For those who just don't "get" the anger, I refer you to the CoX boards and the thread discussing this topics in the News and Announcements part of the CoX forums. Specifically, I refer you to GadgetDon's well thought out posts.

I no longer have a voice on the CoX forums since I have canceled my account, but GadgetDon has said everything I would say, and less angrily than I could. The only difference is that he has not reached the straw that broke the camel's back, and I have.

I hope he keeps up the good fight, but I voted with my wallet.

And if you still don't "get" it, well I hope you never do. It takes being bitterly disappointed over something you were once passionate about to feel the way I do - and I don't wish that on anyone.

Dude, surely you realize that the "massively" aspect of MMO's implies that such games have many aspects - missions, socializing, crafting, badges, bases, PvP, even movie-making. What may not be important to you may be vitally important to the next "dude."

I had played nonstop since April of '04, and just because I was passionate and then bitterly disappointed does not mean you were DISpassionate because you were not similarly disappointed.

However, you have been deluded if you believe, as they state, that they cannot afford to travel or hand out conventional swag at conventions. They are SELLING closed beta access - it is not a gift, not a reward, and the motive is pure profit. Money from these things are going to the shareholders. The cost of conventional swag - a case of t-shirts - is not going to fund any significant development of the game.

The answer is not to relax and trust these clowns. They aren't trustworthy - they've had plenty of negative feedback on this issue, and not onluy continue down that path, but make it worse!

Things like this erode the player base, and you will see, as the competition begins to hit next spring, that they will reap exactly what they have sown - a player base that will treat them as disposable and interchangeable, just as they treat us.

When Jack said that "whiners suck" I thought he was rude and stopped caring what he said....

As I stated above - if you don't "get" it, I hope you never do.

But you are simply arguing - wishing, really - like so many "pro" posters in the official forum that those of us who are angry would simply feel differently. In other words, if it isn't a big deal to you, then it shouldn't be a big deal to anyone. Well, my friend, life just doesn't work that way. And if you are trying to persuade me that my feelings are not valid, calling me immature and selfish is not the way to do it.

But it is my personal view that NCSoft is choosing to reward people by enriching their in-game experience while purposely excluding scores of others who are or were just as passionate about their game as their pet selected few. I'm sure my view would be different if I were not systematically excluded from this additional content.

BTW, there are considerable advantages to being in closed beta, not the least of which are MARKET advantages - knowing which IO sets (knockback protection anyone?) or salvage values are likely to change due to the changes. People make millions of inf off of this info, and having it early is a very real advantage.

Need another example? Level bumps given in closed beta but not open beta - how does a free level 50 of a new archetype sound? Pretty nice? Yes, well it is a considerable advantage to those that PvP on Test, which is the home of cross-server tournaments.

So do not sing to me that there is no advantage, or that it is a matter of waiting. That is demonstrably untrue.

Of course, you are such a laid back guy, I'm sure those advantages are unimportant in your view, and therefore should be unimportant to me.

Oh, I am highly offended at closed beta. It serves no tangible purpose for the player base. As you probably realize, closed beta was a fairly recent addition to CoX - the beta period used to be 100% open. Consequently, we can compare the before and after. I've looked, and I can tell you: the beta period are no shorter under the new system; nor are we getting more issues per year in the new system; nor are there fewer bugs per issue on average (they may have been able to claim that early on, but the bugswarm that was Issue 12 blew the average out of the water).

Where the closed beta process gives no benefit, yet closes off Test server for the unwashed masses for a few weeks AND divides us into the haves and have-nots, you are dang straight I oppose that process on general principles, not just this new access issue that cropped up.

I oppose the costume codes for con attendance for the same reason - it serves no benefit for the general player base (if it had a purpose - like drawing in new customers, I MIGHT think differently, but the codes are reserves for active accounts only) AND it divides the player base into haves and have-nots.

Both of these issues, as I said in my initial post, are admittedly hot button issues for me. This is because of the two characteristics they have in common - they are devisive, and pointless.