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Why this called Open Beta when it's Alpha?

lostdrafteelostdraftee Member Posts: 40 Arc User
edited May 2013 in General Discussion (PC)
No, but seriously, what is wrong with developers or publisher? Why there are so many bugs? So many abilities not working, positioning is bugged, animation is tearing and glitchy, freezes and lags in city for no apparent reason? As GF I have to block incoming attack for about 2 or 3 seconds before it hits me or in other case I'm going get full damage? Why AI companion is not running out of AoE circles? And why the hell is that(see the attachemnts) allowed in open beta? Face mesh clipping through helm? Are you kidding me? I just don't understand. It seems like game was rushed to Open Beta stage (we all new that it's almost release in reality). But why? Is this a b2p game or it's p2p game? It's not like Neverwinter Online is most anticipated game of this year nor it's b2p or p2p. Why the hell you rushed this thing? You not going to loose potential buyers because it's f2p. But you going to loose a lot of players if game is in broken state because they just don't have toons that they really attached to. I'm playing just because of the foundry it's the best thing in the game I know that foundry tools are nbot the best in the world but content created by player are amazing. Especially in comparison with dull and boring stuff in actual game. I just don't know how long community is going to put up with this.
Post edited by lostdraftee on
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Comments

  • nekoakureinekoakurei Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Agreed 100%.
  • futrixfutrix Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Haha.
    First the game is launched according to this god awful forum... now the game is in alpha.
    They just can't get a break.

    If you consider the game to be in a testing phase, why are you upset that if certain things are still broken? Isn't that what you would expect for a game in alpha or beta testing?
  • lostdrafteelostdraftee Member Posts: 40 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I mean it's almost a month since Open Beta begining do they fixed core gameplay issues? No, buddy, we'll better go FULL MONETIZATION!
  • armorboxarmorbox Member Posts: 77
    edited May 2013
    I mean it's almost a month since Open Beta begining do they fixed core gameplay issues? No, buddy, we'll better go FULL MONETIZATION!

    Fanboys are fine with that.
  • etherealjetherealj Member Posts: 1,091 Bounty Hunter
    edited May 2013
    There is very little information coming out of the company about what else needs to be added to make this "release". If all that's missing is Gauntlgrym and the Ranger class? this game is basically released already. DC agro is even working as intended.

    What gigantic, game experience changing update is going to come with the official release? No one outside the company really knows. My bet is none.
    Use the <removed exploit lead-in> to interact with the auction vendor.
  • nekoakureinekoakurei Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    futrix wrote: »
    Haha.
    First the game is launched according to this god awful forum... now the game is in alpha.
    They just can't get a break.

    If you consider the game to be in a testing phase, why are you upset that if certain things are still broken? Isn't that what you would expect for a game in alpha or beta testing?

    Either way you gotta admit, the amount of bugs and glitches is staggering, most of which are obvious things. Some glitches arise out of nowhere, and those are the kind you expect to see in an open beta, not obvious things like class feats not working and obvious graphical issues. Those used to be fixed before a game even went into closed beta, but things are different in today's game development.

    Today everything goes by a schedule, especially with big company games like this. If a game is set to be open beta on May 3rd, it WILL be open beta May 3rd, no matter what. Even if development falls behind and a game is not ready (such as this).

    Another recent example of this was FFXIV. Developing the engine took more time than anticipated and the game clearly wasn't ready for launch, but it had to go live because a strict schedule was set, and look what happened to that game.

    Also open beta = more people = more people buying zen. Simple.
  • lostdrafteelostdraftee Member Posts: 40 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    armorbox wrote: »
    Fanboys are fine with that.
    As always it's just doesn't mean that they're major
    futrix wrote: »
    Haha.
    Look I just try reasoning with you for once. Let's see how it will work out.
    So, in common reality Open Beta for paid games means trial. For f2p game it's just an excuse for minor bugs and glitches here and there because developers can't afford large QA team also it' some sort of stress test. Because it's great way to really find out size of you audience due to relatively long duration of Open Beta stage. Open Beta means that every one can join and won't be reppeled by broken state of the game unlike Closed Beta (which is only real one beta) and Alpha (internal testing). That at least means that core mechanics work fine and you not supposed to expiriense some game breaking issues. But to see that client-side working abilities is just an invitation for hacking and in the same time you engine can't handle server-side abilities? There is no need for huge amount of beta tester for that. To see that your auction house allows negative bids or CLIPPING FACES(!) no QA is requred at all just run the god darn game and you'll see! No, really it's just embarrassing.
  • futrixfutrix Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    nekoakurei wrote: »
    Either way you gotta admit, the amount of bugs and glitches is staggering, most of which are obvious things. Some glitches arise out of nowhere, and those are the kind you expect to see in an open beta, not obvious things like class feats not working and obvious graphical issues.
    Yup, lot of bugs. As was expected. I'm been in betas that were worse though.
    nekoakurei wrote: »
    Today everything goes by a schedule, especially with big company games like this. If a game is set to be open beta on May 3rd, it WILL be open beta May 3rd, no matter what. Even if development falls behind and a game is not ready (such as this).
    Games get pushed back all the time. And they have no plans or date on when beta will end that you and I know of. If it was a set schedule no matter what they would have a date set. We have no reason to assume they have a date set and no reason to assume they will rush into launch with things like talents unfixed because as you pointed out, they opened the shop already. After what, 5 years? They are able to get some income for this game while they work on it? It is a good deal for them and kind of removes the stress of rushing into a full launch unready.


    Look I just try reasoning with you for once. Let's see how it will work out.
    So, in common reality Open Beta for paid games means trial.

    It took you 3 sentences to fail.
    Game testing doesn't exist for you to try the game, it exists for you to find bugs/errors and report them.
    If you don't like it, stay away from both Alphas and Betas.
  • klugemaker1klugemaker1 Member Posts: 21 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Open-"Phase" (in this case Beta) means the software product is in general availability but the actual programmers are still on consignment, in retainer, still on the project however you want to say it.

    Otherwise this would be Charlie, I guess maybe Beta Phase 2 or Alpha phase 3 possibly Third Alpha. Its all just jargon anyways.

    Maybe I missed the point??
  • ausdoerrtausdoerrt Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    @OP: Have you missed the actual alpha/closed beta? Looking at your join date, you must have, otherwise you would've been aware of the progress made by the devs over the last year.

    I've also seen quite a few fully released and NOT fully free games, which were more buggy than this BETA.
  • xhivenxhiven Member Posts: 110 Bounty Hunter
    edited May 2013
    If this were an alpha test, we wouldn't even have finalized art assets or a functional GUI. Let alone multiple races and classes. We'd have Bob the Test Elf running around a flat textured Neverwinter with a console scroll reporting back events.

    This is definitely a beta. The problem isn't that they're claiming an alpha is a beta, the problem is they're claiming a beta isn't live.
  • ausdoerrtausdoerrt Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    xhiven wrote: »
    the problem is they're claiming a beta isn't live.
    Do you have a quote for that. Cause I think I missed that huge glowing "open beta is now live" sign at the entrance.
  • nekoakureinekoakurei Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    futrix wrote: »
    Games get pushed back all the time. And they have no plans or date on when beta will end that you and I know of. If it was a set schedule no matter what they would have a date set. We have no reason to assume they have a date set and no reason to assume they will rush into launch with things like talents unfixed because as you pointed out, they opened the shop already. After what, 5 years? They are able to get some income for this game while they work on it? It is a good deal for them and kind of removes the stress of rushing into a full launch unready.

    Games get pushed back yes but not MMO's, especially not f2p MMO's. A normal boxed game has to be bug free (mostly) and ready before being released, as all sales are made through buying the game itself at a one time cost. f2p MMO's however gain revenue through it's shop, which some people will still use no matter what state the game is in (as has been shown). This means that f2p MMO can go into "open beta" faster and start gaining revenue before the game is technically ready, so the schedule for games like this never changes.

    This also means that a game can stay in "open beta" while still gaining revenue and under the protection of "open beta" from review sites and it's own community. They could honestly take 2 years to fix any issue and there will still be people saying "relax, its open beta".

    Imagine if a company tried this with any other game type. Imagine if the new COD Ghost shipped 6 months before it's release date, and you could buy it for $60 but it had bugs and glitches that made it impossible to finish the game and incredibly easy to hack and cheat online. No one would stand for that, people would think they'd gone insane to do that. So I'm not sure why we let fp2 MMO's get away with it.
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  • nekoakureinekoakurei Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    ausdoerrt wrote: »
    Do you have a quote for that. Cause I think I missed that huge glowing "open beta is now live" sign at the entrance.

    I can call my cat a dog if I wanted to. Doesn't make my cat any less of a feline.
  • klipstaklipsta Member Posts: 99
    edited May 2013
    This isn't an alpha. I don't think the teenager who posted this thread has any clue what an alpha is.
  • lostdrafteelostdraftee Member Posts: 40 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    futrix wrote: »
    It took you 3 sentences to fail.
    Game testing doesn't exist for you to try the game, it exists for you to find bugs/errors and report them.
    If you don't like it, stay away from both Alphas and Betas.
    I failed when I tried reasoning with you which clearly was a time waste. All fanboys have to live in some alternative reality, I guess. Well, thanks for clearing. Ok, good luck doing QA job and paying for that great opportunity indeed.
  • xhivenxhiven Member Posts: 110 Bounty Hunter
    edited May 2013
    ausdoerrt wrote: »
    Do you have a quote for that. Cause I think I missed that huge glowing "open beta is now live" sign at the entrance.

    Think you misread my post. I didn't say they said it was live, I said that it's live but they call it open beta. Once you start taking people's cash, you're live. No matter what you say otherwise.
  • majormunchies42omajormunchies42o Member Posts: 16 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    this game isn't alpha or beta, it's still being created lmao
  • euthymiaeuthymia Member Posts: 113 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I agree that this isn't anywhere near a release candidate. Even the voice acting has stand-in sound files for a lot of the NPCs.

    Everyone knows their priority is the cash shop. Honestly, the shop should have been kept out of the game until the game was awesome and ready for official release. Then they could have done a character wipe, and have everyone start fresh on opening day with a brand new cash shop to go along with it.
  • soleonesoleone Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Let's call it "Cash-Prototype" then, yes?
  • breagandaerthbreagandaerth Member Posts: 207 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    It wouldn't be considered Alpha. Generally Alpha stage is done in house by paid testers. The average gamer would not want or enjoy Alpha testing. The game is incomplete for instance you may just test levels 1 to 10 and in that testing 70% of the quests would be unplayable and would be required to test one class specifically.

    There may be certain sections of the game that feel like they are in Alpha stage. The game as a whole is beta. It can be completed to max level and gearing beyond.
  • ausdoerrtausdoerrt Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    xhiven wrote: »
    Think you misread my post. I didn't say they said it was live, I said that it's live but they call it open beta. Once you start taking people's cash, you're live. No matter what you say otherwise.
    This is only true if you had to pay to play. Similarly, people who preorder a game or donate on Kickstarter don't have to.

    But deadhorse.gif here...
  • assassin83assassin83 Member, Banned Users Posts: 276 Bounty Hunter
    edited May 2013
    you only find real bugs with the real thing
  • zoywikizoywiki Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Here is what alpha/beta mean in terms of video games:

    Alpha means - daily changes and possibly unstable builds published to testers. You would see missing textures or test textures in plainly visible areas. There would be dialog trees which do not function. Probably no audio. You are lucky if you can launch the game in an alpha build. The game cannot be played at all in continuity, and you need to use slash commands to transition maps and/or major progression arcs in the game story. New systems are created / added such as game controller support, Guilds, Auction House, etc...

    Beta means content complete - which it pretty much is true. There are no new levels being added on a daily or weekly basis. Most content is working. You can play entirely through he game story from level 1 to 60 without resorting to developer command consoles or warping. Beta is a content polishing phase where minor problems are addressed. All features that are going to exist in release are finished. That is systems like Auction House or Group Finder are not going to be added in beta period, however they will likely be enhanced and bug fixed through out the beta.
  • lostdrafteelostdraftee Member Posts: 40 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    klipsta wrote: »
    This isn't an alpha. I don't think the teenager who posted this thread has any clue what an alpha is.
    Believe me, I've got no enjoyment in your butthurt but as software engineer (simply developer or programmer) with 4.5 years of expirience I have to say that I have some idea of what alpha stage of product is. No matter how hard you try to deny reality and defend your holycow this is not changing a fact that calling unfinished product with obvious vulnerabilities and not working parts and with huge amount of glitches wich is easy to fix but left unfixed is dealbreaking decision for lots of potential clients.
  • klipstaklipsta Member Posts: 99
    edited May 2013
    Believe me, I've got no enjoyment in your butthurt but as software engineer (simply developer or programmer) with 4.5 years of expirience I have to say that I have some idea of what alpha stage of product is. No matter how hard you try to deny reality and defend your holycow this is not changing a fact that calling unfinished product with obvious vulnerabilities and not working parts and with huge amount of glitches wich is easy to fix but left unfixed is dealbreaking decision for lots of potential clients.

    You're not a developer. You don't have any experience. Lying on the internet is pathetic and borderline desperate. If you did you wouldn't post such trash and act like programming an MMO is an easy task. If by some anomaly you are an adult with a functioning brain than I pity you. Alpha products would have almost 0 playability and at best would be used at trade shows to display extremely basic functionality. It would be more appropriate to label this a beta, and even more appropriate to label it a work in progress as every MMO ever released has been. You are an aggressive and angry teenager, perhaps an immature 20 something with too much time on your hands and a overdeveloped sense of entitlement. If you’re so critical about the game you don’t enjoy it, don’t play it. No one, especially the developers; cares about your overly negative and terribly critical opinion. You’re not intelligent, nor does this thread offer anything of value. It should be deleted and you should be banned for being a troll. A bad troll at that which is even worse than a real one.

    Good day sir.
  • euthymiaeuthymia Member Posts: 113 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    It wouldn't be considered Alpha. Generally Alpha stage is done in house by paid testers. The average gamer would not want or enjoy Alpha testing. The game is incomplete for instance you may just test levels 1 to 10 and in that testing 70% of the quests would be unplayable and would be required to test one class specifically.

    There may be certain sections of the game that feel like they are in Alpha stage. The game as a whole is beta. It can be completed to max level and gearing beyond.

    That could be true if the developers had proper work flow. There's various levels of "incompleteness" dotted throughout the game, which shows that the developers don't completely finish an area before moving onto the next. They probably say to themselves "We'll come back to that later," but then never do.

    Even Champions Online is has massive bugs that have been around since they released the alerts (some even before that). They'd rather re-skin existing <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> in the game and sell it to people as "NEW!" than actually fix anything.
  • lostdrafteelostdraftee Member Posts: 40 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    klipsta wrote: »
    You're not a developer. You don't have any experience. Lying on the internet is pathetic and borderline desperate. If you did you wouldn't post such trash and act like programming an MMO is an easy task. If by some anomaly you are an adult with a functioning brain than I pity you. Alpha products would have almost 0 playability and at best would be used at trade shows to display extremely basic functionality. It would be more appropriate to label this a beta, and even more appropriate to label it a work in progress as every MMO ever released has been. You are an aggressive and angry teenager, perhaps an immaturity 20 something with too much time on your hands and a overdeveloped sense of entitlement. If you’re so critical about the game you don’t enjoy it, don’t play it. No one, especially the developers; cares about your overly negative and terribly critical opinion. You’re not intelligent, nor does this thread offer anything of value. It should be deleted and you should be banned for being a troll. A bad troll at that which is even worse than a real one.
    Why you so mad? How do you manage to call me an aggressive and angry and writing a big post with so much aggression and insults towards me?
  • klipstaklipsta Member Posts: 99
    edited May 2013
    Why you so mad? How do you manage to call me an aggressive and angry and writing a big post with so much aggression and insults towards me?


    You're completely out of touch with reality. You have an overzealous sense of entitlement and expectations of a free to play game published by a notoriously dispassionate company. Your thread has no merit and no point, and it only acts as a passive aggressive insult to the employees of said company. I can tell from your writing that English isn’t your first language so I apologize for assuming you are a child. Please grow up and act your age. If you’re unsatisfied with the current product by all means stop playing. Your thread is immature and worthless in the grand scheme of things.
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