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Reviewers Pile On World Of Warcraft Beta
Thanks to GameSpy for its 'Pile On!' feature discussing Beta impressions so far on Blizzard's long-awaited MMO title, World Of Warcraft. Reactions range from the effusive ("I'm more convinced than ever that this game may finally be the first truly mass-market MMO") through the delighted ("I'm... completely in love with World of Warcraft"), to the ecstatic ("World of Warcraft delivers just what people are expecting: a tight, fun MMOG from a trusted developer.") Elsewhere, a WorldOfWarcraft.com forum discussion has a Blizzard representative mentioning release estimates of early this summer are likely wrong: "Definitely not July. As you know, we never set release dates, but you can expect the beta to run for another 5+ months." But, more importantly, does anyone _not_ like World Of Warcraft?
Well, given that the alliance classes are the only ones available at the moment, 6 alliance classes are also available to the Horde, and the game is still in _beta_, I'm ok with there being balance issues.
Unfortunately, that is very correct. Blizzard is not writing an MMO for a niche market - they are writing one for the masses, and if that means they focus on the not-so-hardcore MMO population, so be it.
Well I've been playing this for months. (Yes, I was lucky enough to be an Alpha tester too).
And I've played no other game since I started.
This game is really good. There are still balance issues (but they are not too bad), a couple of classes need buffing up a bit (mage especially).
Hours of my life have been sucked into this game. It's so much fun, I would recomend it to anyone.
Tradeskills are fun, I feel they need expanding a little, but we still are in beta, and changes are happening all the time.
The economy seems to work (unlike SWG), there are money sinks as well as money generators. There has been no inflation (yet). Of course I haven't hit lvl 30 (max) with any of my chars yet, so these guys may have a different take on it.
Two thumbs up. Recommended. Be prepared to lose all your spare time, and half your night to this game - every day.
Most high-level content isn't created until near the end of the development cycle. Until you're relatively certain the graphics format, sound format, gameplay ideas, and every thing else are panning out, why fill out content that you may have to redo? Better to focus on your engine and gameplay early on, while filling out the world with Blizzard production level art and design once the technical side is stable. They probably have a few of the God monsters artwork and quests complete (though not balanced), but it is doubtful they are just holding back on the universe. It's Beta because it is not done, and except for bug fixes Art and Level Designs are the last to go in.
You can be pretty sure that the level 65 monster with the big fangs and the ability to throw things will pan out correctly if the level 16 monster with the hunchback and the ability to throw things is working well.
Besides, what do you think they will be doing during the next six months? Strictly playbalance?
The ______ Agenda
Here's a cut and paste of a post announcing a project to run WOW on Linux. It will be official, but officially unsupported.
GadFly joined Blizzplanet as new Linux Community Leader staff member.
He will develop a Linux community and will offer full support on how to play World of Warcraft under Linux. He has a fully playable version running on Wine.
He will release the software, documentation and tutorial files soon. This Tech Support will be an ongoing service at Blizzplanet. Join our forums and the usergroup for future newsletters on the topic.
The service is fully free.
The Blizzplanet service to Linux users is not affiliated in any way with Blizzard.
Gadfly was authorized to pursue a Wow on Linux
development as an independent Tech support project for as long as it is a free service to the community. Blizzard will not offer Linux Tech Support. The service will only be supported by Gadfly and any future Linux Tech Support staff at Blizzplanet.com
Gadfly will develop a shell allowing Linux machines to run purchased Blizzard software. This means every Linux user might possibly be able to buy and play Blizzard games. Again, Linux is an unsupported platform, and Blizzard will not offer Tech Support. This is an independent and initiative-driven project by Gadfly-- an IT Consultant which will be offered non-profit and free to any Linux user. This means you will not
be forced to donate in order to acquire the service. As soon as the package is released
we will need testers that can run Wow on Linux
and Wine. The feedback will help develop a
stable final product for the Retail version of
World of Warcraft.
This is a great achievement by the Linux/open source community and we thank Blizzard Entertaiment and
its legal department.
I think you rather mean that blizzard has a history for developing the hardest to balance games on the market and then managing the impossible.
I don't know if you were in the War3 beta test but it was just stunning to read those patch notes. Every patch someone found a overpowering strategy and "cheesed" it to death, in the next patch there would be a seemingly unrelated change to a random different unit and people would bitch that blizzard didn't address the issue xyz. Yet people noticed that they now have an effective counter vs the cheesed strategy.
Another great example were the NightElf ancients ( their buildings can uproot and and become units) the top players in the community said that Night elfs needed something else becuase this is not really an advantage. Yet a year after the release of the game Night elf players started to use these ancients as their main units so much that blizzard had to actually make them a wee bit weaker in a later patch.
I've never seen a company which is a year ahead of its customers best strategys.
Today the games Starcraf ( 3 races ) and Warcraft ( 4 races ) are amazingly balanced. Apart from C&C generals they are also the only RTS gamaes which offer fundamentally different races.
It may not be offically allowed. I'm a bit confused about that now, but there is indeed a project to run WOW on WINE. Here is another cut and paste or go read it yourself here:
h p? p=1093#1093
n e-20040 309-1fc1winehq.i386.rpm?download
http://www.blizzplanet.com/forum211/viewtopic.p
The Cut and paste:
** Blizzard Entertainment does not support Linux in any way, shape or form. This project has NOTHING to do with Blizzard Entertainment, they do not assit in this project, contribute, or provide any information to assit in the development of this project in any way. Blizzard does not condone running of thier products in a linux enviorment, and will not feel sorry for you if you mess up your chacters by doing so! If you run WoW under Linux, you do so at your own risk.**
I'd like to welcome you to the Blizzplanet Linux community.
I celebrated my 10th wedding anniversary this weekend, and had a great time.
I will not be forking if I can help it. As anyone that has spent any amount of time in the Linux community knows, it is better to contribute to the whole, rather than build your own little hole.
Here is where we are at right now:
I am useing the CVS from WineHQ
latest Binary here:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/wine/wi
Get the source here:
http://www.winehq.com/site/cvs
Note: Remember to check out the ENTIRE source tree, and as always, RTFM (this is what I am useing)
If you need help, post here. Someone will help you.
What works, what doesn't?
In the Alpha, the game will launch, query the realme, login in, create chacters, retrive the chacter list, and enter the game world. IT is very unstable, and kicks one of several execptions. Alpha development is currently dead, since the beta is out, there is no reason I can see to continue this develpment path.
In the beta:
Launching the game useing the -uptodate switch kicks an execption, I'll post it later.
Once I can launch the game properly with out all the hacks, I will be able to begin troubleshooting the execption in addition to my standard beta testing duties via Windows. (remember as a beta tester you are obligated to test the game under the supported OS's, NOT linux. Do not log any bugs you may find while running WoW via Wine, And never violate your terms of use!)
That is about it. I also am going to start parellel testing the WineX builds from transgaming. I have downloaded the source, and will build it tonight. I will post the results here.
Here are the details of the systems I am using:
Intel P3 933 and 1.33 ghz
512MB RAM
Nvidia GeForce4 ti4600 128MB's in both running latest drivers.
Fedora FC 1, current.
SuSE Current distro
Ok all. That is it for now... more later.
Gadfly
Well, Blizzard's got a history of bitchslapping people who try to make their games less fun for others. They put it in their Terms of Use. Griefers in their RTS games get banned, and I doubt this will be much different.
Still...yes, I hate people. Immensely.
Penny Arcade had a hint at a major weakness (in my eyes). I read it as them suggesting that they wanted to play with their girlfriend, but in order to do that they had to limit their own play, so she doesn't become a "support" character. (Site's down, else I'd grab an exact quote).
That's one of the major failings of all MMOGs I've seen thus far, except perhaps UO. That real-life friends can have a lot of trouble trying to keep up, and once one falls behind, they are pretty much screwed unless they can play a lot of catch-up.
I'm waiting for the day a game comes out that allows for players to take breaks/vacations/do real life stuff, and still be able to play with their friends. So far all they've done is make it very difficult. (I do have personal experience with this, not just blowing smoke)
It isn't absolutely confirmed but since there community rep Kat likes to tease with her inside knowledge I would call it close to being "offical"
:)
o w- general&T=9560&P=1&ReplyCount=16#post9 560
Here's the cut and paste of the post:
--
We will have some special rule servers, but have not yet determined what ones we'll create.
It's quite possible that our next beta server will be PvP.
~Kat
--
Go here to read the thread yourself:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?FN=w
I suggest you do a little reading on what a Skinner Box is. Here is a great essay which explains how MMORPGs are essentially giant skinner boxes.
The trap you fell into is called psychological addiction, and it is quite vicious indeed. But what better way is there to ensure a continuous revenue stream from your customers.
As with all things in life, these games are fine in moderation, but always be careful that you aren't getting TOO into it.
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