Why Do People Play Beta?

[Deleted]

Why do people play Beta's? Why do you ruin the fun and excitement for yourself by playing all of the new content before it's even released (not to mention the hours you spend on it actually go to nothing) and I'm sure only 5% of Beta players do it to find bugs.


Opinions?

[Pascal]

Based on your own explanation of why to not play a beta, why would you then assume that barely anyone plays it for its intended purpose? I have beta access but I don't log on unless there is an issue or problem being discussed that needs testing so that I can help out and make sure that the game ends up coming out all right. That is, after, the entire reason there is a beta. It's a little strange that you'd proclaim so few people actually play beta for its intended purpose, given that you're highly aware of the downsides of doing so.

[Otimus]

Some people are immune to spoilers (I'm personally one of them! They've never bothered me, and have never effected anything I've been reading/playing/watching. Sometimes, even, I'll even google spoilers ahead of time for some stuff, and if anything, it just gets me more pumped for the next episode/rest of a movie/rest of a game/etc). But I wouldn't play the beta if I could, I don't like messing around with buggy software if I don't have to. I'd probably just take a peak and never run it again. That's what I did with MoP's beta.

[MikeBogina]

I've never played the wow beta, but I always go out of my way to spoil stuff. When people spoil stuff for me, I don't usually care, just upset that they ruined it for me to ruin myself xD

[Wildtree]

Spoiler yes or no.....
Generally I don't like to get things spoiled, but there are exceptions.
One of these exceptions is, to have the fun ruined at launch day, by heaps of douche bags acting like jerks. Beta helps me greatly to evaluate how to evade all these people.
It gives me an oversight how to, where to, and when to move from A to B.
Plus.. I've yet have to see a live version that doesn't still have some surprising changes present, that no one's seen in the Beta before. So, there's still a few surprise elements in the game when it goes live.
Hence why I enjoy the Beta.

[thebdc]

I'm sure only 5% of Beta players do it to find bugs.

Actually you run into bugs all the time. The vast majority is very minor. Personally I only experienced two game breaking bugs, interestingly both related to bonus objectives, which made those objectives impossible to complete. The real question probably is how many players actually report those bugs.

[Wildtree]

Actually you run into bugs all the time. The vast majority is very minor. Personally I only experienced two game breaking bugs, interestingly both related to bonus objectives, which made those objectives impossible to complete. The real question probably is how many players actually report those bugs.

I report em all the time.

[DeadmanWalking]

Some people do the beta because they actually want to help debug the expansion before it comes out.

Others do it because they are bored of 1 year of SoO.

High end Raid groups do it so they get a leg up on the competition and figure out raid strats before anyone else gets to see them.

Some people don't mind spoilers, some people want to be the spoilers.

Some people like seeing what may be coming.

Some people want to experience the changes so they know what they are talking about, like in class discussions about which spec is most viable in their class.

Some people want to see how garrisons work.
There are many legitimate reasons beyond just wanting to see what happens early.

[Deleted]

Why do I spoil myself when I do stuff in beta? I just play it some weeks/months before its live, whats the difference (given that there is nothing missing) than playing this only when its live for everyone?
Personally I played Beta because I can't wait to consume something, because I want to speed up the level process on live and because I want to know how to get raid ready asap, although most of the points diminished somewhat over the years and nowadays I play it mostly when I'm bored.

[TheWindWalker]

Because if no one does it we'd end up with unfinished specs and wildly over/underpowered spells or "old content items" that are suddenly super useful again in current content.

Oh right, uh... yeah. I take that back, it's to spoil the story.

[Ham on Rye]

Why do people play Beta's? Why do you ruin the fun and excitement for yourself by playing all of the new content before it's even released (not to mention the hours you spend on it actually go to nothing) and I'm sure only 5% of Beta players do it to find bugs.

Opinions?

You incorrectly assume playing something early ruins the fun and excitement. It's very fun and exciting the first time in beta. I get the same amount of fun and excitement as you, but I don't have to wait half a year like you do. And I also don't have to fight server queues and gridlock at quest mobs like you will on release, so that makes it MORE fun and exciting!

[Leefa]

People play the beta so people like you dont have to experience a horrible game when released. And even if you don't report any bugs, they constantly receive data when you play.

[Axelond]

I just play around in the beta. Whenever I see something I don't like/bug I write a quick report super easy.

[Deleted]

Why do we beta? To protect home...and family. To preserve balance and bring harmony. For my kind, the true question is, what is worth playing?


No seriously. I play beta to test the changes Blizzard put into the game and give feedback.

[Soisoisoi]

Why do people play Beta's? Why do you ruin the fun and excitement for yourself by playing all of the new content before it's even released (not to mention the hours you spend on it actually go to nothing) and I'm sure only 5% of Beta players do it to find bugs.


Opinions?

I report bugs throughout, reported some last night even. I also make suggestions for class changes or things that might make things better. An example being Rogue's Shadow Dance is sharing a stance bar with Vanish... Which messes with anything like Ambush in [stance:2] only macro (PvPers mostly). So, report that and hope it gets fixed.

Personally, I level on beta it so I can experience the content at a slow pace and take it all in properly. It also means I get to configure my addons (like TMW) and get used to any changes before heading onto live. When I get on live I can rush through; I don't have to watch the cinematics or get stuck on a quest or lost, I stay ahead of the pack by knowing where I'm going it allows me to be ahead on getting my characters geared and ready for raids.

So, it doesn't ruin the fun as I still experience it (just because it's before the majority doesn't mean it didn't happen), and I still get excited on launch night as I have the past expansions, and I know that it's going to be a better experience because people have tested it and reported things.

[Dedweight]

Actually you run into bugs all the time. The vast majority is very minor. Personally I only experienced two game breaking bugs, interestingly both related to bonus objectives, which made those objectives impossible to complete. The real question probably is how many players actually report those bugs.

Pretty much, most of the bugs I encounter are pretty minor, missing npc textures, breaks in the terrain(able to fall through it but most of the breaks have been pretty obvious and easy to avoid), or constantly evading mobs. Only game breaking "bugs", that I encountered, were things that most likely weren't fully implemented at the time.

This was over 3 months ago, I'm sure most of those have been fixed since then.

[Frozenbeef]

In the past i've always wanted to play beta to see the story as i'm an impatient spoilt brat :S Got wod beta invite (ma first beta) and haven't done a single quest...just been running around testing performance in different zones :S

[Mission]

Why do people play Beta's? Why do you ruin the fun and excitement for yourself by playing all of the new content before it's even released (not to mention the hours you spend on it actually go to nothing) and I'm sure only 5% of Beta players do it to find bugs.


Opinions?

I've been in the beta for months.

I dont feel any fun or excitement is ruined for me, as it is a beta, you get to watch how the game changes, as the new builds come through (early stages alpha early beta) its interesting, and time it has come to be a live game, I have a general idea what I am doing, where I am going and the excitement and thrill is still there because it matters in live.

Hours spent on it, does not go to nothing, I have in small ways helped contribute to finding things not functioning, broken, bugged etc.

And the 5% of beta players is wrong for finding bugs.

Because this time around this beta situation was handled a hell of alot better then past few xpacs.

Without playing the game, your not going to find bugs, because bugs are found by doing what various different people would do in the game, quest, dungeon, raid, pvp, gather, achieves etc.

You actually play, explore, do things, that is how issues are found to begin with.

Time next month WOD comes live, I am going to be way more excited, because it will be finished and playable where it will remain until next xpac.

And finally my opinion is it is going to be awesome !

[Cute Chen]

I've only played a beta in Cataclysm and I found absolutely no bugs, I was so disappointed.

[twelvethirty]

So you dont have to.