Should Blizzard release Vanilla servers?

[Vineri]

I'd like to see it just to demonstrate how spectacularly unprofitable and unappealing it would be to modern MMO markets. In short, to palm the vocal minority's faces for them.

But honestly, no. Please grow up.

What if the modern MMO markets are unbalanced, catering to speculative markets, and not to proven markets. Those proven markets are left behind.

It's only now that the music industry is realizing the love for Vinyl, and re-releasing albums again in that format. Because there exists .. ready for this? MONEY!!!

[Deleted]

My inner businessman says "no they should not" as much as I would enjoy the fuck out of replaying.

IF

they could somehow make vanilla a "timewalking" style subgame. I.e go speak to a bronze dragon in current WoW and be able to earn 'legacy points' for replaying I could handle that because it would be something in-game that doesn't split the playerbase.

"Legacy timewalking" would have all the gameplay of vanilla, but QoL changes of current (bnet, tmog, using your main, achievements, updated models, LFG)

but you'd start back at level 1, empty bag, no gold and phased into a server of like-minded players. The phasing would literally be back to original WoW Vanilla but Alliance Shaman/Horde Paladin allowed.

You'd just get supplied some grey unique cosmetic gear based on class/race at level 20/40/60 its look would be upgraded in your wardrobe and a new artifact-heirloom piece of gear possible using a special slot, filling a reformatted version of the original talent trees. Legacy points would be earnt leveling 1-60 and be spent just the same way as talent points in original game although they would also be at endgame for buying the cosmetic rewards things like hi-res class mounts, armor sets possible way to add certain subraces choices (i.e defeat the game a second time and get Dark Iron skin for Dwarf

[miffy23]

What if the modern MMO markets are unbalanced, catering to speculative markets, and not to proven markets. Those proven markets are left behind.

It's only now that the music industry is realizing the love for Vinyl, and re-releasing albums again in that format. Because there exists .. ready for this? MONEY!!!

Apples and oranges. Every other MMO attempting to cater to the Vanilla/TBC mindset of endgame design has spectacularly faceplanted over the past few years. I'd say that suggests a proven market.

[Vineri]

Apples and oranges. Every other MMO attempting to cater to the Vanilla/TBC mindset of endgame design has spectacularly faceplanted over the past few years. I'd say that suggests a proven market.

"Other MMO"'s dont have the fan support WoW has. They only dream of it.

There has been some. I gave up on them though, same as I gave up nerfed WoW.

Many try, but no game ever captured the original EverQuest like Vanilla / TBC. RPG to the very core. Next best thing to pen & paper.

Even those games attempting to "cater" to Vanilla / TBC end up falling short, because they add casual BS to stinkify the entire game with a smell so bad, that even hardcore RPG'ers don't return.

- - - Updated - - -

My inner businessman says "no they should not" as much as I would enjoy the fuck out of replaying.

IF

they could somehow make vanilla a "timewalking" style subgame. I.e go speak to a bronze dragon in current WoW and be able to earn 'legacy points' for replaying I could handle that because it would be something in-game that doesn't split the playerbase.

"Legacy timewalking" would have all the gameplay of vanilla, but QoL changes of current (bnet, tmog, using your main, achievements, updated models, LFG)

but you'd start back at level 1, empty bag, no gold and phased into a server of like-minded players. The phasing would literally be back to original WoW TBC but Alliance Shaman/Horde Paladin allowed.

You'd just get supplied some grey unique cosmetic gear based on class/race at level 20/40/60 its look would be upgraded in your wardrobe and a new artifact-heirloom piece of gear possible using a special slot, filling a reformatted version of the original talent trees. Legacy points would be earnt leveling 1-60 and be spent just the same way as talent points in original game although they would also be at endgame for buying the cosmetic rewards things like hi-res class mounts, armor sets possible way to add certain subraces choices (i.e defeat the game a second time and get Dark Iron skin for Dwarf

Sounds like a single player game. In Vanilla, you are not a hero. You are just a person, among your many peers.

[Deleted]

Sounds like a single player game. In Vanilla, you are not a hero. You are just a person, among your many peers.

That would be up to people participating, The original Vanilla required teamplay. My first experiences in Vanilla were realizing I couldn't do Barrow Dens in Teldrassil on my own and waiting at the entrance and making a group. We cleared the quest and later we teamed up in Darkshore doing some quest to kill stealth cats.

The Vanilla game was much more difficult to single player your way to max level. I even remember having to fly across half the world to help a guildy in Bad Lands kill ogres for a quest because he couldn't do it alone. Much of the play in Vanilla was designed around players grouping up or waiting until the quests were green to complete. So I don't know how it sounds like a single player game.

What I suggested was basically a subgame timewalk version of a vanilla server. You get your level 110 you talk to a dragon and are sent back to a time long forgotten. You are level 1 in your starter zone in Vanilla. The only difference would be mechanical systems for "levelling".

[Vineri]

That would be up to people participating, The original Vanilla required teamplay. My first experiences in Vanilla were realizing I couldn't do Barrow Dens in Teldrassil on my own and waiting at the entrance and making a group. We cleared the quest and later we teamed up in Darkshore doing some quest to kill stealth cats.

The Vanilla game was much more difficult to single player your way to max level. I even remember having to fly across half the world to help a guildy in Bad Lands kill ogres for a quest because he couldn't do it alone. Much of the play in Vanilla was designed around players grouping up or waiting until the quests were green to complete. So I don't know how it sounds like a single player game.

What I suggested was basically a subgame timewalk version of a vanilla server. You get your level 110 you talk to a dragon and are sent back to a time long forgotten. You are level 1 in your starter zone in Vanilla. The only difference would be mechanical systems for "levelling".

You team with folks you don't know, people you will never see again.

Vanilla / TBC was about forming bonds and alliances, where you would not ever need a group finder. Group finders are anti-social and counter productive to communities to the extent that people have abandoned the game. Why further this?

The way Blizzard will implement this is to make the encounter an instance. Oh yeah, real Vanilla experience there.

As to talking to an NPC to go to a Vanilla server, Blizzard should just have retro servers in the queue. No need for an NPC to "take" you there. Unless .. you want to return suddenly when called -- during a raid that would mean you get blacklisted in Vanilla. Unless you are counting on inter-connecting realms, which would hide your identify, but turn Blizzard's rendition of Vanilla to utter shit, info curtosey of current WoW.

[Aggrophobic]

You team with folks you don't know, people you will never see again.

Vanilla / TBC was about forming bonds and alliances, where you would not ever need a group finder. Group finders are anti-social and counter productive to communities to the extent that people have abandoned the game. Why further this?

The way Blizzard will implement this is to make the encounter an instance. Oh yeah, real Vanilla experience there.

I never formed any "bonds" with random people I grouped up with in vanilla and TBC. I never talked to these people or socialized with them in any way.
The only thing a group finder does is making sure finding people for your group goes faster that spamming the trade chat.

You might have found players to be social with back then but there is nothing that says you can't do the same now.

Ask for a legacy server all you want but don't use these silly arguments, it's not helping you in any way.

[Deleted]

I never formed any "bonds" with random people I grouped up with in vanilla and TBC. I never talked to these people or socialized with them in any way.
The only thing a group finder does is making sure finding people for your group goes faster that spamming the trade chat.

You might have found players to be social with back then but there is nothing that says you can't do the same now.

Ask for a legacy server all you want but don't use these silly arguments, it's not helping you in any way.

I'm not asking for a legacy server at all. I think it would be a bad move

[SoulSoBreezy]

Even if they did, there's still the social attitudes to contend with. 2004 is a long time ago.
If you want to humor yourself, the top link of my sig is an article I wrote about this topic (fancy that).

[Deleted]

Personally don't care but I doubt Blizzard are ever gonna bother not only because of the costs and time involved to set it up for an unknown amount of profit, but they will then have to listen to the thousands of other people demanding a TBC/WoTLK server or a server that goes through every patch and expansion or even a server with a specific patch and since they gave in once it will be even worse and it will never end.

[Vineri]

I never formed any "bonds" with random people I grouped up with in vanilla and TBC. I never talked to these people or socialized with them in any way.
The only thing a group finder does is making sure finding people for your group goes faster that spamming the trade chat.

You might have found players to be social with back then but there is nothing that says you can't do the same now.

Ask for a legacy server all you want but don't use these silly arguments, it's not helping you in any way.

In those expansions, if and when you had a good track record, people would find you, or you found them easily via Friends.

If you never chatted with or formed bonds, then .. I don't know how to put this .. There is a reason you never got anywhere. It could be you were simply young at the time, maybe you had to drop groups all the time, maybe just a quiet person all the same, or a bad player. Auto LFG is extraordinarily anti-social either way, no good came from this, other than ease of use. A degradation of WoW's community followed.

[echoSAW]

No way this will ever happen...just look at the outrage when standard maintenance is extended by even a little bit. Now take that, and double it for two (or more) different types of servers. Not to mention I'm sure "normal" and "classic" players would be so pleased with each other if either one couldn't play because it was taking too much time to work on the other. Nope.

[Vineri]

I never formed any "bonds" with random people I grouped up with in vanilla and TBC. I never talked to these people or socialized with them in any way.
The only thing a group finder does is making sure finding people for your group goes faster that spamming the trade chat.

You might have found players to be social with back then but there is nothing that says you can't do the same now.

Ask for a legacy server all you want but don't use these silly arguments, it's not helping you in any way.

Ah yes, faster! This is what retail WoW wants. This is different than what retro WoW wants.

I may have found players willing to socialize? Uhh, you had to join a guild at max level. Were you even max level? The more I hear, I don't think you were max level. You have have been around, but not to the appreciation level.

Silly arguments. Can you point some out? I'd like to read some!

[RedGamer030]

No. End of thread.

[OreoLover]

A little surprised "Yes" pulled ahead, even with support caring more.

[Aggrophobic]

In those expansions, if and when you had a good track record, people would find you, or you found them easily via Friends.

If you never chatted with or formed bonds, then .. I don't know how to put this .. There is a reason you never got anywhere. It could be you were simply young at the time, maybe you had to drop groups all the time, maybe just a quiet person all the same, or a bad player. Auto LFG is extraordinarily anti-social either way, no good came from this, other than ease of use. A degradation of WoW's community followed.

I was in college at the time so I guess I was young?
It was not that I didn't get anywhere. I simply had no intrest in making freinds with some random person I needed to finish a dungeon. Just like I don't want to make friends with the people I play with in dungeons today.

Ah yes, faster! This is what retail WoW wants. This is different than what retro WoW wants.

I may have found players willing to socialize? Uhh, you had to join a guild at max level. Were you even max level? The more I hear, I don't think you were max level. You have have been around, but not to the appreciation level.

Silly arguments. Can you point some out? I'd like to read some!

I got to max level with 4 characters during vanilla and cleared all raids. Never managed to get to high warlord though and I regret that but the grind was just too harsh while studying.

But you're right, you needed a guild, just like you do today. Spending time doing nothing but spamming the trade chat is not my idea of fun but if thats the part of vanilla you liked, fine then. Seems really stupid though. I was refering to you, as a person by the way. Vineri might have found players to be social with.

Saying that the act of spamming a chat is "social" is just silly however.

[Vineri]

Saying that the act of spamming a chat is "social" is just silly however.

Everything falls apart there, since I never said that. You said that, not me.

In any event, you will love retail WoW. Why go into a retro WoW thread and criticize? It's evident that you don't like to socialize, so Retro WoW is not for you !

You enjoy WoW today, enjoy the single player game you endorse!

We will continue without you, thanks for your comments.

BTW you should, sigh, once again revisit what you said. Silly is what you make of it. Silly to argue against a game that is hated.

[Daffan]

I never formed any "bonds" with random people I grouped up with in vanilla and TBC. I never talked to these people or socialized with them in any way.
The only thing a group finder does is making sure finding people for your group goes faster that spamming the trade chat.

You might have found players to be social with back then but there is nothing that says you can't do the same now.

Ask for a legacy server all you want but don't use these silly arguments, it's not helping you in any way.

It does "help"

If you require other people, both parties are going to add each other and have incentive to talk and meet again in the future for their own benefit.

With LFG (well - it's a mix of LFG and nooby zerg content that requires no teamwork/coordination) you might want to talk to the other people but they simply don't care or need you, so they never reply or care about socializing.

Mix it up with Challenge Modes, all of a sudden everyone in the group is talking - mainly creating strategies (because it's not 5yr old casual proof) and everyone will add each other to b.net afterwards. Mythic dungeons could of been like this, but they are so easily overgeared it digs into the non-lfg socializing requirement.

[Vineri]

Mix it up with Challenge Modes, all of a sudden everyone in the group is talking - mainly creating strategies (because it's not 5yr old casual proof) and everyone will add each other to b.net afterwards. Mythic dungeons could of been like this, but they are so easily overgeared it digs into the non-lfg socializing requirement.

It will never replace guildies you see playing every day, people you come to know.

Remember creating your own /channel's in raids for classes, so you could discuss strategies, or gossip, hehe? Every class had their own channel, as a requirement to the class leaders to create. Competition within your class for performance, and mistakes or shit talk -- unless it was official, it would go to /channel.

Guild leaders had so many rules, I guess thats why only some people per server participated - they just were not team players, and found getting along with others difficult.

But then again, given you promotion to Challenge Modes, I suppose all this means nothing :/

[Eats Compost]

I think that their idea for pristine servers is better. Having a few select servers that strip back a few of the layers that influence social behavior and the overall reward structure (crossrealm, LFR, whatever else) would be a great substitute that doesn't have to sacrifice content updates.