Following the announcement that the launch of Alganon has been pushed back from Oct. 31 to Dec. 1, Quest Online revealed today that the open beta is set to begin on Nov. 11. This will be the final stage of beta testing before the game's launch. Players will be able to gain access to the beta via Direct2Drive, FilePlanet, Curse, and the Alganon and MyAlganon Web sites.

You can view a list of the recent beta updates that have been added to Alganon after the jump. You can also check out our recent "What We Know So Far" article for more information on the fantasy MMO.

As we reported the other day, the developer Quest Online finally lifted the NDA regarding Alganon, its upcoming MMO. Since the game launches later this year, it means that beta test participants can now share in-game media like screenshots, videos and other specific gameplay details in an "official" capacity, although unofficially, we've known quite a bit about the ambitious MMO for some time.

Yet many gamers who haven't vigorously followed Alganon's development throughout the last few years still don't know what to expect from the game, or what it hopes to add to today's vast lineup of MMOs. Pending ZAM's own preview of Alganon—until we've spent a little more time with the post-beta launch—our "What We Know So Far" feature format aims to explain the upcoming MMO in broad strokes. Have you heard of Alganon, but still don't know what it's really all about? Interested by the occasional news blurb or comment you’ve read, but haven't had time to sift through forum threads and read pages of archived news? Keep reading.

The Alganon nondisclosure agreement may have just been lifted on Monday in preparation for the game's Halloween launch, but it looks like players will have some extra time to discuss the game before it goes live. Quest Online just announced that the release of the game has been pushed back from Oct. 31 to Dec. 1 to give them time "to refine the game, test on a larger scale, obtain additional visibility, and run some great contests."

Players who already pre-ordered the game will get a month of free play as compensation for the delay. As far as the "great contests" are concerned, the Immortal Contest is scheduled to begin on Nov. 2. Players who obtain a specific number of pre-order and subscription referrals will get the chance to create a permanent Alganon NPC.

The nondisclosure agreement for Alganon has officially been lifted, which means players who are participating in the beta test now have the opportunity to speak freely about the game and share screenshots, videos, reviews/previews, and other bits of information with the world.

Quest Online suggests that players discuss the game on the MyAlganon social networking site, so keep an eye on the blogs and official forums to get some feedback. Alganon is scheduled to launch on Oct. 31.

As we reported a couple weeks back, the developers of Alganon, Quest Online, recently announced Direct2Drive as the exclusive publisher of its upcoming MMO. Slated to launch on October 31, Quest Online is offering rewards for players who pre-order the game, including a two-day head-start. In addition to the pre-order promotions, the developers recently announced "The Alganon Immortal Contest," which will reportedly give players the chance to have an in-game NPC named and personalized after them:

The most exciting aspect of the upcoming The Alganon Immortal Contest will be its prizes: Winners of The Alganon Immortal Contest will have an Non-Player Character (NPC) permanently named after or by them. The contest winners will work with our design staff to come up with a name, history, personality, and disposition for the NPC.

Quest Online promises more details about the contest, including entry information, will be available within the next few days. In the mean time, players are chatting about the upcoming contest in its official forum thread. Stay tuned to ZAM's Alganon portal site for more news and information as it develops.

Quest Online has announced that Alganon will be exclusively distributed through a partnership with Direct2Drive. The game is set to launch on Oct. 31, and you can pre-order the game through Direct2Drive or the Alganon Web site. Players who pre-order the game will get all sorts of rewards, such as study bonuses, mounts, and access to the remainder of the beta test.

Pre-order packages range from the standard monthly subscription to the legendary yearly subscription. Each of the four levels contains different rewards, but all include full access to the beta, a mount, a pet and a two-day head start on the retail launch. You can check out all of the pre-order rewards after the jump.

Quest Online has posted a new video of the Haggon Marsh area in Alganon. The video follows a Soldier and Magus as they fight enemies in the savage marshland. If you're interested in what combat will look like in Alganon, check out the video on YouTube.

A few community members have been posting their thoughts on the video on the official forums. For example, here are some constructive suggestions from one user: "Assuming you are using this video as a sort of advertisement to create interest in the game, the spell effects, and equipment looked very 'blah.' Can you increase the particle effects? Are there higher level equipment sets created? I would go so far to make custom equipment just for advertisement's sake."

What do you think about the video? Alganon is set to launch on Oct. 31, so the game should be available to all players this month.

The third and final installment of the 18th Alganon Developer Roundtable has been posted, and this one focuses on crafting. Data Designer Hue Henry confirms that crafted gear will cover the same range of usefulness as looted gear. "Our philosophy is that crafting should provide an alternative means of acquiring the same level rewards as raiding," he said.

Henry also says that every crafting profession can create items that are useful to all classes. You can read his full answer after the jump. In case you missed them, part one of the roundtable discussed the Studies system, while the second part revealed that player-driven events will help move Alganon's story forward.

Part two of the 18th Alganon Developer Roundtable has been posted, and this one features Data Designer Hue Henry answering a single question that asks how high-level players will be entertained while waiting for new content to be released. Henry gives the first details on unique player-driven events that will take place in Alganon to move the story forward.

Henry says that players who participate in the Alganon launch will be part of a game-wide event to open and unlock additional content by completing quests, crafting items and defeating creatures. These events will be regular features as Alganon grows. "Players who participate in these events will have a chance to become a part of the official lore of the world. We plan to name places, items, and place markers in honor of the players who unlock this content and make it available for everyone," he said.

You can read Henry's full answer after the jump. The first part of the developer roundtable can be found here.

Part one of the 18th Alganon Developer Roundtable has been posted in the game's official forums, and it features data designers Hue Henry and Josef Shindler answering a couple of questions from fans. Both of the questions focus on the studies system, which allows players to advance their characters when they're not playing the game.

The first question details how the studies system will help both hardcore and casual players. "A hardcore player who plays twice as much will not be able to match the options of a casual player who has been around twice as long," Shindler said, demonstrating that veterans of the game will have some advantages over newer players.

The second questions provides an outline on how studies work in general. Only one character per account can be studying at a time, and a player can queue multiple studies so one will begin when a previous one has ended. The full Developer Roundtable entry can be found below. Alganon is scheduled to launch Oct. 31.