Will all servers will be ready to remove layering by P2?

[Shaetha]

Honestly, I'm not sure why we even needed layering in the first place.

Right at launch, in 1-5 zones, mobs were respawning almost instantly after they died. Despite the massive amount of players, questing was possible because things respawned super fast.

Dynamic respawn exists, so I'm not sure why we need layering, especially now that the playerbase is spread out.

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A theory has to be supported by facts and evidence.

"OH MY GOD BLIZZ IS LYING THEY WILL KEEP LAYERING 5EVAR" is not facts or evidence.

An opinion based on personal observation is evidence. Nothing requires the evidence to be good to make a lay theory.

[Aphrel]

worldbosses wont be the big issue.

the big issue will be hillsbrad worldpvp. The server load increases quadraticly with amount of players in close proximity (unless they put some sort of limit in where your information range is reduced after hitting x amount of players).

If at peak hours 2 or 3 thousand players are at the same location pvping... well rip that server. It will make the AQ-opening event look like childsplay.

[Warning]

Bit of a bind they're in now that it seems like fewer people than expected have quit. I feel like phase 2 should go live within the next 2-3 weeks or loads of people are going to find themselves out of stuff to do beyond just logging in for MC and Onyxia.

[Miena]

Ion literally promised to collapse down to 1 layer per realm aka remove it "a few weeks in":

https://youtu.be/jYuUD0o-Nz8?t=350

Now ofc, normally you'd say "a few weeks in" means that we are indeed already a few weeks in at this point. Which we are. Layering is still here though, no surprise there. If he's gonna stick to his promise then it's gonna have to happen very soon. In fact, i think the earlier from now the better, because in P2 many people will return or check out the game due to new content to tackle, which are going to lead to massive queues (and yes layering has an effect on queues, look up the blue post where they confirm massive queues without layering).

The earlier they pull out layering, the more time people (and Blizzard) have to move around and fill up realms more evenly before P2, rather than when they'd turn off layering 5 mins before P2 (which the devs in an interview even said they'd also could do btw) only to run into these extreme queues again months after launch, which ofc would be a terrible experience as everyone would love to see new content with their friends on that particular server/community.

[Caperfin]

The player base will dwindle as time passes thus removing layering will come naturally.

[Apology]

I genuinely do not believe they will ever get rid of layering. I don't think realm populations are going to dwindle to the point its feasible to do so, plus they kept moving the goal posts of what the extent of layering was going to be to ease the community into the idea, plus they did not put in so much effort to design the layering system just to get rid of it after a couple of months. That'd be a waste of development resources. I don't think they're being honest because of that last point alone, so Im going to be very surprised if they legitimately follow through on removing it come phase 2.

[trapmaster]

Well, i kinda hope layering doesn't get removed.. IF it will, then it was a huge waste of development resources putting in there in first place for only several months? Idk if blizzard is really planning to reduce playerbase over this

[Michh]

I dont think anyone is saying that they were lying when they said that. People are saying that they made such a huge miscalculation of their player numbers when they said that, that their plan is not realistic. With the player numbers we are seeing right now, removing layers before phase 2 seems unrealistic unless they push phase 2 several months into the future which would really hurt the game because people want PvP and layering overall hurts the server community.

In order to keep things going forward, and to quell speculation, maybe they will offer some information soon about their upcoming plans.

I think it needs to go and let everything sort itself out. If it’s another month before P2, which I think is more realistic than say 3 months, people will be as spread out by then as we’re ever going to be. After 2 full months in, anyone planning on playing at a pace that even resembles trying to progress should be 60 or damn near 60. If you’re not 60 in another month this is a side game and you prolly won’t be affected or butthurt over layering anyway.

People in that camp may not even know what layering even is tbh.

Nah, it needs to go and soon, along with P2 being released to keep the PvP and top end crowd happy.

Something I don’t know; how does end of October line up with Retail and anything they’re planning? I think we all agree that they’re going to work the 2 versions together if at all possible to maximize sub retentions.

[Elias01]

They will remove layering on the start of P2 regardless if there are still queues or not. If there are expect the queue to probably triple and have free transfers off those servers to be open. People will deal with and fight through the queue or they will transfer to the less populated servers that will be their choice

There wont be queues for realms when layers got removed. Layers are there to not have 3k people in same zone. No to increase realm capacity. 10k realm = 5x2k players with layering. When layers will get removed realm capacity stays at 10k.

It doesnt work way that Blizz lets 20k people playing with layers than after removing layers realm capacity reduce to 3k. No. 20k player will still be able to join realm.

[Kirbstermcgee]

There wont be queues for realms when layers got removed. Layers are there to not have 3k people in same zone. No to increase realm capacity. 10k realm = 5x2k players with layering. When layers will get removed realm capacity stays at 10k.

It doesnt work way that Blizz lets 20k people playing with layers than after removing layers realm capacity reduce to 3k. No. 20k player will still be able to join realm.

According to a blue post by Kaivax, it would certainly seem that the removal of layers would increase queue time:

" Raising realm caps would simply forestall the problem, letting more players in at launch but creating an unsustainable situation down the line, with severe queues when we turn off layering permanently before Phase 2 of our content unlock plan. "

[Dekkers]

It's going to be a shit show on a server like Herod.

10k people running around Orgrimmar. Rip in peace.

[sephrinx]

Yes.

They will just delay phase 2 until they can remove layering.

[chrisnumbers]

They've never given a timeline. They've only said that p2 will not go on until layering is removed.

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Ion literally promised

Who cares. Plans can change, and they had to, given the number of players still playing.

[Naiyano]

Tbh it's time for p2. That will make pvp servers unplayable, but that would also be the case if they release it in 3 or 4 months.

P2 is the only reason I did not choose to play on a pvp server. The amount of people camping flight masters, quest hubs or ganking squads just overrunning areas will be insane. I do believe they will release a battleground some weeks or even days into p2 because people can not play the game anymore tho.

Long story short: release p2 please

[Pancreatin]

Honestly, I'm not sure why we even needed layering in the first place.

Right at launch, in 1-5 zones, mobs were respawning almost instantly after they died. Despite the massive amount of players, questing was possible because things respawned super fast.

Dynamic respawn exists, so I'm not sure why we need layering, especially now that the playerbase is spread out.

Because its cheap.

[Jurwi]

My guess is that they will remove the layers at first, but then return them to the "Full" servers. It's just gonna fuck up the game otherwise for people who have something else to do than AFK in their capitals, i.e the Classic endgame.

[ellieg]

There wont be queues for realms when layers got removed. Layers are there to not have 3k people in same zone. No to increase realm capacity. 10k realm = 5x2k players with layering. When layers will get removed realm capacity stays at 10k.

It doesnt work way that Blizz lets 20k people playing with layers than after removing layers realm capacity reduce to 3k. No. 20k player will still be able to join realm.

Why do you and other ppl still think this? Heres part of 1 of many interviews where its explained.

"Newman: How big is a single layer? What’s the end target you’re shooting for, for each server?

Hazzikostas: Each layer is effectively going to be what a healthy server was at launch in 2004 in terms of the number of people it holds.

You will log in, in a layered world, and it’s going to be very, very crowded. People will fan out, and you will be teeming with players all over the place, and those who get a head start and make it into the Barrens or make it into Westfall initially will have a little bit of breathing room. But it’s going to feel very populous.

We’re looking to preserve the traditional experience. I think you can view it as effectively, just us running multiple classic launch servers, 2006-era, in parallel, with the intent of collapsing them down into a single one over the course of a few weeks."

Key phrases being:

"Each layer is effectively going to be what a healthy server was at launch in 2004"

"We’re looking to preserve the traditional experience"

"collapsing them down into a single one "

Realm caps will not stay at 10k or whatever number you think. They understand that realm capacity will be closer to 3k which it was during vanilla, so they can keep the feel of it the same. 10k+ ppl are allowed on right now, split into different 3k sized layers, so that the feel is the same, but also so when player drop off occurs, they can collapse into a single healthy layer (3k)

[anon5123]

Because its cheap.

...developing the whole layering system instead of just using the pre-existing dynamic respawn that was already in to begin with, is "cheap" ?

I'd ask you to elaborate, but you have an alt-right meme avatar, so I'm not sure you'd provide anything insightful.

[greysaber]

Everyone clamoring to have layering removed are going to be in for a huge shock.

Imagine your server right now during primetime. Now imagine seeing 6-10 TIMES as many people as you currently see.

You will never tag another mob again...

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Why do you and other ppl still think this? Heres part of 1 of many interviews where its explained.

"Newman: How big is a single layer? What’s the end target you’re shooting for, for each server?

Hazzikostas: Each layer is effectively going to be what a healthy server was at launch in 2004 in terms of the number of people it holds.

You will log in, in a layered world, and it’s going to be very, very crowded. People will fan out, and you will be teeming with players all over the place, and those who get a head start and make it into the Barrens or make it into Westfall initially will have a little bit of breathing room. But it’s going to feel very populous.

We’re looking to preserve the traditional experience. I think you can view it as effectively, just us running multiple classic launch servers, 2006-era, in parallel, with the intent of collapsing them down into a single one over the course of a few weeks."

Key phrases being:

"Each layer is effectively going to be what a healthy server was at launch in 2004"

"We’re looking to preserve the traditional experience"

"collapsing them down into a single one "

Realm caps will not stay at 10k or whatever number you think. They understand that realm capacity will be closer to 3k which it was during vanilla, so they can keep the feel of it the same. 10k+ ppl are allowed on right now, split into different 3k sized layers, so that the feel is the same, but also so when player drop off occurs, they can collapse into a single healthy layer (3k)

Anyone that thinks Classic population is going to fall by 75 percent is 100 percent delusional/high/mentally ill.

[ellieg]

Everyone clamoring to have layering removed are going to be in for a huge shock.

Imagine your server right now during primetime. Now imagine seeing 6-10 TIMES as many people as you currently see.

You will never tag another mob again...

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Anyone that thinks Classic population is going to fall by 75 percent is 100 percent delusional/high/mentally ill.

I'm not saying I agree with the drop off numbers, just that's what blizzard's estimates are. Why they allowed 12k+ on their servers initially. So you are calling blizz delusional lol.

Today marks 1 month after the release date. Youd have to resub now if you only bought 1 month. Will be interesting to see if it has any effect on queues.