FreeSpace Alpha

(Copied from Selectah's talk page.)

General

Before the retail release of Descent: FreeSpace, a number of Alpha and Beta versions were shipped to various testers and magazine editors in order for them to get a preview of what's coming, plus it allowed them to advertise the coming game. There was a lot of gameplay content in the Alphas -- of which there was a total of two -- and the Beta that wasn't included at all in the released versions of the game or was changed to the point of unrecognizability. Some of the Alpha-only content included things such as unique ships -- the shivan cruiser Caldera and the terran cruiser Juggernath -- and unique dialogue deepening the storyline.

Some graphics decisions unique to the Alpha are, amongst other things, a completely different HUD with shield integrity as exact percentage instead of graphics, a different pilot stat screen with your current fleet affiliation on display and totally different pilot appearance graphics, different POF models and mission backgrounds (including planets).

Unique weaponry for the Alpha included weapons that are still present in some of the screenshots on Volition's official FreeSpace site. Look for evidence of the the Angelfire missile, for instance, check for stats below.

Screenshots from FreeSpace Alpha

Early version of the HUD, from FreeSpace Alpha.

Planet backgrounds from FreeSpace Alpha.

FreeSpace Alpha-Only Weaponry

Alpha-Only primary weapons
Name	Damage	Velocity	Fire Wait	Description
Light Laser	10	300	.175	Much like Descent lasers. Less powerful than Heavies.
Disruptor	16	275	.3	none
Mass Driver	40	240	.15	Fires shells, but uses energy, since it's a cannon.
Flail	5	530	.15	Rapid-fire energy-based weapon. Shoots many smaller, rapid lasers.
Neutron Flux	30	300	30	Similar to Heavy Lasers, but more punch.
Shivan Light Laser	8	300	.15	none
Shivan Heavy Laser	12	275	.3	Self-explanatory. Fires slightly slower.

Alpha Missions

Screenshot from the near-mythical Juggernath mission.

The Holy Grail™ for me, though, would be the unique missions of the Alphas. There were three missions in the Alpha versions, two of which are the ones' we know from the FreeSpace 1 Demo. The third Alpha-only mission -- the second in the Alpha "campaign" -- is the most interesting of the bunch. This is the fabled mission where you are ordered to escort the lone Juggernath, a Fenris class cruiser. The mission contains a lot of unique dialogue, dialogue which explains the sentiments regarding the newly founded Vasudan/Terran alliance and deepens the storyline, highlighting the still present animosity towards the Vasudans. A line from Alpha 3 in the mission might serve as example; "I just hope I don't accidentally fire on one of them in the heat of battle. Old habits die hard". Some other lines were later dropped in favour of the present ones, such as "Enemy at three o'clock high!", "Sir watch your tail" and "Enemy fighters just appeared on radar".

All of this is record, and well documented in a plethora of screenshots. Should I post the ones I have, you think? These mythical missions were finished, playable, completely voiced and are -- for better or for worse -- canon. Whatevenmore, they do exist. Somewhere. Probably in a drawer at Volition. Or at the OGR office. Or in a PC Gamer cupboard. Forgotten. Me wants them. By the way, what do you mean with "hosting them on HC"? What on Earth™ is HC? Selectah 03:15, 7 December 2007 (CST)