New informations (Spoilers)

[Krazzorx]

how do you know its not in alpha?

I'm confused. Are you quoting the right person? That question would make sense for the person above that post. Unless you meant to ask "how do you know it is in alpha"?

[Redpanda]

source ? reminds me of that post with the space suits that came from some Chinese website

[Kelimbror]

Think about it historically. Mists of Pandaria beta launched in March and the expansion released in September. They haven't even announced a WoD beta, have they? Maybe I missed something. If it was really releasing in 24 June the beta would have started some time in January. I'm inclined to think that these "New informations" are nothing more than wishful thinking on someone's part.

They also had an AP which required millions of people get access to beta. You don't think that extended the beta time? They also had a benefit to extend the release to conveniently coincide with initial AP's ending.

[Paula Deen]

I'm confused. Are you quoting the right person? That question would make sense for the person above that post. Unless you meant to ask "how do you know it is in alpha"?

This, and either way I do not know. Logic would say yes x10. We have pretty damn close to an Alpha at Blizzcon... and I can almost gurantee we will get word of a beta in February or very early March.

Also this:

They also had an AP which required millions of people get access to beta. You don't think that extended the beta time? They also had a benefit to extend the release to conveniently coincide with initial AP's ending.

[AlphaandOmega]

Well...okay

- The Diablo III Team didnt grow. 40% of the StarCraft Team are now in the HotS Team thats why LotV takes a long time
Heart of the Swarm hasnt been out that long for a game thats campaign is the least played part

What?????????? says who? that's the MOST important part of SC for me!

[Krazzorx]

Think about it historically. Mists of Pandaria beta launched in March and the expansion released in September. They haven't even announced a WoD beta, have they? Maybe I missed something. If it was really releasing in 24 June the beta would have started some time in January. I'm inclined to think that these "New informations" are nothing more than wishful thinking on someone's part.

Beta length is incredibly unreliable. We don't know what causes it to take a certain length and we don't know if possibly they got better at testing internally. They certainly are testing differently now as a variety of things slated to be put into WoD were put into MoP right now like the variable Flex scaling and the 5.4 trinkets testing the new stats.

What we do know is anything after August would be an unmitigated disaster and they know it.

[CosmicGuitars]

You lost me at 'The Dark Below'.

Rest of it seems plausible, but a bit .. common sense.

[Paula Deen]

You lost me at 'The Dark Below'.

Rest of it seems plausible, but a bit .. common sense.

Remember that leak the guy gave about Warlords.... ya know the right one... he mentioned Dark Below as well.

[CosmicGuitars]

By the way.. why do people keep pressing him for a source? If it's real, he's obviously not going to name the employees who gave him the information.. stop being stupid. :I

[Traveler Voltin]

I'm confused. Are you quoting the right person? That question would make sense for the person above that post. Unless you meant to ask "how do you know it is in alpha"?

i might have quoted the wrong person. but it sure as hell is in alpha stage. example blizzcon, if there was no alpha no one would have been playing part of WoD at blizzcon

[Thage]

Some of that information seems legit or common sense, some is interesting, and some things -- like the stuff about Dark Below being Titan -- seem like BS to me.

Time will tell, I guess.

I'm keeping an open mind here--after all, the best leaks are equal parts truth and bull to keep people guessing.

- - - Updated - - -

i might have quoted the wrong person. but it sure as hell is in alpha stage. example blizzcon, if there was no alpha no one would have been playing part of WoD at blizzcon

I'm guessing they plan to skip Friends & Family Alpha and go straight to closed beta once Draenor's more or less ready for testing by the playerbase (i.e., minimal placeholder architecture, most mob art done, most questlines/events implemented and playable).

[Ronduwil]

They also had an AP which required millions of people get access to beta. You don't think that extended the beta time? They also had a benefit to extend the release to conveniently coincide with initial AP's ending.

Millions of people always have access to the beta. That's how they stress test the servers. I don't think that extended the beta. I also believe that the AP was a blatant ploy to keep players subscribed to WoW knowing that there would be no new content available for the next year and that Diablo III had the potential to cannibalize WoW's subscriber base. The reason the expansion "conveniently" released at the AP's ending was that the AP was created with the estimated release date in mind.

[Stonecloak]

Could be a shorter more closed beta, and Blizz has expressed they want faster cycles. Maybe their going for it.

[Tziva]

Or they tightened the knot on it.

Again, I really doubt that. Blizzard has been loosening on things like this over the last few years. Hell, the Diablo F&F Alpha wasn't even limited to friends or family AND had no NDA. There would be no solid reason, especially on the sixth expansion of a decade old game, to take a radical reversal and slap an NDA on a F&F so tight that people couldn't even say they were in the alpha.

Is it possible? Sure. But it makes no sense, so I'm going to vote really unlikely.

[Gurbz]

I'm guessing they plan to skip Friends & Family Alpha and go straight to closed beta once Draenor's more or less ready for testing by the playerbase (i.e., minimal placeholder architecture, most mob art done, most questlines/events implemented and playable).

That's what they did with MoP. There was no F&F Alpha, primarily because they got sick of the leaks. So now they just do an internal Alpha test then go straight to public closed beta.

[Traveler Voltin]

I'm keeping an open mind here--after all, the best leaks are equal parts truth and bull to keep people guessing.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm guessing they plan to skip Friends & Family Alpha and go straight to closed beta once Draenor's more or less ready for testing by the playerbase (i.e., minimal placeholder architecture, most mob art done, most questlines/events implemented and playable).

probablu. did MoP even have a friends and family alpha/beta?

[Leefa]

probablu. did MoP even have a friends and family alpha/beta?

Nope, there was just a short period at the beginning of beta where friends, family and press had access before AP holders got in.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

probablu. did MoP even have a friends and family alpha/beta?

They apparently skipped it last time. So the precedent is there.

[Armourboy]

I would say its all at least possible.

Those commenting on the Dark Below, I would keep in mind that they denied MoP several times before they actually announced it. It is not beyond them to flat out lie to try and cover something up. I don't blame them, I would too, but that one denial doesn't mean it can't happen.

Wouldn't shock me at all that there is no F&F Alpha as they didn't have one for MoP either. They got tired of the leaks and I think they have probably figured out that they can't really stop them, but they can change things up to try and control it some.

We will see I suppose, but if history has shown me one thing, just about the time we say someone is nuts and making something up, it turns out to be true.

[Ronduwil]

example blizzcon, if there was no alpha no one would have been playing part of WoD at blizzcon

A demo is not the same as an alpha release. A demo is a polished sample of the gameplay that will be offered in the final product. An alpha test is basically a very limited (often internal) beta. A beta release is a version of the final product that hasn't been tested thoroughly enough to merit charging for it. In a beta you see things like blue cubes where an object would traditionally be. Bugs run rampant in a beta. You won't see stuff like that in a demo because the purpose of a demo is to entice users, and users aren't enticed by bugs. Lots of players who got the AP thought that they were opting into a demo and were sorely disappointed when they finally got their beta invites. The monk starting zone was hilarious. Players were raging because there was one bell that everyone had to interact with to proceed with their questing and there were about 50 new beta testers crowded around it at any given time. That's a beta.