Wasteland 2 Beta is Available

I would agree.

Of course if they are charging $55, people with a lack of rational thought won't be able to comprehend why and complain on forums.

Same. I hope people can't play the beta before backers and not have to pay the $55 fee.

Any idea on what the release price will be?
 
As someone who paid enough to get beta access, I don't care what they charge for early access. They made the game and it's good. I got what I wanted.
 
I'm waiting for the full game so I'll skip the beta, though I was sent a code the other day. Good to see positive impressions of it, though.
 
I'm waiting for the full game so I'll skip the beta, though I was sent a code the other day. Good to see positive opinions of it, though.

Can I have it, then? :p

Forgot to up my pledge, and am not sure if I can still qualify now for doing so.

Saw some streams last night, obviously, some re-balancing to be done, with AP costs for blood packs, item costs, and the like, but from what I saw, game looked pretty darn good.
 
If they aren't charging $55 then...well...that's pretty poor form.

It's early access so you get the beta by purchasing the game AFAIK. Again, this will be the Steam (ie digital) version, so people who went with the 50 dollar physical tier are still tied to that.

I really don't want to be spoiled so I don't plan on playing the beta much.

I have a question about the general tone of the story though. Is it something similar to older CRPGs? Find the water chip, explore the troubles in the south, etc?

Replaying Baldur's Gate at the moment and really love how the "main objective" isn't something that just looming over my head. It's a vague goal which won't have a clear answer for a long time. It makes exploration feel a lot more natural then in a lot of newer RPGs.

So far it's pretty unhandholdy. Not just objectives, but items, skills, everything. There's no "press M1 to perform the appropriate action." If you have a safe cracker in the party, you won't just crack the safe by clicking it, you need to select the character, and select the skill. I can't comment on the story other than it's really vague, you're a team of rookie rangers sent into the world.
 
Be careful because that sub will probably roll over to the full game later on.

Well shit, I'd feel bad if that's true. Haven't had much experience with steam betas, was thinking along the lines of the separate demo/retail game divide.

No worries, if that is the case. The vids'll tide me over.
 
If there is a roll over you can just give him your own digital key when the game is out (the $50 physical tier also comes with one).

MightyHedgehog was nice enough to hook me up with his beta key since he didn't want to mess with it, and if it does turn into the full version, I'll just give him my digital key later on. I also pledged enough to Torment 2 to get an additional Wasteland 2 key. :p
 
Playing it a bit more.

When in combat, enemies status bars sometimes float off screen, or in weird places, so I have to zoom or rotate to find it.

Hit percentages are pretty random, an enemy next to me may be 69% while someone ten tiles away is 84%.

On the character screen, I can slot ammo next to the persons gun, and it will appear on the main screen, but when I go back into the character screen it is missing.

Sometimes characters won't reload (only checked out of combat) even if they have ammo. Worst is when they have no ammo, I find some, have them equip it, then go back to the main screen. It looks like they have no ammo in main or character screen. Then suddenly ammo shows up.

No indication of how many AP to reload (unless it's 4 for all weapons?).

Playing this a bit more, I'm beginning to see how rough it is. I hope they don't launch too soon.
 
I know it's in beta so I'm assuming InXile will polish the game up significantly for release.

First off, I'm assuming that InXile will allow more in-depth graphics customisation instead of the default Unity Engine presets (fastest - fantastic).

The character models and design are average, and the textures in the game are disappointingly low-res. I remember reading that the textures will be beefed up for release so there's that.

I've only been to the first location (currently making way to the second), and the map design is also uninspired and average. There were parts of the level, and I hope this makes sense, where it looked like it was obviously created with an editor.

The enemy AI was woeful and, in one instance, didn't see me even though I was standing right next to them.

The UI is also cumbersome and unwieldy to use but at least it's functional. I'm using a 30" screen @ 2560 x 1600 and it scales well but I have to move my head quite a ways to read the text in the message window.

I hope that InXile allows us to move the UI elements to where we want them. Also during dialogue sequences, it wasn't clear to me which dialogue options were due to my intimidation, charisma etc. perks.

I liked that the dialogue was well-written, with some decent voice-acting driving it home. I've never played the original Wasteland, but the beta clearly gave me Fallout 1 and 2 vibes (games that I love to bits). I also liked how new points-of-interests/objectives are marked on the map on the fly during dialogue.

Anyway I'll give it a more thorough bash tomorrow.
 
I know it's in beta so I'm assuming InXile will polish the game up significantly for release.

First off, I'm assuming that InXile will allow more in-depth graphics customisation instead of the default Unity Engine presets (fastest - fantastic).

The character models and design are average, and the textures in the game are disappointingly low-res. I remember reading that the textures will be beefed up for release so there's that.

I've only been to the first location (currently making way to the second), and the map design is also uninspired and average. There were parts of the level, and I hope this makes sense, where it looked like it was obviously created with an editor.

The enemy AI was woeful and, in one instance, didn't see me even though I was standing right next to them.

The UI is also cumbersome and unwieldy to use but at least it's functional. I'm using a 30" screen @ 2560 x 1600 and it scales well but I have to move my head quite a ways to read the text in the message window.

I hope that InXile allows us to move the UI elements to where we want them. Also during dialogue sequences, it wasn't clear to me which dialogue options were due to my intimidation, charisma etc. perks.

I liked that the dialogue was well-written, with some decent voice-acting driving it home. I've never played the original Wasteland, but the beta clearly gave me Fallout 1 and 2 vibes (games that I love to bits). I also liked that locations are marked on the map on the fly during dialogue.

Anyway I'll give it a more thorough bash tomorrow.

You can already do this. To unlock the UI there is a "lock" button near the mini-map.
 
Thank you to all the people posting some impressions on the beta (but I need more, more!). This is one of my most wanted games and I really hope it's good.

I finished about a couple of months ago Shadowrun Returns and I loved the vibe of the game. The mood, the setting with the rain in the city and how the Story was told in a very detailed way, like reading a book. Was disappointed in the length and I had a glitch that made me lost a couple of hours. Aside of that, it was a great game and it only made me even more hyped for Wasteland 2. I really hope I can have some lengthy gameplay and I can't wait to try it out. From what I've seen on the Yotube it looks pretty too with small details in the environment, I know I should have backed but let the game hit on Steam and if the price is affordable for my wallet right now (because we are living in hard times in here) I'll be getting Day one.

Is it realistic to expect at least 20 or more hours from this game?
 
Thank you to all the people posting some impressions on the beta (but I need more, more!). This is one of my most wanted games and I really hope it's good.

I finished about a couple of months ago Shadowrun Returns and I loved the vibe of the game. The mood, the setting with the rain in the city and how the Story was told in a very detailed way, like reading a book. Was disappointed in the length and I had a glitch that made me lost a couple of hours. Aside of that, it was a great game and it only made me even more hyped for Wasteland 2. I really hope I can have some lengthy gameplay and I can't wait to try it out. From what I've seen on the Yotube it looks pretty too with small details in the environment, I know I should have backed but let the game hit on Steam and if the price is affordable for my wallet right now I'll be getting Day one.

Is it realistic to expect at least 20 or more hours from this game?

The beta lasts ~10 hours and, according to InXile, it represents 20% of the game.
 
The beta lasts ~10 hours and, according to InXile, it represents 20% of the game.

Thanks for answering. 10 Hours for this Beta? That is really good, now I'm even more curious! Did anyone streamed this with some decent quality/high settings? Any past broadcast from Twitch or anything similar?
 
I have played about 5 hours of the beta. I am at one of the southern objectives right now. The area I'm in is very large, I have spent two hours so far in here trying not to die. Fortunately the regenerating health and the tons of medical supplies I keep finding are keeping me alive. Ammunition for my teams guns is non-existent so far. I have found mountains of thirty aught six ammunition and .22 ammo. I have not seen either of those weapon types yet. Combat right now is a slog for my rangers because of that. The combat doesn't seem as responsive as the combat in similar turned based games like fallout or even xcom which I read some guy compare it to. In those games when you see the right numbers you know you are going to connect with the enemy. Here it feels like you are at the mercy of a dice roll even if the numbers are in your favor, and when you get a streak of misses it can make it frustratingly infuriating. It would be nice if they added targeting of individual pieces of the anatomy and cool death animations like the first two fallout games had.

I haven't really met any interesting characters yet. Dialog is so so. Seen a few funny discriptions. Being spoiled by fallout 1/2, planescape and baldurs gate 1/2 recently have made me sour towards other games writing. I had some issues with loading where it would load forever or load then go to a black screen for a minute. Changing the res would turn the game upside down for a few minutes. Controlling six dudes in a small corridor was challenging. My overall impressions so far are pretty positive. Hopefully they get some of the combat issues ironed out along with the loot balancing.
 
I have played about 5 hours of the beta. I am at one of the southern objectives right now. The area I'm in is very large, I have spent two hours so far in here trying not to die. Fortunately the regenerating health and the tons of medical supplies I keep finding are keeping me alive. Ammunition for my teams guns is non-existent so far. I have found mountains of thirty aught six ammunition and .22 ammo. I have not seen either of those weapon types yet. Combat right now is a slog for my rangers because of that. The combat doesn't seem as responsive as the combat in similar turned based games like fallout or even xcom which I read some guy compare it to. In those games when you see the right numbers you know you are going to connect with the enemy. Here it feels like you are at the mercy of a dice roll even if the numbers are in your favor, and when you get a streak of misses it can make it frustratingly infuriating. It would be nice if they added targeting of individual pieces of the anatomy and cool death animations like the first two fallout games had.

I haven't really met any interesting characters yet. Dialog is so so. Seen a few funny discriptions. Being spoiled by fallout 1/2, planescape and baldurs gate 1/2 recently have made me sour towards other games writing. I had some issues with loading where it would load forever or load then go to a black screen for a minute. Changing the res would turn the game upside down for a few minutes. Controlling six dudes in a small corridor was challenging. My overall impressions so far are pretty positive. Hopefully they get some of the combat issues ironed out along with the loot balancing.

I always found energy ammo super scarce in Fallout 1+2, but playing this, I can always find some in a chest or in a safe. Does the game see what guns you're carrying and spawn ammo for it occasionally? I would try wielding the weapons you can't find ammo for. Ammo appears in locked rooms and safes. I'd get some lockpick and safecrack skills early.
 
Is there any way to increase the size of the UI text? When I try and play windowed at something like 1280x800 the UI is unreadable.
 
Mmmm,60 bucks on Steam for early access...? for some reason I thought this was going to be 20 bucks or close,kinda like Shadowrun Returns...
 
Mmmm,60 bucks on Steam for early access...? for some reason I thought this was going to be 20 bucks or close,kinda like Shadowrun Returns...


It'll probably launch at $20-30. It's only this high because it wouldn't be fair to backers who donated 55+ to gain beta access only to launch the title on early access for $20.
It even says this on the game's store page on the early access memo >_>
 
Is there any way to increase the size of the UI text? When I try and play windowed at something like 1280x800 the UI is unreadable.

I saw something in the options menu about text size. No idea how much of the text it affects but it's there.
 
About the price I thought the original kick starter had claimed that the game was available to backers cheaper than release? I could picture launch being in the 35-40 dollar range but with 50% sales coming within 3 months and a permanent price drop to 20 within a year.

I always found energy ammo super scarce in Fallout 1+2, but playing this, I can always find some in a chest or in a safe. Does the game see what guns you're carrying and spawn ammo for it occasionally? I would try wielding the weapons you can't find ammo for. Ammo appears in locked rooms and safes. I'd get some lockpick and safecrack skills early.
I think it might be feeding ammo based on needs through safes and chests. I kept stocked with energy cells and 7.29.
 
Haven't read the review yet, but the fact that their reviewing a beta is kinda trashy imo.

Why? It's not a closed beta. If the game is offered on early-access to the public, it's fair game to review. Eurogamer doesn't assign a score, but they talk about what they think works and doesn't work. No different than any message board thread with people talking about their beta experiences.
 
Why? It's not a closed beta. If the game is offered on early-access to the public, it's fair game to review. Eurogamer doesn't assign a score, but they talk about what they think works and doesn't work. No different than any message board thread with people talking about their beta experiences.

Exactly. And it's a good preview. Particularly, I agree with their complaints about the combat. Hopefully, that will get some tweaks over the next few weeks.
 
My 1 Intelligence dude in football pads who smacks people with a pipe is my most effective combat unit by a mile.

Buncha highly-trained sharpshooters and they're handily outclassed by a savant wielding plumbing. Truly the Desert Rangers consist of the best and brightest of the post-apocalypse.

I know, right? Give him
Ace's Wrench
that
Deth is carrying in her inventory
to be even more OP. ;)

To be fair, it actually is easier to hit someone with a pipe in real life than it is to hit them with a bullet.

It's not about hitting but damage done. I've seen enemies absorb full burst fire from the starting AR type without blinking that go down in a few whacks with the pipe
or one or two with Ace's Wrench
. So much so that my strategy for combat is send the big melee guy straight at the enemy while my three guys armed with ARs (and my main with a handgun) hang back and take pot shots. He's literally more dangerous than
Deth
is, and she's supposed to be an experienced ranger.

Also the
Exploding Pod People
feel off to me. 36 life seems a little much.
 
New update is out, long fix/tweak notes here (with some spoilers at the end)

Haven't read the review yet, but the fact that their reviewing a beta is kinda trashy imo.

Nah, we explicitly said "do writeups on it, just mention it's a beta please". The only issue is how much the mainstream publisher "beta" (when they put out a release candidate for promotional reasons) has skewed perspective on what a beta is, and sets up false perceptions on how much we can and will change based on feedback (as in, a lot).
 
Great patch notes. Will give it another run-through soon.

It'll be interesting to see how attribute balance starts to form up over time. Right now Awareness is far too powerful since it gives a very significant bump to the amount of turns a character has in combat even through single-point differences. When I played the game originally I had a fairly powerful melee character who would sadly be lucky to get in a single turn in a combat scenario, while someone with only two more points in Awareness got substantially more action. Awareness greatly supersedes Speed on anything but a melee character, and they still need both to get in the fight.

Charisma at this early stage has taken its traditional spot as the dump stat, but the dump stat for seemingly every character. However, its potential impact in the broader game is unknown as far as choice-making, nor whether it will have a more combat-oriented role in the future. It's the only attribute that doesn't have any clear role in combat so far, and the game is heavily combat-focused. It doesn't appear that the persuasion skills are impacted by CHA as the game only seems to make checks on those individually during dialogue (it acts as a cap on the Leadership skill, perhaps?)

Luck was also formerly less impactful than may be ideal as you would have been much better off just putting those points into other stats (like Coordination) rather than hoping you'd get a chance for bonus AP at the start of the turn, and such, but I'm curious to see how Luck fares now with the modified loot tables since it's noted in the description to have increase drop rates for better stuff.
 
I don't know if this is worthy of a new thread or not, but an email I got says anyone who backed the Kickstarter will be allowed into the beta for a $10 fee:

Jumping on board

We’ve heard from a lot of our current lower tier backers who still want to jump into the beta, as it was not a part of every tier during the Wasteland 2 Kickstarter or for late backers. We offered a Wasteland 2 beta add-on in our store but closed it as the beta launched, and eligible backers have been able to play this beta for a month now. However, we want to give our existing backers one last chance to jump into the beta, so AROUND THE END OF THIS MONTH we’re going to offer a limited-time add-on option only through the Ranger Center backer store; for $10 you will be able to add-on beta access to your existing pledge, getting your Steam Early Access key as soon as the add-on is registered by us. Please note this add-on will only provide access to the Wasteland 2 beta, it will not include the digital extras of the earlier add-on or the $60 Steam Early Access version. This deal will also be available for Torment: Tides of Numenera backers who are due Wasteland 2 from their tier, when it launches and if you have Wasteland 2 in your tier you'll be able to get it through Torment's pledge management system. We will let you know exactly when it’s up.
 
Top Bottom