Employee Alpha Testing for WoW Classic

[anon28815018]

You might think it’s Frankenstein but it’s probably a lot less than you realize.

Just how much Frankenstein exactly am I realizing?

About as much as you have worded in a post.

They are making a Frankenstein version of the game layered over a version of the retail client and releasing it as a new version, 1.13.

So are you saying I’m wrong?

[Ristra-suramar (Ristra)]

You quoted the reason already. It’s ok. I know you expected some kinda dev quote or something. Actions are just important. You can minimize the demo all you like. It fully illustrates their ability to use agile development methodologies. That alone is enough to prove they can skip a beta.

So a small test of two zones and very partial leveling experience is equivalent to testing a release of the full game?

You can minimize the need for a beta all you like, I guess. Using your words.

Do a little google foo on agile development methodology. Might blow your mind on how developing in a live environment has changed.

Live is the new beta. Proven with the demo, they know how to do it.

[Ristra-suramar (Ristra)]

@anon28815018

So are you saying I’m wrong?

Yes, they said as much in their dev water cooler.

@anon28815018

They are making a Frankenstein version of the game layered over a version of the retail client and releasing it as a new version, 1.13.

This isn’t how WoW is designed. It’s highly database driven. That is where the bulk of their work is going to be.

Dev Watercooler: World of Warcraft Classic - WoW

[Metaphysics-moon-guard]

You quoted the reason already. It’s ok. I know you expected some kinda dev quote or something. Actions are just important. You can minimize the demo all you like. It fully illustrates their ability to use agile development methodologies. That alone is enough to prove they can skip a beta.

So a small test of two zones and very partial leveling experience is equivalent to testing a release of the full game?

You can minimize the need for a beta all you like, I guess. Using your words.

Do a little google foo on agile development methodology. Might blow your mind on how developing in a live environment has changed.

Live is the new beta. Proven with the demo, they know how to do it.

Oh boy…

If you knew what agile development was you wouldn’t be using it as an example for World of Warcraft development.

I suppose if you can give a good reason for me to believe they are I might reconsider.

[anon28815018]

Yes, they said as much in their dev water cooler.

You’re not understanding what I’m saying. They are using 1.12 data, but with content stages. The interface and graphics settings are going to be different too. That’s not true Vanilla. That’s a Frankenstein version. They also are layering the data over a retail client, they said this at Blizzcon. And yes, the version is 1.13.x

You linked something from almost a year ago, that yes, I did read. But I’ve also followed along since then. You clearly haven’t.

[Brannox-staghelm]

LOL …sounds more like the ‘end of summer’ to me. I don’t trust Blizzard to come out with Classic at the beginning or middle of summer. My two cents.

[Eloraell-moon-guard]

You’re not understanding what I’m saying. They are using 1.12 data, but with content stages. The interface and graphics settings are going to be different too. That’s not true Vanilla. That’s a Frankenstein version. They also are layering the data over a retail client, they said this at Blizzcon. And yes, the version is 1.13.x

You linked something from almost a year ago, that yes, I did read. But I’ve also followed along since then. You clearly haven’t.

To use your analogy, by CP6, all the body parts are coming from the same human.

[anon28815018]

You’re not understanding what I’m saying. They are using 1.12 data, but with content stages. The interface and graphics settings are going to be different too. That’s not true Vanilla. That’s a Frankenstein version. They also are layering the data over a retail client, they said this at Blizzcon. And yes, the version is 1.13.x

You linked something from almost a year ago, that yes, I did read. But I’ve also followed along since then. You clearly haven’t.

To use your analogy, by CP6, all the body parts are coming from the same human.

Except it’s software?

[Eloraell-moon-guard]

Except it’s software?

You’re calling it Frankenstein. That’s an analogy.

Ultimately, the content will not be ‘frankenstinian’ by CP6. All content, despite what many people here want/demand/claim, will be the 1.12 version once CP6 is released.

The retail client and engine underpinning it all is a significant difference from Vanilla, and yes, I think that needs testing by a horde of Classic lovers scouring it for any inconsistencies. But the ‘franken-patch’ term in these forums has usually been used to refer to the fact that people want to cherry pick elements from all the different patches for the final change. No DHKs from 1.4. AV 1.5. 1.10 talents, Captain Placeholder etc.

I think there will be a beta. But I think it will be short and primarily used to test load capabilities by putting all the eager participants on a single server.

[Mogar-stormrage (Mogar)]

You sound like Luuni, version2.

[Eloraell-moon-guard]

Can I call you Starman, version 2?

[anon28815018]

Except it’s software?

You’re calling it Frankenstein. That’s an analogy.

Ultimately, the content will not be ‘frankenstinian’ by CP6. All content, despite what many people here want/demand/claim, will be the 1.12 version once CP6 is released.

The retail client and engine underpinning it all is a significant difference from Vanilla, and yes, I think that needs testing by a horde of Classic lovers scouring it for any inconsistencies. But the ‘franken-patch’ term in these forums has usually been used to refer to the fact that people want to cherry pick elements from all the different patches for the final change. No DHKs from 1.4. AV 1.5. 1.10 talents, Captain Placeholder etc.

I think there will be a beta. But I think it will be short and primarily used to test load capabilities by putting all the eager participants on a single server.

And you know why people are calling it Frankenstein, right? Because they are redelivering the experience but also redesigning it. Taking the pieces but rebuilding it. Ala Frankenstein.

It’s not my analogy. I didn’t come up with it. But I understand it.

Anyway, my comment of “except it’s software” was more to reinforce that it is software and that they will want it to be tested. And like it or not, we are still months away from release. Ample time for them to test it in stages like they usually do.

There’s a big difference between having a beta and not having one. I am not discussing what they will want to be tested because that is up to them, not us but I am pretty sure they will at least want some part of it tested.

But there are people here swearing they don’t need to do a beta. I’ve considered the perspective there, but then I’m like “nah, they’ll do one… they always do.”

The fact is we don’t really know. They know. It’s kind of a silly thing to argue about actually.

So I think I’m just going to wait and see.

[Eloraell-moon-guard]

And you know why people are calling it Frankenstein, right? Because they are redelivering the experience but also redesigning it. Taking the pieces but rebuilding it. Ala Frankenstein.

It’s not my analogy. I didn’t come up with it. But I understand it.

Except the analogy you’re making is not the same one everyone else is. They’re referring to content, you’re referring to platform.

Anyway, my comment of “except it’s software” was more to reinforce that it is software and that they will want it to be tested. And like it or not, we are still months away from release. Ample time for them to test it in stages like they usually do.

I agree. There will be a beta, though likely limited or short.

[anon28815018]

Except the analogy you’re making is not the same one everyone else is. They’re referring to content, you’re referring to platform.

Not sure what you mean. I said they are using 1.12 data but delivering content in stages.

I’d say I’m talking about the big picture, not either or.

[Eloraell-moon-guard]

Not sure what you mean. I said they are using 1.12 data but delivering content in stages.

Nobody but you is calling that frankenstinian. Its only a ‘franken-patch’ if they don’t end up at CP6 being 1.12 (like the examples I gave).

[anon28815018]

@Eloraell-moon-guard

@anon28815018

Not sure what you mean. I said they are using 1.12 data but delivering content in stages.

Nobody but you is calling that frankenstinian. Its only a ‘franken-patch’ if they don’t end up at CP6 being 1.12 (like the examples I gave).

I’ve seen numerous people call it Frankenstein. In fact I just read this a few minutes ago.

Classic summer or Classic BETA summer?

We’re going to be playing Frankenstein’s Software, assembled out of the parts of a game’s corpse, and crap they had lying around at the office. We’re gonna’ need a beta, and a stress test, to see how the game holds up without sharding.

A quick search of “Frankenstein” in the Classic forums reveals that it is not only I using the term:

https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/search?q=frankenstein%20category%3A172

[anon61271098]

You guys are all wrong. Frankenstein is the name of the person who created the creature, so basically Ion Hazzikostas or whoever is leading the classic team is Dr. Frankenstein. In the original story, the creature was so hideous it wasn’t even given a name, yet people erroneously refer to the creature as Frankenstein. If anything resembles Dr. Frankenstein’s creation right now, it would be Battle for Azeroth.

[anon28815018]

Huh, I thought BfA was just a bunch of goiters stitched together. How enlightening

[Eloraell-moon-guard]

@anon28815018

A quick search of “Frankenstein” in the Classic forums reveals that it is not only I using the term:

https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/search?q=frankenstein%20category%3A172

Yeah but all the people in those quotes are using it about mismatched content.

[anon28815018]

@Eloraell-moon-guard

@anon28815018

A quick search of “Frankenstein” in the Classic forums reveals that it is not only I using the term:

https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/search?q=frankenstein%20category%3A172

Yeah but all the people in those quotes are using it about mismatched content.

And I said they are using 1.12 but delivering content in stages. There is no difference in what I’m saying and what they are saying.