FIrst we have to subscribe, second we have to sit and hit F5 or download that crappy Comrade program. Okay well thats rediculous. Funcom and fileplanet is assuming people have nothing else to do with their free time. Sorry but this whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, canceled pre order here and will wait for reviews later on. Beta is limited (only lasting 2 weeks what a joke that is) and it will not contain most of what's in the retail game sorry it smells fishy. I am not taking a chance with this one. I have a strong feelings there's going to be alot of angry people.

Not going to bother with this one, Funcom does'nt seem to care for their potential customers.

lol theres only a problem on the fact that they partnered with fileplanet imo. probably got some extra $$ to use them and there exclusive beta to fileplanet subscribers. maybe it ill root out those who arnt serious. but this is a *OPEN BETA* ie stress testing. dont need much more than the 2 weeks and if they need more they can bump it a extra week or 2.

Well good luck in whatever you decide to play. I was on the fence as well, but after spending 30 hours in their pvp beta Im definitely getting the game.

Sorry the handling of the beta turned you off... games great =)

Originally posted by iamct2327

FIrst we have to subscribe, second we have to sit and hit F5 or download that crappy Comrade program. Okay well thats rediculous. Funcom and fileplanet is assuming people have nothing else to do with their free time. Sorry but this whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, canceled pre order here and will wait for reviews later on. Beta is limited (only lasting 2 weeks what a joke that is) and it will not contain most of what's in the retail game sorry it smells fishy. I am not taking a chance with this one. I have a strong feelings there's going to be alot of angry people.

 

Not going to bother with this one, Funcom does'nt seem to care for their potential customers.

Sorry for your experiences but remember the game and the way that Fileplanet conducts their beta are two entirely different things. There is no need to punish Funcom because Fileplanet's system leaves a lot to be desired. I doubt Funcom had much say in what Fileplanet does to be honest and they surely have no control over Comrade.

Even if you are remotely interested in the game, it is worth it.

I don't believe that you'll cancel your preorder because you never really placed one.

Originally posted by iamct2327

FIrst we have to subscribe, second we have to sit and hit F5 or download that crappy Comrade program. Okay well thats rediculous. Funcom and fileplanet is assuming people have nothing else to do with their free time. Sorry but this whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, canceled pre order here and will wait for reviews later on. Beta is limited (only lasting 2 weeks what a joke that is) and it will not contain most of what's in the retail game sorry it smells fishy. I am not taking a chance with this one. I have a strong feelings there's going to be alot of angry people.

 

Not going to bother with this one, Funcom does'nt seem to care for their potential customers.

Not doing a preorder and waiting for reviews is always a good idea.

the beta limit of 50,000   was set by Funcom -- not Fileplanet

no matter how you slice it,

many people were not going to have access to Open Beta anyhow

Fileplanet is helping Funcom to "balance" 50,000 people who need download a 12 gig file

Funcom commentary on Beta key distribution
community.ageofconan.com/wsp/conan/frontend.cgi

Fileplanet was only given 50,000 keys, and they have way more than 50,000 subscribers, I think it was a logical decision that Fileplanet made, I mean if they handed a key to every user they had that would overload the available servers and we would have a crappy beta because of serious lag.

An open beta for a game of AoC's calibur is something very different than the usual open beta's given out around here.

Having several months of Open Beta is a relatively new concept, and is usually used only by Free MMOs. In those cases, Open Beta is just a way to get some income from the cash shops to finish the project off for launch. Which ends up never really happening because it Open Beta just turned into a Launch day. I get the feeling they just call them Open Beta to get people to wan to play. Open beta is not "early access" it isn't a "trial" to see if you like it before you buy it. Its a test of their software/hardware at their discretion. So there is nothing "fishy" about what their doing at all. Its very normal for there to only be a few weeks of open beta before launch, in order to stress test the system and minimize as many issues as they can that might cause problems at Launch.

That being said, getting in will be very difficult. Because unlike Free MMO's who have little to no cap on how many people can get in. AoC will have a cap (50,000 I believe) and there will be several hundred thousand people trying to get those slots.

Case in point. Don't get fussy because you can't get in beta. Yea it's sad, I can't get in either. but we're either going to have to wait for retail or keep trying to get in before it's over and thats that.

People are still forgetting what a Beta test is for. It's not a free pass to play the game early, it's not even a free trial. You're supposed to try and help them make a better game by logging in and breaking stuff before they release. Where's your sense of MMO civic duty?

If you don't want to become a Fileplanet member and pay a share of the bandwidth and whatever, then don't. You're not missing out on anything. Sure, people who do get into Beta might have a better handle on the game that does release, but really, is it that important?

At the end of the day, Funcom is doing what they think is best for their company and and software. Getting into Beta isn't a bloody contest or anything. It's your chance to help the entire community of AoC by helping Funcom make a better game. If you don't get in, then no big deal you know? Better luck next time.

I've been subscribed to AoC's various websites for the last couple of years, and haven't received a beat key. Such is life, I'll just wait for release.

I'm right there with you korvass

Maybe that is so but if they limit the players in open beta so they get a good run what's gonna happen when every 1 logs in for the first time on the day of the big release? Mass server lag and lots pf very unhappy people i think this is a very poor way t o handle an Open beta i mean it is meant to be  a stress test if you like ? well how the hell are they gonna stress test it with a very small portion of who are gonna play? a stress test is going balls out and seeing what they can handle and what they cant i mean i know that if i got in beta and seen because there were so many ppl on that the servers could not handle it and they decided to put it back a lil while longer to fix that issue i would not be that dissapointed, but if i get on when the game releases and see it is laggy as shit then it is gonna lose my vote till things are fixed. I have high hopes for this game but think they are handling things badly with the direction of this supposedly Open Beta/Stress test more like selective beta/minimal lag test.

Not every one is going to get in. I for one have been lucky and gotten in to both.  Guess you all need to be at the right place at the right time. The game is great  dont hate just because you didnt get in.

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Originally posted by charlizd

 

Maybe that is so but if they limit the players in open beta so they get a good run what's gonna happen when every 1 logs in for the first time on the day of the big release? Mass server lag and lots pf very unhappy people i think this is a very poor way t o handle an Open beta i mean it is meant to be a stress test if you like ? well how the hell are they gonna stress test it with a very small portion of who are gonna play? a stress test is going balls out and seeing what they can handle and what they cant i mean i know that if i got in beta and seen because there were so many ppl on that the servers could not handle it and they decided to put it back a lil while longer to fix that issue i would not be that dissapointed, but if i get on when the game releases and see it is laggy as shit then it is gonna lose my vote till things are fixed. I have high hopes for this game but think they are handling things badly with the direction of this supposedly Open Beta/Stress test more like selective beta/minimal lag test.

---

But you forget, on openning day they will have several servers, no level cap, and other various precautions to take in.

In the Open Beta they limit everything and confine everyone into a small space. They don't have all the servers open, only maybe 2 or 3, they confine everyone to the first 15 levels of content. They jam everyone into the first 15 levels. And they stress test. Not just in the sense of lots of people being on at the same time. Yea thats part of it but not all of it.

50,000 people hitting a single server will be the same as 200,000 hitting 4 servers. etc. They test things such as Are spawn rates decent enough to keep up with a huge load of people? If we trip on this wire how many people will get kicked off? Where is everyone congregating? Is that area big enough?

Now, don't forget there aren't "only" 50,000 people in beta. They are just adding 50,000 into Open Beta, everyone from Closed Beta and before will be there too.

They Are only allowing 50k becuase of the servers. only a few is going to be open or even just one. they don't want a overload 200k on one server. you know how many people already preorder the game? lets say alot... so i don't blame them for going 50k. and what i been reading and seeing .this game is looking greater everyday.

Can't wait to get my War Mammoth. feel bad for people who cancel there order. looks like you are going to walk

Originally posted by DaJoKeR

They Are only allowing 50k becuase of the servers. only a few is going to be open or even just one. they don't want a overload 200k on one server. you know how many people already preorder the game? lets say alot... so i don't blame them for going 50k. and what i been reading and seeing .this game is looking greater everyday.

 

Can't wait to get my War Mammoth. feel bad for people who cancel there order. looks like you are going to walk

You will walk slower than most ppl since you can only use mount at lvl 40 and being a Mamoth ppl in horses will gonna fly trough you! :D

Btw dunno if War Mammoth is only usable at lvl 80 but i think it is!

Originally posted by GenreNinja

 

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Originally posted by charlizd

 

Maybe that is so but if they limit the players in open beta so they get a good run what's gonna happen when every 1 logs in for the first time on the day of the big release? Mass server lag and lots pf very unhappy people i think this is a very poor way t o handle an Open beta i mean it is meant to be a stress test if you like ? well how the hell are they gonna stress test it with a very small portion of who are gonna play? a stress test is going balls out and seeing what they can handle and what they cant i mean i know that if i got in beta and seen because there were so many ppl on that the servers could not handle it and they decided to put it back a lil while longer to fix that issue i would not be that dissapointed, but if i get on when the game releases and see it is laggy as shit then it is gonna lose my vote till things are fixed. I have high hopes for this game but think they are handling things badly with the direction of this supposedly Open Beta/Stress test more like selective beta/minimal lag test.

---

But you forget, on openning day they will have several servers, no level cap, and other various precautions to take in.

In the Open Beta they limit everything and confine everyone into a small space. They don't have all the servers open, only maybe 2 or 3, they confine everyone to the first 15 levels of content. They jam everyone into the first 15 levels. And they stress test. Not just in the sense of lots of people being on at the same time. Yea thats part of it but not all of it.

50,000 people hitting a single server will be the same as 200,000 hitting 4 servers. etc. They test things such as Are spawn rates decent enough to keep up with a huge load of people? If we trip on this wire how many people will get kicked off? Where is everyone congregating? Is that area big enough?

Now, don't forget there aren't "only" 50,000 people in beta. They are just adding 50,000 into Open Beta, everyone from Closed Beta and before will be there too.

 

Well that puts things a little more into focus but i still dont understand the limited open beta spots? from the many years i have been beta testing games open beta has alway's meant Open to the public i just dont understand this selective business if they only want a certain amount of people to test the game then do away with the open beta nonsense or rename it and just finish of testing with a special closed beta stress test i know it is only a name but it is putting a bad taste in many peoples mouths, i honestly have not even bothered to try for the beta as it is the final product that i am more interested but i think things could have been handled a little bit better especially for the community they are trying to attract. If you are gonna have an Open Beta then open the bloody thing dont close off potential buyers and i know exactly what open beta is for but how many people do you seriously think are participating to riddle out bugs in nearly all beta's i have seen i seen more people racing to the top level then actually testing the damn thing, i guess what im getting at is that limiting the player base in a stress test will bring back minimal Results in regards to riddling out bugs unless they are all doing what they have been given the opportunity to do.

And when the servers go live, at least the login servers that do the accounting will be clustered. There will be a number of things in place to help the overload (not that I wouldn't expect a lockup or two and even a crash).

I've been Beta testing for years as well. I don't have an issue with this test in general but I think FC/FP would have done well to call it a Limited OB or a Closed Beta Special or something. Given what Open Beta means to the current MMO market they cold have forestalled some unhappy campers by a small naming change. Small boo-boo on the part of someone in marketing and planning.

*shrug*

Originally posted by Digna

And when the servers go live, at least the login servers that do the accounting will be clustered. There will be a number of things in place to help the overload (not that I wouldn't expect a lockup or two and even a crash).

I've been Beta testing for years as well. I don't have an issue with this test in general but I think FC/FP would have done well to call it a Limited OB or a Closed Beta Special or something. Given what Open Beta means to the current MMO market they cold have forestalled some unhappy campers by a small naming change. Small boo-boo on the part of someone in marketing and planning.

*shrug*

exactly it dont mean a great deal to me lol but to  some it is a big deal and thus people cancelling pr-orders and such but hey that is there way of venting i guess :)

Originally posted by charlizd

Originally posted by GenreNinja

 

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Originally posted by charlizd

 

Maybe that is so but if they limit the players in open beta so they get a good run what's gonna happen when every 1 logs in for the first time on the day of the big release? Mass server lag and lots pf very unhappy people i think this is a very poor way t o handle an Open beta i mean it is meant to be a stress test if you like ? well how the hell are they gonna stress test it with a very small portion of who are gonna play? a stress test is going balls out and seeing what they can handle and what they cant i mean i know that if i got in beta and seen because there were so many ppl on that the servers could not handle it and they decided to put it back a lil while longer to fix that issue i would not be that dissapointed, but if i get on when the game releases and see it is laggy as shit then it is gonna lose my vote till things are fixed. I have high hopes for this game but think they are handling things badly with the direction of this supposedly Open Beta/Stress test more like selective beta/minimal lag test.

---

But you forget, on openning day they will have several servers, no level cap, and other various precautions to take in.

In the Open Beta they limit everything and confine everyone into a small space. They don't have all the servers open, only maybe 2 or 3, they confine everyone to the first 15 levels of content. They jam everyone into the first 15 levels. And they stress test. Not just in the sense of lots of people being on at the same time. Yea thats part of it but not all of it.

50,000 people hitting a single server will be the same as 200,000 hitting 4 servers. etc. They test things such as Are spawn rates decent enough to keep up with a huge load of people? If we trip on this wire how many people will get kicked off? Where is everyone congregating? Is that area big enough?

Now, don't forget there aren't "only" 50,000 people in beta. They are just adding 50,000 into Open Beta, everyone from Closed Beta and before will be there too.

 

Well that puts things a little more into focus but i still dont understand the limited open beta spots? from the many years i have been beta testing games open beta has alway's meant Open to the public i just dont understand this selective business if they only want a certain amount of people to test the game then do away with the open beta nonsense or rename it and just finish of testing with a special closed beta stress test i know it is only a name but it is putting a bad taste in many peoples mouths, i honestly have not even bothered to try for the beta as it is the final product that i am more interested but i think things could have been handled a little bit better especially for the community they are trying to attract. If you are gonna have an Open Beta then open the bloody thing dont close off potential buyers and i know exactly what open beta is for but how many people do you seriously think are participating to riddle out bugs in nearly all beta's i have seen i seen more people racing to the top level then actually testing the damn thing, i guess what im getting at is that limiting the player base in a stress test will bring back minimal Results in regards to riddling out bugs unless they are all doing what they have been given the opportunity to do.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret love,

Open Beta is not a trial for potential buyers. Well.. that may be what most think it is now adays, but the truth of the matter is, it's not.

More than likely, all of the games you've beta tested for were not games of this calibur. Open Beta means it is open to the public and everyone has a chance at getting in. However, that does not mean everyone gets in just because they want to.

During Closed beta, only a few chosen people are allowed in. There are specific goals and the players play through and do as the developers ask.

During Open beta, The game is pretty much ready, so there are a large number of keys given out to the public. However its up to the company to decide how their given out. But whatever the method, everyone has a chance at them. That doesn't mean they won't make it complicated. The players play through with no real direction, and they cram them all onto one or two servers to see how it handles, and they figure out their game plan for opening day.

I swear, all these Free MMO's with their Open and Closed Beta's. -.- They have poinsoned the minds of gamers everywhere.