Who/What will the community blame if Classic "fails"

[Seranthor]

no, i'll probably blame only blizz and them listening to people like you who want xmog/flying mounts and other BS like that.

I've never said

1) that I want vanilla/classic
2) that I support the implementation of vanilla/classic
3) that I want any changes to it

So you are talking out of your ass... now shoo.

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Damn you forgot the only one that I was expecting...

THEY WILL BLAME OBAMA !!!

damn it, damn it, damn it... I knew I was forgetting someone in that post... your right of course, I should have given our lord and savior his props in my post.

[Blaki]

Imagine doing Deadmines with this kid...

He'd probably be the "kid" carrying your ass.

[Unholyground]

The only thing they need to do is let us unlock transmog for our main account, they don;t even need to show it happen as long as it does it. If people think they will not try to entice new people or veterans to play it in some way you are foolish.

[Terahertz]

If Classic is as classic as classic can be than I think the playerbase will blame the portion of the playerbase that wanted no updates done to the game.

If Classic isn't as classic as classic can be than the playerbase will blame blizzard for messing up classic with updates "nobody" asked for.

[dayne87]

If Classic "fails" I would define the failure as the following:

Low server populations to the point Blizz shuts down 50% or more and merges. That shows that their expected turnout for Classic was less than expected. Note, if they implement cross-server (which would be against the Classic Doctrine) that might not happen, but cross-server would destroy local communities, which was the cornerstone of Classic.

As to who/what would be blamed, I think it will one of the following:

1. If Classic is changed too much then Classic purists will blame Blizz for dumbing down the game or catering to the casuals or to the retail players.
2. If Classic remains exactly as it was (1.12) with only bug fixes and is "failing" Classic purists will likely blame retail players for being too wussy to play Classic.

Note, I will be playing Classic when it comes out and I don't care if it remains exactly how it was. I fully understand that this is not a retail version of the game stuck in Classic but that this is meant to be a faithful reconstruction of the original game. If I don't like playing Classic then it's not Blizz in my mind that is to blame, it's me.

I do want to say, however, that many Classic players, or retail players who come back to Classic, may find that nostalgia is strong at first but quickly fades. I faced the same thing when I bought the SNES Classic console. I played one of my favorite games (that Mario Seven Stars game or whatever) and after 10 minutes was so bored that I turned off the console and let it collect dust for months before I sold it. My nostalgia was destroyed by the archaic graphics and outdated game mechanics. I fear I'll feel the same playing Classic WoW, but again, that's on me and I would never call for Classic to be "updated" to match Retail mechanics.

[Guardian Bob]

#1 is a fair argument, there'll definitely be people too poor/cheap to play Blizz Classic.
#2 is still up in the air - Classic isn't likely to be a huge hit if they launch the servers with Naxxramas already out. If they do that, I can't imagine they're passionate about Classic at all.
#3 is definitely not an argument, addons were way worse in Vanilla than they are now, with very few exceptions.

The addons that many people used back then was decurse which automatically removed debuffs on players. Something Blizzard removed after TBC and I doubt they'll allow in Classic. There's also healbot and other similar addons that again Blizzard doesn't allow auto-target and casting.

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#2: I don't think this is confirmed, Blizzard only confirmed 1.12.1 will be the basis for the project, however every pserver i know also uses 1.12.1 as the basis for their servers. Using 1.12.1 does not mean that content of for example gear changes cannot be released in a progressive manner on a time schedule.

Clients use 1.12.1 but on the sever side it's patched to similar older patches, including talents. So they simulate older patches, which is something Blizzard may do but I doubt it. Would be nice if they did a progression system, but that takes a lot of time and effort.

[smokii]

if they make classic free to play - it'll be booming.

[Morbownz]

It can't fail. Blizzard has already set extremely low expectations for it with J. Allen Brack saying things like "it's just for those that want it" or "we don't care if only a few players are interested, we are committed to offering the service for our fans".

[Orby]

It wont fail, but I don't think its going to be the rip roaring success either. It'll be a success in it's own right in that it'll have a lovely little niche that would make people happy.

[Coombs]

I don't know if it will fail, but some changes will prevent me from purchasing and playing it. If those are made then I could see many people not wanting to go back for a legitimized private server.

[Hottage]

if they make classic free to play - it'll be booming.

Absolutely not gonna happen.

More than likely it will be bundled into the retail subscription, possibly a separate cheaper sub for those who want it.

[smokii]

Absolutely not gonna happen.

More than likely it will be bundled into the retail subscription, possibly a separate cheaper sub for those who want it.

yea, i agree, thats the most likely business model to be applied.

thats not to say going FTP with classic is impossible, just unlikely.

[Lochton]

For this, my definition of "fail" would be;

Player count is drastically less than expected. I don't have a solid number, but you guys should know what a "dead server" would be like.

I can't speak from a business perspective, since I don't know, and won't pretend to know, the profit margins Blizz has set for Classic.

But looking at the forums, the community is split on "Change vs. No Change."

I personally hope Classic doesn't fail since I feel like if it does well enough, it gives Blizz the incentive to release Classic servers for other expansions such as TBC and WoTLK.

But who do you think the community is gonna blame if it does fail? Each other? Blizz (due to changes or lack of changes)?

Blizzard, of course. For having skewered their experience in the museum?

[Segus1992]

The addons that many people used back then was decurse which automatically removed debuffs on players. Something Blizzard removed after TBC and I doubt they'll allow in Classic. There's also healbot and other similar addons that again Blizzard doesn't allow auto-target and casting.

You aren't honestly arguing that people will be sad at the loss of these, right? I healed in Vanilla, I fucking hated healbot and decurse.

[chronia]

Clients use 1.12.1 but on the sever side it's patched to similar older patches, including talents. So they simulate older patches, which is something Blizzard may do but I doubt it. Would be nice if they did a progression system, but that takes a lot of time and effort.

Are you sure about this? I don't think Nost / elysium / Lightshope ever patched spells and talents. Afaik they always started of the bat with 1.12.1 spells and talents and the only they "simulate" as patches are the raid / dungeon / pvp and quest releases together with the item changes for that patch which they released progressively.

[Cheap Shills]

Blizzard would do well not to add any QoL changes. Really ANY deviation from the original is going to be enough ammo for people to hone in on and place blame for it's "anticipated" failure.

[Relapses]

It can't actually fail...
One server - expectations not very high. Either way changes or no changes - the side that wins will be happy. So, someone will be playing - I mean this is akin to a private vanilla server what kind of success we lookin' for here?

That's the entire problem with Classic in general. There are rabid fanboys on this forum who think this will be the second coming of Christ. In reality, Blizzard is just looking to provide a supplemental way to play WoW for a very select group of players. They aren't aiming to reinvent the wheel with Classic, they're just giving a laser focused fraction of WoW's playerbase an avenue to experience a different version of the game. The scope is completely irrelevant since no matter what happens, Blizzard wins.

The real irony is that all the players on here saying "Classic WoW with no changes is the only way to release it," are the same ones who will continue to happily play on their free pirate realms when the official Blizzard product inevitably fails to live up to their unreasonable expectations.

[Bodonius]

Not sure trump or russia

[Feril]

Of course, the blame will go to those that wouldn't play on classic servers.

"They just don't get it, they're far too gone."

"Player taste has gone downhill."

"They're just retail babies."

"It's the casual whiners' fault."

"I can't believe they don't like this, thye're not okay in the head."

"Why won't I stay twelve forever."

And such.

[chazus]

They'll blame the following, in numerical order.

1) "Blizzard"
1) "Activision"
1) The "Players"
1) Whatever political affiliation they don't like
1) People who played Vanilla
1) People who didn't play Vanilla
1) The Devs who were involved
1) The Devs who weren't involved
1) The Devs who don't even work for Blizzard anymore
1) Other (Insert here, it'll probably be right anyway _____)