Is Battle.net 2.0 in a release state? (Read post before vote)

[Gifted]

Now... I know there have been plenty of threads regarding this, our editorial, etc. I also know that due to these other threads and factors, people may view this as a duplicate thread. I'm trying to approach it in a different manner though. There are many threads that try to give feedback on whether they are "satisfied with the direction of B.net 2.0" or "What is missing". I'm posting this specifically with a different direction.

In a previous poll, we found out that a majority of people feel that StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, as a separate product, is in a release state. Now, when we look at them combined, I'm curious if the opinions of people will still coincide with that mentality.

Before we proceed, it's important to define that a RELEASE STATE is different than a COMPLETED STATE. If this thread were to ask if it were complete, I can almost guarantee that it would be near 100% no. I'm asking regarding if it's acceptable to release with StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty in it's current form in your opinion. If you need to, re-read this paragraph to understand it fully because it'd be a shame if people replied instinctively with the thought "B.net is not done". This is a different topic.

We have been provided much information about how Battle.net will improve over time. Many of our concerns are being answered over time and could not make release. Nothing we can do will change that now. If they are going to be included before release, Blizzard is aware and if they deem it a high enough priority to strive for, they are either working on it or not at this point.

What I'm asking the community is if you feel that Battle.net 2.0 is in enough of a RELEASE STATE that it should not delay the release of a game that's near completion. Let's assume you are the person who "makes the call" on the release date. Do you feel you proceed with the release date as it stands now? Or would you delay an almost completed game to add what you feel are vital features at release instead of releasing them in content patches soon after release?

Suggestion: Replies to this thread should focus more about sharing your own opinion and not debating the validity of others opinions. Sharing an opposite opinion of another person is JUST as valuable as saying why you disagree with theirs.

[hyde]

On an observer side, and taking account into their release schedule and the skeleton work of Battle.net 2.0, it looks like Battle.net 2.0 is ready to go. It match makes and records wins/losses.

But on a personal consumer side, I feel like it could use more development to reach a suitable release product. If phase 2 hits live and Battle.net 2.0 is essentially the same, I'm going to face palm myself.

*It does not have the clan features
*Where are makeshift chat channels
*The league ranking still seems broken with bizzare placement
*Custom Game Browsing is trash (Come on, this is 2010...Add some search options/filters. They claim it is easier to find games, but essentially DOTA Will be at the top and how will I see what gameoptions are being played on?)
*The friends/chat system is not intuitive, specifically in-game (How do I reply to friends while I'm in game? Where is the friends button? I knew to type /r but how many new comers will know that?)
*The friends system is not user friendly, I find myself adding duplicate copies of my RL friends constantly (RL ID and Regular ID , etc )
*Forced to use Facebook to add friends if you want to avoid a brain hemorrhage.
* Cannot view everyones profile easily or assess their stats while in game


They advertised Battle.net 2.0 as ..
A more social friendly game, interlinking all of the blizzard games and ease of use to get groups/friends going.
But right now, it's sometimes more difficult than B.net 1.0. What did they do when they delayed the beta by a year due to Battle.net, stick their thumbs up their asses?
I'm seriously considering that. I'm not really impressed with what B.net 2.0 has to offer, considering the time put in with all their flashy claims and crap.

Our vision for the new Battle.net is to build a world-class online game service for all Blizzard games.

- Greg Canessa, Project Director of Battle.net.

Hardly world class.

There are three key design tenets or pillars for the new Battle.net.

1)The first is the "Always-Connected Experience."
2)The second pillar or tenet is the Competitive Arena for Everyone
3) The third pillar is Connecting the Blizzard Community. This is where the social networking and communications aspects of the new Battle.net experience come into play

- Greg Canessa, Project Director of Battle.net

1) I always feel alone. Very alone. Even if I am playing single player experience, and my friends come online. Why can't they just freaking add chat channels, so I can go into "Campaign Peer Support" and discuss how cool, hard, what part I'm stuck on with other gamers? Instead of forums. Nothing new, nothing groundbreaking, and nothing even close to "World Class"
2) OK so they did that. If casual players want to be #1 in Bronze, they can
3)This has yet to be seen but without chat channels...how am I supposed to talk to WoW people? How am I supposed to chat with my guild in WoW? Add them to my friends list and make a group of 40 people everytime I login? Right.

Everything from forming up a friends list, chatting and socializing, text chat as well as voice chat, cross-game communication between StarCraft II and World of Warcraft, as well as broadcasts, system notifications, and other aspects.

- Greg Canessa, Project Director of Battle.net
Ha.

Source: http://us.starcraft2.com/features/misc/battlenet.xml


Blizzard advertised a lot of stuff and made Battle.net 2.0 sound so promising, what they are releasing looks like an unfinished product that could have been easily completed within the extra year that they added on to the beta. From 2008 to 2010 Feb, B.net 2.0 looks almost indentical except for some UI Shifting. So what did you guys do for a year?
Sorry, but making promises in adding features via future patches just does not cut it. Blizzard has a horrible track record for keeping patch deadlines, and I feel everything they've said to address the b.net 2.0 issues have been simply there as standard public relations crap. Keep talking Blizzard, but we want to see proof/actions.

[DemolitionSquid]

Battle.Net 2 is a shell of what it could have been, and I would not release it as is.

[Twilice]

We don't know exactly what will change between phase 2 and release. They said they got a lot of things planned (did not mean those extra things they added after)

I mean really, ok we miss a few things. But those are all things that is going to be implented and is not just because it's a beta. Like the custom maps, they are the things I think will be changed the most.

The last version we saw of it was certianly not ready for release. But the version they have planned for their release or phase 2 (note: not the "full" release that they are planning to implent a few patches after) I really don't think they are going to have all of their "important" things implented 6 months after it went public.

With the content Sc2 b.net currenlty has planned for it's release I would say yes, as it is now I would say almost. It sort of needs the release in order to get fixed.

[Bobo]

To be honest, I don't give much damn about BattleNet.
I think it's playable. They implement other features later in patches.

Let me play Wings of Liberty already !

[//MavericK\\]

If I were Blizzard, I would be looking at this from two points of view.

1. Is my game ready to launch? If so, is the system that will host my game be capable of allowing players to engage in the "core" aspect of what it is intended to do. In this case, the ability to play multiplayer games. And can this system, over time, be enhanced to allow upgraded features.

As Blizzard, I would answer these questions with a tentative "yes".

2. As Blizzard, I must also think about the other games in my line-up and how pushing this game and its subsequent expansions to later launch dates might effect those other games. In this case, WoW's next expansion Cataclysm and Diablo III.

I say the thing is ready for release. It is a long way from being complete. The best way to find it's faults is not to keep it bottled up with Blizzard any longer. Sometimes, the best way to troubleshoot a piece of software is to do it Microsoft's way. Release the thing half-finished and then use the community to help perfect it. Bnet 2.0 is a work-in-progress. But it could become, with time, community involvement and some smart changes, a very good system.

[Cotcan]

Blizzard said that during the break, they would upgrade hardware and software. If that's true, they should have at least updated b.net somewhat. Blizzard is going with the best idea, and that's release now, add later. Only problem with that is that the general public will beta test those features, unless they plan on keeping the beta online for that stuff. Anyways we all want our sc2.

[spychi]

It's nowhere near release state and I would delay the production to improve it

[SinsWage]

I would rather have a bare bones battle.net with a very ready SCII released on July 27 than wait to have the changes implemented. It has enough of it's core assembled to do it's basic job as is.

[//MavericK\\]

It's nowhere near release state and I would delay the production to improve it

While I agree it is not perfect...far from it, in fact, what good will it do to allow Blizzard to tinker with it in-house for another year. In the eyes of many, Blizz hasn't gotten it right yet (I don't personally believe it's as broken as everyone else thinks, though.)

They won't take our word for it that Bnet 2.0 is not living up to the community's expectations as a whole. However, a live non-beta Bnet 2.0 will allow the good people at Blizz to see for themselves the areas that need lots and lots of work. It will also put Blizz more "on-the-hook" with its fans. People will have dropped hard cash for the game and Blizz will feel even more pressure to get Bnet complete as quickly as possible.