Battleangel | Personal

Just got the key for the closed beta. I have to admit I am strangely curious about this game. Yes, I realize it’s supposed to be some sort of kiddie stuff, but it’s been hyped and talked about for so long I just have to take a sneak peek.

Unfortunately the beta server has a tightly regulated uptime schedule. Just a few hours per week. Don’t know why. Perhaps because they monitor the game closely, for reasons of game testing or to keep the airwaves free of non-kiddie friendly language. Running a game like this must be several degrees more complicated compared to an adult title. I guess.

Addendum: I played the game some and I have to say that so far it has all the signs of a legendary turd. The interface is confusing (to an adult even). Missions and mission management are both awkward and uninspiring. Frame rates seem awful at times. Inventory management is a joke. The plot is weird or non-existent. Travelling from zone to zone is backwards as hell. And that is all besides the predictable glitches that you expect from a beta, but in this case take far too long to fix. The game is just evolving too slowly. What is their ETA anyway? Two years from now? Is it going to be free to play? If so, it’s alright. But charging money for this pile of crap seems downright criminal. I just don’t see how they’re going to salvage this unless they start working double-time. It’s a beta after all. Not some early alpha sketch. If it has fundamental flaws now it’ll never work.

In fact I’d go so far as to question the morality of making MMOs targeted at children. Especially if they’re this shallow and fraudulent.