WoW Closed Beta Ends

[geldonyetich]

I wish I was at Blizzard HQ right now...
...Looking at the signup server..
...Watching the hard drive go BRRRRRZZZ!!....
...Smoke coming out of the exhaust fan...
...Frantic technicians trying to quell the fires...
...and I'd be sitting there with a bag of popcorn going, "LOL"...
...and they'd be like, "STFU, I PK U IRL!"...
...and I'm like, "WTFBBQ! LOL!"

[Volm]

I can't even subscribe to gamespy... serves me right or something.

[geldonyetich]

That'll teach you to do... that thing.. you did?

You know, it'd look pretty bad if a writer from grimwell.com were to ask Schild on F13 to make a World of Warcraft stress beta board.   I'd be like, OMG, WTFBBQ.  Then I'd probably talk about knickers and misspelled butter substitutes for awhile.

[Morfiend]

I think WoW did what DV has been trying to do forever. It pushed Geld over the edge.

[geldonyetich]

I've been dangling over the edge for awhile.     It's funner there.
It's just, sometimes, the rope breaks.

[esad]

Anyone got the link to download the file from FilePlanet? Still waiting for my damn email, but I figure I can at least start downloading the file.

[geldonyetich]

Here it is.

The link on the left will let you purchase and download the uncensored version of the new Leisure Suit Larry while you wait the dozens of minutes it will take you to load up the next page of the World of Warcraft account creation signup.

[esad]

Ahhh...Thanks, but no worky. Must need a cookie.

[Mesozoic]

Good God.  People on the WOW boards are arguing that they should be able to keep their beta characters in retail.  Thats exactly the kind of thing that would keep me away.  

Its bad enough that it feels like the game has already been out for several months..I feel like a WoW serf for not having mystical foreknowledge of the game's details - If I logged in on day one and saw a level 60 wandering around...

[esad]

Its bad enough that it feels like the game has already been out for several months..I feel like a WoW serf for not having mystical foreknowledge of the game's details - If I logged in on day one and saw a level 60 wandering around...

So?? How does that affect the enjoyment of the game for you? The content is still all there for you to enjoy. So what if someone has done it before you. Hell, I just finished Halo. How many other people have already been through it once or more?

I don't play MMOG's to compete for highest level on server with catasses (or previous beta testers).

[Mesozoic]

Like it or not, being high level is the reward in these games.  People got into beta by sheer stupid luck.  I do not agree that people who got into the game early by luck, who got to play for several months without paying a dime, are also owed some kind of advanced character.  

I don't care to be penalized by comparison because I paid money to Blizzard as soon as they would take it (release day).

[Soukyan]

They won't get to keep their beta characters. Blizzard doesn't want that much backlash and they don't want to hear the end-game bitching immediately at release. If they make the catasses grind again, they can buyt themselves a couple weeks.

[El Gallo]

0% chance that people will be allowed to keep their closed beta characters.  I thought there was a decent shot that they would let people keep their open beta characters, and fire up the hype machine to have a Lineage 2 style "free release" this weekend, just before EQ2 launched.  However, that was before I realized that Blizzard still hasn't added in the patch they are talking about (the content in current stress is identical to that in closed beta last friday) and that both the torrent distribution and fileplanet distribution would be a disaster.  So now I think that it is rathe unlikely that you will be able to keep your closed beta characters, either.

[Liquidator]

While I agree that it is highly unlikely that Blizzard will allow beta characters to transfer to release, this little tidbit from the beta FAQ is interesting if just for the fact that they still haven't given a positive answer this late in the game....

Will I get to keep my characters from the open beta?
We are still formulating our plans for the characters from the open beta and will provide more information in the near future.

[Ninerzero]

Their post about being "unsure" of whether you keep your open beta character is just their clever way of making sure you choose Open Beta WoW over EQ2.  IF the characters are guaranteed wipes people might be more inclined to try out EQ 2 for the weeks before WoW release.

[Dren]

My guess is they throw them some bone at least.  It could come in the fashion of a gift (special item) or some special title or attribute (skill or power that people don't get until a higher level.)

That wouldn't make them gods at all, but would give them some sort of "treat" to make them feel special.  As if being in the beta to begin with wasn't special enough.

My opinion?  Ban the ones complaining.  They can't be anything but bad for the game ongoing.

[esad]

Their post about being "unsure" of whether you keep your open beta character is just their clever way of making sure you choose Open Beta WoW over EQ2.  IF the characters are guaranteed wipes people might be more inclined to try out EQ 2 for the weeks before WoW release.

Yep, I'd agree with that, but personally if they let people keep their open beta characters I could really care less. Doesn't affect me at all. Maybe I'm special....(hmm the short yellow bus just pulled up at my house.)

[Morfiend]

Their post about being "unsure" of whether you keep your open beta character is just their clever way of making sure you choose Open Beta WoW over EQ2.  IF the characters are guaranteed wipes people might be more inclined to try out EQ 2 for the weeks before WoW release.

Yep, I'd agree with that, but personally if they let people keep their open beta characters I could really care less. Doesn't affect me at all. Maybe I'm special....(hmm the short yellow bus just pulled up at my house.)

I agree also about Open Beta and EQ2. Also, if by some random act of god they do not wipe beta characters, they will probably have their own servers. Which I dont know if I would want to play on a server of all beta people or not. Would be a hard call. I hope they just wipe.

[Jamiko]

I'm guessing they will offer something on the lines of a character name reservation from open, like City of Heroes tried to do.

[Riggswolfe]

Actually, if they did a name reserve or a 3-day headstart like CoH I'd be more than happy.

Personally, I think that 3-day headstart ought to become a standard. If nothing else it cuts down on newbie zone crowding. (Which will be a huge problem in the early days of WoW).

Just reloaded and checked out the changes. Some stuff is amazing. I love the tram between Stormwind and Ironforge. I noticed they added voices to NPCs. (just greetings, not full voices like in EQ2). Little tweaks like that. The opening cutscene is typical Blizzard. Awesome animation.

I think the game is ready for primetime personally. Get those last few talents in and just balance in the first few months of release. The fun factor is there, most things seem to work. I'm guessing a mid-late November release based on what I saw.

[Signe]

I'm enjoying WoW.  It's so fucking mindless.  An MMOG couldn't be any easier.  It almost plays itself.  If I could get voice recognition to work perfectly, I'd play from the other room and just shout at it now in then while I cook dinner or watch TV.

[Riggswolfe]

The only disagreement I'd have with this signe is the sheer number of skills you have to select. Hell, I have 4 hotbars setup because I just have so damn many. I have to remember "I want to use battle shout, shit, better switch to hotbar 2, now back to 1 to follow up with Overbear, now time for Heroic Strike, how's my rage meter? Perfect, Sweeping Strike, followed by Mortal Strike..."

That's my thought process as I play. Most involved warrior I've ever had, hands down.

[Ardent]

I'm enjoying WoW.  It's so fucking mindless.  An MMOG couldn't be any easier.

What level are you? If you're 1-10, yep, it's easy, but what MMORPG isn't at that level?

Once you get into your teens, you have to be a lot more careful about adds and the real strategy starts to kick in. Plus, as Riggs states, the sheer number of combat options you have really makes combat fun. As a druid, sometimes I feel like no 2 combats are fought the same way, because there is such a wide variety of ways to kill stuff.

[Kageru]

Everything I've read suggests WoW starts out really easy, and stays pretty easy if you solo. It gets progressively harder if you do instances and the top instance is, I think, still unbeaten.

There was a good response by one of their CSR monkeys in regards to beta testers talking about what gifts they should receive for being beta testers. He said they should post in the public (ie. non beta) forum about what the people their felt they deserved.

[Nebu]

Signe is right.

All mmog's are mindless in PvE.  That's the nature of the beast.  It really hasn't improved much over the years... though CoH did make some strides by making the pace of combat decision making a bit faster.  I found WoW to be quite easy... even with a number of combat choices.  I could make plenty of decision errors and still win fights.  PvP is what I choose for my fun.  The margin for error is smaller and tends to make the decision making process a bit more crucial.

[Riggswolfe]

My experience has been that PvP fights are even more onesided than PvE fights. Typically, he who spends more time in the game wins.

[Nebu]

My experience has been that PvP fights are even more onesided than PvP fights. Typically, he who spends more time in the game wins.

Assuming that you meant PvP vs PvE, then I agree.  What makes pvp fun for me in games like DAoC is beating people when I have significantly less time invested.  I do lose a lot, but still win my share of fights against players with more time logged.  

The argument that time = power in mmog's is true for the greatest majority but it's still possible for skill/tactics to play a role.  Granted, right now that role is a small one in mmogs.

[Signe]

I'm picking weirdo characters on purpose.  I have a Cow Druid... wish my udders were slightly larger... a gnome fighter and an Undead Priest... pity my heals don't kill, that would make it even better.  It's a ton of fun.  I think I'll play this on release, at least until EQ2 cooks a bit longer.  I'm still very undecided about EQ2.  I kinda sorta almost like it, but it's not nearly as much fun as WoW.  Considering how fickle I am with games, I don't expect any of them to last more than a year.  They never do with me.  I get antsy at high levels.  Well, GW will probably last longer as the PvP is very attractive and I do like a good slaughter.

[WayAbvPar]

I have a Cow Druid... wish my udders were slightly larger

I knew you were familiar!

[MrHat]

Considering how fickle I am with games, I don't expect any of them to last more than a year.  They never do with me.  I get antsy at high levels.

Yup, I decided last year that it's stupid for me to get excited about things in MMO's that might happen any time over 3 months.

Three months of play out of it is good enough for me.

[Riggswolfe]

an Undead Priest... pity my heals don't kill, that would make it even better.  .

A woman in my guild has a maxed out priest and she is quite capable of dealing massive damage. Something to do with the shadow line of talents? Dark talents? Don't know. I don't play priests obviously.

[Kageru]

Yep, priests have a shadow line of talents which makes them pretty deadly apparently. There's even one which the damage you do becomes a group heal which some shadow priests were using for PvE. The line got reduced a little and priest talents are up for some changes as I understand things.

Of course at the moment talent re-configuration is free and instant, which won't be the case in live. So being a PvP specialist will come at some cost in terms of PvE.

[Riggswolfe]

man, I hope they keep in some means to do a talent respec. Even if it's a quest or you have to pay or something. Talents are one way to gimp your char. I've changed my talents like 4 times trying to find a mix that works for me. I'll miss that.

[Rasix]

Both of you missed the funny.

15 yard penalty, loss of down.

[Riggswolfe]

It must be because I'm at work and distracted but I have no clue what you're talking about Rasix.