When I found iClone 3 on the internet, I was thrilled my brother and I drew a few comic strips about each other, and I could only dream when I could actually put it to animation. It may have taken only a day to upgrade to Iclone3 Pro, because the version I had didn't do what they were showing you, but I didn't have to wait to get it. The first draw back I encountered was that if I wanted to edit the face, skin or clothing and they showed that it was easy to do, was that I had to have Adobe Photoshop which cost more than iClone. I'm sure they could have added a program that I could edit .jpg photos for less than that. And later versions they showed things I could do if I had Maya etc. I was not a 3D graphic artist, I did not or need to have this kind of software, I only had audio and video editing programs. And what surprised me unlike audio and video programs these add-on programs cost more than the iClone. 
I'm still working on the same movie, it will have 95 scenes, I'm at 24. I've removed some scenes and added some. When a new version of Iclone came out I usually had to start all over, because I could add more things, buy better props and when the new self lighting props came out in iClone 6?, I had to start from the beginning again. iClone4 to IClone5 I had to make a big change, the mp4 encoder was not the same and up to today RL will not acknowledge it, thanks to the people on here I learned about using PNG sequential files, and to export the audio separate. I just had to buy a couple of large hard drives to store them. Between versions, I bought the Mocap twice, and every month bought a minimum of $30 from the iClone stores. I have not really been impressed with CC avatars due to their size, made any clothes for them, and though you can do much more with the heads, I thought the heads I made with iClone 3 - 6, looked more like the person I was trying to make than through Crazy Talk, where you use one eye for both eyes, and I think that was the biggest let down I ever got from RL. You spent hours making a head and once it went to iClone it looked nothing like that head.
I'm not getting any younger, I've been retired for 7 years, I'm not blaming iClone for me not finishing. But I have hundreds of other software and they don't tell you what's coming until it's that day or a few days before. How can you want to continue with your project, and you see something that would make it easier to do? But the kicker is you pay because you want it, why work on your project when you know you're going to change it, add newer props, lighting? It may be more memory friendly where you can add more things. I would love to see faster output rendering. Saying something is going to be ready in the 1st quarter instead of a month is very wide. Paying for something in November and 7 months, and two weeks later still nothing? And then every month you have a urgent looking ad, like your time is going to be up to pre-pay, like it's coming out tomorrow.
Years ago while I was still working I had so much problems I asked RL could I be a Beta tester, I don't need to be compensated I just needed a working software. Then months ago RL asked for Beta testers and I didn't reply. And it was because they never replied to my mp4 questions, and what kind of computers they were using, because I wanted one. Today it would be unfair for me to be a Beta tester having 128 GB of RAM, when the average guy on here has 16 GB. It's like me mixing a song with a 40" woofer and you have a 5". I just believe that if someone sees something he really wants in the next version, he is going to stop using iClone, because it's like putting out a song today, knowing he can get it to sound like he really wants to with the next version of tools, so why waste his time? It kind of puts you between a rock and a hard place. I prefer to wake up, check my email and get one from RL or who ever saying; we have just released new version of iClone, go to our website or You Tube to see more. Now you have choices, you can either start all over, start the improvements from that point, but you don't stop and wait until some unknown release date. Tomorrow is not promised, and I'm not that kid anymore that thinks I got another 40 years to live. A month is okay, but anything longer? Please, just surprise me when it is ready. Need the money? Then get it out. 2 months should be long enough for a pre-pay, 3 or more is crazy, that's just my opinion.    

Home built; ASRock X570 Pro 4, AMD Ryzen 9-5950X CPU, AMD RADEON RX6900XT, 16GB video card, 131GB of RAM.

I *suspect* you're talking about the notices that RL is putting out about this being the last time to get the 7 pre-release price -- if so, you should do it now if you do intend to do it, since they have clearly stated it will be available either this month or next.

But as to the other I'm not really sure what your complaints are.  You seem to be, sort of, upset that software gets better, or can use other tools to be better, but you do then upgrade and seem satisfied.  You don't want to be a beta because... you think your system is too good for most folks?  That's kind of crazy, since a good beta can find issues with all sorts of things that have nothing to do with the machine the software runs on.  But even if it were true, so what?  Being an early adopter (which isn't really the same as a beta tester, although RL confused the issue this time around, having both) does mean you get a chance to use the software first.  I've been glad I've had the chance to play with 7 and I did report a thing or two (because I not only have a decent machine like you have, I have three or four of them, and all of them are different because they have different video cards, some are laptops, some are desktops, and all behave somewhat differently with iClone).

There is no one stop solution for all problems with creating animations.  iClone comes close, of course, but expecting it to also have a kick-ass paint program (like Photoshop) or being able to model in it (like Maya) is a bit unreasonable.  If it DID do all of those things it would cost a TON more (and then I suspect you'd complain about that).

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Alienware Aurora R16, Win 11, i9-149000KF, 3.20GHz CPU, 64GB RAM, RTX 4090 (24GB), Samsung 870 Pro 8TB, Gen3 MVNe M-2 SSD, 4TBx2, 39" Alienware Widescreen Monitor
Mike "ex-genius" Kelley

First I'll make things more clearer. I bought hundreds of video, audio and photo programs. Nobody but RL has had pre-release prices that were longer than 3 months. If I'm wrong show me, been on the internet since 1988. Yes I ordered iC7 and liked every update since iC6. iC7 I see nothing special. The curve editor is not included, it probably wont save time because you still have to experiment. The camera backings are a joke, all you have to do now is go to the rendering output sizes and change that if you want a certain pixel size, and why? If you're going to be a beta tester, you should have a computer with the minimum requirements, that way you should run into the same problems as those with less powerful computers, 16GB of RAM seems to be the average on here. RL gives the illusion that most people think they can have 100 avatars in one scene, or you can have 4GB project file. They never specify the limit of RAM to project size ratios. They made statements like unlimited lights, and that's not true at all, that too is based on RAM. Virtual memory on the drives are very important too. Nobody needs Photoshop, a simple cheap jpg paint editing program, could have been included to correct faces, design or edit clothes. Every video and audio program I have, includes other file formats other than theirs that are included in the price. I'm sure all these high price 3D model programs would had no problem with iCloners down loading their files paying for the models, without having to buy 3D exchange. I still use 3DX5, because I only use SKP files. Nothing wrong with most models in the Iclone stores. Though it's not the greatest solution, pre-pay with a credit card, but your card is not charged until the product is released. Maybe it would make them work longer and faster? Yes there will be bugs, there are still bugs on iClone 6. I know a lot of bugs with iC6, why have I stop helping. Because I am a open honest person, and I expect the same. RL, has not showed me this. When I ask a question more than twice and I get crickets... Guess what... I can be silent too. I'll find a way to get around a problem it may take longer, but you make your bed. My major complaint is show what's included, not what isn't. I don't have buttons on my other software where I click and I have to buy something else, like a photo editor. All the great stuff you see is included in their software, not some other.  Nobody shows you a video player when they are advertising a TV. Have a button for that; like add on extras... Have a great weekend..      

Home built; ASRock X570 Pro 4, AMD Ryzen 9-5950X CPU, AMD RADEON RX6900XT, 16GB video card, 131GB of RAM.

Quite honestly, if I were RL I wouldn't respond to you either.  You are WAY off track here in oh so many ways it's not worth my time to continue.

The good news -- no one's forcing you to buy anything.  Have a great weekend.

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Alienware Aurora R16, Win 11, i9-149000KF, 3.20GHz CPU, 64GB RAM, RTX 4090 (24GB), Samsung 870 Pro 8TB, Gen3 MVNe M-2 SSD, 4TBx2, 39" Alienware Widescreen Monitor
Mike "ex-genius" Kelley

RL gives the illusion that most people think they can have 100 avatars in one scene

 ?????

Where???  Is it a metaphor?