Since we now know Blizzard is quite far along in development, I thought we'd ponder when the beta will begin. I don't think it will take much longer to flesh out items, finalize balancing, and finish touching up various things here and there. I predict they will be able to finish b.net development within the next 30-45 days. So, I'm guessing the beta will begin by the end of March.
What do you guys think? Do you think they are finally on the verge of putting on the finishing touches and announcing beta? What do you think they have left before they feel ready to go beta (aside from male DH and b.net)?
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I make sure people go to jail. The only thing more fun is Diablo 3.
Beta doesn't really require anything else to be done than whatever portion they decide to have as the PvE area. That and the first couple tier skills and their rune effects.
That's only true if they're 110% confident that they can have the other 90% of the content polished to a mirror-sheen in 9 months. Taking longer to release it after the beta has been announced would be more than a little embarrassing, and a misallocation of QA resources.
That's only true if they're 110% confident that they can have the other 90% of the content polished to a mirror-sheen in 9 months. Taking longer to release it after the beta has been announced would be more than a little embarrassing, and a misallocation of QA resources.
True, but most of the (biggest) problems that would affect the first 10% could be extrapolated into the rest of the 90%. There will be bugs in the game. It's just an unavoidable truth.
But yes, I don't think they'll be announcing a beta before the game is done to the level where the ~6 months of beta will be more than enough. A sort of maximin solution.
Agreed on all of that, I'd just note that the problem isn't bugs, it's the sheer volume of content and balancing issues. The problem with a game like this is that you always want to make each act, quest, character, monster, have at least half as much content as the most developed one. When you don't have any motivation to finish it (and in fact have an extremely strong motivation not to finish it in terms of the fear of cannibalizing revenue from the greatest cash cow in the history of the entertainment industry), this problem is seriously magnified, and artists and designers always have another excuse for needing more time to even things out. Wouldn't you be a little annoyed if this game was as front-loaded as d2 in that way, where every act seemed to have half the content of the previous one, and twice the issues in terms of level design etc?
I voted august and beyond. I think the game is getting there, but it isn't close. as anyone here could say they expect a Q1-2 2011 release, of atleast some people do, that why I believe that it will be atleast 3/4s of the way through this year, to give us a beta for a maximum of... 6 months. I wouldn't want it to on longer than that.
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"A lot of fellows nowadays have a B.A., M.D., or Ph.D. Unfortunately, they don't have a J.O.B."
I'll say that I'll be the first one to get a pitchfork if they failed at this (front-loaded content).
Well, unlike QA, you can't just hire up a bunch of local yokels at $10/hr to solve the problem.
And if the issue is burnout (and at least a few of those guys must have been working on this for a decade at this point), there often is no good solution. "Okay guys, be just as inspired on these levels and quests as you were three years ago! Go!"
1.) finding any bugs that somehow past the current play testers and the people that are making the game.
2.) testing battlenet.
3.) testing the skills and items and make any balance that is needed. Possibly might mean a change to the skill graphics or mechanics in the event it cause some glitches for some pc setups or on battlenet.
The game is going to be very close to being finished when it reaches open beta
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On Strike and supporting Fallout 4 Mod Makers
Some fallout 4 mod makers have had their mods stolen and uploaded and downloaded on Bethesda's site for the Xbox One.
What about nightmare and Hell setting testing? I assume they will want to test it for balancing and difficulty. How would that work if the whole game is not available for beta? Would they start your characters off with gear/skills.
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Jay Wilson has also said, from his own mouth, that Blizzard has absolutely no worries about whether or not D3 will "cannibalize" WoW, yet you have said this at every opportunity you get, despite knowing better.
Now we're off-topic on an off-topic! But it isn't Jay's job to worry about that, now, is it? Reminding a team that the more successful their game is the more they damage their own bottom line isn't exactly a morale-booster.
I voted Sometime between February and April.
It seems the team is progressing quite fast with the skills, since one of the latest tweets mentioned they're all in. All in-game mechanics are in and working (with the exception of trading that could also be done but they just haven't announced yet), the acts are done, bosses are there. All that's missing really is AI, random events (as in new quests/events every time you make a game etc), the final balancing of the classes and as of late, animations of the male Demon Hunter that didn't look too good as they had it.
I feel confident that those things can be done within a month or two to begin the beta. Balancing of the abilities and even removal/addition of ones that make more sense can happen during the beta too. Same goes with bug fixing and optimization.
I'd place my chips in August - October. I figure the Beta won't be very long, 2-3 months and since I've already got chips in a early 2012 release August - October seems about right.
“We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” - Albert Einstein
How/why would they present the male DH at a financial conference. If they reveal anything, it will involve something with revenue like beta or release plans.
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No, I didn't mean to question you or anything, I was just pointing out that we will hopefully get more/better information from this conference than the male DH.
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No, I didn't mean to question you or anything, I was just pointing out that we will hopefully get more/better information from this conference than the male DH.
Yeah, I'd rage if that's all they announce. I'm optimistic that they'll announce beta at the conference.
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I make sure people go to jail. The only thing more fun is Diablo 3.
First roll: Barbarian!
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What do you guys think? Do you think they are finally on the verge of putting on the finishing touches and announcing beta? What do you think they have left before they feel ready to go beta (aside from male DH and b.net)?
First roll: Barbarian!
That's only true if they're 110% confident that they can have the other 90% of the content polished to a mirror-sheen in 9 months. Taking longer to release it after the beta has been announced would be more than a little embarrassing, and a misallocation of QA resources.
Agreed on all of that, I'd just note that the problem isn't bugs, it's the sheer volume of content and balancing issues. The problem with a game like this is that you always want to make each act, quest, character, monster, have at least half as much content as the most developed one. When you don't have any motivation to finish it (and in fact have an extremely strong motivation not to finish it in terms of the fear of cannibalizing revenue from the greatest cash cow in the history of the entertainment industry), this problem is seriously magnified, and artists and designers always have another excuse for needing more time to even things out. Wouldn't you be a little annoyed if this game was as front-loaded as d2 in that way, where every act seemed to have half the content of the previous one, and twice the issues in terms of level design etc?
I voted august and beyond. I think the game is getting there, but it isn't close. as anyone here could say they expect a Q1-2 2011 release, of atleast some people do, that why I believe that it will be atleast 3/4s of the way through this year, to give us a beta for a maximum of... 6 months. I wouldn't want it to on longer than that.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Well, unlike QA, you can't just hire up a bunch of local yokels at $10/hr to solve the problem.
And if the issue is burnout (and at least a few of those guys must have been working on this for a decade at this point), there often is no good solution. "Okay guys, be just as inspired on these levels and quests as you were three years ago! Go!"
Back when Clinton was in office, eh? :rolleyes:
Uh... not.
http://www.mikehuang.com/blog/2008/06/diablo-iii-announced.html
But we're getting way off topic, which is where I always seem to lead you...
1.) finding any bugs that somehow past the current play testers and the people that are making the game.
2.) testing battlenet.
3.) testing the skills and items and make any balance that is needed. Possibly might mean a change to the skill graphics or mechanics in the event it cause some glitches for some pc setups or on battlenet.
The game is going to be very close to being finished when it reaches open beta
It. Has. To.
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Now we're off-topic on an off-topic! But it isn't Jay's job to worry about that, now, is it? Reminding a team that the more successful their game is the more they damage their own bottom line isn't exactly a morale-booster.
It seems the team is progressing quite fast with the skills, since one of the latest tweets mentioned they're all in. All in-game mechanics are in and working (with the exception of trading that could also be done but they just haven't announced yet), the acts are done, bosses are there. All that's missing really is AI, random events (as in new quests/events every time you make a game etc), the final balancing of the classes and as of late, animations of the male Demon Hunter that didn't look too good as they had it.
I feel confident that those things can be done within a month or two to begin the beta. Balancing of the abilities and even removal/addition of ones that make more sense can happen during the beta too. Same goes with bug fixing and optimization.
I hope I'm terribly wrong though..
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
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Yeah, I'd rage if that's all they announce. I'm optimistic that they'll announce beta at the conference.
First roll: Barbarian!