Should Blizzard release Vanilla servers?

[Deleted]

Let's say there is 1pvp and 1 pve realm per region:

US: - pacific, mountain, central, eastern, oceania, latin america, brasil - total 16 servers
EU: - english, french, german, spanish, russian - total 10 servers
CN: - 8 regions, taiwan, korea - total 20 servers

that makes 46 servers. let's say you need 10 people per server (Nost had like 30 if I'm correct). that give us 460 people to take care of them. now they pay them let's say 1000 per month that would be 460 000k per month just for the people not mention server costs

OFC you can bring down number of servers in half but that doesn't change the fact that it's way too expensive

I dont know if you skipped that part r typed before i edited, but nope its just 2 server intercontinental, like the arena tournament, like a beta, and just for NA and EU the other will come later if all works

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they will lie through their teeth and claim everything is viable..which is complete and utter BS...

Aaaand you know that because?

[Ulfric Trumpcloak]

Should they? I don't personally care. Will they? No. It's too expensive for the dozens of reasons already covered in dozens of threads dozens of times. No matter how many times you post how soulless you think the game is, how awful you think the game is, and how much better you think classic was, doesn't change the immense cost and time investment that Blizzard simply isn't interested in.

Sorry.

So you're telling me a small group of fans can have a server up that often hosted more than 12k people at the same time, and they did it for free. But the almighty multi billion dollar blizzard cant? You're telling me they can have hundreds of current content servers up but not a couple of vanilla servers?

Common...

Of what cost and what time investment are you speaking of? If a handful of fans can do it as they did with nostalrius(with limited resources) then blizzard can definitlely do it.

[Deleted]

I dont know if you skipped that part r typed before i edited, but nope its just 2 server intercontinental, like the arena tournament, like a beta, and just for NA and EU the other will come later if all works

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Aaaand you know that because?

setting up 2 realms worldwide for 10 years old game that will lasts for 2 years with good star alignment would be economical suicide for blizzard...
They would need to repair all the bugs in game, integrate it with battle net, test it, set it up and all the stuff around it...

just not worth

[Lady Dragonheart]

No, absolutely not.

[Deleted]

No they shouldn't.

[Deleted]

So you're telling me a small group of fans can have a server up that often hosted more than 12k people at the same time, and they did it for free. But the almighty multi billion dollar blizzard cant? You're telling me they can have hundreds of current cotent servers up but not a couple of vanilla servers?

Common...

Of what cost and what time investment are you speakig of? If a handful of fans can do it as they did with nostalrius(with limited resources) then blizzard can definitlely do it.

blizzard also have to pay the people that are working for them

[mmonym]

I have no idea why anyone would vote 'no' on this - what possible harm could it do you, even if you've never played vanilla or have played it and greatly prefer the current game?

If nothing else, it would provide classic content during these epic content droughts between xpacs.

[Deleted]

setting up 2 realms worldwide for 10 years old game that will lasts for 2 years with good star alignment would be economical suicide for blizzard...
They would need to repair all the bugs in game, integrate it with battle net, test it, set it up and all the stuff around it...

just not worth

there is no need to integrate bnet at the start and its a damn try, i dont know why ppl insist to launch it on large scale 100% all working, take the Nostalrius code and gg, 90% of the work its done, it wasnt so bad as a server, minor bug that you can even skip to fix in the nearest future

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Well whatever guys, we will se if something happen...now im going to play Fallout 1 have a nice *insert your current time

[Ulfric Trumpcloak]

blizzard also have to pay the people that are working for them

Oh noes, a multi billion dollar company will have to pay a couple of dudes 30k a year, next thing you know they will fill for bankruptcy.

Those server wouldnt ever need updating, rarely ever any maintenance. The nostalrius dudes were doing it for free so just stop it...

[Deleted]

there is no need to integrate bnet at the start and its a damn try, i dont know why ppl insist to launch it on large scale 100% all working, take the Nostalrius code and gg, 90% of the work its done, it wasnt so bad as a server, minor bug that you can even skip to fix in the nearest future

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Well whatever guys, we will se if something happen...now im going to play Fallout 1 have a nice *insert your current time

How would you log in to it without bnet integration ?

Oh noes, a multi billion dollar company will have to pay a couple of dudes 30k a year, next thing you know they will fill for bankruptcy.

Those server wouldnt ever need updating, rarely ever any maintenance. The nostalrius dudes were doing it for free so just stop it...

Why would anyone sane in company, spent money for project that would bring no profit rather burn money fueled into it ?

Ofc they were doing it for free... they were not employed at blizzard...

[Darsithis]

That is not the case. I'm curious why the admins here would be interested in setting this kind of narrative, short of their own agenda with Blizzard. It was a perfectly functioning replica of vanilla WoW. Trying to suggest it was anything but is disingenuous at best, out right lying at worst.

You think if you can show Blizzard how well you can spin their BS on a fansite, that they'll hire you to do it for them for money?

That's all I see from your posts.

Built something buggy and incomplete? Maybe I misread, but you clearly didn't play on Nost if you're referring to that. I get you're a super mod and might ban be for that... but whatever. I'm sorry but you're just incorrect.

So you're telling me a small group of fans can have a server up that often hosted more than 12k people at the same time, and they did it for free. But the almighty multi billion dollar blizzard cant? You're telling me they can have hundreds of current content servers up but not a couple of vanilla servers?

Common...

Of what cost and what time investment are you speaking of? If a handful of fans can do it as they did with nostalrius(with limited resources) then blizzard can definitlely do it.

First, get off the super mod and admin crap. I'm a poster, just like you, and I have my own opinions, likes, and dislikes. Seriously, that is just damn annoying. I don't speak for Blizzard, but with 17 years of desktop software development behind me (including resurrecting old VB6 programs), I have a good idea of what I'm talking about. Below is my post from the Nostalrius thread:

No one seems to listen.

It would be very expensive to rebuild their code and databases to match a specific patch and period of time AT current market rates for developers, much less their own teams (who are paid more due to seniority). My company, of just 10 people, spends $1.2m a year in wages, taxes, benefits, and healthcare, and we're 10 people. Most developers (new hires) for this would be about 60k a year, and you'd need a few teams to pull it off including leads ($100 - $120k), designers, head of management. If you hire new people, there is weeks of ramp-up time and lost money if any of them leave. Don't forget Blizzard would have to shell out for benefits, matching plans, taxes...

Here is the list of things they'd need to do:
1 - Locate the oldest code they can find
2 - Rebuild or roll back pieces until it reaches a point where it matches 1.12 (if that is their target)
3 - Weave all security, exploit, and Battle.net code into the old code
4 - Weave in hardware updates and new device drivers into this code
5 - Rebuild the databases and restore missing quests and items from 8 years ago
6 - Find or rebuild the original textures and objects that have long since been upgraded through the years
7 - Playtest, QA test
8 - Hire or move developers/support/CM's/GM's to support these servers

The costs. Imagine the costs. 20k players paying $15 a month is about $300k a month, or $3.6 million a year. They wouldn't even break even, if estimates are conservative. They'd need far more than 20k and they'd be sinking a LOT of money into something they have no idea if it would pay off.

[laughtrey]

They should do it. Either its successful like everyone but them insists it will be, or it'll be free advertising and mindshare.


Blizzard used to be a company that would do everything in its power to make its fans happy. It doesn't seem that way anymore.

[Wolfrick]

The main issue is not to get Vanilla servers, but try to find what was so Awesome with Vanilla, and put it back in the game (reworking it, OFC.) wow just need to get a more CHALLENGING WORLD AND LEVELING SYSTEM.

this issue that Nost got closed shows that people want a WOW, with some of the same epic WORLD challenges there where in VANILLA WOW.

[dusselldorf]

and the 12 month content droughts do not help this situation in any way

Stop for just a minute and think critically about what you are saying here.

[Tuesdays]

Whoa, 270 yes votes and 14 pages later.. I figured by now they would at least have 150k+ 'Yes' votes.

So uh, what happened to the active Nos people? Registering too hard, or do they know how pointless this poll is?

[l33t]

Blizzard used to be a company that would do everything in its power to make its fans happy. It doesn't seem that way anymore.

I think you're idolizing Blizzard too much in your first sentence, and them demonizing Blizzard too much in second.

[Kithelle]

I dont know if you skipped that part r typed before i edited, but nope its just 2 server intercontinental, like the arena tournament, like a beta, and just for NA and EU the other will come later if all works

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Aaaand you know that because?

Because they've already tried to say that in others of the many threads of this topic and the Nos shutting down thread. They claim all specs are viable which is a complete joke...one even used Ret as a example...which is a bold faced lie...you only take Ret to be a blessings bot.

[Okacz]

Should they? I don't personally care. Will they? No. It's too expensive for the dozens of reasons already covered in dozens of threads dozens of times. No matter how many times you post how soulless you think the game is, how awful you think the game is, and how much better you think classic was, doesn't change the immense cost and time investment that Blizzard simply isn't interested in.

Sorry.

Immense cost of what? Upkeep of a few servers? There's a reason why private servers are so plentiful, anyone can make one with a decent server. Blizzard has all the data needed to get the game running again - no company would just dispose of old version of the code and assets, that makes literally 0 sense. So, having a stable server that plays Vanilla on Blizzards infrastructure is not really an expensive undertaking. "Immense cost" is the hyperboliest you can get.

The question is not if they would, it's if they should, and yes, they do. There is a market for that, there are people who would gladly pay a smaller fee to play an unupdated version of the game. Blizzard naturally fears that releasing such servers is a sign of the game collapsing.

In my opinion, when WoW actually ends, legacy servers will "miraculously" pop up on Blizzards servers, since they cost little to nothing, and provide a steady amount of money.

[Lilija]

There is a reason thousands of us wanted to go back in time to when the game was simply an mmo, it was a world of warcraft, and not a world of sitting in a garrison 24/7

While millions enjoy how the game has changed and couldn't care less for Vanilla servers.

The thing is Blizzard will not start Vanilla servers because they will not bring enough profit. Out of those thousands that play/ed on private servers I doubt even half would want to pay to play on such a server. And the vast majority of the current playerbase would in best case check that server out for few weeks and then never look at it again. So basicly, it would be something Blizzard would have to invest in with hardly any possible profit.

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Blizzard used to be a company that would do everything in its power to make its fans happy. It doesn't seem that way anymore.

They still do that. They just can't make everyone happy cause some fans' happiness is in opposite to other fans' happiness. It's sucks to be in the minority that can't be listened to but that's life.

[Armourboy]

Whoa, 270 yes votes and 14 pages later.. I figured by now they would at least have 150k+ 'Yes' votes.

So uh, what happened to the active Nos people? Registering too hard, or do they know how pointless this poll is?

Because the vast majority probably aren't on this forum in any form or fashion and don't care to be? I mean heck even the vast majority of WoW players don't use that forum or this one.

I've said it several times, I would pay extra for access to a Blizzard Vanilla server, not like the current game is costing me anything anyways due to tokens.