"Additional invitation to the ARR alpha testing has been sent! Check out your email! Next invitation will be sent on Dec 14th."

This was announced on Twitter. Good luck to all those who have signed up.

Remember, you must have a registered copy of Final Fantasy XIV with an acvite character before September 30th on your account to be accepted. That's the only REAL requirement to get into Alpha.

-- Confirmed by SquareEnix Support staff.

As of December 12, 2012 (Wednesday) 11:00 p.m. (PST), we will no longer be accepting applications for FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn alpha testers. The final alpha tester selection will be conducted on December 17, and notification emails will be sent shortly thereafter.

Proceed to the Alpha Test Application Site.

Originally posted by DarknessReign
i would like to Alpha this but i think i would rather Beta test. Beta you have about 70% of the content in the build. And SE might let you keep your progress . Where Alpha is wipe repeat wipe repeat

If you're not willing to participate in an Alpha for those reasons, then you are not going in with the right understanding of why you're there. The focus of an Alpha is testing, not playing. It's not about "experiencing more of the content and getting to keep your progress".

The purpose of alpha testing is to help them test the hardware, the software and such to make sure it can hold up under load, things don't break, servers don't crash, etc.

The same, really, is true of Beta. "Alpha Testing" and "Beta Testing" aren't some snazzy-sounding buzzwords dreamt up in some Marketing Dept. brainstorming session. They're not euphemisms for "free trial!". They're long-standing terms that are a very well defined, and very important part of any software development cycle.

Many people don't realize that, go in with ignorantly unrealistic expectations, and then complain about it being an "unfinished" game, or a "subpar experience". It's usually the same people who seem to think agreeing to an NDA and not leaking info is "just a suggestion" or an informal request to be freely ignored. That is until they're banned for it and then cry "travesty!" at being "treated so unfairly".

It's a problem that plagues MMORPGs. People treating Alphas/Betas as "free previews/trials" instead of what they're supposed to be. An awful lot of people issued invites for Alphas - and Betas for that matter - have no business anywhere near one.

I signed up to the Enix Website.

I clicked this link (http://entry.ffxiv.com/alpha/index_na.html) a couple days ago but it never took my account information after clicking "Apply". Is that different credentials or the same I used to log into the enix website?

Looking forward to reading the official forums tomorrow. There was a big uproar where someone claimed they payed $7,000 for a PC just for XIV and not getting in.

Originally posted by angerbeaver

I signed up to the Enix Website.

I clicked this link (http://entry.ffxiv.com/alpha/index_na.html) a couple days ago but it never took my account information after clicking "Apply". Is that different credentials or the same I used to log into the enix website?

It uses the same login information, yea. Try a different browser? It'll tell you if you've already registered with that account if it went through.

Originally posted by DarknessReign
i would like to Alpha this but i think i would rather Beta test. Beta you have about 70% of the content in the build. And SE might let you keep your progress . Where Alpha is wipe repeat wipe repeat

I am surprised, I assumed you would be really keen to get in, though you are right the alpha doesn’t have much content to go through. I would still recommend applying anyway to leave feedback on the forums and to get the grips with the basics, after all its was basics they got wrong last time, UI, combat, quest structure, etc. Might be best to see the reality, before you get too into it if it isnt to your taste. Also it would be great to see you in there (if i get in too).

It's more important to get into the Alpha than beta for me.
FFXIV was broken at core designs, content is a fleeting thing that is puffed around the core.

Sure content is what drives you in the end, but if the core is no fun, every content is meaningless.
If you need 5 minutes to sell one item, to not getting xp as healer or tank in a group encounter and your friends outlevel you (and your content) while you play with them together - to simple things like loading screen for every dialogue scene. (i know the xp thing got fixed but it shows where feedback was ignored initially).

Originally posted by skydiver12

It's more important to get into the Alpha than beta for me.
FFXIV was broken at core designs, content is a fleeting thing that is puffed around the core.

Sure content is what drives you in the end, but if the core is no fun, every content is meaningless.
If you need 5 minutes to sell one item, to not getting xp as healer or tank in a group encounter and your friends outlevel you (and your content) while you play with them together - to simple things like loading screen for every dialogue scene. (i know the xp thing got fixed but it shows where feedback was ignored initially).

 

 

Yes, I wanted in on alpha to test the basics too, engine optimisation, combat speed etc.

Originally posted by Draron

Looking forward to reading the official forums tomorrow. There was a big uproar where someone claimed they payed $7,000 for a PC just for XIV and not getting in.

 

Originally posted by angerbeaver

I signed up to the Enix Website.

I clicked this link (http://entry.ffxiv.com/alpha/index_na.html) a couple days ago but it never took my account information after clicking "Apply". Is that different credentials or the same I used to log into the enix website?

It uses the same login information, yea. Try a different browser? It'll tell you if you've already registered with that account if it went through.

LOL $7000 for a pc to play FFXIV, someone really seen him coming.

Originally posted by DarknessReign
i would like to Alpha this but i think i would rather Beta test. Beta you have about 70% of the content in the build. And SE might let you keep your progress . Where Alpha is wipe repeat wipe repeat

Thats the wrong attitude. Thats why 99% of the games are released with major bugs, because people play and do not report the problems. 

Originally posted by Hefaistos

Originally posted by DarknessReign
i would like to Alpha this but i think i would rather Beta test. Beta you have about 70% of the content in the build. And SE might let you keep your progress . Where Alpha is wipe repeat wipe repeat

Thats the wrong attitude. Thats why 99% of the games are released with major bugs, because people play and do not report the problems. 

 

In this case the western players in the last 2 alpha waves only have excess to a small part of the game that has already been open to alpha testers in Japan, so there isnt much bug testing to do.