What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

More GRID Development (more content, enemies and complex Networks to explore)



Achievements



Trading Cards

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

Crunch Time (3 minute Timed Challenge)



Survival (Classic Arcade mode with Extra Lives)



Rush (Level Up and kill Bosses to extend the time limit)



Chase (Touch Checkpoints to extend the time limit)



Dive (Destroy Towers to unlock the Portal then Dive to the next Level)



GRID (Procedurally generated Campaign mode)

Multiplayer Battle Mode



Additionally:

Ranked Leaderboards

All the Enemies from the original Waves plus 7 new ones.

Procedurally Generated Arenas

Metagame progression for unlocking new equipment and game modes

Customisable Player Builds allowing you to tailor your ship to your play style

36 Unique Items including 6 Weapons, 6 Special Attacks, 6 Utility Powers and 18 Passive Upgrades

Ingame progression where the players power level increases during each game

Enemy Progression where the enemies get tougher and more dangerous the longer a game continues



Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“Waves² exceeds the scope of the original game significantly and as a one-man studio getting feedback before release is almost impossible.The Early Access period is intended primarily to let players test the game and provide that feedback in order to make a more balanced and enjoyable game.”“The Alpha period will last until the game is considered "Feature Complete", this means all the major features in the roadmap are implemented and live. The game will then enter a Beta phase during which the primary aim is to balance and polish the game ready for final release.During Early Access you can expect the leader boards to be periodically wiped and for the balance to change in significant ways as we hone in on the best experience.The game is currently in "Alpha 5" and has recently shifted into a monthly development cycle. From now until release updates will occur at the end of each Calendar month.”“The full roadmap for the full game is publicly available and updated constantly.Key features yet to be implemented are:“As of March 2017 (Alpha 4)“The final game will be slightly more expensive once released. Originally it was intended to be cheaper but as the Early Access period has been so long and the scope of the game has expanded so too must the price.I am dedicated to providing a premium and polished final product and as such will not ship the game until I am satisfied with it.”“The Steam Community forums will be the main source of feedback during Early Access.The entire roadmap of tasks is available to view by anybody and is updated constantly as work is completed.”