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Open Beta starts on 4/6 - But will anyone be able to play?

KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 44,095
Extracted from Jon Woods article on MMORPG.com last week.



"Even the game's Open Beta is, in the footsteps of the IP itself, more epic in scope. Beginning on April 6th, Turbine and Midway are kicking off their World Tour of Middle Earth. Billed as "One of the largest North American MMO pre-launch events ever", this open beta event will see over 1,000,000 players invited to take part in the game. This enormous free-for-all will be capped for players at level 15 (you can't give everything away), but will provide potential players with the opportunity to get a flavor for the game, and to explore the different game play elements available."



Last evening Brandywine had a queue marked as "medium" and I'm told it was about a 15 minute wait to get in.  If we really see over 1 million players in this game (or even half that number) how in the world will our current 7 severs handle this sort of load.



Can we expect a host of new servers to open up this weekend? (I'm hoping?) or will we find the servers completely full with massive queues to get in for the next 2 weeks.



If anyone can shed some information about this I'd appreciate it. (yes, I know, might be posted over on Turbine forums, but here at work they've figured out that is a "gaming" site.... I guess MMORPG.com isn't about gaming in their eyes....   )



Regardless, expect massive lines of people camped around certain key places (like Bauman's farm, home to 2 quests, one of which you have to kill the target for every person in the fellowship...on about a 2 minute timer....its like a massive battle royal to tap the mob there)



I may just craft for two weeks    (and I hate crafting)  

"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™

"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon






Comments

  • Superman0XSuperman0X Member RarePosts: 2,292

    The good news is that Pre-Orders get priority in the queue (for beta). The bad news is that the purpose of the open beta is to test server loading... so expect lag. They will (most likely) not be adding servers, but they will be upgrading the hardware, and fine tuning as needed to allow each server to handle the maximum load.

    Most people will hit Lvl 15 in a week, so it should calm down in about 10 days or so... then people will be grinding crafting, monster chars, and making alts.

  • JonMichaelJonMichael Member Posts: 796
    Originally posted by Kyleran

    Extracted from Jon Woods article on MMORPG.com last week.



    "Even the game's Open Beta is, in the footsteps of the IP itself, more epic in scope. Beginning on April 6th, Turbine and Midway are kicking off their World Tour of Middle Earth. Billed as "One of the largest North American MMO pre-launch events ever", this open beta event will see over 1,000,000 players invited to take part in the game. This enormous free-for-all will be capped for players at level 15 (you can't give everything away), but will provide potential players with the opportunity to get a flavor for the game, and to explore the different game play elements available."



    Last evening Brandywine had a queue marked as "medium" and I'm told it was about a 15 minute wait to get in.  If we really see over 1 million players in this game (or even half that number) how in the world will our current 7 severs handle this sort of load.



    Can we expect a host of new servers to open up this weekend? (I'm hoping?) or will we find the servers completely full with massive queues to get in for the next 2 weeks.



    If anyone can shed some information about this I'd appreciate it. (yes, I know, might be posted over on Turbine forums, but here at work they've figured out that is a "gaming" site.... I guess MMORPG.com isn't about gaming in their eyes....   )



    Regardless, expect massive lines of people camped around certain key places (like Bauman's farm, home to 2 quests, one of which you have to kill the target for every person in the fellowship...on about a 2 minute timer....its like a massive battle royal to tap the mob there)



    I may just craft for two weeks    (and I hate crafting)  

    I'm not worried about it at all.  With how well Turbine has been doing with LOTRO, I'm sure they're more than prepared for the influx of players.  There are limitations on the number of people allowed on each server, so I'm sure they have another batch just ready to go, as they've already stated.

    I'm more worried about the TYPE of players that will be coming into the game.  Thank goodness I'm already out of the starting area with all my toons and can shut /ooc off with a click, if needed. :)



    _________________________________
    JonMichael

    Currently: AION, an MMO Beta under NDA
    Played: WAR, LOTRO, Hellgate: London, CoX, GW, SotNW, DAOC, EQ2, SWG, WoW, AO, Horizons, Second Life, There, TSO
    Beta'd: There, Second Life, EQ2, DAOC:LotM, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, Gods and Heroes, Hellgate: London, Requiem:Bloodymare, AoC, WAR, DDO, Fallen Earth

  • psyconiuspsyconius Member Posts: 272
    I was kind of hoping they would have entirely separate servers from the existing ones. Open beta chars are getting wiped at release anyway.

    --
    psyconius Cthulhu
    Gothika Studios

  • ForgrimmForgrimm Member EpicPosts: 3,070
    They have already stated that there are a whole bunch of additional servers that are ready to be activated at the touch of a button if need be.
  • ab29xab29x Member Posts: 364
    Originally posted by psyconius

    I was kind of hoping they would have entirely separate servers from the existing ones. Open beta chars are getting wiped at release anyway.
    False.
  • ForgrimmForgrimm Member EpicPosts: 3,070
    Originally posted by ab29x

    Originally posted by psyconius

    I was kind of hoping they would have entirely separate servers from the existing ones. Open beta chars are getting wiped at release anyway.
    False.



    Well, yes and no. Pre-order customers get the ability to to roll their character over into retail. Non pre-order customers do not. This is directly from the official LOTRO Faq:


    Question/Topic
    What does a Pre-order customer receive that a Retail software customer does not?
    Answer/Article

    Participation in the Pre-order Program grants access to the exclusive Founder’s offer which includes a package of benefits including special pricing, open beta privileges and unique in-game items. Highlights of the Founder’s offer include:

    Special Membership Pricing:

    • $9.99 Monthly OR
    • $199 Lifetime
    Open Beta Privileges:
    • Early access - Be among the first to play in the Open Beta
    • Keep your character after commercial launch
    Unique In-game Items:
    • Enchanted Cloak of Regeneration
    • Ring of Agility
  • nynnivanynniva Member UncommonPosts: 235

    Well, from a technical standpoint, wouldn't it be easier to have :

    7 worlds, with pre-order characters only, that do not get reset at release

    X number of other worlds, for the world tour people to play around on, that at release get a complete character database wipe.

    From release, thne have 7+X servers available for new subscribers to make characters on.

    Of course, who knows what they are planning to do.
    If pre-order gets priority in the queue, thats great for us pre-orderers, but I don't see how its going to let that many people experience the game. And is it going to boot people off if the server is full and a pre-orderer wants to get on?

    Gaming? That's not gaming!
    That's just people sat 'round in costumes drinking...

  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 44,095
    OK, since they are giving pre-order customer's priority in the queue that's great news.... will still be a little rough, espcecially since some visitors will probably be a bit..."negative" while they are with us.... but that's ok...its only a few weeks.



    One final question. Go-live date is the 24th right?  (a Tuesday...ugh)  Will they need 3.5 days to set things up like they did when they cut over to the Open beta from CB?  I'm trying to figure out what day they might cut everyone off before they reconfigure the servers....



    edit (or...maybe there's no need to reconfigure.... the game is good to go as it is really)

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

    Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

    Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™

    "This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon






  • kb4blukb4blu Member UncommonPosts: 717
    Seek professional help ^^^^^^
  • kjemperkjemper Member Posts: 181
    I think there is at least 4 areas you can report that post under.  Such an angry person!
  • AngelboundAngelbound Member, Newbie CommonPosts: 1,437
    Yea thats real nice thanks for sharing.
  • dand3dand3 Member Posts: 241

    And back to topic.  I cannot imagine Turbine trying to handle more players than they have at present on the same seven servers.

    The servers do very well at the limits they've set, and as a result they may experiment with increasing the limits a bit, but I'd also expect more servers.  We'll see real soon now. 

  • kof2003kof2003 Member Posts: 128
    nice gameplay hope open beta come soon
  • w175jabw175jab Member Posts: 239
    Hm.



    No roll overs for people just having a go at it and later purchase the game is a bit crappy I suppose...
  • KhaunsharKhaunshar Member UncommonPosts: 349
    US version only founders get a rollover, and basically they have a whole month headstart if you count this open beta. Europe has a 10 day headstart before release, and their chars dont get carried over from Open Beta. Since the US and the EU version will be handled differently, and also the rulesets are different (europe gets PvE, RP PvE, french and german RP and french and german PvE servers) this info here mostly pertains to the US release.
  • ChaulsinNLChaulsinNL Member UncommonPosts: 182
    Pretty sure european pre-orders charactars get lifted to the real game. They would have a lot less people buying pre-order kits if that wasnt so.
  • AthelaAthela Member Posts: 492

    Well I think its exciting they're expecting a million people.  If only one of the current seven servers is having any wait, thats not such a biggie.  They have stated they have additional servers ready to fire up, and if they say they're ready, you can believe they really are.

    If you need a mob that a bunch of others do, just fellow up and get the kill as a group then move on.  I was concerned about a couple of the quest mobs being a problem when large groups came in but so far its been smooth.

    If you have questions while you're playing there's an Advice channel I recommend you use rather than the OOC which is currently a bit crowded with Troll-talk.  Just a few individuals, but they don't seem to have much to do with their time besides wolfing pizza, scratching themselves, and being...not so helpful.

    The main thing is, the game is really fun and the devs and community staff listen to players concerns.  Enjoy.

  • KhaunsharKhaunshar Member UncommonPosts: 349
    European OPEN BETA characters dont get carried over. Your Pre-Release headstart is like an "early admission" deal, which starts on the 14th of april, and THAT character will get carried over. But everything you play right now isnt going to stay.
  • McrobrewerMcrobrewer Member Posts: 36

    Right now they have only 7 servers so  I wonder if that will increase tomorrow... Seems like they will have to.

    At least this game does easy this overcrowding a bit by having certain races start in certain areas...

    I just hope everyone has a chance to enjoy this game as I have been for the past 6 months.

  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 44,095
    I'm expecting to see some pain.... but it will smooth itself out soon enough I'm sure...

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

    Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

    Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™

    "This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon






  • DulainDulain Member UncommonPosts: 616
    On the official forums they just added a few new servers. They aren't showing in the launcher yet, but seems they are getting ready for tomorrow.

    image
    image

  • MeridionMeridion Member UncommonPosts: 1,495
    I will play on official release and I guess thats a wise desicion ^^ Won't kill me to see the stress test happening without me ^^



    Meridion
  • dand3dand3 Member Posts: 241
    Originally posted by Meridion

    I will play on official release and I guess thats a wise desicion ^^ Won't kill me to see the stress test happening without me ^^



    Meridion

    If you wish, but there was a stress test, and LotRO passed with flying colors. A second unofficial stress test took place when preorder "open" beta opened. 7 servers filled in one day.  Went fine.  Some queuing, so the servers really were full.

    In addition, Turbine are very responsive, and have more servers waiting beyond the added four they just announced.  But if you're really worried, wait a few days, until Tuesday or so, and if there were problems, they'd be sorted out by then.  Or, in the unlikely event not, the forums would warn you.

  • BlindfishBlindfish Member Posts: 24
    Four new servers are now on the server list, though they are closed at the moment.  I do hope that they add even more servers for this open beta thing they are doing, the game world it's self is barely able to keep up with the mass of pre-order people.  I'm not talking about server stability here which has been great, but harvesting nodes and mob spawns.  If they don't open up quite a few more servers, they are shooting themselves in the foot.  How many people are going to get into the newbie zones...try to find the mobs they need to kill for quests...and give up after 10 minutes of running around with 80 other people trying to do the same thing?



    I don't see this as a stress test, they have already done that.  This has been the best beta I have ever seen, there are still a few bugs here and there, but the game stability (at least for me) has been great.  This is a "get people to try the game before release" type of thing, so I hope that they try to show people the best side of the game that they can.
  • MeridionMeridion Member UncommonPosts: 1,495
    Well, I'm EU so I couldnt join on the sixth anyways, only on the 14th when euro-servers go live, but as I'm not at home until the 17th anyways I can wait till the official release for everyone, its just one week and I'm not the "im gonna die if i cant play at release day"-type, never was ^^ So I preordered the standard-version, thats just fine...



    Meridion
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