Blizzard says Legacy is something they are taking seriously - that was months ago

[Xheoul]

By that line of logic they should also never develop new games and pull developers from Overwatch/SC2/Diablo/Hearthstone. Blizzard isn't exactly Valve but developers shift around and move between their projects all the time there.

I don't follow what you're saying... How is "moving forward" not developing new content?

[TITAN308]

With "clown armor", you could identify easily who was wearing what. Helpful when forming quality groups, or evaluating a potential PVP target.

I don't disagree. LOL

[Thage]

It's probably something they're working on as a side-project, something they allocate people and resources to when there's nothing else to do for the day. With Legion's current patch cadence, if they keep this up it's probably not something they'll really focus on until the end-of-expansion lull between planning out stuff for the expac after next (from what they said at Gamescom and Blizzcon, there are now two teams leapfrogging each other in expansion development to reduce the end-of-expansion lulls, and they're re-embracing two+-year expansion cycles to give each team time to flesh things out and attempt to avoid another 6.2/5.4 scenario).

[Trend]

I am a software developer but I've never worked for Blizzard or any other gaming company, so I could only guess at what they're looking at. My guess would be that their architecture really doesn't support being able to have legacy servers without quite a bit of effort. I don't think they're just trying to withhold something that would be easy for them to do. At the same time I understand the frustration with them maybe leading people on a bit.

What I am really curious is how many people would play vanilla for more than a month or so. And really, out of those what is important is how many would play who are not already subscribing to WoW as it is. I totally get that some people would prefer the wow-classic experience, but would it be nearly enough to pay for the development costs (up-front and over time)? I may overestimate the price factor as an influence on people playing on the pirate realms but as it stands I do question the willingness of that group of people to pay Blizzard their subscription fee. There are definitely at least 5 people on MMOC who would sign up, but that's pretty far short of whatever number it is they would need to hit to make the effort financially viable. And maybe there are thousands of people who aren't subscribing now who would for a sanctioned vanilla experience, I just doubt it.

I do feel bad for people who would like to, but cannot, play they game they bought all those years ago.

[Vineri]

I am a software developer but I've never worked for Blizzard or any other gaming company, so I could only guess at what they're looking at. My guess would be that their architecture really doesn't support being able to have legacy servers without quite a bit of effort. I don't think they're just trying to withhold something that would be easy for them to do. At the same time I understand the frustration with them maybe leading people on a bit.

What I am really curious is how many people would play vanilla for more than a month or so. And really, out of those what is important is how many would play who are not already subscribing to WoW as it is. I totally get that some people would prefer the wow-classic experience, but would it be nearly enough to pay for the development costs (up-front and over time)? I may overestimate the price factor as an influence on people playing on the pirate realms but as it stands I do question the willingness of that group of people to pay Blizzard their subscription fee. There are definitely at least 5 people on MMOC who would sign up, but that's pretty far short of whatever number it is they would need to hit to make the effort financially viable. And maybe there are thousands of people who aren't subscribing now who would for a sanctioned vanilla experience, I just doubt it.

I do feel bad for people who would like to, but cannot, play they game they bought all those years ago.

I'll pay. I'll even buy the Collector's edition for it, yesterday. $200? Done.

Given financial status to even maintain a version not in line with Blizzard's stance, I'd say the money is there. Nothing is free - the Whales are the eye-opener. Nothing is free, people pay. Whales sponsor stuff, keep your eye on them.

[Lillyth]

There is already a megathread on things like this, stop shitposting.

[Thage]

I do feel bad for people who would like to, but cannot, play they game they bought all those years ago.

I've always wondered if the Library of Congress and similar groups dedicated to preserving artwork that strongly influenced pop culture and society or had great historical meaning should expand that to include games. For example, hosting EverQuest, Ultima Online, SWG, Vanilla WoW, and Asheron's Call servers to represent the games in their initial form, so players can experience the games as they were in a form no longer truly available (pre-NGE SWG, early EQ, and 1.1.12 WoW, for example, were all lost to history even when the games themselves continued onward; the modern/final versions of those games felt very little like their initial outings for better or worse).

This is less of an issue with console games than with PC games, admittedly, because the PSN Store, XBox Arcade, and Nintendo E-Shop already catalogue many games that were iconic or influential in their genres from previous systems, while computer games can be rendered completely unplayable due to the general lack of backward compatibility in more modern OSes requiring remasters like the Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition, or some tricky troubleshooting/workarounds with emulators for previous OSes that exist in a murky legal grey-area. Just a thought I've been having lately, especially as the gaming industry marches inexorably onward and few companies, justifiably, want to spend time looking backwards and trying to devote manpower to constantly updating decades-old games to function on modern systems.

Blizzard seems to be in the category of devs interested in this, however, with their recent work updating Diablo II and Warcraft III to run on modern OSes, so it makes sense to me that they're finding a way to do it with Legacy servers--it's just not a priority because they're trying to establish a strong expansion cycle, one that seems to roughly match FFXIV's patch cadence of one or more dungeons, new storylines, and a new raid tier every 3-5 months. That's why my guess is it's just being done as time allows and they've got spare bodies to put on the task. Otherwise, it looks like they're usually willing to turn a blind eye to private servers that keep it quiet; Nost was CAD'd because it got too popular, too loud for its own good and Nost fans were raising a ruckus on the official forums. Several servers (including one very popular group that run WotLK, Cata, and MoP realms) have flown under the radar for years because their fans aren't shotgunning the servers all over Twitch and storming the official forums advertising for the server.

[Vineri]

There is already a megathread on things like this, stop shitposting.

The thread linked was taboo, dealing with content inconsistent with this site.

It is closed. This thread is a topic about Blizzard, their interviews, and what they may or may not do.

[Kyanion]

The thread linked was taboo, dealing with content inconsistent with this site.

It is closed. This thread is a topic about Blizzard, their interviews, and what they may or may not do.

Yeah over the last 12 pages I'd say that this thread is pretty much the same as the last one with just as much talking about forbidden topics.

[Kithelle]

Uhm no.

SO MANY PEOPLE forget this is 2017 and NOT 2004

People had absolutely NO CLUE how to play in 2004, how to gear in 2004 and how to level in 2004.

Nowadays, in 2017. People indeed DO know how to play, they know what exact gear to obtain, they know how to level and they absolutely know what they're doing.

Shadow Priest - Viable
Elemental Shaman - Viable
Feral Druid - Somewhat Viable
Retribution Paladin - Somewhat Viable (can pull up to 600 DPS, mind you, the absolutely BiS geared Rogues/Warriors do right around 1200)

I am so sick of seeing people say that "specs are broken"... "lots of classes aren't viable!!"
I can absolutely without a doubt bring up raid logs that prove what I've said here.

THIS
IS
2017
NOT
2004.

PEOPLE
KNOW
HOW
TO
PLAY
AND
GET
THE
PROPER
GEAR
NOW.

Oh wow...you call doing half the DPS of another class viable? Either shows you how little challenge there is in Vanilla now that people know things or just how much you'll lie through your teeth (Just like other vanilla zealots) to try and get your broken point across.

Doing half the DPS of another DPS class isn't viable...unless you're literally on farm...and if you're on farm...if you have Naxx on farm...then you're done....there is nothing else to do and there will never be anything else to do every again. Have fun with your replay simulator and leave us people who actually enjoy a ever growing and expanding game alone already.

[Vineri]

Yeah over the last 12 pages I'd say that this thread is pretty much the same as the last one with just as much talking about forbidden topics.

If you facilitate the [forbidden] topics, then yes. Please don't bring them up.

Unless your ambition is to keep mentioning past threads, in an effort to cease discussion.

(which won't solve anything)

[Queen of Hamsters]

The biggest time sink in Vanilla is the leveling and the gear. You will get it eventually, but you most certainly will NOT be handed out levels like they're candy and most certainly not gear, unless of course, you work for it and put the time in.

Oh yes, because we all know that in current WoW, you get everything handed to you without "working" for it and "putting the time in"... Anyone seen my full set of Mythic raid gear and the other 30 things I'm aiming for? Blizzard forgot to send them to me as I reached max level it would seem...

I'd argue that there's less work to get decked out in the best possible raid gear on Classic servers than it is on Retail. As you said, this ain't 2004. People KNOW where to go and what to do these days, so the time sink is cut down by a fair bit. There's a reason for why many private server-players consider their time spent raiding in Classic their "off" time, something they do for relaxation in contrast to raiding current content...

[Kithelle]

Yea and it was great for the 1% of the player base who could do it. I remember finally completing 8/8 nightslayer on my rogue.

Rose tinted glasses and all.

Maybe that's they want vanilla back...they were the 1% and they felt *special*...they literally need the old days back so they can feel *special* again.

Poor vanilla zealots can't live without the glory days of their past...so sad. "Pats the vanilla zealots on their heads"

[Queen of Hamsters]

Maybe that's they want vanilla back...they were the 1% and they felt *special*...they literally need the old days back so they can feel *special* again.

Poor vanilla zealots can't live without the glory days of their past...so sad. "Pats the vanilla zealots on their heads"

That's my hypothesis, that people miss a time when you could be glorified as a hero of the game by simply reaching max level. If you had some epics, you were hailed as a idol. If you had epic riding and more than some epics, you were a deity...

[Relapses]

For all the complaining you did in the megathread, it didn't take you long to jump into this one.

I don't care either way about private/legacy/whatever servers. But it cracks me up when each side accuses the other of going in circles, particularly when it's the same people copy+pasting the same arguments with slight variations.

For what it's worth, the only more annoying than reading the same circular arguments from the same people are the ones who think they're oh-so-fucking-clever by breaking the fourth wall and pointing out the painfully obvious dichotomy.

Good job, dude. Really hope you feel better about yourself now. Want a biscuit?

[Evangeliste]

It is going to probably be things like Timewalking. They have the already tech to help tune people. They are doing micro-holidays that are akin to older parts of Warcraft. They have been remodelling older raids already and seeing people chew it and move on. People regularly run older raids for vanity so. I can see them looking into the appeal and giving it "serious thought", because heck it could be lucrative...

However, I can't see them dedicating older content on a sole server. People would love the sudden burst of old-love then grow bored or tired of the really old shitty grind it was because whether they like to admit it or not, having 0 gold, picking 1 flower at a time and having a 60% mount compared to flying 310%... You can imagine it's not going to last.
I remember having 13 minute flight paths where you literally thought... hmmm I can get drink, piss, food and shit there's still 10 minutes...?

[wych]

There;s already a vanilla thread.

And people think it's gonna happen over night? They MIGHT be working on it and it cold take years for it to happen.

Nonsense, the code is already out there. Even if they had to start from scratch, private servers have already coded everything upto AQ, and are ready to release AQ already, this has been done by volunteers for no money. I'm sure Blizzard could either ask them for it, or have their own highly trained and paid developers do it for them.

[Eleccybubb]

There is already a megathread on things like this, stop shitposting.

Which was closed a while back by Darsithis because people wouldn't shut the hell up mentioning, linking to or images of private servers.

- - - Updated - - -

Nonsense, the code is already out there. Even if they had to start from scratch, private servers have already coded everything upto AQ, and are ready to release AQ already, this has been done by volunteers for no money. I'm sure Blizzard could either ask them for it, or have their own highly trained and paid developers do it for them.

They would NEVER, EVER ask volunteers. They would do it themselves. As I said earlier they have standards of quality to uphold.

[shimerra]

Nonsense, the code is already out there. Even if they had to start from scratch, private servers have already coded everything upto AQ, and are ready to release AQ already, this has been done by volunteers for no money. I'm sure Blizzard could either ask them for it, or have their own highly trained and paid developers do it for them.

The only one spewing nonsense is you. Blizzards own statements contradict your nostalgia driven assertions. The half ass hack job many private servers employ which often took years is essentially unusable for a proper blizzard done and battle net integrated system.

Quit perpetuating the idiocy that it's just a simple matter of stealing the crap emulations private severs use or can just be magically done on an instant by the magic army of devsnthey have waiting to do the project in your mind.

[wych]

Which was closed a while back by Darsithis because people wouldn't shut the hell up mentioning, linking to or images of private servers.

- - - Updated - - -



They would NEVER, EVER ask volunteers. They would do it themselves. As I said earlier they have standards of quality to uphold.

Except there's private servers that absolutely are of the same quality that Vanilla was. You'll get the occasional bug but it's not as bad as some of the bugs Blizzard have let slip through over the years

- - - Updated - - -

The only one spewing nonsense is you. Blizzards own statements contradict your nostalgia driven assertions. The half ass hack job many private servers employ which often took years is essentially unusable for a proper blizzard done and battle net integrated system.

Quit perpetuating the idiocy that it's just a simple matter of stealing the crap emulations private severs use or can just be magically done on an instant by the magic army of devsnthey have waiting to do the project in your mind.

"half ass hack job" "crap emulation"

Sorry but it's clear you're far too biased to be taken seriously. If you played on said servers you'd see you are speaking total nonsense. But keep believing it takes years to develop a working Vanilla version, it won't make it anymore true