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Big "Beta Test Weekends" comming in Sept!!!
Isturi
Member Posts: 1,509
I'm completely excited to hear that "BioWare and EA also have some news about when some of us will be able to play ToR Starting in September, the developer will hold "Beta Test Weekends," allowing "selected players" to check out the game early."
It has been reported that a MILLION and a half people since march have been interested in beta testing since march. This means two things to me. One that ToR will be the new WoW and Two You know that a actual release date is just around the corner.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/21/star-wars-the-old-republic-beta-test-weekends-begin-in-septem/
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Comments
I am cautiously optimistic about being selected. I want an invite soooo bad but I keep telling myself I may not be selected so that I am not crushed. lol
Release date is just a guess now. This beta test info is good news and a step towards release. But based on their Q&A and how they are changing things and changing things based on testing. That may just mean more changes and more of a delay.
I would now have to guess that Nov would be a better month for launch. That would give a good 5 or 6 weekends to test and change things for launch. If anything major happens with the stress test, it could be Dec. It could also be the end of Oct if everything works well. But it is all a wait and see now. I would doubt that we will have a hard release date at all untill Oct from the Devs.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?
R.A.Salvatore
I did early beta on WAR and they changed things as we went through to match feedback from the playtesters. IT WAS A HORRIBLE IDEA. Nothing to date has scared me more than the thought of them altering things at this point in the game based on tester feedback. Fix bugs, alter the UI, but please god, do not change any core systems from what you initially intended to do.
Just a fyi, notice the article says selected players will be invited. Guarantee people who bought collectors and deluxe editions who do not get in will be upset.
Here are a few changes I can think of off the top of my head.
Companions limited to a player spot in groups and increased the power. Companions not allowed in Warzones. Companion customization and possibly situational based AI that can be controlled and changed by the player. A respec of your AC. Changing the look, size and speed of mounts. Changing the death penalty.
So these are not "core" features as you say, but things that can make the game more fun for players. The main game shouldn't be changed at all. But who know what will happen when thousands of new players get to test on weekends.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?
R.A.Salvatore
I don't know enough about the whole design and how it plays to really comment on changes, but I think i read in that livestream that you can respec your AC, and its cheap the first time.
"I swear -- by my life and my love for it -- that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."
- John Galt
I Beta tested CATA and Blizz allowed for suggestions from beta tester. Rather or not Bio dose the same? Well lets hope.
Yes!! Finally ... something will be the new wow ... finally we wont have to hear all of you claim this of EVERY DAMN GAME in development. Should be sweet .. except that 1.5 Million is about the same number of people that tested Rift .. lolz
/sarcasm
LFD tools are great for cramming people into content, but quality > quantity.
I am, usually on the sandbox .. more "hardcore" side of things, but I also do just want to have fun. So lighten up already
As another poster already posted they have decided to allow you to change your Advance Class. The first time will be cheap, after that the costs will raise.
Pretty sure companions aren't allowed in Warzones already. They just revealed today that companions will be able to be customized. With the ability to gain customization kits for your companions. (no details on how to earn kits yet.)
James Ohlen had a minor slip today and also mentioned customizable AI for companions similiar to Dragon Age. In the second Q&A when asked about it, he said that he was already in enough trouble and would not elaborate further. Which leads me to believe that it isn't finished yet, but is something they are working to get into launch.
I hope there's a beta but treat it more like a demo. I don't want any feedback accepted.... just give it to me plain vanilla Bioware!
the only thing the collectors and pre-oreders guarentees is the Early access they will have the 3days i assume in adavance.. possibly a week.. but that would be too much
With all due respect to the OP, I wish people will calm down a bit. The last time we saw such unrestrained hype was towards the release of AoC and that failed at release for the pure reason that there was abundant over expectation and such over expectation can never be lived up to.
Calm down a bit and you might not get disappointed, its just another MMO, hopefully a fun one but it will have many faults and problems with it. Its not gonna recapture the experience we all reminince on in our first mmo experience but it should be entertaining....just ease up on the hype because I dont want another game that goes dead within 2 weeks because the hype wackos get upset that it wasnt quite the ecstasy they hoped it would be.
I agree... any game that has this much hype can do nothing but dissapoint. Nothing can live up to the hype this game has... so hopefully it will live up to some of it.
"Dissapoint", well to me it's all about expectations, and everyones expectations are different aren't they?
If you go about it blindly, thinking this or that will be the savior, the one to rule them all, well of course you will be dissapointed, if you pay attention, take all known factors into consideration, then you know what to expect and yes, you might still be dissapointed, but at least you didn't slap a awesome sticker on it just because it's branded "Star Wars".
I have to disagree. The reason why AoC was such a failure was because the tortage was the only complete part of the game. The only thing they hype did was increase their sales at launch. Bottom line is, if ToR is a decent game, people will play it. Doesnt matter what the hype is or isnt.
sounds like server stress tests to me, if they are that close I expect a earlier release than most are anticipating
I miss DAoC
well said - too many expect every new MMO to be a replacement for their real life. I look at them sort of like movies where ican chat with my buddies. No MMO will ever be able to recapture the feeling I had the first time I logged into Ultima Online, or for that matter the old text MUD I was addicted to for years
I miss DAoC
TY for your concerns. Yes I am very excited for this MMO only because I can truly see this game that may actually deliver its promises were others have not.
I honestly do not think I will be disappointed that much if any at all with ToR if others are, so be it that is up to each player. Good point Vala2008 hype can be bad or it can be very good.
Actually I was swept up in the whole AOC fiasco. It didn't fail upon release. The population was in awe of the game ...until they left the first quest areas. They were singing its praise on the forums for weeks. Word of mouth admiration brought crowds of new players daily. Then suddenly,it became apparant that the developers had basically created a fantastic starting area,then had just basically run out of steam (no pun intended). It was like a wonderful beach that drops off a mile deep 2 feet from shore. This was my first experience with a great deal of hype and expectation followed by the players' rage. This game was kind of the "Water Gate" of games; a footnote in history of how not to release a game. Trouble became apparant when the game began to severely censor anything negative said about it on forums, and ban the posters. Like when some oppressive government takes over a country. To this day I see AOC cited as a reason to not preorder a new game. I have preorderd Star Wars. It is the first gamble I have taken like that on a new game since AOC. I still get a little worried I will be burned again. By the way,I see a lot of posts that AOC has been fixed, I hear it is a great game now. But it is rare to see someone go back to a game when feelings are so hard toward it.
Man Of Constant Sorrow
There's a lot of news in a short period this week, which is why it's important to check the first several pages before posting new threads.
There's already a thread on this here: http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/321821/Beta-Test-Weekends.html
Locking this one as a duplicate.
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