I changed my mind about an open beta

Previously, I was firmly against an open beta with the argument that would be a slap in the face of those who preordered a pack on Kickstarter or the online shop. However, I changed my mind. Why? Because it could be a way to get the game more popular and better known of the gaming community. At default to not having a free trial after launch, people can try it and eventually buy a subscription when it’s come out. The only way I would be okay with that is the open beta happens sometimes after Beta-2 and secondly, it's shorter than both paid betas.

We can see something like that (from the longer to the shortest):
Alpha-2 (right now unknown length)
Alpha-1 (lasted 1 month)
Beta-1 (could last 2 weeks)
Beta-2 (could last 2 weeks as well)
Open Beta (could be 1 week)

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Mag7spy

Obviously there is going to be a open beta that isn't even a question. That kind of Beta is meant for marketing.

Ludullu

Mag7spy wrote: »

Obviously there is going to be a open beta that isn't even a question. That kind of Beta is meant for marketing.

Just to make sure no one mistakes this for official info - there has been no official word on any open betas

tautau

The basic assumption* of the OP is that the goal is to have as many subscribers as possible, like WOW does. This may not be true. AoC could well be aiming for customers who like this niche game, who intend/hope to play it for years. The subscription pricing plan certainly is aimed towards those players (no box cost, income generated over time). So, bringing in the max number of potentially short-term players with a free and open Beta might be counter-productive to the long-term business strategy of IS.

Sure, this is different than how most games have been marketed he last decade or two, but isn't AoC different from most game in the last decade or two? I am not saying I am sure of this, just that it is a possibility.

*After all, you probably know that old saying about the word 'assume.'

Mag7spy

tautau wrote: »

The basic assumption* of the OP is that the goal is to have as many subscribers as possible, like WOW does. This may not be true. AoC could well be aiming for customers who like this niche game, who intend/hope to play it for years. The subscription pricing plan certainly is aimed towards those players (no box cost, income generated over time). So, bringing in the max number of potentially short-term players with a free and open Beta might be counter-productive to the long-term business strategy of IS.

Sure, this is different than how most games have been marketed he last decade or two, but isn't AoC different from most game in the last decade or two? I am not saying I am sure of this, just that it is a possibility.

*After all, you probably know that old saying about the word 'assume.'

This makes no sense, you are effectively saying their business stat is to not have people get a taste for the game (or even stress test their servers lol?).

Their goal to have have AoC be a big mmorpg as any other business, but it doesn't mean they are going to stop their vision just to appeal to masses. On top of that there will be PLENTY of people that will want to play they game that are into this type that have no bought it, there will be uncertain people as well. Allowing people to test out a product IS is confident in so they can have a strong release will make their business better.

I don't know how you think a mmorpg is not going to do a stress test int this day and age anyway on their servers anyway. You don't get a stress test from a closed tiny beta. MMorpgs have always had a open test in the past decade+. This reasoning doesn't make sense for them to not to do it so they have have better gauge at how to be ready at launch as the game continues to pick up actual hype when they start marketing.

Mag7spy

NiKr wrote: »

Mag7spy wrote: »

Obviously there is going to be a open beta that isn't even a question. That kind of Beta is meant for marketing.

Just to make sure no one mistakes this for official info - there has been no official word on any open betas

Of course there isn't an official word when it is ages away....That is like saying Riots mmorpg has no official word on open beta. Normal dev language to be to talk about it when they get there. Else u will have mixed language between alpha and beta and have peoples perception mixed up.

Yall being to edgy with the gatekeeping. Looking at the past history of mmorpgs there are test and they are kind of needed so the major sever issues we already have are not even worse. From mmorpgs, to even live service games like nightingale and the issues wayfinder had which were horrendous.

IS is a newer studio they are going to want to test thing out and make sure they have a strong release to make sure things don't break on top of marketing the game. And i wouldn't expect to hear anything about open beta or beta anything until after alpha.

Ludullu

Mag7spy wrote: »

Of course there isn't an official word when it is ages away....That is like saying Riots mmorpg has no official word on open beta. Normal dev language to be to talk about it when they get there. Else u will have mixed language between alpha and beta and have peoples perception mixed up.

Yeah. Except we know that A2 will last till release. We know that both betas will run along side A2, which will be before that "ages away" release. Yet we've had no word about any open betas.

Everything can be "super obvious" until it just doesn't happen. I was simply making sure that people don't get the wrong idea.

Mag7spy

NiKr wrote: »

Mag7spy wrote: »

Of course there isn't an official word when it is ages away....That is like saying Riots mmorpg has no official word on open beta. Normal dev language to be to talk about it when they get there. Else u will have mixed language between alpha and beta and have peoples perception mixed up.

Yeah. Except we know that A2 will last till release. We know that both betas will run along side A2, which will be before that "ages away" release. Yet we've had no word about any open betas.

Everything can be "super obvious" until it just doesn't happen. I was simply making sure that people don't get the wrong idea.

I'm just making sure there is some actual grounded reality, technically anything is possible sure. The chance of no open test is highly unlikely and talking about open beta that is super far away is not something you do even more so as you are selling packs that can offer different information in itself.

I don't know how you can have that vibe "until it doesn't happen" and where you are getting this confidence from.

Mag7spy

@NiKr At the end of the day this game is going to be sold, and people that will buy it are for sure going to get beta access. That isn't something id expect them to talk about now exactly (they have already kept the doors open but I'm not going to read into that too much).

Be it beta #2 or if there is a stress test one after that. If people that can openly buy it and be in the test that means it is a open beta and not closed.

Their packs being buyable you can already make a argument its a open beta. Open doesn't mean its free by the way.

Ludullu

Mag7spy wrote: »

Be it beta #2 or if there is a stress test one after that. If people that can openly buy it and be in the test that means it is a open beta and not closed.

Their packs being buyable you can already make a argument its a open beta. Open doesn't mean its free by the way.

Pretty sure the common meaning of "open beta" is "free to access"

And like I said, there's been no word of this happening. Of course Steven's salesman past could always shine through and the reason for absence of that word could be that he didn't want to lose money on key bundles, but that'd be a pretty bleak outlook on his approach.

Mag7spy

NiKr wrote: »

Mag7spy wrote: »

Be it beta #2 or if there is a stress test one after that. If people that can openly buy it and be in the test that means it is a open beta and not closed.

Their packs being buyable you can already make a argument its a open beta. Open doesn't mean its free by the way.

Pretty sure the common meaning of "open beta" is "free to access"

And like I said, there's been no word of this happening. Of course Steven's salesman past could always shine through and the reason for absence of that word could be that he didn't want to lose money on key bundles, but that'd be a pretty bleak outlook on his approach.

Closed beta means not open to the public, open beta = open to public

Mag7spy

IE Once human was a closed beta not open tot he pubic once they locked it required you to have a key to have access to it.

Throne and liberty was a closed beta required you to sign up and have a key for it.

Open beta does not mean free beta.

Edit*

To add to this Open beta being linked to often being free is a fair judgement based on the fact its for marketing and stress testing. So you want the maximum amount of people so that can often be the case. As that technical testing is important to make sure your launch doesn't have huge errors.

Second edit*

Not really going to argue if they will have a free one more not for AoC, that depends on them and how successful they see their product being. Testing for worse case scenario can only be a benefit and something they can do in waves in a controlled environment.

Worse case is palworld with no testing and major issues and server wipes

Ludullu

Mag7spy wrote: »

IE Once human was a closed beta not open tot he pubic once they locked it required you to have a key to have access to t.

Throne and liberty was a closed beta required you to sign up and have a key for it.

Don't really know what this supposed to mean here.

Ludullu

Mag7spy wrote: »

Not really going to argue if they will have a free one more not for AoC, that depends on them and how successful they see their product being.

Which is literally what I said. We have no word about an open beta. And for majority of people "open" means free, because it is OPEN for them to participate in.

Mag7spy

NiKr wrote: »

Mag7spy wrote: »

IE Once human was a closed beta not open tot he pubic once they locked it required you to have a key to have access to t.

Throne and liberty was a closed beta required you to sign up and have a key for it.

Don't really know what this supposed to mean here.

I'm referencing games and how it works as examples...It means you were not able to play the throne and liberty testing unless you were selected because it is a closed test. If it was a open one anyone in the public would have been able to have access to it.

If you have no direct way to gain access to a test and need to be given a code from a player or a sign up as they are not letting everyone into the beta. That means it is a closed testing.

Mag7spy

NiKr wrote: »

Mag7spy wrote: »

Not really going to argue if they will have a free one more not for AoC, that depends on them and how successful they see their product being.

Which is literally what I said. We have no word about an open beta. And for majority of people "open" means free, because it is OPEN for them to participate in.

That is not true you are just saying that. The term open means public, closed means not everyone has access. That is how it works.

Closed test are often free so there is no actual link there. I don't remember paying money to test Wayfinder nor once human both which were closed test. Nor did my friend pay for Throne and liberty closed test. That may be the definition you want from it for your point but that is not actually how it works lmao.

I can use the same logic when people sign up for a closed beta their expectation is its free.

Ludullu

Whatever.

My main point, we've heard no word of open beta testing for the main release. Even though Intrepid have already laid out their plan for testing.

They have also used the term "open beta" for APOC and there it meant "access for free", so take that for whatever its worth.
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