Greetings

Welcome back Lizard 

Details on the beta haven't been released yet.  Expect news on what the beta will include closer to the start in January.

-Z

Most likely, though as Zoomba said, nothing's set in stone yet, the beta in January will be single-player only with a multiplayer beta taking place later.

so preorder is the only way to get into the beta? i don't know how i feel about that actually. what if i preorder the game and i hate it? (god forbid) i've already given stardock plenty of money. you should consider letting some of your paying customers into the beta without preorder. just a suggestion, i'll probably end up preordering anyway.

so preorder is the only way to get into the beta? i don't know how i feel about that actually. what if i preorder the game and i hate it? (god forbid)

  its called marketing for a reason

so preorder is the only way to get into the beta? i don't know how i feel about that actually. what if i preorder the game and i hate it? (god forbid) i've already given stardock plenty of money. you should consider letting some of your paying customers into the beta without preorder. just a suggestion, i'll probably end up preordering anyway.

Correct. If you don't want to take the risk of hating the game and helping us improve it, then wait until it's released and download the demo sometime after.

will there be a pre-releas demo or after the releas?

There won't be a demo until after the game's released at retail.

Only a year to go guys...

Correct. If you don't want to take the risk of hating the game and helping us improve it, then wait until it's released and download the demo sometime after.

see the beauty in this scheme, you dont like it, you get to make it better.