Alpha Testing

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Is it unthinkable that injured/disabled folk use this game as a escape,  especially ones that make less than or equal to 10K a year?

On the contrary if people are in this kind of situation I think we could arrange a charity among players to help you guys out.

[Lusche]

0.02$:

I think there are many other players like me out there who have really think about and justify each $ they are spending each month, even without being eligible for 'charity'. Our family income is just very small and having a young one now is not 'helping' it either.
For example, the 15$ for AH  are almost making up my total 'personal entertainment budget' for a month. If I wanted to try/play another subscription based game, I'd have to cancel AH. If I couldn't got to the movies for free, I'd have to cancel AH if I wanted to view movies on a regular base.
In such a situation even the " it's just 50 cent per day" do add up enough that I have to see each month if I still can justify this expense.

In the past I was able to update my computers piecemeal to what would amount a new CPU/GPU combo every 4 year - but always only low performance ones. I got an i3-2120 now which I hope of being able to replace at around 2016, but it's going to be much more difficult by then for sure.
I can already forget to play any "new" great games I'd like to, just because I can never get ahead of the equipment power curve, so to speak. If AH suddenly would increase it's min specs to those of contemporary "top notch games" I would be out.

This is not a lament but just a personal reality that I do think many others here share.

[Masherbrum]

That's something I've never really understood. Must be something in the differences in social security in different countries. And before you say something about wealthy people mocking the poor, let me just say that the income of my family barely meets the official European Union poverty threshold. I know people with much less income than us, having difficulties to make ends meet. Yet they can afford smoking and drinking. Remind you that our government has put serious taxes on both. Smoking a box a day costs about € 150. A couple of beers a day is € 60. Getting the $15 monthly for AH could be paid by recycling three (3) cans daily!

Highlighted for absolute truth and agreement.  If you can afford to do either, you can sock money away to get a new PC after 5 years.   The whimpering about "things being expensive" is non relevant as PC parts have never been cheaper, in terms of performance per dollar.

[Chilli]

Dale has been very much on top of the ball, making a remarkable experience for online gamers without demanding very high performance equipment.  Part of that success, would be their commitment to have dialogue with their customers, the other part is how they take that dialogue and fine tune their product, and give customers further control over scaling performance hogging features.  Even then, you can't be all things to all people.  The happy medium usually seems to still be a very pleasing experience, with nothing else like it.

As far as economic costs for upgrades and subscriptions, there are few now days that have not felt the pinch of budgeting entertainment costs, to maintain other more important responsibilities.  I could give a couple of good examples, but for anyone with healthcare responsibilities,  entertainment budget could dwindle to nothing in an instant.

My prayers for all of those good friends and their families that I hope to continue this long journey with, hopefully into another decade of adrenaline and fun.