Battle for Azeroth Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Denisac]

I dunno about this. I am none except maybe number 5 but I have been in every beta since wrath.

Concur, but I do not think it's quite so random. I did not get into any of the betas until I got a silly realm first for engineering in Cataclysm; been in every beta since.

[leviathonlx]

They need those mythic players for raid testing, as they are most secure choice for it.

The thing is, there will be zero raid testing during the Alpha.

[Drekmar]

No raid testing happens in the early phases. They could invite all those later on when they test raids if that was the reasoning. Imo they should prefer testers who spent previous betas giving them feedback.

I don't mind btw, just saying it's not a solid argument.

The thing is, there will be zero raid testing during the Alpha.

Inviting mythic players is safe choice for solid players. Inviting players with high amount of /played might result in shitty players that just play a lot.

What I am saying is, that mythic players are safe choice for overall testing, not just raids.

[Deleted]

I know it's still early one, but what are the chances of Zandalari being able to become Priest? I know we've encountered Zandalari Priests in the game, but the Wowhead modelviewer currently has this option greyed out. Does this mean anything or not? cheers

No, it does not mean anything. Wowhead isnt some sort of god, who knows better than blizzard.. If blizzard didnt announce claases, then nobody knows. But zandalari priests will 100% happen.

[leviathonlx]

Inviting mythic players is safe choice for solid players. Inviting players with high amount of /played might result in shitty players that just play a lot.

What I am saying is, that mythic players are safe choice for overall testing, not just raids.

Eh being a 'good' player doesn't mean you're a good tester but let's be honest here though. The 'Alpha' now days that invites streamers and high end raiders isn't for 'testing' it's for marketing and hype. Most your testing will come in the Beta once all the features in and ready and not in the early phases where the zones are incomplete and most features are not yet implemented.

[Drekmar]

And that's a better argument. I still thing they should keep track of people who give good feedback and prioritize them.

They probably do and keep them included in future expansion testing.

[Steampunkette]

The big thing is... Public Alpha Testers aren't really there to find bugs.

By the time it gets to our hands (or at least those who get Alpha Invites) Internal QA has been working on it for -months- on end. Testing everything, every object and class, npc and quest as they're created and after their implementation. The bugs you find in Alpha have been reported 999/1,000 times.

You're there for Feedback on how the game plays, how the stories come out, how the bosses function, how the AI deals with your personal tactics... Whether it's fun or boring, engaging or dull.

If the bugs aren't fixed by launch it's not 'cause they're 'ignoring feedback'. It's because they didn't have time/ability to get it fixed when QA tested it 3 months before you wrote your bug report about it.

[Dracullus]

So how do you get in alpha/beta if you are not a streamer or something? luck that blizzard randomly emails you cause they can?

I think it's better to get into Beta. Alpha likely will be very unstable, content will be introduced piece by piece, etc. Also they wipe all your progress when they transfer from Alpha to Beta, so you must prepare to level AT LEAST twice if you get into Alpha.

I know people are impatient, but Alpha testing is more like job, but you know, you don't get any money for this ;P It's basically for content creators and people that will be able to give detailing feedback about classes and game systems.

Beta is complely different. Bugs are still here, but you can reach max level and experience zones/dungeons without many obstacles. Blizzard send waves of invites and many sites and streamers will start giveaways. So they focus rather on catching bugs and stress testing, because all constructive feedback will drown in ocean of shitty posts anyway.

If you apply to every giveaway and try your luck on few streams, sooner or later you'll get Beta key. I got mine (for Legion) from some Selfie Camera contest on Blizzplanet. Until that, it's better to watch some streamers that suffer for us and play Legion while we can ;P.

[huth]

The big thing is... Public Alpha Testers aren't really there to find bugs.

By the time it gets to our hands (or at least those who get Alpha Invites) Internal QA has been working on it for -months- on end. Testing everything, every object and class, npc and quest as they're created and after their implementation. The bugs you find in Alpha have been reported 999/1,000 times.

You're there for Feedback on how the game plays, how the stories come out, how the bosses function, how the AI deals with your personal tactics... Whether it's fun or boring, engaging or dull.

If the bugs aren't fixed by launch it's not 'cause they're 'ignoring feedback'. It's because they didn't have time/ability to get it fixed when QA tested it 3 months before you wrote your bug report about it.

That and they get a lot of data from their tools already. It's perfectly fine if players just play, they're already helping.

That aside, you want a very broad spectrum, as people might simply not think of certain scenarios. So having only Mythic raiders or only non-raiders is never going to help you test everything.
That's also why there's always issues that aren't found until live. It's simply that nobody even thought to try it.

[Deleted]

Many models have been datamined a while back. Is this just the tip of the iceberg (so, much more to come?) or will this be most of them?

I can't really remember how it went with other expansion-datamines.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Many models have been datamined a while back. Is this just the tip of the iceberg (so, much more to come?) or will this be most of them?

I can't really remember how it went with other expansion-datamines.

There's probably way more, how much I can't tell(As in I don't know)

[Deleted]

The big part is not models anyway, it's quests

Yeah I know, that's where the speculation-fun begins. But I was just wondering about the models, as I would love to see even more NPC-updates or dinosaurs (Saurolophus is almost a given).

[gcsmith]

Eh being a 'good' player doesn't mean you're a good tester but let's be honest here though. The 'Alpha' now days that invites streamers and high end raiders isn't for 'testing' it's for marketing and hype. Most your testing will come in the Beta once all the features in and ready and not in the early phases where the zones are incomplete and most features are not yet implemented.

Mythic raiders aren't exactly great for marketing. Thats streamers. Now some are both, but if a mythic raider doesn't stream or youtube, they're pretty useless for free advertising.

[leviathonlx]

Mythic raiders aren't exactly great for marketing. Thats streamers. Now some are both, but if a mythic raider doesn't stream or youtube, they're pretty useless for free advertising.

It probably helps that they are .001% of the playerbase. They can invite the 300 people and it won't have much of an effect on server stability and you get some small amount of hype from the ones that do stream and post and there is the part where your high end raiders also are the ones that do the theorycrafting players look at. The Alpha is feature incomplete and barely open so there's not as much to actually test anyway.

[boyzma]

1. Be a streamer
2. Be important for the industry
3. Kill mythic Argus
4. Have friend in Blizz
5. Pray to RNG gods

Pick one.

None of the above...zero apply to me and I have been in every alpha/beta except Vanilla. Guess it;s just luck on my part.

[Drekmar]

None of the above...zero apply to me and I have been in every alpha/beta except Vanilla. Guess it;s just luck on my part.

Thats the number 5. RNG Gods love you.

[gcsmith]

None of the above...zero apply to me and I have been in every alpha/beta except Vanilla. Guess it;s just luck on my part.

Or you did something and your account was flagged as prio.

[boyzma]

Thats the number 5. RNG Gods love you.

Ooooopppsss....you are so correct. I actually am torn about this one....want to see it, but don't want to spoil on one hand.......BUT.....on the other hand I don't play alliance and it would be nice to visit their side. We'll see what the gods decide.

But...but....I do fully anticipate getting a Dark Iron Dwarf at some point...so......who knows?

[Drekmar]

Ooooopppsss....you are so correct. I actually am torn about this one....want to see it, but don't want to spoil on one hand.......BUT.....on the other hand I don't play alliance and it would be nice to visit their side. We'll see what the gods decide.

But...but....I do fully anticipate getting a Dark Iron Dwarf at some point...so......who knows?

Good thing I dont have to deal with this dilemma, its required by my guild.

[Deleted]

I've wanted Dark Iron Dwarves since cataclysm.

Edge-dwarves are best Dwarves.