs and crashes. There is no NDA either.
Microsoft want to stress test their servers and the core sim performance by telemetry only. Merely participating in this Alpha provides useful information to Microsoft.

Good luck with testing. The more stable it becomes hopefully the fewer posts here complaining about stability.

3 hours ago, sloppysmusic said:

No offense but how can you possibly KNOW that to make such a statement? 

Because MSFS2020 is the basis for MSFS2024. Do you really think everything will have regressed to where we were back in August 2020?

The very fact that the new sim is based upon 4 years of progress of a working product, rather than from scratch, is all the proof anyone needs.

3 minutes ago, F737MAX said:

Because MSFS2020 is the basis for MSFS2024. Do you really think everything will have regressed to where we were back in August 2020?

The very fact that the new sim is based upon 4 years of progress of a working product, rather than from scratch, is all the proof anyone needs.

I don't think anyone could argue with that logic. It is indeed in a universe of its own.

I'll give it a few days to let the servers cool down, and read people's first impressions here. No rush.

MSFS2024 says  ----- Hey Hi Hi

Skeptical says    ------ Oh My My

Doubter says      ------ But Why Why?

Deniers will say  ------  Good Bye Bye.

 

11/19/2024. like Ricardo said

popcorn, beer and patience are awaiting. This will be Epic.

 

 

 

Edited October 12, 20241 yr by JBDB-MD80

7 hours ago, kerosene31 said:

I predict that I'll be sitting back watching all the chaos unfold.  Server issues, a million questions on compatibility for every add-on, etc.  

People are going to just copy a massive community folder over (or use a manager) and start the sim and then start posting "my sim won't load, HELP!"

Anyone going in day 1 - all I ask is, "Are you sure?".  I'm giving it a couple days at least to see how the dust settles.  

For people going in at launch - good luck.  People need to have realistic expectations.  

Yeah I agree 100% — MSFS is as close to perfect a sim I’ve ever had. (And that’s saying something even with my annoyance with Asobo not doing certain things..)

 

I just hope they keep the 2020 servers on for at least another 10 years. 

Is it true that Asobo/MS doesn’t have a bug reporting process setup for this alpha? Also, is there going to be an open beta before release? I have a ton of respect for these guys but i am trying to understand why there won’t be a beta before release? 

Did they run out of time to have a beta and still be able to fix issues before the calendar rolls over to 2025, putting the name “MSFS 2024” into question? 
 

As someone with 30 years of software development experience i find the project management decisions of this project morbidly entertaining. Again, this will be awesome in six to twelve months, but the team seems to be backing themselves into corners. Again, i have a ton of respect for the team. If this release goes mostly smooth that would be a huge achievement. Pulling for these guys but i can’t help but think (based on a lot of project experience) that this project is seriously in trouble. At least short term. 

Why do you think they haven’t already had multiple betas? They may not have had public betas, but Asobo is after all a major game dev studio with multiple AAA releases besides MSFS. I’d give them the benefit of the doubt and say they know what they are doing. 

Playing Devil's Advocate here......would it not be better to stress test the servers with a version that is close to the release version (in other words, feature complete)? If this one is a stripped down version of the final build, then I would assume that the test results would be different?

1 hour ago, Christopher Low said:

Playing Devil's Advocate here......would it not be better to stress test the servers with a version that is close to the release version (in other words, feature complete)? If this one is a stripped down version of the final build, then I would assume that the test results would be different?

That's not how it works. Technical alphas (not sure why people are so surprised at this term. It's industry-standard terminology) are designed to funnel users to using specific features so that the services linked to these are stressed. 

If you were given something close to the full thing, there would be no funneling, meaning that you'd need a much larger quantity of users to do any stressing, defeating the purpose of the test.

Edited October 13, 20241 yr by Abriael

7 hours ago, RobJC said:

I have a ton of respect for these guys but i am trying to understand why there won’t be a beta before release?

If past Sim Update betas are anything to go by then that's probably why we're not getting one, they're a complete shambles.

Let's go back to when 2020 was released, there was no beta period at all the first few updates and this is when Jorg wanted "an update every month" which no experienced lead developer should ever ask of his team for starters, let alone do that without a structured beta testing period. That was a major oversight for what is a massive game, every other major title of this size that was under constant development with constant updates had public betas so why didn't this one, it beggered belief at the time.

So after much hounding from the community they started them up, firstly by private invite to a select tiny number then a few updates later everyone could join. 

But there was no structure, no proper why to report issues, no direct communication with the actual developers as seen with other games/Sims beta periods - it was a complete mess in the official forum for substantiated bug reporting, we relied on untrained moderators "passing on" the information which never works sufficiently enough.

Eventually they did include specific areas to test and get feedback on, but that latest 2 maybe 3 Sim Updates before the betas went back to a free for all with zero structure, very poor one way communication and very poor bug reporting procedures. There's still the issue that if your bug post doesn't get picked up by the moderators, it then gets Archived in a vault in the official forum and not moved to the central bug reporting area, so you have to create the bug report all over again, which a vast majority of people simply won't do.

I've been on many many beta periods, both public and private for games/Sims over decades and I can easily say the MSFS ones have been the most poorly run of all of them and they haven't improved in 4 years.

So in essence, the reason we might not get a beta, it's because they simply don't know how to run one properly and sufficiently enough.