World Of Warcraft to debut week after HL2?

[Torfish]

Looks like Blizzard is going to avoid the HL2 rush.  Hopefully I will get my copy before Thanksgiving day.

http://www.freep.com/entertainment/videogames/gbits24e_20041024.htm

[Juntei]

Damn Vivendi sucks for holding it a week  :x

[EngineNo9]

Quote from Blizzard on their forums

We appreciate everyone's interest in determining when World of Warcraft will ship, but while we are rapidly approaching the open beta period and we are confident that we will meet our goal of shipping the game before the end of this year, nailing down an exact ship date is a little more complicated due to a number of factors. As soon as we have a specific date to announce, we will be excited to share the news with everyone. Please don't consider any announced release dates official until such an announcement comes from Blizzard. This is true for all announcements related to Blizzard games.

I think we'll be lucky to see it before next year...   :cry:[/url]

[olaf]

Actually, long term, fans and customers will be lucky if they DO NOT see it this year.  They have tons of class balancing to do still if they hope to avoid the typical MMO fuckfest of post-retail class balancing that inevitably entails serious nerfs which engender permanent bad blood between customers and developers.

olaf

[Sepiche]

Quote from Blizzard on their forums

We appreciate everyone's interest in determining when World of Warcraft will ship, but while we are rapidly approaching the open beta period and we are confident that we will meet our goal of shipping the game before the end of this year, nailing down an exact ship date is a little more complicated due to a number of factors. As soon as we have a specific date to announce, we will be excited to share the news with everyone. Please don't consider any announced release dates official until such an announcement comes from Blizzard. This is true for all announcements related to Blizzard games.

I think we'll be lucky to see it before next year...   :cry:[/url]

All the quotes I've seen from the devs point to a release this year, and I'm pretty confident we'll see it towards the end of November.

Actually, long term, fans and customers will be lucky if they DO NOT see it this year. They have tons of class balancing to do still if they hope to avoid the typical MMO fuckfest of post-retail class balancing that inevitably entails serious nerfs which engender permanent bad blood between customers and developers.

I've only played the game itself in the Stress Test, but my experience there and the comments of most, seem to indicate the game, while not done, is far more complete and balanced than any just released MMORPG to date, plus, of all the game companies out there, Blizzard has always been excellent at releasing patchs and fixes in a timely manner.  I'd expect no less to be the case with WoW.

s

[drifter]

The game is definitely done enough to be released when they get the last of the talents into the game and thats in the next patch.  They have added/modified a lot of things and no the game is not perfect but it certainly is playable and fun.  I do not play on the PvP server and have no intentions to so I am not commenting on that.  PvP just isnt worth it in my opinion you essentially get nothing from killing a player other than making them do a corpse run.  You can do PvP on the regular servers just walk into an enemy city and you have the PvP flag on automatically or attack any NPC.

Drifter

[olaf]

The class balance is anything but done.  Anyone who says otherwise does not have any experience in the current 'end game' which involves instance/raid farming.  Add to that PvP balance and you have a whole shitload of work to be done.  Unfortunately, class nerfs are the ones that elicit the most anguish from customers.  That was my point.

olaf

[drifter]

Olaf get the chip off your shoulder and reread my post I dont give a darn about PvP as I have no intention of playing that way.  PvP has absolutely no reward at all right now, you get no experience nor do you get a monetary reward so its really a waste of time.  In that regard I dont care if they balance PvP I dont think most players want to play that way anyhow.

Drifter

[Falator]

Olaf get the chip off your shoulder and reread my post I dont give a darn about PvP as I have no intention of playing that way.  PvP has absolutely no reward at all right now, you get no experience nor do you get a monetary reward so its really a waste of time.  In that regard I dont care if they balance PvP I dont think most players want to play that way anyhow.

Drifter

God forbid someone plays a game for fun instead of just to grind :roll:

oh and i will never forgive the stupidity that was diablow 2 balancing. Blizzard can take their spear ww barbs and their firewall sorc gods and shove them up their collective asses :x

[drifter]

Falatar read a little higher the game is fun to play.  It will be ready when they want to release it.  

Where is the fun in ganking someone for no reason?  The PvP actions I have seen  by players is the usual take a bunch of maxed out players and attack a small town where the NPC's and players are too low of a level to have any chance.  Thats how PvP has worked so far from what I have seen.  Since there is no reward at all, why even bother?

Drifter

[obb]

Well, I think the fun in PVP has yet to be realized.  Blizz was excited about the stuff that's going in and we might see it next patch or might see it retail, but ganking is not the be all end goal.  Especially with the honor system once it goes into effect that prevents ganking and promotes worthy battles.  I'm sure the honor system won't be entirely cut and dry as only fight within 7 levels (like lower levels open themselves up if they fight you) but it only makes sense as a couple of lower levels can destroy a level 60.

There are already quests based around PvP and will be more emphasis on it.  The fun is the same as the fun in Warcraft, fighting a good battle and the best player winning.  While some raids may involve small towns like you said, have you seen the wonderfulness that is Korea PvP?  Tactics and planning, diversions and the force with the smaller numbers somehow winning?  Here's a link to a thread about one raid:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-pvp&t=24014

Does that not sound like a whole lot a fun?  And was ganking a part of that article/event at all?  And did Blizzard didn't even have to lift a finger to organize it, it organized itself.   Until the special PvP mounts, titles, and other rewards are in, stuff like that is the reward.

[Sam Hell]

I'd much rather be playing it now and be nerfed later than not be playing it at all.

Waiting until December or January really, really sucks. If that's the case, that is. I sure hope not.

[Calvin]

I would GUESS...Nov. 22 or 29. Ready or not.

[EngineNo9]

I'm wondering if they're waiting until nearer Nov 8th to release the open beta so that it disrupts the new EQ2 launch.

[Osprey a.k.a. Gollum]

Engine #9: I wouldn't doubt that a bit. In fact, its what I believe is happening as well.

Blizzard would just love to rain on the EQ-2 party...
And a Nov.8th OB would coincide with a Nov. 22 release......Open beta release, Gold announcement shortly after, two weeks later, store shelves.

[olaf]

Olaf get the chip off your shoulder and reread my post I dont give a darn about PvP as I have no intention of playing that way.  PvP has absolutely no reward at all right now, you get no experience nor do you get a monetary reward so its really a waste of time.  In that regard I dont care if they balance PvP I dont think most players want to play that way anyhow.

lol first of all you need to calm down.  What chip are you talking about exactly?  The classes are not balanced at high levels, its plain to see.  Certain classes have a hell of a time getting groups, and others are mandatory.  Saying that means I have a chip on my shoulder?

As for PvP, I personally dont care about it either but guess what?  It affects us still because there is ONE ruleset.  A nerf or change to PvP rubs off on PvE, and vice-versa.

olaf

[drifter]

Actually you didnt say anything like that at all olaf.

[namatoki]

I wasn't really interested in PvP as well, but with the plans of battlegrounds, I'm looking forward to that PvP aspect.  So in that sense, Blizzard really needs to get the PvP balance down right.  I really don't see how they are going to balance battlegrounds if they don't get them in soon so we can test them.  Right now, I see a huge disadvantage for the Horde mainly because Alliance outnumbers them.  I'm curious to see how they balance that out.  Plus using seige vehicles and infernals to destroy enemy buildings sounds cool.

If Blizzard does this right, it could be what a lot of people hoped Savage would be.  Another cool idea I read about the battlegrounds was to have players help gather resources and build buildings (i.e. town hall, blacksmith, etc.).  Then they can go attack the enemy's buildings and such.  I guess if one side out numbers the other, the battleground could put in some NPCs to even the sides.