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This game is not in open beta

hiroprotagonistshiroprotagonists Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 20 Arc User
edited May 2013 in General Discussion (PC)
Sorry to burst your bubble but NW is not in open beta. For those who continue to believe this, you have been duped by PW. It's actually a brilliant marketing strategy to avoid getting flamed for a server downtime, bad launch, and exploits. Company can hide behind the guise of "open beta." Bad launch? Nah its ok were in open beta. Exploits? Nah its ok were in beta. Downtime? Nope gotta fix the bugs, still in open beta. The sad thing is time after time I see a multitude of people on the forums buy into this!

Hate to break it to you all but if the company has a cash shop, does a head start, and refuses to do character wipes. Your not in open beta.

Whats the saying? If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and smells like a duck, it must be a duck!
Post edited by hiroprotagonists on
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    alaric63alaric63 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    This guy knows everything. Wouldn't having "Beta" at the head of this launch be an indication that they expect issues? Isn't that like a fair warning to the players who get involved. It's a two-way street. We get the game early, but we have to help squeeze out the hidden issues, it's seems fair to me.

    Everyone expects perfection from others, but excuses failings in themselves. Consider the last time you did a days work perfectly.
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    ghostwurmghostwurm Member Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Sorry to burst your bubble but NW is not in open beta. For those who continue to believe this, you have been duped by PW. It's actually a brilliant marketing strategy to avoid getting flamed for a server downtime, bad launch, and exploits. Company can hide behind the guise of "open beta." Bad launch? Nah its ok were in open beta. Exploits? Nah its ok were in beta. Downtime? Nope gotta fix the bugs, still in open beta. The sad thing is time after time I see a multitude of people on the forums buy into this!

    Hate to break it to you all but if the company has a cash shop, does a head start, and refuses to do character wipes. Your not in open beta.

    Whats the saying? If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and smells like a duck, it must be a duck!

    You are 100% Correct.
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    narathkornarathkor Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Again uneducated padawan learners. The definition of Beta is a phase of software development where the developer uses outside resources to test the game and help find issues. In the case of open beta's its usually stability testing and a more massive check on bugs. This is a decision phase for the company to choose, and nowhere in the definition does it include that no money can be earned.

    Kickstarter has hundreds of games that are no more than concept art, taking money with promises of in game items/titles. Are you saying those games are launch too?
    Please check out my foundry quests!
    The Sins of the Father NW-DLN6BC8NX
    A Name For Yourself NW-DRBWMCFL4
    Click Here To Visit The Official Thread
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    dustee071dustee071 Member Posts: 30 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    open beta is the new release these days. makes it even worse how they handled the game
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    theodraxtheodrax Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 31
    edited May 2013
    Once you accept money, you're not in beta. Many games say they're in beta for months after release. Heck, I've seen some stupid Facebook games that still say "beta" over a year after release. I enjoy this game and am having fun playing, but in no way do I consider this a beta.
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    narathkornarathkor Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Again uneducated padawan learners. The definition of Beta is a phase of software development where the developer uses outside resources to test the game and help find issues. In the case of open beta's its usually stability testing and a more massive check on bugs. This is a decision phase for the company to choose, and nowhere in the definition does it include that no money can be earned.

    Kickstarter has hundreds of games that are no more than concept art, taking money with promises of in game items/titles. Are you saying those games are launch too?
    Please check out my foundry quests!
    The Sins of the Father NW-DLN6BC8NX
    A Name For Yourself NW-DRBWMCFL4
    Click Here To Visit The Official Thread
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    breagandaerthbreagandaerth Member Posts: 207 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Sorry to burst your bubble but NW is not in open beta. For those who continue to believe this, you have been duped by PW. It's actually a brilliant marketing strategy to avoid getting flamed for a server downtime, bad launch, and exploits.

    Or it could be Beta. Sure sounds like a beta launch from your description.
    Company can hide behind the guise of "open beta." Bad launch? Nah its ok were in open beta. Exploits? Nah its ok were in beta. Downtime? Nope gotta fix the bugs, still in open beta. The sad thing is time after time I see a multitude of people on the forums buy into this!

    Maybe they called it beta because they know this already. This is what beta is.
    Hate to break it to you all but if the company has a cash shop, does a head start, and refuses to do character wipes. Your not in open beta.

    Hate to break it to you DDO & Everquest 2 both had beta when going free to play and also offered cash shops before initial launch.
    Whats the saying? If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and smells like a duck, it must be a duck!

    I think your duck is a Turkey Vulture. Just saying
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    dracothdracoth Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Sorry to burst your bubble but NW is not in open beta. For those who continue to believe this, you have been duped by PW. It's actually a brilliant marketing strategy to avoid getting flamed for a server downtime, bad launch, and exploits. Company can hide behind the guise of "open beta." Bad launch? Nah its ok were in open beta. Exploits? Nah its ok were in beta. Downtime? Nope gotta fix the bugs, still in open beta. The sad thing is time after time I see a multitude of people on the forums buy into this!

    Hate to break it to you all but if the company has a cash shop, does a head start, and refuses to do character wipes. Your not in open beta.

    Whats the saying? If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and smells like a duck, it must be a duck!

    PWE is a duck! It makes sense now!
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    dawgtidedawgtide Member Posts: 3 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Wouldn't it be a good idea to start a new server right now if this was the case? That way many of us could just go there. Surely, an emergency server was on standby if needed for testing.
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    hiroprotagonistshiroprotagonists Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 20 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    alaric63 wrote: »
    This guy knows everything. Wouldn't having "Beta" at the head of this launch be an indication that they expect issues? Isn't that like a fair warning to the players who get involved. It's a two-way street. We get the game early, but we have to help squeeze out the hidden issues, it's seems fair to me.

    Everyone expects perfection from others, but excuses failings in themselves. Consider the last time you did a days work perfectly.

    Huh?

    Your paying for a game via cash shop vice a subscription based model. No game in history had a subscription or a fee based model during its "open beta."

    Putting the title "beta" at the head of launch doesn't excuse the company for poor launch, massive server downtime during peak hours, and exploits. But people like you, accept this and defend the company. Don't get me wrong I think its a great game and love playing it. But, I think the company should be honest and not try to pull the wool over every ones eyes. PW should just admit its not in open beta.
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    cyguard1cyguard1 Member Posts: 64 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    narathkor wrote: »

    Kickstarter has hundreds of games that are no more than concept art, taking money with promises of in game items/titles. Are you saying those games are launch too?

    Sure they are, didn't you know that anything making money on the internet is a live operation. Of course that would also include pre-ordered games from Game Stop and the like as well right? Open Beta for three weeks, bound to have bugs, and people in this community act like it has been out for years and should be bug free. Lil hint, no game is ever bug or exploit free. Never has been or will be. Welcome to online gaming. If you don't want to pay out cash, no one is breaking your arm to make you. Just that simple.
    Foundry Designs: Once a Dungeon Master, always a Dungeon Master.
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    arrowmaticarrowmatic Member Posts: 91 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Everyone with an analytical capacity greater than that of a spoon realizes that this is not an actual beta. Consider:

    - The game is no longer in a test/change/reset phase. Cryptic themselves said that there were no plans for future wipes for new builds, therefore that phase is over. (Resolution of the current exploit crisis notwithstanding)

    - The cash shop is live and purchases are considered permanent. That is, purchases made now are not made with the understanding that they will be credited or refunded at some later "launch" date. No such condition is expressed or implied.

    This game is live. It is as live as it will ever be. If you still don't agree or understand then please describe to me the actual, functional difference between the game as it is now and at some hypothetical, future "launch" date. Explain how the game can be more live than it is already.

    Releasing micro-transaction games and calling them "beta" is just a neat trick that f2p publishers are doing these days. And obviously it's a good trick, because it works and people believe it.
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    breagandaerthbreagandaerth Member Posts: 207 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Huh? Your paying for a game via cash shop vice a subscription based model. No game in history had a subscription or a fee based model during its "open beta."

    Once again DDO and EQ2 both offered cash shop on their beta test server for f2p launch. This is not unprecedented. So your wrong about that statement.

    Multitudes of sub games now offer early or guaranteed beta access by purchasing something this is also is not unprecedented.

    What would be unprecedented is launching a game officially without it going through beta testing.
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    solyad1solyad1 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 127 Bounty Hunter
    edited May 2013
    IF this was still some sort of beta (which it is not), PW would have a simple solution to this little "bug" of theirs. They could completely wipe everything like they do in actual betas, fix the problems, and then schedule another beta after they have completed their internal testing.

    The problem is, they are no longer in beta and have taken real money for their service during the soft launch. Now they have a major failure in one of the core elements of the product. They are scrambling to figure out how to fix their huge problem. I'm sure they wish they were still in beta because the solution to their problem would be so very, very simple.
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    hiroprotagonistshiroprotagonists Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 20 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    narathkor wrote: »
    Again uneducated padawan learners. The definition of Beta is a phase of software development where the developer uses outside resources to test the game and help find issues. In the case of open beta's its usually stability testing and a more massive check on bugs. This is a decision phase for the company to choose, and nowhere in the definition does it include that no money can be earned.

    Kickstarter has hundreds of games that are no more than concept art, taking money with promises of in game items/titles. Are you saying those games are launch too?

    This game is being played in an operationally live environment. There will always be bugs in a live game. The game has been released to the entire population. With your argument, this game could conceivably be in permanent open beta status for the life span of the game. In MMO history, head starts and fee models were always the determining factor in transition from open beta to fully live operations.
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    breagandaerthbreagandaerth Member Posts: 207 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    arrowmatic wrote: »
    Everyone with an analytical capacity greater than that of a spoon realizes that this is not an actual beta. Consider:

    - The game is no longer in a test/change/reset phase. Cryptic themselves said that there were no plans for future wipes for new builds, therefore that phase is over. (Resolution of the current exploit crisis notwithstanding)

    - The cash shop is live and purchases are considered permanent. That is, purchases made now are not made with the understanding that they will be credited or refunded at some later "launch" date. No such condition is expressed or implied.

    This game is live. It is as live as it will ever be. If you still don't agree or understand then please describe to me the actual, functional difference between the game as it is now and at some hypothetical, future "launch" date. Explain how the game can be more live than it is already.

    Releasing micro-transaction games and calling them "beta" is just a neat trick that f2p publishers are doing these days. And obviously it's a good trick, because it works and people believe it.


    The only "neat trick" they are doing is what every other mmo has done for the past 5 years. Getting paid during beta testing. Your kidding yourself if you think it is possible to fully launch a game with no bugs without it going through beta.
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    alaric63alaric63 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Childish Cynicism at it's best. The "I pay good money" argument is getting tweeked for the Micro-transaction age. I got everything I purchased for money just fine. The Game plays reliably well.

    No one even stopped to think about their own daily performance. Does anyone remember the saying about "Glass Houses"? Beta is a warning, beta is a phase. They call it an open beta so you will know in advance, you just have to live with it. When you run a perfect company, turning out perfect products, come back and educate us.
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    hiroprotagonistshiroprotagonists Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 20 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    solyad1 wrote: »
    IF this was still some sort of beta (which it is not), PW would have a simple solution to this little "bug" of theirs. They could completely wipe everything like they do in actual betas, fix the problems, and then schedule another beta after they have completed their internal testing.

    The problem is, they are no longer in beta and have taken real money for their service during the soft launch. Now they have a major failure in one of the core elements of the product. They are scrambling to figure out how to fix their huge problem. I'm sure they wish they were still in beta because the solution to their problem would be so very, very simple.

    100% agreed
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    breagandaerthbreagandaerth Member Posts: 207 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    This game is being played in an operationally live environment. There will always be bugs in a live game. The game has been released to the entire population. With your argument, this game could conceivably be in permanent open beta status for the life span of the game. In MMO history, head starts and fee models were always the determining factor in transition from open beta to fully live operations.

    You sir are no mmo historian.
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    cyguard1cyguard1 Member Posts: 64 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Once again DDO and EQ2 both offered cash shop on their beta test server for f2p launch. This is not unprecedented. So your wrong about that statement.

    Multitudes of sub games now offer early or guaranteed beta access by purchasing something this is also is not unprecedented.

    What would be unprecedented is launching a game officially without it going through beta testing.

    This is the new norm. Case in point, Mechwarrior Tactics. Game was offering "founder's packs" before it even hit closed beta for various prices, much like this game has been doing. So by the definition of them taking money for game related items, then the logic is that they are live as well, before the game hit closed beta. Many games are now doing this so the developers need to test the game in an open beta state after to get a handle on server loads, additional bug testing, finding exploits, etc. Myself, I'd prefer a subscription game, but those are going the way of the dino. If for no other reason than to keep the retreads out and those that actually want to enjoy the game in.
    Foundry Designs: Once a Dungeon Master, always a Dungeon Master.
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    hiroprotagonistshiroprotagonists Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 20 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Once again DDO and EQ2 both offered cash shop on their beta test server for f2p launch. This is not unprecedented. So your wrong about that statement.

    Multitudes of sub games now offer early or guaranteed beta access by purchasing something this is also is not unprecedented.

    What would be unprecedented is launching a game officially without it going through beta testing.

    Wrong,

    Testing for DDO ended on February 19, 2006, with a special head start event that started February 24 for those who pre-ordered. The game opened to the public on February 28 2006. Going from a subscription based model to F2p on a game that had an initial beta and launch is not the same thing.
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    theodraxtheodrax Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 31
    edited May 2013
    narathkor wrote: »
    Again uneducated padawan learners. The definition of Beta is a phase of software development where the developer uses outside resources to test the game and help find issues. In the case of open beta's its usually stability testing and a more massive check on bugs. This is a decision phase for the company to choose, and nowhere in the definition does it include that no money can be earned.

    Kickstarter has hundreds of games that are no more than concept art, taking money with promises of in game items/titles. Are you saying those games are launch too?

    This could arguably be any MMO at any time. They are constantly updating their games and clients based on external feedback and resources. Games that have been out for years do that, and nobody pretends they're in beta.
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    starkaosstarkaos Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I have come up with a term to indicate what we are currently in a few years ago based on subscription MMOs with poor launches. We are in paid beta. Paid Beta is the time between when a subscription MMO goes live and where the MMO should have been when it went live. Sometimes it takes months while others take years. If they take money from us from any method besides pre-orders, then this game is not in open beta.
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    terradraconisterradraconis Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 17 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    If it makes you happy inside to not call it beta .... go for it.

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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    solyad1solyad1 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 127 Bounty Hunter
    edited May 2013
    alaric63 wrote: »
    Childish Cynicism at it's best. The "I pay good money" argument is getting tweeked for the Micro-transaction age. I got everything I purchased for money just fine. The Game plays reliably well.

    No one even stopped to think about their own daily performance. Does anyone remember the saying about "Glass Houses"? Beta is a warning, beats is a phase. They call it an open beta, you have to live with it. When you run a perfect company, turning out perfect products, come back and educate us.

    If you think they are going to get a pass on this because of a marketing ploy, you are in for a very big surprise. This has nothing to do with perfection. It has everything to do with accepting real money for a service where the people BUYING it have a reasonable expectation of a minimal standard of quality.

    The current state of the game is FAR below that minimum, reasonable expectation and they are responsible for correcting it. They know it and are feverishly working to fix it. If they don't, they are ruined and they know it.
  • Options
    breagandaerthbreagandaerth Member Posts: 207 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    starkaos wrote: »
    I have come up with a term to indicate what we are currently in a few years ago based on subscription MMOs with poor launches. We are in paid beta. Paid Beta is the time between when a subscription MMO goes live and where the MMO should have been when it went live. Sometimes it takes months while others take years. If they take money from us from any method besides pre-orders, then this game is not in open beta.

    Paid beta is probably the optimum way of describing this launch. Although technically it is free if you wish it to be.
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    narathkornarathkor Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Everyone with an analytical capacity greater than that of a spoon realizes that this is not an actual beta. Consider:

    - The game is no longer in a test/change/reset phase. Cryptic themselves said that there were no plans for future wipes for new builds, therefore that phase is over. (Resolution of the current exploit crisis notwithstanding)
    The game changes and they are analyzing data constantly so it is also in test. Check your own analytics.
    - The cash shop is live and purchases are considered permanent. That is, purchases made now are not made with the understanding that they will be credited or refunded at some later "launch" date. No such condition is expressed or implied.
    It does not have to be. Nobody can tell a company when or how to take money. Everyday there are new games on kickstarter with little more than concept art that ask for investment money in exchange for mounts, items, gold, perks, titles etc. If you invest that money you will not get a refund either.
    This game is live. It is as live as it will ever be. If you still don't agree or understand then please describe to me the actual, functional difference between the game as it is now and at some hypothetical, future "launch" date. Explain how the game can be more live than it is already.
    Definition of beta, courtasy Miriam-Webster: Definition of BETA TEST

    : a field test of the beta version of a product (as software) especially by testers outside the company developing it that is conducted prior to commercial release.

    As you can see by the definition this is a phase thats sole decision on it being in that phase is that of the company producing the software. Nobody else has any say in what phase the software is in. The company calls it a beta, it is a beta and there is nothing you can do or no amount of crying to change that. Again check your own analytics.
    Releasing micro-transaction games and calling them "beta" is just a neat trick that f2p publishers are doing these days. And obviously it's a good trick, because it works and people believe it.
    And every game that does not always has the same people complaining that the game should still be in beta, people like you can never be made happy and I am sorry for that. Please I urge you to just try to enjoy the game, if you can not do that do not play. Gaming is supposed to be fun, not something that stresses you out so much.
    Please check out my foundry quests!
    The Sins of the Father NW-DLN6BC8NX
    A Name For Yourself NW-DRBWMCFL4
    Click Here To Visit The Official Thread
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    pinchyskriipinchyskrii Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    It's a new way for scummy game developers to fleece idiots.
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    khatzhaskhatzhas Member Posts: 268 Bounty Hunter
    edited May 2013
    Whats the saying? If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and smells like a duck, it must be a duck!
    Its buggy like a beta test, its updated like a beta test, and its got downtimes like a beta test . . .*

    But seriously, why are people trying to get everyone to accept their definition of "beta test" or "release" so important?
    The game is in the shape that it is. Either you are willing to put up with the issues, and you have fun despite them, or you are not willing to put up with them, and don't play. Just wait until they are fixed, come back to the game, and see if you like it then.
    The label you stick on something does not change that state of it.

    Every one of us has accepted that we are playing in a beta test, and that there will be issues. If we weren't willing to agree to that, we wouldn't be playing.
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    breagandaerthbreagandaerth Member Posts: 207 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    solyad1 wrote: »
    If you think they are going to get a pass on this because of a marketing ploy, you are in for a very big surprise. This has nothing to do with perfection. It has everything to do with accepting real money for a service where the people BUYING it have a reasonable expectation of a minimal standard of quality.

    The current state of the game is FAR below that minimum, reasonable expectation and they are responsible for correcting it. They know it and are feverishly working to fix it. If they don't, they are ruined and they know it.

    No one could predict that. There have been various times when someone calls out the ruin of a game because a unknown mechanic was exploited during beta. 99.99999999999% of the time the doomsayers are wrong.
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