More Beta Madness

When it comes to Betas, use a scattershot approach — apply for everything, *maybe* you’ll get invited to one thing.

Another target to keep in your sights, one of the incoming Turbine elf dramas: Dungeons & Dragons Online pre-beta beta signup. Really, you have GOT to get into the beta if you want bragging rights for your entire stay in a game: I was in the beta, I’m as old skool as it gets, noob. Also: Game was much better in the closed beta without all these noobs.

Or, you can lie like most people and just say you were in beta plus you’re drinking buddies with the developers so of course you’d know how this damn encounter works. Jeezus.

In other elvish news, the rumors continue to grow and mutate about World of Warcraft’s first expansion pack (read: content you have to BUY) — the details will be officially announced at their BlizzCon thingy on October 28 and 29. Missed the rumors? Go read:

Joystiq
Gaming Steve
WoW Guru forum post by some guy
The Cesspit and updated Cesspit. (and how the fuck did Vivendi get Abalieno’s phone number?)

The big thing is, of course, the max level increase. Seeing as how “learning from others’ past mistakes” isn’t a strong point around these parts, this could be painful … for everyone. One word: Kunark.

But! The bright side: we all get to return to the level grind. Yay. Plus, there’ll be more elves. Yay.

If the horde really does get a new blood elf race, there goes all our Alliance chick priests and druids. Sure, there’ll be less chatter about shoulder and helm graphics, but we need all the priests and druids we can get.

Vanguard’s Beta Cometh

The big news last week was the Vanguard: Saga of Heroes announcement, to a waiting and out of breath world … Beta Cometh.

Posted by Abigale Seashadow on the Vanguard forums (need to be registered to view *shrug*):

Sigil Games Online has entered Phase 1 of our Beta Program! And, as promised, our Community Members will have the first opportunity to apply for it!

We will begin sending out emails today to everyone that has registered on our forum through today with an invitation to apply for Beta 1. Follow the instructions in the email and you are on your way!

Once you have submitted your application, your name will be added to our list of potential Beta participants. Qualified applicants will be selected for the program and added gradually, as we need more and more players throughout the course of Beta.

Please remember that this is an invitation to apply for Beta. If you qualify and are selected at any stage, you will be notified.

So check your email and submit your application! I am sure I will see many of you in Beta soon! We have been looking forward to this for a long time!

That’s a lot of exclamation points! But! What if we’re too busy with Warcraft?!?! What am I saying! No one’s too busy in Warcraft for a Beta! Heee!

While conducting my super secret research into this announcement, I ran across this tool on the web (NO, not a Vanboi. Dammit, I do the jokes around here): Silky Venom Vanguard Dev Tracker. Silky Venom is a real Vanguard fansite, not a fake one like … here, and their Dev Tracker could be a valuable tool for any wouldbe Vanboi stalkers.

Lookee all the posts over the weekend! Posts with some substance even! Anyways.

Much as I’d like to lord a beta account over everyone, and I do want to work the phrase “lightning has struck twice!” somewhere into a blog post, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. The beta or the lightning.

For the record, I also want to use the phrases “So we come to it at last.” “We have no songs for great halls and… evil times.” and “I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.” I like to plan ahead like that.