General WoD Alpha/Beta Discussion

[Tsuruko]

Azgarde just wondering what attributes you think defines those other companies as caring about their player base? In a non flaming way, just curious.

Also blizzard definitely make a lot of money but they have bigger overheads I imagine given the amount of hardware they need etc. Also if they have hired more staff they are using that money. Artistic talent isn't cheap, I don't see the use in being angry that it's taking longer than people hoped. They never promised anything, they just said they'd like to get stuff out faster and are trying to do that, just doesn't always go off without a hitch. The most important thing is that all the information we hear sounds like wod is heading in a great direction from story to mechanics.

[Prode]

And it's not even a matter of money. Bashiok (or Zaryhm?) outright said that it's not a matter of money: it's a matter of hiring people good enough to do the job.

A Blizzard employee confirming how it is just fine to get the money in ppl's pocket instead. That's the best source of information you can get right there.

[Mawnix]

Azgarde just wondering what attributes you think defines those other companies as caring about their player base? In a non flaming way, just curious.

Also blizzard definitely make a lot of money but they have bigger overheads I imagine given the amount of hardware they need etc. Also if they have hired more staff they are using that money. Artistic talent isn't cheap, I don't see the use in being angry that it's taking longer than people hoped. They never promised anything, they just said they'd like to get stuff out faster and are trying to do that, just doesn't always go off without a hitch. The most important thing is that all the information we hear sounds like wod is heading in a great direction from story to mechanics.

I agree with you and raise this point once more, because apparently still no one is picking up on it:

You can't create talent with money. You can't buy talent. It has to be there, and if it's not, well, someone has to do their best to fill that roll. That's what every developer, every writer, every artist and every coder at Blizzard does as is. There isn't another person that they've found to hire to help pick up that slack.

If you think you can fill those positions, I implore you to take up the job.

If you can speed up the development yourselves, I again implore you to take up the job.

If it's so simple, why don't you just, again, apply for the job?

You'd be saving Blizzard and the players a lot of time by doing so.

So, go do it.

[johnhoftb]

I'm gonna throw you another fact: you know how much money Blizz gets with 8.000.000 subscribers? You know you can use some of that to actually make expansions faster and hire some more people, just a thought? Wonder why they haven't done this?

WOW team has never been this big before yet they release slower content?

How long have they been going with their "soontm" and teasing people with every kind of tweets? Then they decide to release the expansion date (not after 20 december), offer us a preorder (higher than usual as well, but would've been fine if it was out sooner) with a 90 boost (amazing!) and expect people to do what? Cheer up like you do and say "ohhh poor guys at Blizzard we have to understand them they work so hard it's fine if it's taking them so long..."?

Sorry but... NO.

Have you ever heard of yhe saying "Too many cooks spoil the meal?"

There comes a point where there are just too many people for one group to use. Too many ideas, and everyone tripping over each other trying to get something done.

Also, you can't throw money at somehing and expect it to be done as quickly as possible. Money is not magic.

[Deleted]

The growing discontent could easily be remedied by Blizzard being more communicative with us.
Recently they just tease and beat around the bush.

They should just tackle the problem head on and say "Look guys, I know you're all impatient and its been 6 months of 5.4 already, but X happened and has delayed us"

Something like that, or they could just post something about WoD each week, anything, even something small to keep us going.

Just keep us up to date is all, it's not fucking hard.

[PuppetShowJustice]

How lovely, writing us off as "Haters" for being excited about the product and wanting to hear some more information.

All signs and communication about WoD at Blizzcon was blatantly painted up to point to an earlier expansion release. And now we're haters for wanting that release that they themselves put on the table to begin with.

Between this and Bashiok we can see the stance they're taking now. Flippin' amazing community management they have going on at Blizzard these days.

[Gurbz]

To begin with, they delivered a pathetic expansion(MoP) especially PvP PoV and are also seemingly failing on coming up with WoD as they were suggesting they would. To then get offended and blame the consumers one bit is to say the least outrageous. Let alone expecting anything else better than blame from the players.

All they want is money, they don't mind when you get your product or how you get it, what quality you get as long as you pay up. Tell you what, on the other hand I want the product, not their reasons why it's not there. They r obviously exploiting many ways to squeeze money out of the customers. They do a lot of things I don't want but guess what, for bad service you get bad feedback, they'd better get over it.

Your logic makes no sense, because what they are doing is costing them money. Probably a lot. If all they want is money, then they would just release whatever they could have available by June and call that good enough. Shove the rest off to another expansion that will release in 2015. THAT would be the way to maximize profits.

Think about this. They made that announcement knowing, without a doubt, that such an announcement was going to cost them revenue because a percentage of the playerbase would unsub either immediately or very shortly after once faced with 6+ months of no new content. Why would a publicly traded company, whose ultimate job is to earn as much money as possible for their investors, intentionally take action that they know will cause them to make less money if there was ANYTHING at all they could do to prevent that? Companies do not become multi-billion dollar entities by making decisions like that. The people running them are far smarter than you give them credit for, in business if nothing else.

[Deleted]

I feel like no matter what I say, no matter the logic obviously behind it considering how you've responded to my posts before (and your vocal begrudging to ever even agree with a thing I say), you're going to simply label it as wrong, so on that note I wish you a good day and have fun in this thread while I go back to work.

I never agreed with you before? I apologized to you about overreacting, and even agreed with you at a given moment. I guess some have a less developed memory, since it happened 4 (?) days ago.

[Deleted]

As usual, while I may not agree with his tone and attitude, I agree with sauzer's message.

Me too. I can understand things taking longer than expected, and am happy to be patient about delays. I also respect that all the devs have bosses and rules they have to adhere to. I even understand and sympathize with saying something is due on one date or soontm, and not being able to deliver it on time. That's all part of life, as they say shit happens. What really enraged me a few weeks back, and overall about Blizzard, is that they didn't give us an update or explanation, AND continued posting teasing tweets which just fuelled the situation.

All they had to say was sorry dudes, it's going to be a bit longer we got our timings wrong etc. Just keeping us in the loop was all we wanted. Talk to us when you can't deliver, we understand but call us haters cos you led us on then failed is despicable.

[Deleted]

How lovely, writing us off as "Haters" for being excited about the product and wanting to hear some more information.

All signs and communication about WoD at Blizzcon was blatantly painted up to point to an earlier expansion release. And now we're haters for wanting that release that they themselves put on the table to begin with.

Between this and Bashiok we can see the stance they're taking now. Flippin' amazing community management they have going on at Blizzard these days.

Yup, I liked Ryg until he called us haters (maybe he's joking?)
Either way, you're right, they set the tone that "WoD will be out sooner than you think and we have a 40% bigger team"
And then....months of silence and teasing, and then a fall release bracket.
GG Blizz on your continued ability to make your customers excited and then shit on them.

[Xayl1]

just want to say this. if you think a tweet aimed at a group of people includes you then chances are despite your protesting you might in fact be part of that group.

[Chickat]

Yup, I liked Ryg until he called us haters (maybe he's joking?)
Either way, you're right, they set the tone that "WoD will be out sooner than you think and we have a 40% bigger team"
And then....months of silence and teasing, and then a fall release bracket.
GG Blizz on your continued ability to make your customers excited and then shit on them.

If you hate, your a "hater". If you don't, you aren't. Its pretty simple really. There's a very clear difference for discussing your dislike of decisions blizzard makes, and being disappointed in the speed they release content. Its a complete different thing to hate on them.

- - - Updated - - -

just want to say this. if you think a tweet aimed at a group of people includes you then chances are despite your protesting you might in fact be part of that group.

Exactly. I have done my share of complaining, but i have never crossed the line into hater territory.

[Puupi]

I know what they could do with money. Hire one community manager that would regularly, if not even daily, post stuff about the development for the players to hear. Show us a screenshot, tell us what they are working on, what kind of changes they are planning, show us some armor, art, whatever. Just say SOMETHING. It's not that hard and it would probably keep the crowd hyped. This silence thing is the most stupid way they could act when this kind of storm is raging.

[Zelk]

Ahh what this thread once was.

[Edoran]

https://twitter.com/TheCrafticus/sta...84424237002752

You may now return to your regularly scheduled hating.

[Gurbz]

All they had to say was sorry dudes, it's going to be a bit longer we got our timings wrong etc. Just keeping us in the loop was all we wanted. Talk to us when you can't deliver, we understand but call us haters cos you led us on then failed is despicable.

The thing is, they basically did that. This is the earliest we have ever even gotten so much as a release window. Usually we just have to make educated guesses based on projected beta length and when it starts (see: the first 500ish pages of this thread). So then they come out with information, actual concrete information that we don't need to speculate on, they are met with nothing but irrational rage, personal attacks, and various other flavors of verbal abuse. And any further explanation would simply be met with even more of the same. If Blizzard were to post a blog today explaining exactly what their original plans and timelines were, what happened to change them, and why they made the decision to proceed as they have, the very first comment would be someone saying that Blizzard is just lying, and the second comment would be something about how they are just too lazy and money hungry to actually care.

So no matter what they do, they will get the same reaction. Better then to focus their time on making the game rather than on explainations the the community at large is not willing to listen to or accept anyway.

[Krazzorx]

The amount of people who think about WoD at this moment is likely exceedingly small. People just don't care till beta. Hence the amount of people outraged is also exceedingly small.

[Shampro]

Ahh what this thread once was.

It's a joke now. I'm actually shocked that its still open or even still has the name it has.

[Sinryu]

I know what they could do with money. Hire one community manager that would regularly, if not even daily, post stuff about the development for the players to hear. Show us a screenshot, tell us what they are working on, what kind of changes they are planning, show us some armor, art, whatever. Just say SOMETHING. It's not that hard and it would probably keep the crowd hyped. This silence thing is the most stupid way they could act when this kind of storm is raging.

He's not the only cm, and he's giving us what information he's allowed to, when he's allowed to...he has bosses, and if he doesn't listen to them, he gets in trouble, just like anyone else that has a job...

AND EVEN IF THEY REPLACE HIM, HIS REPLACEMENT WOULD DO THE SAME THING!

[Scourge12309]

https://twitter.com/TheCrafticus/sta...84424237002752

You may now return to your regularly scheduled hating.

Pet trainers in your garrison would be cool