How likely will 8.0 add "hardcore" servers?

[Halyon]

AhahahAHAHAHA...oh wait you're serious? It won't happen. Times aren't as they were, so get with it and deal with it. You're not forbidden to level without heirlooms and not using the LFR. And you're sure as hell not gonna force people to do it.

[Deleted]

i would like to have a hardmode alterntive way to level, instead of the current booring roflstomp.

i dont agree that slow=harder though.
if you are a skilled player, the hardmode should be at least as fast as normal. otherwise there wouldnt be any reason to do it.
it doesnt have to be on seperate servers, it could just be some new elite quests that gives alot of xp.

[deniter]

It is a no-brainer, but that doesn't change the fact that the tech didn't come along until Legion. Literally no content before Legion had the same relevance at max level, outside of dedicated max level zones/areas.

And "figuring things out" is as much part of the game now as it ever was. Loads of people never look at guides, for example.

I still don't think scaling content is the best solution for that but it's better than nothing. At least the problem is noted and something has been done.

[Queen of Hamsters]

I still don't think scaling content is the best solution for that but it's better than nothing. At least the problem is noted and something has been done.

... What other way could there be to keep content relevant, than to scale zones and make it so that you never outlevel the mobs? This would probably also come with them adding max level objectives to the scaled zones, like with the pre-Legion invasions.

Legion's scaling tech has so much potential for turning the entire world into potentially relevant content beyond leveling.

[deniter]

... What other way could there be to keep content relevant, than to scale zones and make it so that you never outlevel the mobs? This would probably also come with them adding max level objectives to the scaled zones, like with the pre-Legion invasions.

Legion's scaling tech has so much potential for turning the entire world into potentially relevant content beyond leveling.

I guess it's easier to use scaling technology at this point than remove levels from the game altogether and use only gear to gate content. I'm not sure if you should even try to prevent outleveling the mobs, but narrowing the power gap would be worth to have a second look. In my opinion the very reason we gear up and seek more powerful items is to make those mobs easier for us to beat. If the mobs now scale up according to the latest gear upgrades you just got and nothing really changes. The real problem is the tuning - they are too easy when you first confront them, and way too easy when you are raid geared. They should buff all the mobs a bit and keep the gaps in raid tiers a bit more narrow.

I don't see why you can't add max level objectives to any zone in game. In vanilla/TBC/WotLK zones used to have areas with higher than usual level mobs, often elites and world bosses, and it worked just fine. Zones shouldn't be like stages in arcade game, they should be part of the bigger world and have many kind of features and areas. That alone keeps them relevant when you go there again tens of levels later for a high level quest.

[Queen of Hamsters]

I guess it's easier to use scaling technology at this point than remove levels from the game altogether and use only gear to gate content. I'm not sure if you should even try to prevent outleveling the mobs, but narrowing the power gap would be worth to have a second look. In my opinion the very reason we gear up and seek more powerful items is to make those mobs easier for us to beat. If the mobs now scale up according to the latest gear upgrades you just got and nothing really changes. The real problem is the tuning - they are too easy when you first confront them, and way too easy when you are raid geared. They should buff all the mobs a bit and keep the gaps in raid tiers a bit more narrow.

I don't see why you can't add max level objectives to any zone in game. In vanilla/TBC/WotLK zones used to have areas with higher than usual level mobs, often elites and world bosses, and it worked just fine. Zones shouldn't be like stages in arcade game, they should be part of the bigger world and have many kind of features and areas. That alone keeps them relevant when you go there again tens of levels later for a high level quest.

We still gain power, mobs still become faster to kill with gear. The difference between my main and my alts in how they can tackle content, is huge. Have you actually played Legion? The difference is that we don't outpower mobs by OUTLEVELING them, but rather only through gear power gains.
And new zones ARE part of the "bigger world" with many kinds of features and areas... Like, you call it an "arcade game", when it's literally more alive, relevant and feature packed than ever before...

And ofc they won't remove levels, they've been a winning concept for MMO'S until now.

[Worgoblin]

I don't think it's likely. But I would love if they did this. I'd instantly roll on a hardcore server.

[Highwhale]

Why so many people against legacy/hardcore servers if they no mandatory? Because current playerbase will be too lazy to play on them and too jealous not to.

OP - I would love it and insta rolled there.

[deadman1]

Why so many people against legacy/hardcore servers if they no mandatory? Because current playerbase will be too lazy to play on them and too jealous not to.

OP - I would love it and insta rolled there.

Lazy to intentionally sign up for a timesink? You actually wan't people to spend more time doing something without an actual benefit. Do you know what the word lazy means? "You could drive straight to work if you want to be lazy, me personally, I take 15 extra roads when I drive, just to double my commute for the sake of it."

Why would I want my sub money going to wasted resources for a bunch of people wearing rose tinted glasses knowing that 90% of the people who support this are going to get burnt out when they see that the 99% of people playing on normal servers are already max level doing content while they are still stabbing boars because timesink for the sake of timesink?

What happens when 90% of the people stop playing on those servers and then there is no one to play with? Remember, no xrealm or transfers, you have to reroll if you want to play on a different server. Genius idea, just get rid of all the beneficial technological advances because you're too caught up in nostalgia to let the past go.

[Camthur]

I started about 6 months after BC launched. I can't speak about Vanilla but I can for anything past that. When I showed up, I thought WoW was so easy. I came from Everquest and WoW felt like happy fun-time vacation land compared to it. That's not a complaint either. I loved WoW for being so fun and not such a chore. (and still do for the most part)

I guess what I'm saying is where the heck is this game people want to go back to? I've never seen this ultra hard game they seem to remember. Less convenient version of WoW? yep, I've seen that. (mounts in bag, bags full of ammo, etc). I've just never played that version of the game some people have in their heads.

[Jastall]

If i would use your logic, Raids should not be in the game cause only 5-8% are doing them...

? Maybe if you only include Heroic and Mythic, and even Heroic has a higher clear rate by the end of a tier. If you include LFR, more than a majority of people raid.

Anyway, this Pristine Server type idea satisfies no one. The people who want vanilla won't settle for a second fiddle, and most everyone else doesn't have much actual interest in slowing down their consumption of content that is 6-7 years old at best, 10+ at worst.

Also remove crossrealm and see almost all servers become ghost towns.

[Xjev]

I would like permanent dead hardcore server lol

[Highwhale]

Lazy to intentionally sign up for a timesink? You actually wan't people to spend more time doing something without an actual benefit. Do you know what the word lazy means? "You could drive straight to work if you want to be lazy, me personally, I take 15 extra roads when I drive, just to double my commute for the sake of it."

Why would I want my sub money going to wasted resources for a bunch of people wearing rose tinted glasses knowing that 90% of the people who support this are going to get burnt out when they see that the 99% of people playing on normal servers are already max level doing content while they are still stabbing boars because timesink for the sake of timesink?

What happens when 90% of the people stop playing on those servers and then there is no one to play with? Remember, no xrealm or transfers, you have to reroll if you want to play on a different server. Genius idea, just get rid of all the beneficial technological advances because you're too caught up in nostalgia to let the past go.

Why people still read and buy paper made books when there a audio books?

[iinverse]

I think 8.0 would be the perfect time to introduce "hardcore servers" don't you think? I'm not talking about hardcore mode like Diablo where when you die, your character gets deleted. Just special rule set like:

- Much slower leveling speed (no XP boost, no character boost)
- Removal of LFR and Dungeon Queues
- Removal of Crossrealm/virtualization technology
- No server transfer
etc.

Wow has been drifting more and more into a single player with MMO elements. They need to bring back the core essence of what an MMORPG is supposed to be.

Why the people think that "hardcore" means "longer leveling"?
WoW always had casual version of leveling, so why it needs that sh*t from OP post?

[Feronar]

I'd say the odds of a "hardcore" server as described by the OP are somewhere between nil and zero.

[Highwhale]

Why the people think that "hardcore" means "longer leveling"?
WoW always had casual version of leveling, so why it needs that sh*t from OP post?

Why people think hardcore server means only longer leveling? Its not about only time sink. Its about how you can't aggro tons of mobs and still expect survive encounter. You can't do elite quests solo. You need group and you need people. That how back in Vanilla you found your first friends and rivals. That how you know who shit and who worth adding in friend list.

[Eleccybubb]

Why so many people against legacy/hardcore servers if they no mandatory? Because current playerbase will be too lazy to play on them and too jealous not to.

OP - I would love it and insta rolled there.

Because I have no issue with Legacy. This whole hardcore/pristine rubbish is just a worse version of it that was mentioned once at Blizzcon in an attempt to quell the Legacy crowd and was negatively received.

The OP suggested something that is time consuming. Time consuming does not equate to hardcore. Taking a month to level is not hardcore. The levelling being difficult so that it takes a month to level is hardcore.

- - - Updated - - -

Why people think hardcore server means only longer leveling? Its not about only time sink. Its about how you can't aggro tons of mobs and still expect survive encounter. You can't do elite quests solo. You need group and you need people. That how back in Vanilla you found your first friends and rivals. That how you know who shit and who worth adding in friend list.

Then the OP shouldn't have suggested features that were time consuming rather than hardcore.

[iinverse]

Why people think hardcore server means only longer leveling? Its not about only time sink. Its about how you can't aggro tons of mobs and still expect survive encounter. You can't do elite quests solo. You need group and you need people. That how back in Vanilla you found your first friends and rivals. That how you know who shit and who worth adding in friend list.

Most of my friends came from raiding.
And I do not think that killing some outdoor mobs means "hardcore" even if it gives some challenge. Especially when you level your 12th toon.

[Deleted]

That's as likely as they'll add playable murlocs.

[Lochton]

I think 8.0 would be the perfect time to introduce "hardcore servers" don't you think? I'm not talking about hardcore mode like Diablo where when you die, your character gets deleted. Just special rule set like:

- Much slower leveling speed (no XP boost, no character boost)
- Removal of LFR and Dungeon Queues
- Removal of Crossrealm/virtualization technology
- No server transfer
etc.

Wow has been drifting more and more into a single player with MMO elements. They need to bring back the core essence of what an MMORPG is supposed to be.

I think, no likely at all. You don't really have any replay ability with your idea, other than making a new character. Over all, they can't grant content if you can't explore it.