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What is Beta about MWO? The fact that it's an incomplete game with a lot of missing features and a lot of bugs? Sorry, that doesn't make something a beta. I suppose EA could just start calling half their released titles betas. Stardock could have called Elemental: War of Magic a beta, and stated that it was still a work in progress and buyers were helping fund the game. Instead of going down that morally shady road, however, the devs in charge came and flat out said it was a colossal fuckup, they were going to try and patch it and move on, and offered varying levels of discounts for players who had purchased or pre-ordered the game.
The reality is that there's no such thing as an Open Beta in a f2p/pay-for-goodies style MMO, if those purchases are non-resettable and non-refundable. The only thing that will differentiate this game from now when the devs decide to start calling it released instead of beta is that it will (hopefully) be less buggy and (hopefully) more features will be complete. You see, this is what most games refer to as "patches."
MWO has been a released game with buyable, non-resettable, non-refundable features since closed beta ended. It is a small-time, niche genre game that was pushed to release by the publisher. Personally, I am willing to accept that. I do not regret my founder's purchase as I viewed it as an investment into future entertainment, and so far, despite an awful state of balance and plenty of bugs when the game was released, I am entertained (are you not entertained?).
However, I am getting tired of "x thing is broken" or "y feature is imbalanced" getting the "oh, it's a beta" response. No, sorry, I'm paying for features. I am actively using those features. There will be no reset of my funds to buy the features I prefer (over what I am helping to "test" now) when the game is in its "complete" state. What I pay for now is what I get now. Let me repeat that I am willing to accept that. It shouldn't be any surprise, though, that this sort of attitude turns a lot of people off and could be taken as insulting.
I have zero issues with purchases being non-refundable. However, if you want to keep calling this thing a beta, you've gotta put some mechanics into place that a paying user would expect from a beta. An ability to reset MC and MC-purchases? Some sort of accumulative discount per purchase that will result in a deposit of MC into users' accounts when the devs arbitrarily decide to stop calling the game a beta? Something along those lines. Alternatively, if you're out to sell the games features "as-is" be honest and stop calling it a beta. I think enough of the playerbase here realizes that you're developing a niche game catered towards them and are willing to buy into that, for all of its flaws, as long as there's more honesty and transparency.
On the other hand, if we're paying for a beta (and expected to pay more for features in the actual 'release'), I suppose we could just start calling this MWO: Vista.
"Beta" is more than just a synonym for "incomplete".
Edit:
In case I wasn't clear enough in the OP, I have no problems with my own investment and may actually put more money into the game (though I don't delude myself into thinking its a beta because someone stuck a blue word on a logo). It's very relevant to my interests and I enjoy it despite its flaws.[/color]
However, I don't drink the kool-aid enough to realize this nonchalant attitude toward the game's issues isn't a turn off for a very large amount of people. A number of other founders on here are some of the worst about that, sadly. Some newer user will have massive issues and get the "it's a beta" reply. No matter what kind of label you put on something, when the average person buys something, they expect a certain amount of results. If they don't get results, they expect good communication on why there are no results. Both are commodities in low supply here at the moment in the eyes of a lot of people.[/color]
As someone who enjoys playing this game, and has no problems investing in this game, I think this attitude is something that needs to be addressed for the good of the game. The "it's a beta" culture is having a negative effect and I'm not a fan.
Edited by Aposiopesis, 26 March 2013 - 09:20 AM.
