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Patch list and details
The first posts showed up in the Beta Support forum on September 4th<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/the-first-post-in-the-beta-feedback-forum-got-deleted Feedback Forum Post Deletion] - Blizzard 4/9/11</ref>, and got deleted while the Blizzard CMs continued to insist <ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/battle-net-diablo-3-beta-avatar-revealed Official Beta Forum Avatar] - Blizzard 5/9/11</ref> that the Friends and Family beta had not yet begun.
The Beta download client was available during this time, enabling anyone who had it to post screenshots of the client install<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-3-beta-install-client-screenshots Beta Install Screenshot] - diablo.incgamers.com 6/9/11</ref> and the options menus<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-3-beta-options-menus Beta Options Menu Screenshot] - diablo.incgamers.com 6/9/11</ref>, but those people could not play the game without Diablo 3 Beta access on their Battle.net account. Blizzard finally confirmed that the F&F test was underway under way and the full test would begin soon, on September 6th. <refname=ffbeta>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzard-confirms-ff-beta-underway-closed-public-beta-soon Blue PostFriends & Family Test Under Way] - Bashiok, Blizzard 7/9/11</ref>. ===What changes have been made to Diablo III during the Beta?=== The vast majority of changes in the patches have been bug fixes and skill and item balances however there have been some significant changes and additions which are noted below. Visit the patch links for the full patch details. * [[Beta Patch 2]] – v0.3.73108 - 8 September* [[Beta Patch 3]] - v.0.3.0.7338 - 15 September ** Gold [[Auction House]] activated.* [[Beta Patch 4]] - v.0.3.0.7447 - 27 September* [[Beta Patch 5]] – v.0.3.1. 7728 - 4 November (Large patch with many changes)** Experience rewarded from quests after level 4 is now based on the number of mobs you’d have to kill to earn the same amount of experience, rather than being a strict percentage of a level ** New passive skills have been added for all classes. See individual class notes below for more information.** All skills are now based off weapon damage. ** Items sold from vendors will now be at least one item level lower than those that are currently available to a player via drops from monsters** Quivers, Orbs, and Mojos will now always come with +Min/Max damage.** A new Mortar affix has been added to the game. Mortar monsters will lob grenades at enemies outside melee range. * [[Beta Patch 6]] - v.0.4.0.7841 - 18 November** Player profiles have been added! These profiles will display important statistics for each of your characters, as well as 3D models featuring their current gear.** Achievements are now available for testing. Please note that for the beta launch of this system, only a limited number of achievements have been included. * [[Beta Patch 7]] – v.0.4.1.7391 - 2 December** A trial version of the Diablo III Currency-Based Auction House is now available for testing. * [[Beta Patch 8]] - v.0.5.0.8059 - 16 December (Large patch with many changes)** Battle.net BattleTags are now live! ** A new skill has been added for Monk: Cyclone Strike * [[Beta Patch 9]] - V.0.5.1.8101 - 21 December
=Is there a closed Diablo III beta test?=
Yes. This was officially confirmed to be happening in various interviews from Blizzcon 2010. <ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-3-beta-confirmed Beta Confirmed] - Christian Lichtner, Blizzard, VG247 Interview, 28/10/10</ref>
Blizzard passes out beta keys to their friends and family, to media, and to others in the industry. They also give out beta slots to various fansites, media sites, business partners, and often conduct "invite a friend" events during beta tests. There are generally numerous ways to gain access, including with game pre-orders, and more promotions appear during the course of each beta test.
Blizzard sometimes includes a slot for upcoming beta tests in the goodie bags they give out at Blizzcon or at World Wide Invitational events. (Though beta keys were not included in the Blizzcon 2009 or 2010 goodie bags, 1000 attendees from Blizzcon 2010 were randomly-selected to enter the beta test.<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog?p=2494/commentBeta Keys for some Blizzcon Attendees] - diablo.incgamers.com, 24/10/1000-beta-key-winners-selected-from-blizzcon-2010-ticket-buyers10</]ref>
=General Beta Test Information=
===What's an Alpha Test?===
An Alpha test is run before the beta test, and is usually much smaller. The Alpha client is less finalized than the beta client, and is usually the first game build that's semi-complete and playable. Alpha tests are almost always private, and limited to employees, friends, and family.
Beta tests are large scale tests of a near-finished video game. To date, all Blizzard beta tests have been semi-public, with website signups drawing in thousands of public testers, who join Blizzard employees, their friends and family, fansite invitees, members of the media, employees at other gaming companies, and others. Beta tests generally scale up in size as they progress; starting with a few dozen testers, then gradually expanding to hundreds and then thousands of testers. In the old days this meant physically mailing out beta CDs; these days with the beta clients being shared via bit torrent, it means passing out more valid beta CD keys.
===What's the purpose of a Beta Test?===
RPGs sometimes include the entire game client, but are usually more limited. Diablo II's beta only included Act One, and only the character skills up to level 18. The D2 team knew they'd need to make changes and tweaks and balances to items and character skills and monsters post-release, but they knew players would need longer than they wanted the beta test to run to get deeply enough into the game to offer valuable input on overall game/item/spell balance. The D2 beta was chiefly used to test out the new Battle.net features, and to test the early aspects of D2 itself. They wanted to perfect the fun factor, leveling speed, early items, skills, monsters and quests. Larger game balance changes were made in post-release patches and were based on the input and play choices of hundreds of thousands of players, rather than just a few hundred beta testers.
===What makes a good beta tester?===
Beta tests, especially those that do not include the entire game (like D2's) are largely about optimizing the early game experience. Seeing what players find helpful or confusing about character creation, early game quests, NPC interactions, using the interface, etc. And for that, total noobs are as or more useful than experienced players. In fact, since Blizzard usually distributes hundreds of beta slots through their fansites, slots that will go chiefly to rabid fans, getting lots of casual fans from Blizzcon attendees, other gaming promotions, and people selected via their B.net beta opt in service is essential.
===What countries are included in the Beta Test?===
Blizzard beta tests are generally done internationally, though they often start with just North America for their test servers and most of the first testers. Blizzard has also been known to run beta servers in other countries where they expect a lot of players. They had extensive Battle.net servers in Korea for the Stacraft 2 beta, for instance.
===Are there age limits for beta testers?===
Yes, in accordance with each game's age limit rating, or expected ratings. These are generally enforced via drop down, "select your age" boxes, with all the ''unbreakable'' security protection those provide.
===Can I sign up multiple times?===
This can differ for expansion pack beta tests, since an account must have valid access to the current game in order to test the expansion. The D3 beta did not require any other games on the Blizzard account, but it's likely the Diablo 3 Beta expansion beta will require a valid copy of Diablo III.
===Are there minimum system specs for Beta Tests?===
There has to be some level of minimum machine to run a beta test, but developers try to include as wide a variety of tester equipment as possible. See the [[system requirements]] article for more details on Diablo III's requirements.
The absolute minimum required to run the Diablo III beta was revealed to be:<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/beta-minimum-specs-graphics-card-supportBeta Minimum Specs]- Blizzard, 7/9/10</ref>
::1GB System Memory
::Pentium D 2.8GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+
===How are Selected Testers Notified?===
Blizzard beta tests are conducted digitally, all through Battle.net. Most of the testers are semi-randomly selected by Blizzard, by their Battle.net accounts. Selected accounts are given beta access, and players can do so by logging on and downloading the beta client. Notification emails<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/friends-and-family-beta-invite-emailInvite Email] - 7/9/10</ref> are sent to the email address associated with each account.
In addition to those selected testers, Blizzard generally gives out thousands of additional beta invites via contest winners, with pre-orders, via "invite a friend"
===Will I have to pay for the beta test?===
Blizzard does not charge for beta test slots, though you might need an active subscription to another game in order to play. For instance, you can't beta test a World of Warcraft expansion without an active WoW account. Beta test slots are sometimes sold, but not officially, and eBay and other online auction services do not permit the sale of beta slots.
Constantly. Beta tests usually have a new patch almost every day, with minor and major changes, bug fixes, and more.
[[:Category:Patches| List of all patches released for the Diablo 3 Beta]].
===Will I be able to talk about the beta test?===
While previous Blizzard betas tests all had a Non-Disclosure Agreement ([[NDA]]), their more recent betas have not. [[Bashiok]] spoke on this in January 2011.<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/no-nda-for-the-diablo-iii-beta/No NDA for Beta]- Bashiok, Blizzard, 11/1/10</ref>
<blue>Bashiok: I don’t believe we’re planning to impose NDA’s on future beta tests for any of our franchises. That’s of course subject to change.</blue>
The Diablo III Beta Test launched in early September 2011 without an NDA[http:<ref name=ffbeta //diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzard-confirms-ff-beta-underway-closed-public-beta-soon]>, and players were free to talk about the test, to post videos and screenshots, etc.
