Wow beta information!

♦ blindworld · 09/12/06, 3:57 PM

Yes, the title's a bad pun...

With all the talk about Burning Crusade, I figured it was someone relavent to reminisce the old game. Looking for something the other day I ran across this gem:

http://www.blizzard.com/wow/townhall/

It's like the current burning crusade page... but for warcraft 1.0...

Not only that, but it was already outdated by the time open beta came out. Definately an interesting read through. There's a few things in particular that are interesting to see:

Old style screenshots!
They all seem to use older models of the characters, with humans being the most significant

Old spells!
Each class lists 2 or 3 spells that class had at the time. A few of those spells these classes no longer have, some were given to other classes, some removed totally, and others (Defensive Stance) completely reworked.

Mounts!
Tauren mounts ftw.

Dungeons!
There's 3 listed world dungeons... The Deadmines (presumably because it's the first most will encounter), Scarlet Monastary, and quite an interesting choice for the 3rd...

Death!
The death/resurrection system and penalties is vastly different than what it is today.

Major Cities!
I'm still amazed at everything they planned to implement in cities at one point. Some of the stuff I really wish they had.

Kasonic · 09/12/06, 5:22 PM

I really liked the old female human model. Too bad they scrapped it. Pretty much all the other female models got a lot better, especially Horde.

Thank god (I think) they're bringing back the old troll mob models. So much cooler.

Lord BEEF · 09/12/06, 5:24 PM

Originally Posted by blindworld

Old style screenshots!
They all seem to use older models of the characters, with humans being the most significant

Uh look at the female tauren. Seriously.

Gyshall · 09/12/06, 5:26 PM

Wtb Plainstriding back :(

Largo · 09/12/06, 5:27 PM

I like the picture they had on the Death page.

"This screenshot doesn't actually have anything to do with the death system in World of Warcraft, but it's kinda cool and death related"

Malan · 09/12/06, 5:30 PM

I want a giant hunk of wood for my Tauren. :(
http://www.blizzard.com/wow/screensh...Index=7&Set=25

Edit -

Eventually Mark of the Wild will be one of the best character enhancements available buffing all attributes.

Heh.

Whiteknight · 09/12/06, 5:35 PM

A few special creatures may be able to see ghosts (these will be apparent to players), and they can attack players in ghost form.

O.O

• frmorrison · 09/12/06, 5:40 PM

Originally Posted by Kasonic

I really liked the old female human model.

I agree that that the old human female model was better, but Blizzard had to sac polygon counts in order to lower the system requirements (in order to get a wider player base, which worked out well for them).

Illian · 09/12/06, 5:42 PM

Originally Posted by Whiteknight

A few special creatures may be able to see ghosts (these will be apparent to players), and they can attack players in ghost form.

O.O

Yeah, I always keep an eye out in every patch for something to jump me.

Emeraude · 09/12/06, 5:45 PM

I was more excited about WC3's TFT Beta. =p

The Throne itself used to have a darker background.

Sri · 09/12/06, 5:49 PM

haha nice old pics.
Male Taurens w/ bras = FemaleTauren

decimus · 09/12/06, 6:37 PM

There's a picture of a female druid with an old casting animation with white glowing hands (like a holy spell). There's also a picture of bear form still using the mob model of bears. And then there's "The Night Saber panther and Storm Crow are just two of the shapes Druids will be able to assume." Oops, guess they were wrong about that.

Edit: Also, they still talk about experience loss from the spirit healer. This is somehow entertaining. Random thought: who remembers the night elf female "boob bounce" problem?

Rz · 09/12/06, 6:46 PM

You can have a fellow player (Paladin, Shaman, Priest, or Warlock) resurrect you

I lol'd.

But honestly, that would have a pretty interesting dynamic. What if Warlocks had a reactive combat rez (ie, not a proactive combat rez like Soulstone) and Druids didn't? Warlocks and Druids are already some of the least played classes, maybe there would be even fewer Druids and more Warlocks?

• Chicken · 09/12/06, 6:48 PM

Originally Posted by Rz

You can have a fellow player (Paladin, Shaman, Priest, or Warlock) resurrect you

I lol'd.

But honestly, that would have a pretty interesting dynamic. What if Warlocks had a reactive combat rez (ie, not a proactive combat rez like Soulstone) and Druids didn't? Warlocks and Druids are already some of the least played classes, maybe there would be even fewer Druids and more Warlocks?

I seem to recall an old description of the Soulstone being that it killed you if you used it when you were alive, and they were handed out like Healthstones, or something along those lines. But I can't remember exactly.

vorda · 09/12/06, 6:49 PM

Random thought: who remembers the night elf female "boob bounce" problem?

IIRC, My first undead female mage in beta had the same problem.. right?

saramin · 09/12/06, 6:50 PM

Originally Posted by decimus

Random thought: who remembers the night elf female "boob bounce" problem?

It was a problem?

Altima · 09/12/06, 6:51 PM

Anti-magic? I'm interested. :)

vorda · 09/12/06, 6:53 PM

Originally Posted by saramin

Originally Posted by decimus

Random thought: who remembers the night elf female "boob bounce" problem?

It was a problem?

Ok, now I'm certain we are talking about the same event.

I've read that line about certain mobs being able to kill you even before I joined beta, and since then I have been looking for ways to die as ghost. The only one I have found atm is fatigue..

Tenge · 09/12/06, 7:05 PM

Seems those old female human models bear a resemblance to the new blood elves, esp in terms of poses and the way they shift their weight when standing. Same holds true of the human males to a lesser extent (poses and stance that is, the male BE's weighing considerably less of course ;)).

Lord BEEF · 09/12/06, 7:11 PM

Originally Posted by Chicken

Originally Posted by Rz

You can have a fellow player (Paladin, Shaman, Priest, or Warlock) resurrect you

I lol'd.

But honestly, that would have a pretty interesting dynamic. What if Warlocks had a reactive combat rez (ie, not a proactive combat rez like Soulstone) and Druids didn't? Warlocks and Druids are already some of the least played classes, maybe there would be even fewer Druids and more Warlocks?

I seem to recall an old description of the Soulstone being that it killed you if you used it when you were alive, and they were handed out like Healthstones, or something along those lines. But I can't remember exactly.

For a while you could create as many soulstones as you want and hand them out to players so you'd bring a warlock to have 'unlimited continues' when attempting BRD or Baron Rivendare. They returned you with like 2% health and mana.

Then for a short period they were some kind of weird hybrid between that and how they work today, with them working as a wacked out version if combat res of some sort instead of wipe recovery, I can't remember the details though.

Ripper · 09/12/06, 7:17 PM

Originally Posted by vorda

Originally Posted by saramin

Originally Posted by decimus

Random thought: who remembers the night elf female "boob bounce" problem?

It was a problem?

Ok, now I'm certain we are talking about the same event.

I've read that line about certain mobs being able to kill you even before I joined beta, and since then I have been looking for ways to die as ghost. The only one I have found atm is fatigue..

Jump off of Teldrassil.

crimsonsentinel · 09/12/06, 7:25 PM

Originally Posted by Ripper

Jump off of Teldrassil.

Doesn't kill you, i've done it. However, you can easily go a bit further out into the ocean and die from fatigue.

Falcon24 · 09/12/06, 7:27 PM

Originally Posted by crimsonsentinel

Originally Posted by Ripper

Jump off of Teldrassil.

Doesn't kill you, i've done it. However, you can easily go a bit further out into the ocean and die from fatigue.

It used to, at least in beta.

Shazbot · 09/12/06, 7:40 PM

Here's a couple of screenshots I found from late alpha/beta.

MOTD:

Old Character selection screen:

Me and the wife killing stuff (Nature magic has increased!)

Mage invis + Common speech:

Alternating Caps on your name:

I'll see if I can find old alpha screenshots when I get home. I might have some from when the level cap was 15 (and dwarves could be mages).

Sri · 09/12/06, 7:53 PM

wish I had my old beta shots too :(

That invisi/common toungue made me think of this one incident where in yell some alliance were asking where X was and this kid (Mage UD) used to yell back that X was under the bridge where he was waiting.
Dead alliance.
There was a bit of ruckus on the forums over this - damn if I could only remember that kids name :(

Tauren Females also used to be about the same height as UD/Orcs as well...damn wish I had my old beta SSs.