Hey guys, since this game was first announced I have done a complete 180. As Doctor Who said, the right to be wrong is one of the fundamental freedoms.
Unlike that 'other' space sim, this one has been almost low key in the way it's been marketed, and I appreciate chief designer Dave Braben's no nonsense approach and the way he's kept the hype machine in check. Anyway, alpha is nearly over and the first phase of beta is due to start in probably 3-4 weeks. How cool is that? Oh, and yes, it does appear that humanoid avatars are in the works, so it will not be a 'truck' game. They were talking about doing an avatar generator on par with something like SWTOR, which to my mind would be the perfect level of customization for a game like this.