Posts with tag beta-testing

The closed beta for Diablo III: Reaper of Souls has officially begun. Players that have opted in to the beta should begin checking their email for beta invites. Reaper of Souls, the first expansion for Diablo III, features all-new content as well as the new Crusader class, enchanting, transmogrification and of course, lots and lots of frantic mouse clicking. Players that have received a beta invite can check their Battle.net accounts to verify that the license has been added -- or if you've received a Closed Beta key, you can add it to your account by logging in to your Battle.net page.

For players that have yet to receive an invitation to the closed beta, make sure you've opted in on your Battle.net Beta Profile Settings page -- and while you're at it, make sure the page has the latest system specifications for your computer. Keep in mind that with the closed beta, you must have an active Diablo III license attached to your account -- and that license needs to be in good standing in order to be eligible. No banned or suspended accounts.

Also, as with any beta test, the risk of phishing attempts runs a little higher. If you receive an email that states you're in the beta, be sure you don't click any links in the email itself. Instead, log into your Battle.net account to check that the license has been added, or to manually add a game code. For more information on the Diablo III: Reaper of Souls closed beta, take a look at Blizzard's official page -- and good luck to all those that have opted in!

We're currently receiving reports that more Mists of Pandaria beta passes are being issued -- with a twist. Because all Annual Pass subscribers have received their beta invites, this round is going to those that did not purchase an Annual Pass. If you've registered your interest in beta access on your WoW account, you may have gotten in as well. Please note: if you receive an email notification that you have a beta invite, don't click any links in the email. Just go to Battle.net, log in, and check your accounts to see if you indeed have beta access.

And if you are granted beta access, you may want to check our gigantic amount of Mists of Pandaria beta coverage to catch up on what's changed, what's gone, what's new, and what's incredibly cool.

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It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

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Any beta is full of things that aren't going to be implemented on live, and it's all there to discover if you simply take the time to explore. Possibly the craziest thing I've ever seen is the quest above, simply titled Criteria Effects Test Quest. Located on a remote island off the coast of the Krasarang Wilds, this quest asks players to click and interact with a variety of objects. The quest rewards are low level, and there is no gold involved.

The point? Well, there isn't one, really -- it's simply there to test the new interactive icons and make sure that players will be able to interact with everything. This isn't part of the storyline of Pandaria or anything like that. It's not an official quest that will be included in the final release. It's just a testing area.

However, it's one of those insanely weird, fun, unpredictable moments that you find when you simply roam around on the beta. If you're on the beta servers and you've finished everything there is to do, take some time to explore and see the sights. You never know -- you could find a hidden gem that won't be seen after the beta's over.

Oh, and in case you were wondering ...

The character copy service for the Mists of Pandaria is currently undergoing maintenance according to Community Manager Lylirra on the official forums. This maintenance is to address an issue affecting the service, and there's currently no ETA on when the character copies will be back up. For those who were invited in the latest round of 250,000 invites, this means while you may make a new character on the beta servers, copying your character will have to wait for a little while.

Lyrlirra

The beta character copy is currently undergoing maintenance to a resolve an issue affecting the service. While we don't have an ETA at this time for when character copies will be back up, we'll be providing updates in this thread as they become available.

Thank you for your patience.

source

If you're in the Mists of Pandaria beta, chances are good that you've encountered a few bugs by now. As a beta tester, it's not just your job to sit there and play through the game. You're also expected to report the bugs you happen upon in your travels through Pandaria. Blizzard has provided beta forums for feedback and bug reporting, so you've got a place to jot those bugs down. Once you've found and identified a bug, you should write up a brief report so Blizzard knows that there's a problem and can fix the problem before release.

Before you scamper off to the beta forums, however, there's a proper way to write these bug reports so that Blizzard knows what you're talking about and can take appropriate action. If you write a bug report incorrectly, you're not helping matters any -- and in some cases, you can even confuse the situation and make it worse. So how do you write a good bug report on the beta forums?

Have you made it into the Mists of Pandaria beta yet? Being a beta tester isn't about simply playing through a free sample of the game. If you're expecting a completed product when you log in, you're in for a surprise. What you are playing is a not-quite-finished version of the game, and it's highly likely you'll run into your fair share of bugs as you're wandering Pandaria's gorgeous hills and valleys. As a beta tester, it's your job to report those bugs you find in game, so that they can be fixed before the game goes live.

However, not every error out there deserves a report. Things like NPCs that are marked with a PC or NYI tag are things the developers already know about -- they're just placeholder models. Music isn't yet implemented into Pandaria yet either, but the developers know about that, too. So what makes a bug a bug, and what kinds of bugs should you report?

Beta keys are being unleashed left and right for Mists of Pandaria. While anyone with beta access can create a pandaren and try out the starting zone, that zone is a little clogged right now. Taking a stroll through the Jade Forest might be more up your alley -- it's the first zone we'll encounter as we level from 85 to 90. All you need is a level 85 character, and you can teleport right over to the Jade Forest and begin your journey.

While there are options for premade characters on the beta servers, it may not be the right option for you. After all, most players are far more comfortable with their own characters than they are with a random level 85. Plus you get the added insight of just how far your current gear, enchants and gems will take you when the game goes live. Blizzard has a feature that allows you to copy your characters over to the beta servers for just that purpose -- but before you do it, there are some things you should prepare for.