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Warhammer Online : Age of Reckoning: Beta and Beyond - Where the Game is Now
Stradden
Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696
On a recent trip to the EA Mythic studios in Fairfax, VA. MMORPG.com Managing Editor Jon Wood spoke with Paul Barnett and Josh Drescher about the state of the game since our last report, beta and building a living world.
When we first arrived at the EA Mythic studios last week, those members of the media who were in attendance sat down with Josh Drescher and Paul Barnett to get an update on how the game had progressed since the last time that we had talked about Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. This was only one of the many presentations that we had, and we will be bringing you reports from those specific area presentations over the next week.
“Now that people are running around,” Paul said, “we’re making a game.” What he meant by that was that planning and designing the game are one thing, but it isn’t until you have actual players responding to (and breaking) the systems in place that the real work of making something for others to enjoy begins. He looks at beta as a chance to try things out and as such, they are currently in the process of seeing what works and what doesn’t for the game.
Read the whole article here.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Comments
I have to say I admire EAMythic for taking this approach with their beta testing. At least it shows they are serious about producing a good product for release.
Its been my opinion for some time now...(been a closed beta tester a few times thru the years) that..instead of letting players run wild through the beta test, we should actually be doing some good..so that the game DOES succeed.
Open beta is for showcasing..to prospective gamers. Least that seems to be what happens.
But closed beta is where the serious work takes place, and having all those volunteers focussed in the areas that are important or need testing..is a wonderful idea..glad to see a game company making their money count in the right places.
Kudos
Cend
Paul is good with metaphor and simile, so I have one for him:
Warhammer Online is like the hottest chick you could ever imagine....she is the girl that you lay awake at night thinking about....she's the girl that when you do fall asleep fills your dreams with such lust and excitement that you wake up out of breath, panting, wanting nothing and no one but her. Warhammer Online is that girl....and now she has called you from her car and told you she is on the way over and she is going to give you the greatest sex of your life.....the sex will be so good you will need intravenous fluids to keep you going....your bed will have to be reinforced with steel gurders, your couch and rug had better have scotchguard. And when she gets there......4 hours late......she strips off her clothes and sits next to you on the couch and rubs your leg for six hours, and every time you tried to make a move she tells you she is saving herself for marriage.
Warhammer Online is that girl. At first when she calls, you're like...yeah I'm gonna get some! An hour into the leg rubbing your still convinced, but there is this nawing feeling in the back of your head like...why isn't this going anywhere yet. Two hours later, you're thinking, atleast I saw her naked. A couple hours after that, you're getting sick and tired of hearing her talk about school and work, and how one of her friends hit on a friend of a friends girlfriend. When she finally leaves, you are relieved. The pain is unbearable. You can barely walk her to the door, where you try to kiss her but she says not on the first date and tousles your hair playfully. She tells you she will see you in six months....and then you will really, really have a great time. Warhammer Online is that girl.
She is the girl that makes you think about calling the girls that live next door. One is AOC. She looks mannish and that adam's apple has you worried, but you are desperate. Or there is the other girl, LOTRO that has a pretty face but is only 18....a little young, but she seems like she's growing into a beautiful woman if you give her time. Hmmm......time to call LOTRO girl.
Deviant Art: http://ramenninja.deviantart.com/
MMOs Played: EverQuest 1 and 2, Ryzom, Horizons/Istaria, Planetside (BFRs ruined it), WoW, GuildWars, CoH/CoV, Lineage 2, FFXI, Random free MMOs
Open Beta is where they 'open the flood gates' and find out where the floods, leaks, and droughts will take place. Until then... carry on.
Yes, I'm disappointed by the delay. But, all in all, I think the game will be better when it launches. I think better = greater attention to input from the playerbase + fewer bugs + still some really great unknowns and surprises to be uncovered.
Paul B... cool enough to be the 5th Beatle.
Guided beta test phases definately seem to be alot better approach. By guiding them though you seem to accomplish things much faster and more efficiently than letting them run amok and hope they stumble upon something critical.
A lot of people trying to get into closed beta are usually trying to get in so they can just play the game. I remember during the Planetside it was utter chaos, but then again I don't have the best memory. I think a fair amount of people who are looking to "test" in closed beta are really looking for open beta where developers do most of their server stress tests and what not without too much constraint or actually needing to get as much feedback as with closed beta. If that even makes sense.
Deviant Art: http://ramenninja.deviantart.com/
MMOs Played: EverQuest 1 and 2, Ryzom, Horizons/Istaria, Planetside (BFRs ruined it), WoW, GuildWars, CoH/CoV, Lineage 2, FFXI, Random free MMOs
Good article,
Like the part about Wile E Coyote. " we’re talking about plungers like Wile E. Coyote would use to blow up his dynamite, you know the box with the “T” on top that makes things go ka-boom? "
heheh
I will agree that Paul seems to use analogies a great deal, but that's probably because he's found it's the easiest way to get people to quickly grasp what he trying to say.
I liked the article but I have to disagree with Jon Wood when he says Mythic is trying to make Warhammer a 'living world' . It has exploding plungers and turns gankers into chickens, for pete's sake! How are these elements of a 'living' world?
And Warhammer is not a hot chick either. It's a game.
Games get delayed. Follow the development process in every other genre - FPS, RTS, RPG, 4X or any other acronym, and you'll see one constant element - delays. If you don't see delays then you'll usually see a game that puts schedule before quality and results in garbage.
Terranah's analogy is directed at the wrong thing. It's not the game that should be compared to a woman (hot or otherwise), it's the hype surrounding the game that actually fits his comparison.
If following the hype of a game during its development is too tiring or annoying for anyone, then don't follow the hype. To use another analogy, it's like TV. You don't have to watch. Turn it off, go outside and wait until the new season starts (or in this case, the retail release).
The developers really seem like they care about this game, and EA/Mythic doesn't give the feeling they are just trying to push it out asap to make a few quick bucks. I think this game is going to be huge, and it is going to give the current MMOs a run for their money, and new MMOs something new to look up to.
Educator, writer, and Gamer.
Follow me at: MMOG Musings and MMOGology
Well since you really used that analogy, let me clear things up for you.
A girl that wont have sex until marriage. She obviously has her morals and wants it to be a special event not rushed because some guy can't use his hand. She sticks to her decision and everyone should be able to respect that.
The guy who tries to rush a girl into sex is a different thing especially if he thinks about calling the girl next door. Obviously this man is only out for one thing and that is a quick thrill. He isn't in Love and nor does he love the girl. This type of guy never had morals instilled in him or had them warped by 90's television which has 12 year olds dressing like sluts to be frank.
In conclusion. You really need to ask around about relationships. Sex is fine and all but having someone that really cares about you and I mean the real you not your wallet or good looks, is the greatest thing in the world. Those relationships last a long time and thats the relationship I want with WAR. I don't want to get the game and play it for 2 months and quit. I want to play the game and enjoy playing it.
So until WAR is ready I will be using my hand, I suggest you fix your self gratifying ways and do the same.
"Freedom is just another name for nothing left to lose" - Janis Joplin
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That is probably the third dumbest thing I have read on these boards since I started coming to these forums in 03'. "They like to have fun and wear sunglasses so the game will be lacking!" Rofl
"Freedom is just another name for nothing left to lose" - Janis Joplin
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God forbid people like to have a good time while developing a game.
Looking for something new.
Ahh, they are just having fun though, ya know? Glasses aren't going to dictate how well the game does but I do understand that some people won't and don't view things the same way. It is just late where I am and I am sick so I took some cough medicine which makes me overly tired and cranky. I didn't mean my previous statement.
I apologize by the way ^^
This delay does not surprise me in the least. Don't get me wrong...I think it is a good thing, but it did not surprise me.
Heh AoC needs to be delayed but now they've committed and taken a ton of people's $$ I just don't see it happening.
Oh well.
i don't care what anyone says. i like warhammer dev. he delays the game and isn't afraid of anything.
http://www.soesucks.net/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=10
mehhh..this guy seems to love the camera and making speeches like a poliitcian a bit to much for me.
less talk, more work on game and just maybe, they will push release back only once more
Ya I agree with ya. He looks kinda like Elton John LOL (but I like Elton) ....its all PR I guess, to look cool to draw the WoW kiddies
About the work part; well... I don't suppose every single artist and developer stops working each and every time Paul opens his mouth to promote the game
the work goes on.
2) Doubt they are going to push it back again.
So your pissed at mythic because Warhammer dosen't want to be the cum-dump Vangaurd was?
Sorry I'll wait for the hot girl with Morals, over the skank that puts out.
EA got their fingers burnt with Earth & Beyond with mucking about westwood, pushing for an early as possivle release even though it wasn't ready, then pulling stunts like moving the servers from Las Vegas to San Francisco when then game went live.
Looks like they have taken all that onboard and decided to think it through and go for the polish which so many MMO's tend not to have when they are 1st launched and go for players who will stick with them for months and years rather than sell a few extra boxes if we launch it early.
I am shocked to hear myself say good on you EA!!
Eurogamer: You said yesterday that you would release in fall. The last announced date was Q2. Why the delay of six months or so?
Jeff Hickman: Say "or so" - I know the actual dates and it's not six months. Let's call it three to six months. Why the extra time? It is just what Mark Jacobs, our GM, has always talked about, and just what's been reinforced, especially recently, by EA. We are really, really pushing for quality in our games. We believe very strongly, and John Riccitiello the CEO at EA has really pushed hard on this in the last year since he came online, that getting games out the door quickly, making the quick buck, is not what EA needs to be about. We need to be about quality games, games that build big franchises, games that have future and longevity.
Now, we've always known that. You look at Mythic and we talk that talk. The problem is, as an independent studio, it's very hard to do that. EA came along and they've give us the ability to. They've given us the time and the money and any help that we want, while at the same time leaving us alone.
So we get to the point, really in the past couple of months, where we're looking at our game and it's like, man, it's really coming together, things are looking good, we're feeling good about all the little pieces that we have in place. But: is it as good as it needs to be? Or as good as we want it to be? That's really the key.
And we all feel like we need a little more time. We need more time to polish it. Like, all the content's done. The game is fully playable. Technically, I could launch the game today.
Instead of doing that, we literally are going back through the game - we've actually been through probably the first half of the game already. We're going through every single public quest, making sure it feels just right, making sure it's got the right voice overs, making sure it's got the right polish, making sure that it feels as good as we can possibly make it. We're looking at every quest in the game, we're looking at how the land is set up, all of the content. Everything. And making sure that it feels the way that it needs to feel, and that we want it to feel, so that we can have a slam dunk success when we launch the game.