If you were following around Bashiok's oh so mysterious post on Battle net, he said "I plan on revealing all systems in D3 before the beta"
Bashiok also said he knows specifically "when" and "how" hes going to post rest of the systems. There is "Latest Updates" on the right side, which contains all of their newly revealed system and dungeons, etc. Perhaps, Bashiok was talking about the main website? After all, they didn't update the website for a very long time for the sole reason of not wanting to give false information that could potentially change in the development.
But at this stage of development, if trading system and trait system is concrete. It might be a good time to reveal them on the website, seeing they are still aiming for a 2011 releaes (In the latest release). If thats the case, traits and trading system should be done by now.
What do you guys think? I personally don't think Blizzard will take these few systems that we already have in mind and reveal them on Blizzcon. It will delay the beta and won't meet their "Expected release date of 2011".
Hopefully we can see something like this...
"System - Traits"
"System - Trade"
Thats pretty much what (I think) was expected to happen. Even if they reveal it somewhere else they'd also have something on the site about it. The main question is how frequently everything will get updated.
Nice find. I didn't even know that latest update thing existed.
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Well for US visitors it says 12.21.2010 just like it has for the whole time its been up. Its probably just a typo on the EU page, and it should be 22.12.2010
So not to start a rumor mill, but really to get an idea of time from those more experienced in these matters....
If Blizz is maintaining that release is still going to happen in 2011 - and Blizzcon will most likely feature D3 more than the other games - is it realistic to think that the Beta will start on or around Blizzcon?
I know that many have said that a Beta phase usually lasts 6 months. However, given that many systems have already been tested (thank you SC2) would a Beta for D3 be more in the 3 month realm? Assuming the Beta is 3 months, if it starts around Blizzcon than would they have enough time to ship before the end of the year (holiday season sale) or not?
I personally think that the beta will begin over the summer (yes, I'm pipe-dreamed hopeful) with release to either happen shortly before Blizzcon or right after it. Isn't June something-or-other an important date for Blizzard?
Blizzard never announced Beta during their events.
How do you imagine it? You think that Mike will say something like "OK, beta has started now, run to the nearest our special Beta stand where you can sing-up live!" ?
Beta announcement at BlizzCon is totally bull****.
Well that may be true. However participants from Blizzcon '09 were automatically put into the SC2 beta. And whether Mike announces it or not, Beta testing of a Blizzard game spreads like wildfire.
But instead of flaming the posts - maybe you can read the spirit of the post which is given the current time table, are there any educated guesses as to when it might begin. Oh and grats on your first post being this one - nice.
Another reason why Blizzard shouldn't announce beta in Blizzcon, because people will just sell the cd-keys they get.
Just use the secure method of randomly choosing beta testers and automatically registering D3 Beta on their acc.
Giving beta keys in the goody bag is like giving free $500, probably more since high demand and low supply of keys.
Just announce it during summer and be totally safe with black market deals.
Another reason why Blizzard shouldn't announce beta in Blizzcon, because people will just sell the cd-keys they get.
Just use the secure method of randomly choosing beta testers and automatically registering D3 Beta on their acc.
Giving beta keys in the goody bag is like giving free $500, probably more since high demand and low supply of keys.
Just announce it during summer and be totally safe with black market deals.
From my understanding - folks who registered and went to Blizzcon '09 didn't get a CD-key in a goody bag, they got their invite through B-net.
So I can't see D3 being a huge primary focus at Blizzcon, if they are already in the middle of Beta. What are they going to do - feature upcoming patch notes at a panel and show more artwork? And for the limited show we are going to get of the game for Beta (which is almost everyone's opinion) why the hell would it take 6 months? Public Beta, I'm betting, is going to be very short.
Now, I can see Blizz making it a huge focus, if the game is released shortly before Blizzcon. All of this (for me) is to conclude that if Beta doesn't start in May/June then my money is on a 3 month beta and a holiday sale.
Another reason why Blizzard shouldn't announce beta in Blizzcon, because people will just sell the cd-keys they get.
Just use the secure method of randomly choosing beta testers and automatically registering D3 Beta on their acc.
Giving beta keys in the goody bag is like giving free $500, probably more since high demand and low supply of keys.
Just announce it during summer and be totally safe with black market deals.
From my understanding - folks who registered and went to Blizzcon '09 didn't get a CD-key in a goody bag, they got their invite through B-net.
So I can't see D3 being a huge primary focus at Blizzcon, if they are already in the middle of Beta. What are they going to do - feature upcoming patch notes at a panel and show more artwork? And for the limited show we are going to get of the game for Beta (which is almost everyone's opinion) why the hell would it take 6 months? Public Beta, I'm betting, is going to be very short.
Now, I can see Blizz making it a huge focus, if the game is released shortly before Blizzcon. All of this (for me) is to conclude that if Beta doesn't start in May/June then my money is on a 3 month beta and a holiday sale.
Yea I feel like the 6 months beta for an action RPG is an overkill. SC2 only took 5 months because the game's popularity depended on the whole concept of "balance". On the other hand, Diablo's balance is somewhat more flexible. There are too many variables which can counter what one may call "unbalance" by using different items/skill runes/ traits/ tactics.
In my opinion, we won't get to the final stage of balance, which is maybe 1 year after the release of the actual game. This is going to be a working progress, and you can't just blatantly say something is imbalance in PvP when we have not discovered through other 500 variations to counter it.
Matter in fact, a game like SC2 is arguably still unbalanced. And a well known strategy for balancing by Blizzard is they release small patches to sink in with the players, and want to see how it plays out. Which is better in my opinion rather than, removing a whole unit or critically making some unit utter crap.
[With the exception of reaper and hightemplar, which was obviously broken to the max]
I don't think PvP will be a main focus now, although that's what I thought initially. There is no way, they'll even consider a possibility of changing even 1 skill during the Beta, because they simply wont have gathered all the data neccesary. For god sakes, we'll probably be stuck on one item.
P.S - People at Blizzcon were given a SC2 Beta Card, it had the beta code for SC2.
I'm pretty sure everyone in Blizzcon got it, just not all of them played and registered.
Yea I feel like the 6 months beta for an action RPG is an overkill. SC2 only took 5 months because the game's popularity depended on the whole concept of "balance". On the other hand, Diablo's balance is somewhat more flexible. There are too many variables which can counter what one may call "unbalance" by using different items/skill runes/ traits/ tactics.
In my opinion, we won't get to the final stage of balance, which is maybe 1 year after the release of the actual game. This is going to be a working progress, and you can't just blatantly say something is imbalance in PvP when we have not discovered through other 500 variations to counter it.
Matter in fact, a game like SC2 is arguably still unbalanced. And a well known strategy for balancing by Blizzard is they release small patches to sink in with the players, and want to see how it plays out. Which is better in my opinion rather than, removing a whole unit or critically making some unit utter crap.
[With the exception of reaper and hightemplar, which was obviously broken to the max]
I don't think PvP will be a main focus now, although that's what I thought initially. There is no way, they'll even consider a possibility of changing even 1 skill during the Beta, because they simply wont have gathered all the data neccesary. For god sakes, we'll probably be stuck on one item.
P.S - People at Blizzcon were given a SC2 Beta Card, it had the beta code for SC2.
I'm pretty sure everyone in Blizzcon got it, just not all of them played and registered.
I totally agree on the Beta being way short. SC2 is a complex game to balance out and the only way to really find balance issues is for a long Beta. Diablo isn't a balance game, imo. Hold on before anyone freaks at that last statement. With the shear size of gems and their effects (plus the time it takes to get the really good ones) the tremendous effect that runes will play out on skills and that every character, except for the Demon Hunter, seems to be ready to go in their skill set - what is left to balance? Their skills were balanced on paper - and realistically have been put through real-examples. That has to be true, for no other reason than the amount of time they've been working on this game.
They've (developers) stated that they are not going to even worry about PVP balance at all. So, what, are they going to check and see if Disintegrate...disentrigrates too much? I get that a skill can look good on paper (i.e. Sorc's nova from D2) and when you test it you see the obvious imbalance. Since they have a clear rune/gem system that changes the effect of spells, those items (runes and gems) are viably the only thing left to balance. The only "balance" issues I see, are characters interacting with the environment, boss encounters and overall story/effects glitches.
The only way that they are going to get good information to do any type of class balance, would be through a year of play, as zerg4hire suggested. Patching will be key for Diablo 3 and my bet is the patch notes will be short for character balance and the bug list will be HUGE. When they are ready for some major changes....hello expansion.
Thanks for the info on the beta cards at Blizzcon. I think I'm going this year and hopefully D3 will be in Beta by then, so maybe I'll get some cool thing for a future game. OOOO - maybe even the new MMO/IP they are developing.....
Regardless on how long other people think the beta is going to run for, Blizzard has said it will be 6 months.
I don't think that is the case.
Jay Wilson quote on quote said "Beta will begin 6 months before the release" in the last Blizzcon.
Was there any official post on whether the beta is going to last 6 months? I havn't seen one let me know if there is.
People are still wobbly as to how long beta will be, as of now all we know is it will start 6 months before the release.
If you take packaging + final fix on bugs and finishing touch.... that's going to take at least 2 months.
So It's safe to assume the beta will be around 2 ~ 3 months, to compensate for any major error that could occur. Perhaps in the packaging department or the game itself. Always good to leave enough time to work, never want to be under strict schedule. example, release beta -> fix -> packaging. That cannot take 6 months exactly, that should be done well under 4 months and half to 5 months. So beta is most likely going to be a short one 2 ~ 3 months, just to check that everyone can run the game, and no minor bugs or glitches between character movement and UI selections etc...
Regardless on how long other people think the beta is going to run for, Blizzard has said it will be 6 months.
I don't think that is the case.
Jay Wilson quote on quote said "Beta will begin 6 months before the release" in the last Blizzcon.
Was there any official post on whether the beta is going to last 6 months? I havn't seen one let me know if there is.
People are still wobbly as to how long beta will be, as of now all we know is it will start 6 months before the release.
If you take packaging + final fix on bugs and finishing touch.... that's going to take at least 2 months.
So It's safe to assume the beta will be around 2 ~ 3 months, to compensate for any major error that could occur. Perhaps in the packaging department or the game itself. Always good to leave enough time to work, never want to be under strict schedule. example, release beta -> fix -> packaging. That cannot take 6 months exactly, that should be done well under 4 months and half to 5 months. So beta is most likely going to be a short one 2 ~ 3 months, just to check that everyone can run the game, and no minor bugs or glitches between character movement and UI selections etc...
I can't remember - how long was SC2 shutdown after the beta was closed? I'm thinking a month.
Not to be too disagreeable Scyber, but I agree with Zerg4hire - the whole beta process may last up to six months, but that should include boxing and shipping. So if that's the case, Beta would have to start by June to meet a 2011 deadline. Which means Blizzcon is going to be a "seriously folks, really, really Soon."
Blizzard's betas always run just up until the game is released. Usually, the last week before the game is released, the beta is still open and that is when they send out tons of invites for one last server strain test.
there is no reason that Blizzard would start a beta 6 months before release to only have it run for 2-3 months and then not have anything for another 3-4 months before release. This is just something most betas do not do and history would say for sure that Blizzard will not do this either.
there is also no reason to cut the testing shorter if they still have time until release. You never know when someone will find something.
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Blizzard's betas always run just up until the game is released. Usually, the last week before the game is released, the beta is still open and that is when they send out tons of invites for one last server strain test.
there is no reason that Blizzard would start a beta 6 months before release to only have it run for 2-3 months and then not have anything for another 3-4 months before release. This is just something most betas do not do and history would say for sure that Blizzard will not do this either.
there is also no reason to cut the testing shorter if they still have time until release. You never know when someone will find something.
I agree that the standard is the 6 months and that given the history of Blizz's games, the most probably path is the 6 months. But my question is why? What can possibly be serviced by waiting 6 months to hope that someone finds something wrong with the core aspects. I get they may want to try for balance (terrain, mechanics, etc) but with a new BNet in place, what could take so long.
Blizzard's betas always run just up until the game is released. Usually, the last week before the game is released, the beta is still open and that is when they send out tons of invites for one last server strain test.
there is no reason that Blizzard would start a beta 6 months before release to only have it run for 2-3 months and then not have anything for another 3-4 months before release. This is just something most betas do not do and history would say for sure that Blizzard will not do this either.
there is also no reason to cut the testing shorter if they still have time until release. You never know when someone will find something.
I agree that the standard is the 6 months and that given the history of Blizz's games, the most probably path is the 6 months. But my question is why? What can possibly be serviced by waiting 6 months to hope that someone finds something wrong with the core aspects. I get they may want to try for balance (terrain, mechanics, etc) but with a new BNet in place, what could take so long.
There has been so much criticism and hype around this game that if it is not 90% perfect when game releases then heads will roll and people won't be happy at all. They need to make sure everything goes off without a hitch and that the game runs perfect on all setting everywhere.
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I think this is why the release still so up in the air. If beta starts and very few issues exist then they can bump up the release date. If all six months are needed, maybe it will be pushed back to early 2012.
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Bashiok also said he knows specifically "when" and "how" hes going to post rest of the systems. There is "Latest Updates" on the right side, which contains all of their newly revealed system and dungeons, etc. Perhaps, Bashiok was talking about the main website? After all, they didn't update the website for a very long time for the sole reason of not wanting to give false information that could potentially change in the development.
But at this stage of development, if trading system and trait system is concrete. It might be a good time to reveal them on the website, seeing they are still aiming for a 2011 releaes (In the latest release). If thats the case, traits and trading system should be done by now.
What do you guys think? I personally don't think Blizzard will take these few systems that we already have in mind and reveal them on Blizzcon. It will delay the beta and won't meet their "Expected release date of 2011".
Hopefully we can see something like this...
"System - Traits"
"System - Trade"
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the news team.
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If Blizz is maintaining that release is still going to happen in 2011 - and Blizzcon will most likely feature D3 more than the other games - is it realistic to think that the Beta will start on or around Blizzcon?
I know that many have said that a Beta phase usually lasts 6 months. However, given that many systems have already been tested (thank you SC2) would a Beta for D3 be more in the 3 month realm? Assuming the Beta is 3 months, if it starts around Blizzcon than would they have enough time to ship before the end of the year (holiday season sale) or not?
I personally think that the beta will begin over the summer (yes, I'm pipe-dreamed hopeful) with release to either happen shortly before Blizzcon or right after it. Isn't June something-or-other an important date for Blizzard?
Here ends my long winded question....
Monkalicious: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/OptimusPrime-12194/hero/79139477
Well that may be true. However participants from Blizzcon '09 were automatically put into the SC2 beta. And whether Mike announces it or not, Beta testing of a Blizzard game spreads like wildfire.
But instead of flaming the posts - maybe you can read the spirit of the post which is given the current time table, are there any educated guesses as to when it might begin. Oh and grats on your first post being this one - nice.
Monkalicious: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/OptimusPrime-12194/hero/79139477
Just use the secure method of randomly choosing beta testers and automatically registering D3 Beta on their acc.
Giving beta keys in the goody bag is like giving free $500, probably more since high demand and low supply of keys.
Just announce it during summer and be totally safe with black market deals.
The release date isn't expected to be 2011, they're hoping it will happen, but don't expect it to.
Source
It's the decisions you make when you have no time to make them that define who you are.
From my understanding - folks who registered and went to Blizzcon '09 didn't get a CD-key in a goody bag, they got their invite through B-net.
So I can't see D3 being a huge primary focus at Blizzcon, if they are already in the middle of Beta. What are they going to do - feature upcoming patch notes at a panel and show more artwork? And for the limited show we are going to get of the game for Beta (which is almost everyone's opinion) why the hell would it take 6 months? Public Beta, I'm betting, is going to be very short.
Now, I can see Blizz making it a huge focus, if the game is released shortly before Blizzcon. All of this (for me) is to conclude that if Beta doesn't start in May/June then my money is on a 3 month beta and a holiday sale.
Monkalicious: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/OptimusPrime-12194/hero/79139477
Yea I feel like the 6 months beta for an action RPG is an overkill. SC2 only took 5 months because the game's popularity depended on the whole concept of "balance". On the other hand, Diablo's balance is somewhat more flexible. There are too many variables which can counter what one may call "unbalance" by using different items/skill runes/ traits/ tactics.
In my opinion, we won't get to the final stage of balance, which is maybe 1 year after the release of the actual game. This is going to be a working progress, and you can't just blatantly say something is imbalance in PvP when we have not discovered through other 500 variations to counter it.
Matter in fact, a game like SC2 is arguably still unbalanced. And a well known strategy for balancing by Blizzard is they release small patches to sink in with the players, and want to see how it plays out. Which is better in my opinion rather than, removing a whole unit or critically making some unit utter crap.
[With the exception of reaper and hightemplar, which was obviously broken to the max]
I don't think PvP will be a main focus now, although that's what I thought initially. There is no way, they'll even consider a possibility of changing even 1 skill during the Beta, because they simply wont have gathered all the data neccesary. For god sakes, we'll probably be stuck on one item.
P.S - People at Blizzcon were given a SC2 Beta Card, it had the beta code for SC2.
I'm pretty sure everyone in Blizzcon got it, just not all of them played and registered.
I totally agree on the Beta being way short. SC2 is a complex game to balance out and the only way to really find balance issues is for a long Beta. Diablo isn't a balance game, imo. Hold on before anyone freaks at that last statement. With the shear size of gems and their effects (plus the time it takes to get the really good ones) the tremendous effect that runes will play out on skills and that every character, except for the Demon Hunter, seems to be ready to go in their skill set - what is left to balance? Their skills were balanced on paper - and realistically have been put through real-examples. That has to be true, for no other reason than the amount of time they've been working on this game.
They've (developers) stated that they are not going to even worry about PVP balance at all. So, what, are they going to check and see if Disintegrate...disentrigrates too much? I get that a skill can look good on paper (i.e. Sorc's nova from D2) and when you test it you see the obvious imbalance. Since they have a clear rune/gem system that changes the effect of spells, those items (runes and gems) are viably the only thing left to balance. The only "balance" issues I see, are characters interacting with the environment, boss encounters and overall story/effects glitches.
The only way that they are going to get good information to do any type of class balance, would be through a year of play, as zerg4hire suggested. Patching will be key for Diablo 3 and my bet is the patch notes will be short for character balance and the bug list will be HUGE. When they are ready for some major changes....hello expansion.
Thanks for the info on the beta cards at Blizzcon. I think I'm going this year and hopefully D3 will be in Beta by then, so maybe I'll get some cool thing for a future game. OOOO - maybe even the new MMO/IP they are developing.....
Monkalicious: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/OptimusPrime-12194/hero/79139477
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
I don't think that is the case.
Jay Wilson quote on quote said "Beta will begin 6 months before the release" in the last Blizzcon.
Was there any official post on whether the beta is going to last 6 months? I havn't seen one let me know if there is.
People are still wobbly as to how long beta will be, as of now all we know is it will start 6 months before the release.
If you take packaging + final fix on bugs and finishing touch.... that's going to take at least 2 months.
So It's safe to assume the beta will be around 2 ~ 3 months, to compensate for any major error that could occur. Perhaps in the packaging department or the game itself. Always good to leave enough time to work, never want to be under strict schedule. example, release beta -> fix -> packaging. That cannot take 6 months exactly, that should be done well under 4 months and half to 5 months. So beta is most likely going to be a short one 2 ~ 3 months, just to check that everyone can run the game, and no minor bugs or glitches between character movement and UI selections etc...
I can't remember - how long was SC2 shutdown after the beta was closed? I'm thinking a month.
Not to be too disagreeable Scyber, but I agree with Zerg4hire - the whole beta process may last up to six months, but that should include boxing and shipping. So if that's the case, Beta would have to start by June to meet a 2011 deadline. Which means Blizzcon is going to be a "seriously folks, really, really Soon."
Monkalicious: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/OptimusPrime-12194/hero/79139477
there is no reason that Blizzard would start a beta 6 months before release to only have it run for 2-3 months and then not have anything for another 3-4 months before release. This is just something most betas do not do and history would say for sure that Blizzard will not do this either.
there is also no reason to cut the testing shorter if they still have time until release. You never know when someone will find something.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
I agree that the standard is the 6 months and that given the history of Blizz's games, the most probably path is the 6 months. But my question is why? What can possibly be serviced by waiting 6 months to hope that someone finds something wrong with the core aspects. I get they may want to try for balance (terrain, mechanics, etc) but with a new BNet in place, what could take so long.
Monkalicious: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/OptimusPrime-12194/hero/79139477
There has been so much criticism and hype around this game that if it is not 90% perfect when game releases then heads will roll and people won't be happy at all. They need to make sure everything goes off without a hitch and that the game runs perfect on all setting everywhere.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team