Does classic give "retail" the freedom for radical changes?

[pacotaco]

Well, there might be that proof that all of the popular/talked about MMOs (including WoW) probably don't have as many players combined as WoW had at its peak, and this is even considering that some people play multiple MMOs. There's been so many years since WoW peaked and so many MMOs have come and gone since. None really picked off, even if they did manage to keep a healthy playerbase (most didn't). Have none of these games been good enough to rival WoW? That's a rhetorical question, but at this point waiting for "something new" is like waiting for the Holy Grail to be found. The MMORPG fad that WoW started is dead. The market was never big, as these games require the amount of time that most people simply don't have, and it's always been very easy to fall behind, in some cases to the point of being unable to climb back.

Indeed. I think the only thing close to WoW in ¡14 years! (man, I have characters older than some players) is FF14. It's a lot of time to some game "steal" their niche.

Talking of niches: that's another factor. If you're invested in one MMO, it's very unusual that you change to another one, unless the original one fails to deliver your expectations.
The problem is that investors direct videogame companies like if they were movie studios: if there's some hit, everyone and his dog follows up with copies of the original hit. Some have luck, but in general is an assured fail, because while a movie can be seen and be done in 2-3h top, a game demands much more commitment (and if it's an on-line game much, much more).
That's what happened with click & point adventures, shooters, MOBAs, survivals, etc. and what we're seeing right now with battle-royales.

[Soon-TM]

For a week maybe. I'm excited to watch the crowd that whines that there is nothing to do play a game where there is nothing really nothing to do.

Indeed. Retail babies will have a hard time in Classic, no doubt. Fortunately, I'd wager that Classic isn't being made with them in mind.

Most of the Classic-bashing crowd are variants of "I don't like it, therefore no one can possibly like it".

[KaPe]

Most of the Classic-bashing crowd are variants of "I don't like it, therefore no one can possibly like it".

It's a good thing that it's only "retail babies" who have such attitude. Certainly doesn't work in reverse, nope, we totally don't see the exact same opinions being said by the Vanilla-loving crowd. Or people legitimately expecting that Classic will destroy/completely reform Retail WoW, by proving just how much more popular it will be. It doesn't happen at all.

[Eleccybubb]

Indeed. Retail babies will have a hard time in Classic, no doubt. Fortunately, I'd wager that Classic isn't being made with them in mind.

Most of the Classic-bashing crowd are variants of "I don't like it, therefore no one can possibly like it".

I mean to be fair I'm a retail baby.

But I also have the benefit of playing MMOs that required a hell of a lot more time investment than Classic WoW did so I think I'll be fine tbh.

[SirBeef]

its gonna be much faster

first of all the initial "blow' will come from the fact that there will be ton of server ques because people will flock to try it out - wait in que for 4-6 hours then log in and realise "jezus this is what i was waiting for ? " when the reality of slow boring grind will become already on level 1.

then willcome 2nd blow in levels ....13-17 when everything slows down extremly compared to levels 1-10.

then 3rd blow will come somewhere between 25-30 and this will be the biggest on - slow slow slow slow slow grind and slow slow slow gameplay - 95% of people who will try game will quit here. Most of those who will push above level 30 will keep leveling but most probably with weeks of breaks between leveling sessions.

i cannot stress out to people who never tried vanilla how much ready they need to be for slow gameplay .

if you think FF 14 is slow .... vanilla is 20 times worse because FF is at least attractive visualy.

but i do wish they realese it as soon as humanly possible so those threads stop once people realise how garbage vanilla was in reality.

I know I will check it out just to appreciate how much better WoW is now.

[Arakakao]

/Shrug.

Majority will be playing Classic anyway so I guess they will just leave retail for those that want it.

Are you being serious? Really?

[Soon-TM]

Why would anyone have a hard time in the easiest version of the game?

It was so easy that only around 10% of players completed AQ40 and only 2% or so completed Naxx But that's not the point anyway, and it has more to do with players' attitude more than anything else. If I am a turn-based strategy lover, chances are I will get completely obliterated in an FPS; the opposite is also true. And the difference between both versions of the game is almost as big - and so are their respective fans' mindsets.

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It's a good thing that it's only "retail babies" who have such attitude. Certainly doesn't work in reverse, nope, we totally don't see the exact same opinions being said by the Vanilla-loving crowd. Or people legitimately expecting that Classic will destroy/completely reform Retail WoW, by proving just how much more popular it will be. It doesn't happen at all.

Irrelevant. This thread is about Classic; if you want to complain about those evil Classic nerds hating on your beloved retail, open a thread about it, and gl.

[Crazozourus]

Wow number 7th top revenue pc games January 2019

Classic will have no impact on the Retail. Blizzard making money hand over fist of the 14 years old game and it looks like current design philosophy pays off, so expect more expansions like BfA in the future.

[kamuimac]

good joke there

thats why i want classic to be out asap.

so that delusions like this stop once and for all.

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I don't quite see Classic allowing much anything at all. To me Classic seems like very static, "one shot" nostalgia piece. A trip back in time for a quick look at how things were. I very much doubt I'll play it seriously for any length of a time. It's not free to play - I'm skeptical it will manage to attract the current pserver crowd and for the rest of us - maybe we'll take a look for a month or two, but I can't see what the staying power would be?

So, I don't really believe Classic release is going to be the "shining beacon of RPGs" we're looking for, but I do hope I'm wrong.
If it does prove to be extremely popular, I do hope that the team will re-think the pristine realms idea for future releases. That would be a thing I'd get hyped about.

albait very important nostalgia piece.

i dont doubt there will be a lot of people (like me) who will slowly over next 5-10 years level up all classes on classic just to have it as "collectibles" - they will stay there most likely forver because blizzard clearly stated classic is sort of legacy project for "industry" as well as for fans.

[Donald Hellscream]

No, Classic will not have any impact on what the devs do with "retail".

[Axxil]

/Shrug.

Majority will be playing Classic anyway so I guess they will just leave retail for those that want it.

You think the majority will be playing classic and not modern? Please share those top end drugs with the rest of us.

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I would prefer WotLK but Vanilla is still better than the community gutted mess that is retail.

In a sense of community then yes, Vanilla was better, but modern WoW vastly outshines it in terms of gameplay.

[Aeula]

No.

Removing the faction barrier is the stupidest thing they could possibly do unless the game is actually dying and people are struggling to make groups (Which they currently aren't). It's the one thing that sets this game apart from all the others both in terms of branding, lore and gameplay mechanics. Losing that unique selling point would be catastrophic and vanilla wouldn't save them.

[Nnyco]

Indeed. Retail babies will have a hard time in Classic, no doubt. Fortunately, I'd wager that Classic isn't being made with them in mind.

Most of the Classic-bashing crowd are variants of "I don't like it, therefore no one can possibly like it".

You overrestimate how hard classic is, getting used to pullin mobs one by one is not somethin that will make people struggle past the first few minutes.

[owbu]

I dont think the playerbase for classic and retail overlap much (outside of a ~1month nostalgia trip, because its free anyways), so no, I dont think classic will have a big impact on the modern wow dev team.

I hope legion's reception vs. BfA's reception is what might give the devs some courage/arguments to why more radical gameplay changes might be what the playerbase is looking for.

I also dont think that a faction split by itself would help WoW. It doesnt matter if dwarfs are red or blue, if the actual gameplay is just copying bfa or legion. We need new innovations like how world quest and m+ changed up what we were actually doing when playing the game.

[threads]

if anything it's already causing the opposite. a lot of recent changes seem like they're trying to turn retail more into vanilla.

[Demithio]

There's no connection to retail from classic and vice versa. Except, for the reason that retail isn't doing too well so classic is something to pick up the revenue slack.

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if anything it's already causing the opposite. a lot of recent changes seem like they're trying to turn retail more into vanilla.

There would have to be some mega and sweeping changes. As in massive fundamental redesigns. They may even implement some pseudo "vanilla-ish" things but its nowhere near what the game was. Nor will it ever be without the sweeping changes.

[KaPe]

Depends on the popularity.

If it blow up in a simillar way to OSRS, as in the old version of the game has more players, then of course it will.
How the fuck do you think the investor reaction gonna be that the 14 year old game outperforming the current iteration of the fuckfest that is more expensive do develop and upkeep? Lmao

They'll "react" by realizing that by the time any such changes were implemented, people would start leaving Classic. It would have to retain a massive population for multiple months before Retail rework would make sense.

[KaPe]

But i already said that...

Assuming that's what you meant by OSRS, then sure. I wouldn't know. I heard it was successful, but it's a different thing on a different scale.

[Kallisto]

It was so easy that only around 10% of players completed AQ40 and only 2% or so completed Naxx But that's not the point anyway, and it has more to do with players' attitude more than anything else. If I am a turn-based strategy lover, chances are I will get completely obliterated in an FPS; the opposite is also true. And the difference between both versions of the game is almost as big - and so are their respective fans' mindsets.

The difference between Classic and BFA is smaller than the difference between Generic EA sports game 2013 and Generic EA sports game 2019. As for Naxx and AQ well that's simple. It wasn't difficulty it was A) Gearing was a chore in of itself. 40 people 3 per boss isn't going to get you the gear for weeks or months to go on. Secondly AQ especially C'thun was bugged so hard that it could not be killed. It became such a road block for months people stopped bothering.

Plant any normal mode (let alone heroic or mythic) boss from mid wrath onwards and put them in Vanilla the playerbase would have more trouble than now.

[Torto]

Classic will have a couple of hundred thousand loyal players at best. Compared to the millions that play retail, it won't influence a thing.