Addressing Population Concerns in WoW Classic

[Big Thanks]

There is nothing that can fix the exponential problem of too many players in a single zone. Maybe instead of Server-wide layering - they just reduce the maximum amount of players that are visible or something.

Quite sure if there was a better solution than layering we would have had it years ago on retail.

I have absolutely zero ideias for a possible solution with new tech.
My mind is a blank

Im not the expert But it sounds so cool

[Relapses]

Yes I read the post. I don’t even play Classic but I’m kind of fascinated by this whole situation. What is it about Classic that makes people so reluctant to change servers that they would rather wait for 2 hours or quit? Is it that shitty to play on a low pop server?

Players generally dislike moving servers both in retail and Classic. I don't think it has much to do with it being shittier to play on a lower pop server as much as it does the fact that they'd have to make new friends and WoW is an inherently social game.

[Kralljin]

Yes I read the post. I don’t even play Classic but I’m kind of fascinated by this whole situation. What is it about Classic that makes people so reluctant to change servers that they would rather wait for 2 hours or quit? Is it that shitty to play on a low pop server?

1.You have to start from scratch if you join a new guild on another server (DKP, Loot prio and such)
2.You can no longer play with your friends (who might not transfer)
3.Playing Classic on a server that might be dead in a few months again is not a great experience
4.People simply enjoy the feeling of recognizing other people on that server
5.If the transfer lock remains, you can't even go back if you regret your decision

[Relapses]

What? They are simply using sharding to avoid having too many players in a single zone.

Realm populations on retail are much higher comparatively because of sharding.

[Queen of Hamsters]

Yes I read the post. I don’t even play Classic but I’m kind of fascinated by this whole situation. What is it about Classic that makes people so reluctant to change servers that they would rather wait for 2 hours or quit? Is it that shitty to play on a low pop server?

Well, I was playing on a low pop server on Live before things like cross-realm grouping, matchmaking, Sharding, cross-faction AH and CRZ became a thing.

And it sucked. .
But I'm the kind of player who wants to see other people and play with other people, both in organized fashion and just pickup groups. I'm sure there are players loving the low pop gameplay.

But most of it I'd guess, comes down to the simple fact that transferring off a populated server is a massive change and will inevitably change how the game is played for the people moving. I get clammy hands just thinking about that myself...

[Nestoras]

Just went back on line to check the locked servers in all the EU sub - regions to realize that Auberdine is the only Normal (PvE) French server there is and its Locked.

That means that if a new French Speaking player wants to create a toon in a PvE realm...

Would be long time asleep but the news kept me up. Still feeling strange mixed emotions, happy on the game's success, sad to see the layering back.

[OokOok]

Blizzard still has no idea what they're doing.

People won't transfer, they lose their friends, guild and name and risk going to a dead server. Why would anyone want that?
They also allow transfers from all sides making servers that are already one sided even more so.

[Clozer]

Realm populations on retail are much higher comparatively because of sharding.

Sure it is - and the social aspect that servers provide is gone as well.

[Relapses]

Blizzard still has no idea what they're doing.

People won't transfer, they lose their friends, guild and name and risk going to a dead server. Why would anyone want that?
They also allow transfers from all sides making servers that are already one sided even more so.

So what's your solution?

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Sure it is - and the social aspect that servers provide is gone as well.

...? Okay?

[Queen of Hamsters]

Sure it is - and the social aspect that servers provide is gone as well.

No, it really isn't. As a social player, I would hate to move from my server. I'd lose track of the guilds, the server progress, my own guild, friends on my server, the economy etc.

People pretending that there are hurdles put in place that discourages players wanting a social gaming experience, are either misinformed or simply willfully ignorant.

There are more communities and ways to form communities for this game than ever before, in-game and outside of it. Introverts gon' introvert though, and that's OK.

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So what's your solution?

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...? Okay?

Chalk it down as the usual "Oh yeah?? But RETAIL sucks for THIS reason and THAT'S THAT!!"-retort to any fact where Live does things differently, I guess.

[Clozer]

So what's your solution?

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...? Okay?

Run through Boralus and count how many players you somewhat remember. Now ask a classic player the same in OG.

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No, it really isn't. As a social player, I would hate to move from my server. I'd lose track of the guilds, the server progress, my own guild, friends on my server, the economy etc.

People pretending that there are hurdles put in place that discourages players wanting a social gaming experience, are either misinformed or simply willfully ignorant.

There are more communities and ways to form communities for this game than ever before, in-game and outside of it. Introverts gon' introvert though, and that's OK.

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Chalk it down as the usual "Oh yeah?? But RETAIL sucks for THIS reason and THAT'S THAT!!"-retort to any fact where Live does things differently, I guess.

I have not seen a single player i met while leveling again. Meanwhile I "know" half of OG in classic. This has nothing to do with socializing - simply sharding.

[Relapses]

Run through Boralus and count how many players you somewhat remember. Now ask a classic player the same in OG.

I get what you're saying but I really don't understand how it has much relevance to this conversation. It's already established that Classic and retail are very different beasts. This isn't a question about which approach is better because it's obvious Blizzard doesn't have any other solutions at least short term. This is Blizzard addressing a unique problem created by a unique circumstance.

[Big Thanks]

Quite sure if there was a better solution than layering we would have had it years ago on retail.

Maybe we are witnessing "evolution" first hand (maybe not)
Classic created a "need" for a solution
New tech will be invented.

The need only came now...because only a few people believe in the server community feeling of vanilla

Heck 2 different MMO-C moderators said Ion Hazzikostas was LYING when he said it was true.
Non believers

[Queen of Hamsters]

Run through Boralus and count how many players you somewhat remember. Now ask a classic player the same in OG.

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I have not seen a single player i met while leveling again. Meanwhile I "know" half of OG in classic. This has nothing to do with socializing - simply sharding.

If it ain't about socializing, why say that it has removed the social aspects...? Did I miss the memo where socializing in WoW means remembering the name of characters...?
Hm, well, as someone on a Full server, I've met plenty of players again whilst leveling, as long as I've stayed in the zone or if they've went the same route as me to the next. I tend to keep my eyes open for them for my screenshots.

I never put too much value into simply "remembering" people unless I'd also be playing with them though. We can comfortably keep track of 150 people as human beings, or thereabouts. I recognize plenty of players when I run through the Great Seal, for what it's worth.

[Tiwack]

I guess it was either this or the ZG virus

[Clozer]

If it ain't about socializing, why say that it has removed the social aspects...? Did I miss the memo where socializing in WoW means remembering the name of characters...?
Hm, well, as someone on a Full server, I've met plenty of players again whilst leveling, as long as I've stayed in the zone or if they've went the same route as me to the next. I tend to keep my eyes open for them for my screenshots.

I never put too much value into simply "remembering" people unless I'd also be playing with them though. We can comfortably keep track of 150 people as human beings, or thereabouts. I recognize plenty of players when I run through the Great Seal, for what it's worth.

This was just one example that the world/server actually matters. At this point, they could just fill the world with changing random npcs instead of actual players and I'm quite sure most wouldn't notice. xD

[Queen of Hamsters]

This was just one example that the world/server actually matters. At this point, they could just fill the world with changing random npcs instead of actual players and I'm quite sure most wouldn't notice. xD

I doubt that. Not even their "new AI" could disguise the fact that NPCs are NPCs.

The world still matters (many are expressing joy of seeing a live world rather than just cities), so does the server. As can be seen from player choices. Not much else to be said, really. The song and dance of how this or that "doesn't matter anymore on Live" is tired, and often ignorant, used for effect.

[Raja30]

The true answer to this is to turn off Classic realms. Let me explain why...

The population wasn't happy running Classic content in WoW, so the population received new servers capped at near-release content.
That content INCLUDED queue times, that was part of the experience at that time.
Now the population is upset at the queue times on their Classic server and want the game changes necessary to alleviate some of those queues.

There is a general sense of nostalgia among millenials which I believe Blizzard will never be able to sate. I wish Blizzard would just focus on making WoW the best it can be. Classic has been a distraction for too long.

Sorry if my opinion offends people.

[Will]

Not arguing for or against, but just to point out what was said in the Blue Post:



This heavily implies that there are substantially less people playing than at launch still considering there were days at launch, WITH LAYERING ON ALL SERVERS, where every realm still had a queue. I definitely wouldn't go as far as to say "it's dead", but it's certainly no where near the livelihood that it initially had. Fact is: majority of people (yes, majority) saw something new, tried it, and left. Whether or not they liked what they saw is debatable for sure. Many liked it but couldn't invest time. Others maybe just didn't like it altogether. Who knows. It cannot be argued that Classic is nearly as successful as the first couple of months. It also cannot be argued that it is dead because it's obviously not.

Even an autist like myself could tell they were being sarcastic.

[Daevied]

Run through Boralus and count how many players you somewhat remember. Now ask a classic player the same in OG.

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I have not seen a single player i met while leveling again. Meanwhile I "know" half of OG in classic. This has nothing to do with socializing - simply sharding.

Obviusly you are not playing on Faerlina, Herod, etc lol