General WoD Alpha/Beta Discussion

[rcshaggy]

I really want a Tauren Mage to happen.
They can channel the firey powers and be called the Weavecallers for their race.

[Celista]

Well, if there was to be a build tommorow, assuming it was unrelated to (true) public testing being started, it would likely be like the others we have seen. If not, it's likely that it will be the (true) public Alpha launch.

Why would there be a public Alpha? Has there ever been a public Alpha?

So how bad is the latest Azeroth Choppers? Don't feel like watching it and giving it views.

It was better than the last episode because you got some glimpses of the bikes as they are progressing.

[Zoaric]

Why would there be a public Alpha? Has there ever been a public Alpha?


It was better than the last episode because you got some glimpses of the bikes as they are progressing.

I think he/she meant external Alpha.

[Ryuda]

Why would there be a public Alpha? Has there ever been a public Alpha?


It was better than the last episode because you got some glimpses of the bikes as they are progressing.

They have already said testing this time around will be different than previously, they will have a public F&F Alpha, which will progressively invite more and more people, eventually until the point they call it a beta. (Would need to dig through everything in the last few months to find the exact tweet/quote, but they basically said Alpha/Beta this time around is determined by # of people with access, not technical progress, like they're doing with HotS.)

It's also worth noting that even the current "internal" Alpha goes outside of World of Warcraft's team, I have heard (Unfortunately, 2nd hand) reports of people in areas like SC2 Customer Service/Programming on D3 getting access to the current Alpha, who, by and large are the same as public testers, other than the fact that Blizzard has a little more "control" over these people than the general public. (Although, I do find it a little dubious that there hasn't been, to my knowledge, *any* leaks from the current builds (excluding the infamous sandbox of course), so I do recommend taking that last bit with a grain of salt.)

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I think he/she meant external Alpha.

Basically, yes, I get so tongue tied when it comes to all these terms going around, it's why I usually just stick to "Public testing" as a coverall, since Alpha/Beta/Delta/Omega/whatever are all just words now (Hell, the current Alpha build is a hell of a lot more progressed than like the first month, month and a half of Mists' Beta) >.>

[Chickat]

He's right. They aren't boring. They are either dead or retired.

What does retired really mean in Warcraft. Are you telling me that if Sargeras strolls in, all the retired paladins/heroes are going to say, "Sorry bro, Im retired" and let him destroy Azeroth. No one permanently retires in Azeroth.

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Warlords feels more Shamanistic to me, atleast Horde side. Which is more than fine by me, since you know' my main is a Shaman. :3

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Hah, reading those comments, people complaning about the Wrath event left and right. And now we regard it as the best. (It was pretty cool imo). How things change, huh.

Shamans are probably going to get a significant chunk of lore in WoD. They probably shouldn't though, considering they got a huge amount in Cataclysm.

[Shampro]

Oh but they will. And I'm pretty happy about it, we might even get to see the origins and experience different kinds of Shamanism. (Bleeding Hollow for example)

[Ryuda]

What does retired really mean in Warcraft. Are you telling me that if Sargeras strolls in, all the retired paladins/heroes are going to say, "Sorry bro, Im retired" and let him destroy Azeroth. No one permanently retires in Azeroth.

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Shamans are probably going to get a significant chunk of lore in WoD. They probably shouldn't though, considering they got a huge amount in Cataclysm.

I wouldn't really count "Thrall" as "Shamans"...

Half-joking aside, I think Cata was actually a missed opportunity to really delve into the differences between "True shamans" and the Twilight's Hammer. All we really got was "Shamans ask the elements for help, whereas the Twilight's Hammer binds them into service, like Warlocks (With the weird exception of Goblin Shamans, who seem to "Make contracts" with the elements). We even explored parts of all 4 elemental planes, without any real insight into Shamanism (The closest we ever got was the "Elemental Bonds" Quest-line in 4.2, which, to go back to the half-joking point, was much for centered on Thrall and Aggra than it was on the elements.)

[Zoaric]

No one permanently retires in Azeroth.

Even the dead... o.o

[Ryuda]

Oh but they will. And I'm pretty happy about it, we might even get to see the origins and experience different kinds of Shamanism. (Bleeding Hollow for example)

Yeah, the "Different kinds of Shamanism" bit was what I was really hoping for in Cata (especially as I was maining a resto shaman at the time.) Hopefully it won't fall as flat or be so focused on one character this time.

[Wrathonia]

What does retired really mean in Warcraft. Are you telling me that if Sargeras strolls in, all the retired paladins/heroes are going to say, "Sorry bro, Im retired" and let him destroy Azeroth. No one permanently retires in Azeroth.

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Shamans are probably going to get a significant chunk of lore in WoD. They probably shouldn't though, considering they got a huge amount in Cataclysm.

You know what retiring in Azeroth means? You are cut from the story until you are needed as a plot device. Look at Tirion Fordring. He was our Dues ex Machina for Arthas and then retired in WPL to clean the place up. Haven't heard from him since.

[Shampro]

I wonder if the Iron Horde will make use of different Shamans or Shamans in general. Or will they turn thier back on the Elements, only this time it was for technology.

Haveing Kilrogg and the Bleeding Hollow seem like it may vary, not sure.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I wonder if the Iron Horde will make use of different Shamans or Shamans in general. Or will they turn thier back on the Elements, only this time it was for technology.

Haveig Kilrogg and the Bleeding Hollow seem like it may vary, not sure.

Draenor seems to be a very primative Azeroth of sorts.

[Shampro]

Draenor seems to be a very primative Azeroth of sorts.

Eh well yeah, It's a primitive planet in general. But that changes here drasticly because of Garrosh.

[wych]

I wonder if the Iron Horde will make use of different Shamans or Shamans in general. Or will they turn thier back on the Elements, only this time it was for technology.

Haveing Kilrogg and the Bleeding Hollow seem like it may vary, not sure.

I remember them saying they'd explore more shaman stuff and how shamanism is different on draenor at blizzcon

[ATZenith]

I want to get my Warrior only quest that we almost got for 5.4

[solgog]

So do we think there has been another delay since they have announced internal alpha? Clearly, Simca/Boub thought it would've launched by now. Hopefully we see this next week, if not I think I'm going to have to readjust my timeframe from when we are going to see this xpac come out. I mean even Cataclysm was in FnF by this point.

[ATZenith]

WoD for President 2016

[Shampro]

So do we think there has been another delay since they have announced internal alpha? Clearly, Simca/Boub thought it would've launched by now. Hopefully we see this next week, if not I think I'm going to have to readjust my timeframe from when we are going to see this xpac come out. I mean even Cataclysm was in FnF by this point.

First week of June or last few days of May at most. Mark your calendars boys and girls!

[Ryuda]

So do we think there has been another delay since they have announced internal alpha? Clearly, Simca/Boub thought it would've launched by now. Hopefully we see this next week, if not I think I'm going to have to readjust my timeframe from when we are going to see this xpac come out. I mean even Cataclysm was in FnF by this point.

Saying what pointing in testing an expac was previously isn't as relevant as it might appear...Although Warlords is still in Internal Alpha (although, there are people (supposedly, again, this is all 3rd hand info) outside of the Warcraft Dev team, but still inside of Blizzard testing it). The actual development is actually well ahead of the 3-4 beta builds of both Cata and Mists, which makes it hard to determine exactly how far off we are. For the sake of technical testing, someone who works in SC2's Customer Service is just good a tester as a random armchair theorycrafter. I mean, they will obviously get more streamers/guilds/etc. in when it's looking more polished (especially since streamers basically = free promotion) but I think you'll see testing kept close to the vest for a little while yet.

Also, separate note, spent about 20 mins. on PTR (Raid soon, or I'd have checked a little more thoroughly), Dark Portal is still green (although the texture took a while to load (30-45 secs), has never happened to me before, but chocking it up to PTR being PTR) All SoO NPCs are still in Orgrimmar (Including Garrosh still being Warchief.) Nothing in SW changed (Not that I expected there to be anything there.) didn't really go anywhere else, but assuming if there were no changes in Blasted Lands/Orgrimmar, there probably aren't any, at least not yet.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Part of me wants to think the WoW devs are like "UGH COME ON ALREADY!!!!!" at the technical ones.