AlphaState is an incredibly misleading class name. Blending functions can be alpha based, but there are just as many blend functions that are not alpha related at all. I am considering changing this class to BlendState. At the same time, I'd also like to add support for setting the blend equation. I'd like to do this as part of the 1.0 codebase because 1.0 will be around for a while and I'd hate it to be around with this class name. 
Thoughts? Objections?
Objection: it breaks almost every app! :-o
What about making BlendState a subclass of AlphaState?
yes, but it's a very simple search and replace. I really do not want to make it a subclass… that makes no logical sense.
If it's a really big deal, we can push it off to 2.0. However, older apps already can not simply swap in the latest jME lib (.10 -> .11 or .11 -> rc1.0 as some examples), so I don't really see the issue.
I would suggest we not include it in 1.0 release. I thought we were in a relative freeze apart from bug fixes already?
I don't think it's wise to put something (even something as simple as a name change) in after we've already released a release candidate. I would suggest this be done immediately after 1.0 is released and applied towards 1.1 or whatever the next revision is going to be.
Yes, subclassing it is not very nice… my vote would be 'after 1.0' then, too.