Noblegarden delayed
by Eliah Hecht 
Apr 2nd 2009 at 1:00PM
As we suspected might happen when we learned that Noblegarden was removed from the in-game calendar, the Easter-themed holiday has been delayed. CMs are quick to note that it will be implemented "at a future date," but it won't be going live on April 12 as usual. We were warned that this might happen, so it isn't a huge surprise.
The likely reason for the delay is that patch 3.1 won't be ready in time, or at least that Blizzard isn't sure it will be - it would have to ship next Tuesday, April 7, to make it. 3.1 is a massive patch and I'm sure they don't want to rush it. Nethaera did mention in a reply that they are "still doing a little bug dance and squishing a few more before we decide [the patch is] ready to have its coming out party," which may imply that all that's left before the patch is ready is debugging. On the other hand, debugging can take a very long time, so we can't conclude too much from that.
Whenever it does come out (probably sometime this month), we will be enjoying a new, expanded Noblegarden. It's going for one week (previously, it was just a single day), and there will be additional content for us to experience, as well as presumably a title (since it'll be part of What a Long, Strange Trip, everyone's favorite holiday meta-achievement).
Filed under: Patches, Events, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SaintStryfe Apr 2nd 2009 1:06PM
It'll be just as much a spring celebration in a month, after I'm done with my grad school papers.... hehe
Balasan Apr 2nd 2009 1:07PM
I can't help but giggle and roll all over the floor laughing at that ridiculous pink dressed paladin.
Then I remembered that Tier 4 was also pink.
Then I cried.
Grim Apr 2nd 2009 1:09PM
Hmm, I hope it doesn't clash with Children's week.
Working on two holiday meta-achievements at the same time carries a high risk of developing insomnia. >_>
Auri Apr 2nd 2009 2:24PM
I too am worried about that; the overlap of Lunar Festival and Love Fest severely frayed my nerves, and I don't want to do that again so soon!
I don't understand why they can't just release the holiday part of 3.1 as a separate patch this coming Tuesday and release the rest of 3.1 when it's ready (assuming the holiday stuff is ready of course)?
sara Apr 2nd 2009 1:12PM
The title for the noblegarden meta is the Noble. One of my faves, I must say!
Mindbasher Apr 2nd 2009 3:10PM
Debugging takes longer then developing for many pieces of code.
ryan hayes Apr 2nd 2009 1:49PM
If it's not a "huge surprise" you're implying that it's still somewhat of a surprise, even as you're saying it shouldn't be a surprise because you were told it was probably going to happen in the same sentence. So which is it?
vern Apr 2nd 2009 1:56PM
If the QA phase is seriously done, it takes as much time to debug it than to develop it.
So if it took 5 months to develop 3.1 it will take 5 months to QA it.
Now, that being said, if management is smart, QA was involved very early and the QA phase and the Development phase overlaps, meaning that it could be only 1-2 months of pure development without QA and the last 3-4 months were done in parallel with QA.
My point ? Budget wise, QA cost is equal to the development cost and schedule is based on management skills. Is Blizzard good at managing deadlines ?
To be honnest, I fear the worst as I believe Blizzard will be rushing it forward instead of losing market share to Warhammer and the rest of the competition. This is not going to be fun.
Haven Apr 2nd 2009 2:02PM
The image above actually owned my mind. Real hard. I can predict nightmares with pallies in pink dresses hunting me down in Elwynn forest. T_T
Jon Do Apr 2nd 2009 2:31PM
As a software guy for 20-ish years, and seeing the 3.0.2 and 3.0.8 problems, I wish Blizz the best for all out sakes, but I’m not getting my hopes up - at all - about a smooth patch day/week.
I must say that I’m actually surprised at the slip, even with the ‘warning’. I think that it is now obvious that 3.1 is *waaaaay* behind schedule, first of all because in TBC 2.1 followed release by only 4 months, and second because any project planner with any inkling that there was a chance for a slip of Noblegarden would have planned (as a contingency) to drop it into 3.0.9 as an event content mini-patch rather than risk the red-faced embarrassment of delaying “Easter”!
I will be frank -- pre-Wrath I was very confident in Blizzard’s coding and certification (“polish”), and ability to stay close to a long-range schedule, but not anymore, so they will have to win me back on that. I have alts at-the-ready in “old Azeroth” if Northrend crashes and burns... and Xbox 360 in the event that it’s a complete failure.
Jeff Apr 2nd 2009 2:46PM
So i bring to the table a few questions
1. if this patch in fact is delayed what does that mean for the noble garden achievement for the violet protodrake?
2. does it mean that we have to wait another year to achieve the drake once brewfest starts? (if this where the case, then they would lose alot of gamers,striving for the proto drake.)
3. or will they launch a "mini patch" for noble gardens which i would imagine be seperate from the 3.1 patch.
4. just around this delay of noble gardens attached to easter, and the assumption that noble gardens is attached to 3.1 and the achievements are attached to the proto drake... what will be the outcome? what do you all think?
Treason of Farstriders Apr 2nd 2009 3:18PM
They've already stated it may not coincide with easter.
Noblegarden will happen this year, shortly after the patch.
Nemu Apr 6th 2009 5:14AM
FYI, because of all of the complainers, the Brew-of-the-Year meta was removed.
It's incredible how, after 4 years playing, the crying power of community's whiners STILL seems to amaze me.
Isak Apr 2nd 2009 4:51PM
Personally I'm very happy about this.
Noblegarden's addition to the "Strange long Trip" meta-achievement came as a nasty surprise, as I had already planned my Easter vacation when the news hit me, and I know I won't be anywhere near an internet-connection all Easter.
So I was working myself up to QQ a bit about how I had busted my balls to get the other holiday-achievements, just to have Noblegarden come and smash my hopes of getting a Violet Proto-Drake this year.
Now it seems like Lady Luck has smiled on me, so I'll have to find something else to QQ about... :)
Lunchman Apr 8th 2009 6:49PM
Blizzard has the power to change the day of Easter!
Auguste Apr 3rd 2009 8:49AM
Why can no one spell "calendar"?
Curlley Apr 3rd 2009 9:54AM
I used to be a wow player in wrath. I cleared everything sarth 3 drakes you name it. It was cleared. So what happens after that. I run around org for 4 hours just like everything else. Blizz really dissappointed me in the new expansion. What do they expect when they put naxx as the starting raid in lich king. I mean for one probably 3/4 of the wow players already cleared it in pre-bc and with the rate people are clearing all this content so fast, why havnt we seen a new content patch. Its been damn near half a year lich kings been released and we havnt seen anything new. Good Job Blizzard way to keep your subscribers entertained.
b0ydrgn Apr 3rd 2009 10:17PM
Seems to me that leveling is going WAY to fast. Took me darn near a year to level a hunter in the original game, BC took me 6 months to go from 70 to 80, and now a month and a half...with about the same play time used. Too fast to level, too much gold, too much of alot, and content lost. They have some greats tory lines, mind you, but alot of the quest are the same old stuff with new NPCs to decorate the landscape. Hope this patch has what is promised, like land mounts that can swim, dual spec, new dance moves, and a whole new dungeon.