World of Warcraft Classic Beta Added to CDN

[perringaiden]

I'm an IT engineer (not a software developer mind you) and I still say it's delay tactics. They have a 2005/6 build - just make it work on newer OS + bug fixes (which they know how to fix by now). Modders do shit like this all the time, not to mention gog.com. I don't believe they needed 18 months of development time to release classic. You could've make a new game in that time with resources Blizzard has. I understand the team is smaller, but still - they HAVE the build and the assets.

The biggest challenge is that things like their interfaces between the model engine and the data have changed dramatically during Cataclysm's development. And their release system had to be reorganised so that they weren't delivering a Cata landscape as well as Classic. Simple things like the coordinate system being different such that they had to translate a bunch of stuff, and of course then painstakingly check that every tree was at ground level, and there was water in every pond etc.

Likely a handful of people spent a week in every single zone just comparing the clients, let alone the time to fix all the issues they found. I *am* a software developer, and we still have parts of our codebase that are older than WoW. When it came to moving our product into the Cloud, we gave up trying to convert and are rewriting the entire product. I'd hate to have to do the work they've been gracious enough to do.

[EbonBehelit-]

Looking forward to it. Can't be bothered to play retail anymore. Bring back long grinds!

I dunno.... you can't get much longer than almost endless, which is what retail's gear grind is.

[perringaiden]

Also, there was an update, and the latest build is deployable.

[Villentretenmerth]

Cmon guys. Release date has to be imminent.

There is no release date. The beta is there to figure that out. They will let people play it and then if we find 435345 things that need fixing it will take longer. If people think its great again, it will release sooner.

[Onikaroshi]

There is no release date. The beta is there to figure that out. They will let people play it and then if we find 435345 things that need fixing it will take longer. If people think its great again, it will release sooner.

Bah, they have a release date, and they'll release it that day regardless. It'll be out by end of summer no matter what

[JacobMarley]

Absolutely buzzing for this. People banging on about “oh they’ll be finished with it in 3 months when they realise it’s bad”.... There’s a reason there was a private server with almost a million players. It’s actually a fecking good game

I really don’t like the “Classic” below the logo though. I think they should ditch that on the log in screen etc. Makes it look less clean

[Vynx]

Only software developers will understand. Back then it was a stand alone program running on Windows XP and installed from CD, since then things have moved on... the delivery of content, bug fixes, the way you sign on, the hardware and OS you run it on.

You even explain it to them, and it still flies over their heads. But, I don't really blame them...until I started working in software development, I had no idea how messy and slow it can be. Basically, what they are doing is moving an application to a different platform => a lot of work

[Shaqur]

I'm an IT engineer (not a software developer mind you) and I still say it's delay tactics. They have a 2005/6 build - just make it work on newer OS + bug fixes (which they know how to fix by now). Modders do shit like this all the time, not to mention gog.com. I don't believe they needed 18 months of development time to release classic. You could've make a new game in that time with resources Blizzard has. I understand the team is smaller, but still - they HAVE the build and the assets.

And this is why you are an IT engineer.
They are not using 2005/06 build since it was full of flaws and the new client is much more optimized and better, also runs on current OS-s no problem, and server side for that version is long gone.

Also, they are not only working on a client side but also on a server side. They ditched old algorithms long time ago, and now they face the challenge of recreating them, and try to not break something. They didn't even have a normalized database (lol) for the old client.
And this is why, the process is taking "long".

[Xemioza]

You got it backwards. One great thing about Classic is you don't play latest patch, there are no dailies, there is no fake progression at max level, so you can play at your own pace. It is much more casual friendly than retail. Classic proper MMORPG > Retail achievement/collections gathering emulator with few remaining RPG elements.

Well you have a point and a good one No catch up mechanics so you can slowly progress through content. But I remember aswell that amount of consumable you needed to have for progression was enourmous, mana oils, mana regen food, potions were on 2 min cd and you could chain them ( I was using superior instead of major bcuz money ),buff regeants, blasted lands buff + flasks for tru progress. Now its easier, and classes are more balanced, I would rly love to try classic again but got a wife/kid and cant do it Cant play slowly, would probably nolife through content, and I would miss all the good things modern wow has like being able to summon in instances or lfg tool or even cross realm instances/raids, I played on low pop realm in classic

[schwarzkopf]

I'm an IT engineer (not a software developer mind you) and I still say it's delay tactics.

Then you'd be wrong. They've done a whole explain on how complex it has been - remember they couldn't even get the original code to work at all. They are effectively porting the stuff to the current platform and reverse engineering how everything worked.

[Wermys]

Rather they do it right not fast and buggy.

[McNeil]

Such a small image can still generate so much excitement

[8bithamster]

I'm an IT engineer (not a software developer mind you) and I still say it's delay tactics. They have a 2005/6 build - just make it work on newer OS + bug fixes (which they know how to fix by now). Modders do shit like this all the time, not to mention gog.com. I don't believe they needed 18 months of development time to release classic. You could've make a new game in that time with resources Blizzard has. I understand the team is smaller, but still - they HAVE the build and the assets.

"Just make it work on newer OS + bug fixes" and that's why you're not anywhere near such IT projects.

I'd suggest actually diving into development and thinking about what has to be done for a project such as this. Small hint;

1.) Completely different hardware
2.) Completely different Operating Systems
3.) Completely different launcher
4.) Completely different patching system
etc
etc

Let me guess, you're the type that updates a company critical piece of software without a test enviroment because "It just works anyway"

[nemspy]

I can't wait for the moment people realize that Classic servers won't give them the sense of magic and fulfillment they got on release.

This is a strawman.

No one expects this.

We just expect a game that isn't a total dumpster fire like the game has been since Cataclysm.

I expect to feel about it how I did in late Vanilla, but with the fact of having to start afresh bringing a tiny bit of that original magic back, however briefly.

Whichever way you slice it, I'll play Classic regularly where you couldn't pay me to play BFA.

[Stacie]

It's coming! Bring it on.

[nemspy]

You got it backwards. One great thing about Classic is you don't play latest patch, there are no dailies, there is no fake progression at max level, so you can play at your own pace. It is much more casual friendly than retail. Classic proper MMORPG > Retail achievement/collections gathering emulator with few remaining RPG elements.

Only five hours?

Filthy casuals.

[Bonkbonk100]

I'm an IT engineer (not a software developer mind you) and I still say it's delay tactics. They have a 2005/6 build - just make it work on newer OS + bug fixes (which they know how to fix by now). Modders do shit like this all the time, not to mention gog.com. I don't believe they needed 18 months of development time to release classic. You could've make a new game in that time with resources Blizzard has. I understand the team is smaller, but still - they HAVE the build and the assets.

Ah IT engineers... you never fail to make me smile.

[Redroniksre]

I am excited, i won't play the beta (no point for me really, i know it all already so i will just wait for release). I hope they let people try out all of the content, to get it as ready as possible even with the spread apart release phases. That said i am a bit worried there will be a lot of "I know how it worked and this isn't how it worked" (Despite them actually being wrong or misled by Private Servers)

[Cavox]

"Just make it work on newer OS + bug fixes" and that's why you're not anywhere near such IT projects.
Let me guess, you're the type that updates a company critical piece of software without a test enviroment because "It just works anyway"

You don't know *how* close I am to what IT projects, but please continue projecting.
I'm completely aware of the things you listed, but it still shouldn't take 18 months for AAA dev team. Stop strawmanning and think for a second. They have all the needed assets, they have the old engine (which is still, even in retail, heavily modified old engine) and most of all - they have experience with their own engine. They could've just make the game again with all the resources they have in 12 months. If you think "patching systems" or "different launcher" is a problem for a software/database engineer to fix in more than a week then I don't think this discussion will go anywhere.

It's all Okcham's razor - what's more probable:
1) they're taking 18 months to re-release a VERSION of a game they've already made long time ago (now having much more experience).
2) they want to strategically release the game when retail will be suffering a major, annual player drop-off while building the hype for Classic?

Ah IT engineers... you never fail to make me smile.

And people who blindly believe companies make me smile. They only want what's best for you, right?

[mojusk]

I can't wait for the moment people realize that Classic servers won't give them the sense of magic and fulfillment they got on release.

i cant wait for the day that people will shut up and mind their own business. let people enjoy what ever they want, even if its something you dont enjoy.
im so bored of retail fanboys trolling classic forums AND vice versa.