I am hoping they dont have an open beta just because it will deny alot of wlf"s who aren't willing to part with their cash the opportunity to get attention by screaming about how they think the game sucks.
Regardless I wont be getting the game until 40 or so days past launch, have been burned too many time in the last five years.
This is the first game I am actually torn on playing the beta with or not. I have always been awaiting a closed beta invite, but at the same time I would not want to spoil the entire story line for myself only to run it again when the game launches and know exactly what is going to happen.
I think if anything I would pick the choices I know I will not make on my live server character just to see how all the negative choices play out and change the progression of my character.
Its pretty easy to understand why they may not offer an open beta.
This is the first game I am actually torn on playing the beta with or not. I have always been awaiting a closed beta invite, but at the same time I would not want to spoil the entire story line for myself only to run it again when the game launches and know exactly what is going to happen.
I think if anything I would pick the choices I know I will not make on my live server character just to see how all the negative choices play out and change the progression of my character.
Its pretty easy to understand why they may not offer an open beta.
You could do what I plan to do. If there's an open beta I'll stay away from the smuggler and Inquisitor, the two classes I plan to play at launch. You won't completely ruin the story and you get to play beta. Win win.
As others have noted, a lack of open beta generally means the developers are hiding something. On the function front, open betas can help prep for launch by providing a larger stress test. However, IMO, open betas are much more important for MMOs than with other products. For example, you cannot return an MMO to the store once you've purchased it. No other game has this limitation. Yes, you can ebay it, but that's a bit of a gray area (I've met enough people that bought brand new ebay accounts for next to nothing and had the original owner recall the account months/years later to know that it can simply be a way of getting free levels/items).
Personally, if I wasn't looking at this game as KotOR 3, this would be my red flag. However, since I'm mainly expecting a few months out of it, it's not going to stop me from buying the game.
No open beta = better game longivity. I hope they do not have an open beta.
Why let everyone play the game for a month, explore mostly everything, experience almost all the content, then actually release the game and many people get bored immedietly with nothing new to explore/do.
As far as a free "trial" to gain membership, I don't think that in this day and age people really need a free trial to buy an MMO.
With them being so "few and far between" as far as big name IPs, people will more than likely buy it to try it out, or check out the many youtube videos, or their friends accounts (its bound to happen that someone you know will play the game)
And if you complain about not being able to have a "free trial" than maybe you just shouldn't play any game in the first place.
I understand that a company might need to "promote" their product through open beta, or "stress test" it, but I don't believe it is really needed in this day and age if you are a big name IP. Maybe so if you are peddling a new no name IP from a noname company.
I am entitled to my opinions, misspellings, and grammatical errors.
No open beta = better game longivity. I hope they do not have an open beta.
Why let everyone play the game for a month, explore mostly everything, experience almost all the content, then actually release the game and many people get bored immedietly with nothing new to explore/do.
This is what I am hoping for...... I believe they have invested heavily in professional Testers(Paid) . This to me leaves only a requirement for a small load / Stress Test.
________________________________________________________ Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel
No open beta = better game longivity. I hope they do not have an open beta.
Why let everyone play the game for a month, explore mostly everything, experience almost all the content, then actually release the game and many people get bored immedietly with nothing new to explore/do.
WoW had an open beta... The only time no open beta = better game longivity is when these crap MMO launch with less than 2 months of content or at just anothe WOW clone that people get bored of in less than a month.
I will not play a game with a cash shop ever again. A dev job should be to make the game better not make me pay so it sucks less.
If an MMO is actually good and contains enough content and a large enough world (Universe) to support extended play, then Open Betas provide zero threat to an MMO developer and are great for hooking in players who might otherwise be on the fence.
Lack of Open Beta almost always has proven to presage a game that either sucks at launch, or more commonly in recent years, has a serious lack of content.
Cartoonish graphics and very limited class outfit progression (everyone of the same class/level range looking pretty much the same) seems to already be strike one and strike two vs. this game. No Open Beta may be strike three for a lot of people, escpecially if they are cautious about the title due to the aforementioned issues or any of the other concerns that exist around the title.
No open beta = better game longivity. I hope they do not have an open beta.
Why let everyone play the game for a month, explore mostly everything, experience almost all the content, then actually release the game and many people get bored immedietly with nothing new to explore/do.
WoW had an open beta... The only time no open beta = better game longivity is when these crap MMO launch with less than 2 months of content or at just anothe WOW clone that people get bored of in less than a month.
WoW is/was a freak of nature. I would not consider WoW good to use in any kind of comparison. Compared to the number of MMOs that have launched and their levels of success, I feel my statement is sound.
(Well, then don't play the open beta, I will.) Yeah but then you will quit after 2 months and complain of lack of things to do because you raped the open beta 10 hours a day and got bored before the game even released.
My recent example is Rift, look at how that is going (sarcasm). Look at AION..
I am entitled to my opinions, misspellings, and grammatical errors.
they dont actually have to have an open beta depending on the amount of CBT keys they send out. it works the same just requires a key to download and play rather than just DL&P
If an MMO is actually good and contains enough content and a large enough world (Universe) to support extended play, then Open Betas provide zero threat to an MMO developer and are great for hooking in players who might otherwise be on the fence.
Lack of Open Beta almost always has proven to presage a game that either sucks at launch, or more commonly in recent years, has a serious lack of content.
Cartoonish graphics and very limited class outfit progression (everyone of the same class/level range looking pretty much the same) seems to already be strike one and strike two vs. this game. No Open Beta may be strike three for a lot of people, escpecially if they are cautious about the title due to the aforementioned issues or any of the other concerns that exist around the title.
I don't really agree here. Plenty of games have had open betas, and more games have failed with an open beta than games without one.
Maybe BioWare is just used to releasing games without feeling the need of approval of Open Beta testers.
No open beta = better game longivity. I hope they do not have an open beta.
Why let everyone play the game for a month, explore mostly everything, experience almost all the content, then actually release the game and many people get bored immedietly with nothing new to explore/do.
WoW had an open beta... The only time no open beta = better game longivity is when these crap MMO launch with less than 2 months of content or at just anothe WOW clone that people get bored of in less than a month.
WoW is/was a freak of nature. I would not consider WoW good to use in any kind of comparison. Compared to the number of MMOs that have launched and their levels of success, I feel my statement is sound.
(Well, then don't play the open beta, I will.) Yeah but then you will quit after 2 months and complain of lack of things to do because you raped the open beta 10 hours a day and got bored before the game even released.
You call it freak of nature. I call it how an MMO should be done. Of course I should be able to compare it to other MMOs. I will and should be able to compare any RTS to SC/SC2 or any Action 'RPG' to Diablo/D2.
So you feel that because a company can't put together more then a month of interesting content it's okay for them not to have open beta? How about a company try to put together months of content and keep interested in the game after an open beta, like WoW(and SWG) did?
I will not play a game with a cash shop ever again. A dev job should be to make the game better not make me pay so it sucks less.
WoW really ? A closed beta until release which means NDA still in effect until the last few days. What ya hiding guys ?
You're right. WoW did not have an open beta and it was because of no end game content at release. That may be a similar case here although with 8 quest driven story modes I don't think that will effect many peoples enjoyment of the game. We have all see what happens when the only thing you focus on is end game with zero content, and I do not want to play another WoW.
It's not like the closed beta won't leak, so we will get to see some of it before making purchase decisions.
So far the video I've seen of it looks pretty decent. Assuming the management is clued and the team competent, they have surely had enough of both time and money to pull off a major hit.
Ken Fisher - Semi retired old fart Network Administrator, now working in Network Security. I don't Forum PVP. If you feel I've attacked you, it was probably by accident. When I don't understand, I ask. Such is not intended as criticism.
At about 41:45 Daniel Erickson says they might not do an open beta, just a large closed beta
either that's a good sign (they are really confident their stuff is balanced and will work out like they planned it) or that closed beta will be REALLY big, so they can kinda limit the accounts per person, and who gets in and stuff (usually a better "testing" audience on the last ones)
"I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!"
This stinks to high hell of Warhammer 2.0 where they hid the endgame from us until the players found out about how awful it was for themselves. Of course that was a good 2-3 months into. I understand they want to keep their info secret from competition but it feels like they're hiding too much from the consumer as well. I don't trust EA to begin with due to Warhammer & what they've done to all the studios they've gobbled up & now they want me to blindly throw down my cash in "good faith" that SWTOR will be a great game? That's a tough call for me.
I'm of two minds about this. On the one hand I don't mind that they arn't going to do a OB. It's just means the game is closer to release and OB are publiclicty stunts IMO. However, they should drop the NDA before release. The secrecy of NDA will turn lots of ppl off to buying this game as soon as it comes. I just can't believe bioware will fuck us over. I refuse to believe it. If they do, and there are parts of the game lacking content ala Conan, I think I'll be jaded towards mmos from that point on. I'm holding on to this last hope. Bioware don't screw us over!
If there smart they wont do one, open betas have become nothing more than early demos where people rage and bitch about bugs and issues, necause there not bright enough to know that its a beta, and there WILL be bugs, if there wasnt they wouldnt need a beta.
Apparently stating the truth in my sig is "trolling" Sig typo fixed thanks to an observant stragen001.
Comments
I am hoping they dont have an open beta just because it will deny alot of wlf"s who aren't willing to part with their cash the opportunity to get attention by screaming about how they think the game sucks.
Regardless I wont be getting the game until 40 or so days past launch, have been burned too many time in the last five years.
This is the first game I am actually torn on playing the beta with or not. I have always been awaiting a closed beta invite, but at the same time I would not want to spoil the entire story line for myself only to run it again when the game launches and know exactly what is going to happen.
I think if anything I would pick the choices I know I will not make on my live server character just to see how all the negative choices play out and change the progression of my character.
Its pretty easy to understand why they may not offer an open beta.
My Guild Wars 2 Vids
You could do what I plan to do. If there's an open beta I'll stay away from the smuggler and Inquisitor, the two classes I plan to play at launch. You won't completely ruin the story and you get to play beta. Win win.
As others have noted, a lack of open beta generally means the developers are hiding something. On the function front, open betas can help prep for launch by providing a larger stress test. However, IMO, open betas are much more important for MMOs than with other products. For example, you cannot return an MMO to the store once you've purchased it. No other game has this limitation. Yes, you can ebay it, but that's a bit of a gray area (I've met enough people that bought brand new ebay accounts for next to nothing and had the original owner recall the account months/years later to know that it can simply be a way of getting free levels/items).
Personally, if I wasn't looking at this game as KotOR 3, this would be my red flag. However, since I'm mainly expecting a few months out of it, it's not going to stop me from buying the game.
No open beta = better game longivity. I hope they do not have an open beta.
Why let everyone play the game for a month, explore mostly everything, experience almost all the content, then actually release the game and many people get bored immedietly with nothing new to explore/do.
As far as a free "trial" to gain membership, I don't think that in this day and age people really need a free trial to buy an MMO.
With them being so "few and far between" as far as big name IPs, people will more than likely buy it to try it out, or check out the many youtube videos, or their friends accounts (its bound to happen that someone you know will play the game)
And if you complain about not being able to have a "free trial" than maybe you just shouldn't play any game in the first place.
I understand that a company might need to "promote" their product through open beta, or "stress test" it, but I don't believe it is really needed in this day and age if you are a big name IP. Maybe so if you are peddling a new no name IP from a noname company.
I am entitled to my opinions, misspellings, and grammatical errors.
This is what I am hoping for...... I believe they have invested heavily in professional Testers(Paid) . This to me leaves only a requirement for a small load / Stress Test.
________________________________________________________
Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel
good idea?
Guild Wars 2's 50 minutes game play video:
http://n4g.com/news/592585/guild-wars-2-50-minutes-of-pure-gameplay
Everything We Know about GW2:
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/287180/page/1
WoW had an open beta... The only time no open beta = better game longivity is when these crap MMO launch with less than 2 months of content or at just anothe WOW clone that people get bored of in less than a month.
I will not play a game with a cash shop ever again. A dev job should be to make the game better not make me pay so it sucks less.
Depends on how large they intend on making the closed beta.
Either way there will be plenty of leaks to go around. Can't stop the internet, baby!
No Open Beta = Really Bad Sign.
If an MMO is actually good and contains enough content and a large enough world (Universe) to support extended play, then Open Betas provide zero threat to an MMO developer and are great for hooking in players who might otherwise be on the fence.
Lack of Open Beta almost always has proven to presage a game that either sucks at launch, or more commonly in recent years, has a serious lack of content.
Cartoonish graphics and very limited class outfit progression (everyone of the same class/level range looking pretty much the same) seems to already be strike one and strike two vs. this game. No Open Beta may be strike three for a lot of people, escpecially if they are cautious about the title due to the aforementioned issues or any of the other concerns that exist around the title.
Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated
I can stop the internet. Don't make me do it!
Also, I can do cartwheels for a mile.
WoW is/was a freak of nature. I would not consider WoW good to use in any kind of comparison. Compared to the number of MMOs that have launched and their levels of success, I feel my statement is sound.
(Well, then don't play the open beta, I will.) Yeah but then you will quit after 2 months and complain of lack of things to do because you raped the open beta 10 hours a day and got bored before the game even released.
My recent example is Rift, look at how that is going (sarcasm). Look at AION..
I am entitled to my opinions, misspellings, and grammatical errors.
they dont actually have to have an open beta depending on the amount of CBT keys they send out. it works the same just requires a key to download and play rather than just DL&P
I don't really agree here. Plenty of games have had open betas, and more games have failed with an open beta than games without one.
Maybe BioWare is just used to releasing games without feeling the need of approval of Open Beta testers.
Sounds like a pay to play beta to me send EA your money and they send you a key.
Where does I sign it? Me send money nau!
You call it freak of nature. I call it how an MMO should be done. Of course I should be able to compare it to other MMOs. I will and should be able to compare any RTS to SC/SC2 or any Action 'RPG' to Diablo/D2.
So you feel that because a company can't put together more then a month of interesting content it's okay for them not to have open beta? How about a company try to put together months of content and keep interested in the game after an open beta, like WoW(and SWG) did?
I will not play a game with a cash shop ever again. A dev job should be to make the game better not make me pay so it sucks less.
You're right. WoW did not have an open beta and it was because of no end game content at release. That may be a similar case here although with 8 quest driven story modes I don't think that will effect many peoples enjoyment of the game. We have all see what happens when the only thing you focus on is end game with zero content, and I do not want to play another WoW.
As much as Im disappointed (for selfish reasons) this is great news.
I hope they don't have an open beta and I really hope that means it'll be released later this summer *cough August
It's not like the closed beta won't leak, so we will get to see some of it before making purchase decisions.
So far the video I've seen of it looks pretty decent. Assuming the management is clued and the team competent, they have surely had enough of both time and money to pull off a major hit.
either that's a good sign (they are really confident their stuff is balanced and will work out like they planned it) or that closed beta will be REALLY big, so they can kinda limit the accounts per person, and who gets in and stuff (usually a better "testing" audience on the last ones)
"I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!"
LOL GOOD ONE!!!! Me 2 LOL
Guild Wars 2's 50 minutes game play video:
http://n4g.com/news/592585/guild-wars-2-50-minutes-of-pure-gameplay
Everything We Know about GW2:
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/287180/page/1
This stinks to high hell of Warhammer 2.0 where they hid the endgame from us until the players found out about how awful it was for themselves. Of course that was a good 2-3 months into. I understand they want to keep their info secret from competition but it feels like they're hiding too much from the consumer as well. I don't trust EA to begin with due to Warhammer & what they've done to all the studios they've gobbled up & now they want me to blindly throw down my cash in "good faith" that SWTOR will be a great game? That's a tough call for me.
If there smart they wont do one, open betas have become nothing more than early demos where people rage and bitch about bugs and issues, necause there not bright enough to know that its a beta, and there WILL be bugs, if there wasnt they wouldnt need a beta.
Apparently stating the truth in my sig is "trolling"
Sig typo fixed thanks to an observant stragen001.