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Warcraft 3 Expansion Beta Signups Announced
Clomer writes "Blizzard Entertainment has announced the signups for the beta testing of the upcoming expansion set to Warcraft 3 called The Frozen Throne. The beta will be online-only over battle.net, requires the full version of Warcraft 3, and is only open to US residents. Signups will be at battle.net starting on Friday, 14 February and will last a week."
I've signed up for betas for the last 4 products Blizzard has put out. I actually want to know how many people get into beta tests. So, /.'ers have you beta tested for Blizzard?
I think they should call the beta: Warcraft III: untested orcs
-You're wasting your time. Alfador only likes me.
and before I get -5, Flamebait or troll, just remember...it's a joke!
I'm signing up for the beta testing and I hope they don't pick me.
My grades would be hurting if they do...
Can Part of what makes these games enjoyable is that there is a rich multiplayer aspect to the application. When a development team takes on such an application, good software engineering will tell you that testing that this requirement has been fulfilled should be just another step in the process, like testing any other requirement. Furthermore, load testing should commence as soon as there is a prototype because if it's not and the testing is put off until the end, then you could end up with a system that has to be completely redesigned after a few thousand users brings down your alpha software.
I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
Can I just submit the bug "Doesn't play nicely with bnetd" without having to sign up for the beta.
Unlike with the beta for the inital release they are acually allowing the macintosh uses to test this time.
Before you go out and praise blizzard, sign up for the betas and give them your money, remember thier stance on open source and the use of DMCA to supress it.
Before warcraft 3, I purchased every piece of software they ever made. I did not buy WC3, and will not buy a blizzard title again until they 1) apologize for thier abjectly evil behavior 2) demonstrate, not say, that they have changed that behavior 3) promise to stay changed, and demonstrate that behavior. I would recommend that anyone reading this, if they like thier freedom, put thier morals where there mouth is.
Boycott blizzard, they deserve it. It would be easier if they didn't make such damn good games though. I will miss them.
-Charlie
Wow...oh wow...i said WOW.
Well, I WAS gonna sign up, but if it's posted on slashdot then 10,000 slots seems slim to none...
Sorry, forgot link to above announcement:
link
Its in the first post there.
Do they really need beta testers for an expansion??? Or is this simply traditional and an inseperapable part of their marketing?
I truly believe that Blizzard went after bnetd solely to stop software piracy. The online CD key system used by Blizzard, Valve, Id, etc is the best way to combat piracy and the only feasible way for pirates to get around this method is to offer their own "cracked" servers which don't authenticate the CD keys.
Furthermore, I also suspect (sorry guys) that the majority of the bnetd/warforge users (who are still using today, well after war3 has been released) did NOT buy the game and are using bnetd primarily to circumvent the CD key copy protection.
It just doesn't make sense that the majority of bnetd users would be legitimate war3 CD owners. Why would you play on a small server instead of battle.net? The argument about lousy battle.net performance simply doesn't hold water these days. I play on battle.net ALL THE TIME and the performance is a lot better than warforge EVER was (yes, I was part of the warforge 'unofficial' beta test, and yes I bought the game the day it was released).
There are some cases (DeCSS) where a free alternative is desperately needed and the people protecting encrypted DVD's really are Evil. (hehe) But in this case, I truly don't think Blizzard is trying to stomp on the open source coder. Blizzard is only concerned with software piracy and their concern is very warranted, I daresay.
WineX problems? Only problem I've had is the taskbar (or whatever it is in X :P) appearing on resolution higher than 800x600. Then again I had the same problem with Counter Strike so I don't think its their fault.
:)
Although a native linux port would be great
Where'd you read that? From the bulletin board:
The Right Reverend K. Reid Wightman,
The important question here, at least for me, is: is the beta test single- or multi-player? Personally, I hold my own against the bots, but any attempt to even try out battlenet play, and I get completely stomped. The dregs of battlenet are far too good for me (and most other people I've talked to who've tried this).
Are they using battlenet mearly as a way of letting people play the beta for a temporary period (keeping all of the maps and scenarios on the server), or are they letting people play battlenet games using the new units?
Narrative
Uh....yeah...that's why the lawsuit happened.
Unless you mean that it wasn't actually the bnetd servers, just their code, but in that case you still know whay I meant.
I wouldn't get too excited people. I was a beta tester for Warcraft III. Yes, you'll get to play the game before most other people. You'll also get to see the bugs, be subjected to the glaring imbalances, and have a less fun time overall than with a polished commercial product. I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from signing up; I just want you to understand that the signups are for beta testers and not impatient people that don't want to wait until the final retail release. In short, if you don't plan on actually submitting bug reports, please don't waste a beta slot on yourself.
That said, the last beta test was something of a joke. Ideas and opinions from the community were largely ignored. About halfway through it became apparent that the only reason they even had a public beta was to save money on real QA testing. If blizzard wants to do that, they absolutely have that right. But I hope they're more honest this time around. If they actually want ideas/input/suggestions, then give us feedback and let us know you're listening. If you just want our BSOD'ing boxes and the bandwidth we throw at the server, say so. Vague thank-you's and promises of "careful considerations" of the community's ideas are no way to further your fanbase. Be open with the fans. This doesn't have to turn out as bad as the last beta and subsequent official launch.
"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh." -Voltaire
I don't think its a shame... If they released products and expansions more often, you can be sure the quality would go down. One thing that keeps Blizzard games good is their commitment to the development process. (Some companies say they have a commitment to it, Blizzard has proven it)
An online Starcraft RPG? Only at
Online Starcraft RPG? At
Dietary fiber is like asynchronous IO-- Non-blocking!
Remember that a company has one obligation and one obligation only: Obey the shareholders. In most cases all the shareholders want is money, so the company has to do whatever it can to get money, as long as it stays within the law. Invoking the DMCA will in some cases do that, so if Blizzard had failed to do so they would have failed in their moral obligation to the shareholders. If you don't support the DMCA, donate to organizations and legislators who agree with you. But there's really nothing Blizzard can do about it.
I played on bnetd to play the WC3 beta test because I wasn't in the "official" beta. I read a lot of comments from official beta testers who were enraged when they saw other people getting to play the beta. I thought that was funny. Now, it is all good and well for Blizzard to want to stop piracy, it isn't all good and well to trample other people's rights to do it. bnetd IS NOT a copyright circumvention tool. It is a way for people to play blizzard games on their own terms. I love blizzard games, but I won't make excuses for such low behavior.
I am not saying it is wrong to want to protect your copyright, but they hurt a lot of honest players too when they killed bnetd. I hope with all my heart there is a special place in hell for the jackass who made that call.
I truly believe that Blizzard went after bnetd solely to stop software piracy. The online CD key system
The bnetd developers asked Blizzard if they could hook into the official online CD key verification system. Blizzard denied them that.
There are some cases (DeCSS) where a free alternative is desperately needed
And for those behind university firewalls that don't allow traffic on Battle.net ports across the connection from the university LAN to the Internet, how is a free alternative not desirable?
Will I retire or break 10K?
I.E. they got the wrong people, but they're forging ahead anyway. It's like going after a gun manufacturer because somebody bought one of their shotguns and sawed the barrel to an illegal length. Now does it seem like a pretty scummy move?
Even if they went after the 'right' people, in my opinion they'd be attacking the same principles that made the computer game business possible. If everybody in computers were as ham-handed as they were most of them never would have gotten a start in the field.
Maybe BNetD shouldn't have violated the EULA which says that you are not aloud to reverse engineer their protocols
For one thing, residents of in some countries aren't allowed to contract away the right to reverse engineer mass-market software. For another, where's the "consideration" that Blizzard gave up to make a valid contract?
Will I retire or break 10K?
(yes, I was part of the warforge 'unofficial' beta test, and yes I bought the game the day it was released).
Yes you believe blizzard was trying to prevent piracy uh-huh, but you took part anyway? Your a damn hypocrite.
I was in the REAL beta test. And I was a REAL user of bnetd (NOT WARFORGE __BNETD NEVER WAS WARFORGE__) (I played SC on it because it was better than battle.net usually). You such a awful person to have nearly ruined both my beta tester role, AND a good open source project.
Final statement: You can never stop piracy unless you have the morals not do it in the first place. I wish you'd learn this (and every damn pirate)
Hmm well if they block bnet ports, that probably means they don't want you wasting network traffic playing games. So, it would be a violation of your Universities AUP anyway. So, it's probably good that you can't play, instead of getting banned from using the Internet.
I know more than you drink.
After playing Warcraft 3 extensively through the beta last time (yes I did pirate it if you must know) I went out and purchased the final game.
I was not disapointed.
I will admit the majority of players on battle.net are nothing short of immensly skilled. However the single player campaign in this game is one of the best I've ever played - excellent storyline, great presentation, no bugs (serious single player ones) and generally fun fun fun.
The game has excellent net code and although I don't completely recall the storyline of Warcraft 1 and II apparently this game somewhat ties in with the original 2 to an extent, which is quite an acheivement if you think just how long ago they were created (I'll bet my ass that Doom 3 has _very_ few similarities with the original 2 dooms)
All in all Blizzard make spectacular games and I have no doubt this one won't disapoint either.
(I wonder if they take international beta signups?)
does it say US only?
I read the damn page three times and didnt see it list US only anywhere. Frankly, that would just suck, because I am in Canada and want to apply. And previous beta applications have included Canada. I was lucky enough to do Diablo II and Diablo II Expansion betas. Lots of fun! Hopefully my eyesight isnt completely failing and I'll get to apply for this one.
I'm the original submitter (wow, I actually got on the Slashdot front page!) and I got a detail wrong: it is NOT limited to just US Residents, it is a worldwide beta test. Moderators, please make the appropriate change on the front page. Thanks.
Intelligent responses welcome, flames will be met with marshmallows.
The bnetd developers asked Blizzard if they could hook into the official online CD key verification system. Blizzard denied them that.
While it was a bad idea for blizzard to make their authentication system proprietary, it's not really their responsibility to make it ususable for other people. Why would a company trust a third party with their key verifying code? That could open up all kinds of trouble.
While I do think that bnetd is in some ways a good thing, I still believe that Blizzard was in the right. This was the only way they could protect their beta. Though, it's sort of like stuffing the genie back into the bottle after it's been released. Anyway, they had to do something, and they took the (in their eyes) best course of action.
I understand not reading the article sometimes, but it specified that RIGHT IN THE POST.
Banaaaana!
> why doesn't EuroDisney have fireworks? because every time they launch them the French try to surrender! (rim-shot)
3 373
1 699.html
One good bout of French-basing deserves another two (or three, or four...)
Going to war without the French is like a hunter going into the woods without his accordian.
Why did the French plant trees along the Champs Elysees? So Germans can march in the shade.
Some more jabs at the froggies:
http://www.brokennewz.com/worldnews/surrender.asp
http://www.vodkapundit.com/archives/003373.php#00
http://www.nationalreview.com/goldberg/goldberg04
Lawrence Person (lawrencepersonh@gmailh.com (remove all "h"s to mail)
http://www.lawrenceperson.com/
To reverse engineer the protocols, you generally do not use the computer running the program(s). You snoop the network between the program and the server. To do this, you don't need to own the game, run the game, or even be in the same country as the game. I am willing to bet that if the BNetD people are in an area where the EULA is actually valid, they knew this, and had a person OTHER than the software owner do the protocol decoding. It hardly rates a 'duh'.
-Charlie
They didn't need to trust a third party. The key verifying would have used Blizzard's servers.
"If he thinks he can hide and run from the United States and our allies, he's sorely mistaken." Bush on bin Laden
The bnetd developers asked Blizzard if they could hook into the official online CD key verification system. Blizzard denied them that.
Well duh, that'd just be like handing a theif the keys to your house. Think about this for a second, if they were able to see how the CD verification system worked, they could make a CD key generator that never popped out a invalid CD key.
This message was brought to you by the death of 30 brain cells.
So, it would be a violation of your Universities AUP anyway. So, it's probably good that you can't play, instead of getting banned from using the Internet.
It's only a violation of Rose-Hulman's AUP if the game traffic crosses the Internet connection. LAN games are perfectly OK. That's where a local bnetd comes in.
Will I retire or break 10K?
if they were able to see how the CD verification system worked
They wouldn't need to; they'd use Blizzard's servers.
An AC mentioned replay attacks, which can be countered cryptographically with challenge/response.
Will I retire or break 10K?
Does this mean they can finally release the 1.10 patch for Diablo II, that was promised back before school started?
Defender of Microsoft and Communism!!!
Nah. I surely don't need this game. Maybe I'll snag it from the bargain bin in five years, maybe not.
Clickety Click
That is a misconception. Business does not have to be fair or equal. Business makes sweet deals with a select few all the time.
That said, I think bnetd should be on their own. They reverse engineered it so they are The Competitor! No business in its right mind gives the competitor anything at all, except maybe to fly predator drones over to their factory and wipe 'em out.
Clickety Click
For that matter, why download anything from a pirate site? I cannot even keep up with all the new free Linux games that pop up every day on Happy Penguin.
Yeah, back in the pioneer days of the internet I hit a few warez sites, but you are taking a big risk these days. I suggest you hit the bargian bin instead and spend some time installing Debian or something if you want a lot of great games.
Don't even piss with warez sites. Funnel your efforts into more productive endeavors.
Clickety Click
I've been running Linux 2.4 ever since 2.4.0-pre10, my Apache server hasn't crashed in months (click my link above), don't use OpenSSL, won't use Samba, rarely use KDE (E16 all the way!), love Mozilla, and I think IBM is the highest quality computer manufacturer in the world! I love my IBM P200 monitor!
Clickety Click
if they are just going to use blizzard's servers, then what's the point in making a server? additionally, from what i heard, the warforge servers were inferior to blizzard's, so i really doin't see what the point is, if any.
This message was brought to you by the death of 30 brain cells.
Opening up a service to validate keys provides a possiblity for someone else to use that service (whose calling protocol would be in the source code) to do a keyspace search for valid keys.
Also there is the possiblity of a DOS/request swamping attack making the service unavailable.
Finally if the service requests can be intercepted (with documentation of the protocol) then there is a not insignificant possiblity of key capture (for which of course Blizzard would be blamed).
This was a completely no win situtation for Blizzard.
Gamma Testing - Where testing is extended to the full user community (AKA Shipping the Program)
I had hoped for less fancy 3D stuff in it but it does not seem like it. I liked the old Warcraft and the others like them, but I didn't play WC2 a lot. Of course they needed the 3D angle to keep up with the games of today, but some of the gameplay from the old versions due to limitations in the graphic cards.
Some people preffered a few powerful units, but I liked the "tons of cheap cannonfodder" approach. The original Warcraft was more of a strategy game and the new ones are more like a action game. So will the manage to improve the gameplay in Warcraft 3? The game can have all the fancy graphics in the world but without gameplay, it won't last long.
my sig
The bnetd developers asked Blizzard if they could hook into the official online CD key verification system. Blizzard denied them that.
/. for a while. That's not even some left wing "let the people be free" crap. That is a justification for piracy. The poster should be ashamed for trying to justify stealing a video game. After all people, IT IS JUST A FRICKING VIDEO GAME.
Yeah, giving BnetD (the place where cracked copies are played) the opportunity to look at the code for Blizzards Copy Protection Scheme and then complaining about it has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard on
People, Blizzard makes good games. They deserve to be paid the going rate for that. They are not a charitable organization out to benefit the people that play cracked copies on BnetD. If ya don't like Battle.net, then don't play a Blizzard game.
Some you want it your way, you little thieves out there. You want a Blizzard game, but you don't want to pay for it.
"Unlike with the beta for the inital release they are acually allowing the macintosh uses to test this time...." Ooo that's good news for a handful of people!
*laughter (it's funny.)
"Unlike with the beta for the inital release they are acually allowing the linux uses to test this time...." Ooo that's good news for a handful of people!
*it's about time those bastards let us in!!
If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
Opening up a service to validate keys provides a possiblity for someone else to use that service (whose calling protocol would be in the source code) to do a keyspace search for valid keys.
What about blocking an IP for 24 hours after x requests?
Finally if the service requests can be intercepted (with documentation of the protocol) then there is a not insignificant possiblity of key capture (for which of course Blizzard would be blamed).
I am not a cryptographer, but I have a feeling this can be fixed cryptographically.
Will I retire or break 10K?
if they are just going to use blizzard's servers, then what's the point in making a server?
The traffic to Blizzard's servers associated with key verification would be much smaller than the traffic to Blizzard's servers associated with both key verification and game play.
Will I retire or break 10K?
You want a Blizzard game, but you don't want to pay for it.
What if the monopoly ISP in your geographical area is not compatible with Battle.net?
Will I retire or break 10K?
Sounds like exactly what happened with the Diablo 2 expansion. The biggest complaints were all the problems with balance and design and lots of people, were about making portions of this or that just right so certain skills would be useful.
What you ended up with were two expansion classes where entire skills were completely useless, items that were completely imbalanced (both over and underpowered) and completely redesigned skills which time and time again were nerfed because they were imbalanced and allowed one or two classes to dominate.
I see the same thing happening to the warcraft series if they insist on trying to bring more RPG elements to WC. It was pretty safe for a time because it was just a RTS game and the only thing that mattered was the here and now of the game, not what level your character was and what powers he/she had.
"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"
When I got Warcraft III, one of the first things I did was make a copy so that I could store the original away so it wouldn't get damaged. Or I should say I tried to copy it. War3 uses Securom copy-prevention, so I couldn't make a backup. When I contacted blizzard about this, and asked them to send me my backup copy (even the DMCA allows for a single backup copy) they refused. They said that it wasn't their fault that my hardware was unable to copy the disk.
What?!?!? That's right, they blamed me for their copy-prevention. Finally I had to rip the image and use daemon-tools to make a virtual CD and run with Securom emulation.
Now, I had a legal copy (I posted in the forums which requires a valid cd-key). I simply wanted to play the game without worrying about my original disk (the starcraft/brood war cd's spent a lot of time in the cd-tray, and one copy eventually went bad). I was unimpressed.
A coworker found at one point that someone else had nabbed his cd-key. Without ever sharing it, someone had either intercepted it, or (more likely) used a key-gen and managed to get his key. Blizzard's response? Send us the case and we'll send you a new one. Or return it to the store for a replacement (of course, he'd already cut the UPC symbol out for the rebate).
So, to recap: Blizzard has a protection system which is easily spoofed, and when it is subverted, the person who duped the cd-key isn't punished. The actual owner has to go through the hassle of getting a replacement. The key-gen just makes another key. Blizzard puts copy-prevention on their cd, and then blames the customers.
All for a product which had 4.5 million pre-orders at USD60 a pop. Calculate the revenue. When those pre-orders shipped, it was nearly the box-office take of Star Wars: Episode I.
They treat their customers as theives first, customers second. They don't need my money. I don't do business with that kind of company anymore.
To add insult to injury, the game really isn't that good. I lost interest in a few months. The targeted spells are impossible to use in a big battle, and even on a 1.7GHz machine with a Radeon 8500 over a symmetric DSL line, the b.net games got slow and chunky in a big battle (it had to be battle.net, because when we played locally, we didn't have the same problem).
Then don't buy Warcraft III. No-one's forcing you to play on battle.net. Or just enjoy the single-player campaign.
battle.net seems to be having a hard time right now.
Ok, busted. Some of IBM's equipment is extremely high quality. Do the research before you buy.
Clickety Click