What is(are) your Expansion Release Ritual(s)?

[Shinrael]

When each expansion launches, what is your release day ritual?


Are you like some people who take the day off from school/work/daily life obligations and hit the ground running? I can imagine -- if your computer can handle it -- in the rush with thousands of other players grinding out the new content at the same time.


Do you wait a couple of days after launch so that you may not run into any technical (log-in, server disconnections, mass DDoS attacks, etc) issues?


What are some launch event rituals you will partake in and why?

While some people might considering it silly to devote a "ritual" to a game, for me expansion releases and Blizzcons are very special days. The world that I have spent more than half of my life in is expanding with yet another wave of new places to explore, new armors and mounts to collect, new stories to experience. And there are always a shit ton of people jumping in together, making the entire experience a mass of bugs, disconnects but also most importantly passion. There is a special atmosphere on these days. The amount of passion that all these people emit is crazy and it gets me high in a way. I love it.

And that is why I usually dedicate 2 all-nighters. There is also something special about playing during the night when everyone else is sleeping IRL (EU). I prepare my favourite foods, I tell my parents/GF/etc that I will be fully immersed and unavailable during the period.

I have such clear memories from the Legion and BFA launches. For Legion I had prepared TONS of tsunamayo hosomaki sushi and ginger lime mint honey tea. Every single time I make that tea the memories from Legion launch overflow and it gets me super nostsalgic. My first zone was Val'sharah. For BFA I was at a big 20 people sleepover in Japan at a friend's place, but I was a guild leader and didn't want to miss going into the new expac with my guildies too. So I would play during the night and mornings with my guildies and hang out with my Japanese buddies IRL during the afternoon and evenings.

Probably not doing any more all-nighters, but I certainly will try to fully immerse myself into Shadowlands launch as well, with good company and good food

[Very Tired]

Practice many times on the beta to find the most optimal starting path as quickly as possible. Worked in BFA for getting in front of the crowd. Got to enjoy myself with empty questing hubs rather than packed full. Usually am the first on my server to ding the next level, but then I have to go to bed.

Mostly just in a rush to get max level. Players who max quickly are usually better than the rest. Makes pugging the new dungeons a breeze.

[rhorle]

It's changed over the years where I now include healthy snacks of fruits and nuts for more natural energy. And have now included power naps or simply a 2-4 hour "nap". I've pretty much outgrown the rush to be first and my guilds each expansion tend to transfer off server at some point (I'm to stubborn to pay for my main and a few alts) so there is no real rush for group content and stuff. But I still like to get it all done quick.

BfA took the longest for me to get to level cap at about a week days but was working long hours so could only take a day off to play.

[Sansnom]

What are some launch event rituals you will partake in and why?

Nothing. It is just a video game.

If anything, I avoid the game in the first week to avoid the queues, potential instability, connectivity issues etc.

[Brocksley]

I like to pretend I'm still young and can game all night and then end up falling asleep in my chair at 1:30am.

[Super Kami Dende]

i dont ever feel the need to rush, so release day is any other day.

[Dellis0991]

I don't do nothing different.

[Ealyssa]

In EU they release expansions at midnight so I hang out little bit for maybe 30 minutes then I go to bed and wake up at 5am. Its ideal time to start because casuals already went to bed and rest of the players is ahead of you.

Same but without even trying at midnight since WoD disaster. 4:30am is the sweet spot to start.

For Shadowland will most likely do the same and see I can get back to wow or if I'm done with it (stopped with 8.3, was playing since vanilla).
But release weeks is often the best month of an expansion up to first tier of mythic raid, then the usual starts again.

But yes as per "ritual" :
-be sure to optimise my meal prep for 4-5 days starting tuesday (I usually do more a Monday-Wednesday Thursday-Sunday)
-waking early to start leveling
-I'll still go to the gym, so that's a ~2 hours break minimum. Depending on how good SL is I may skip cardio tho ������
-depending on leveling speed/server issues may go to sleep early to do the same 2nd day or even 3rd if it's unplayable like WoD

[Zka]

Sit down and play.

[Zka]

I don't do nothing different.

This means you do something different.

[MrLachyG]

When each expansion launches, what is your release day ritual?


Are you like some people who take the day off from school/work/daily life obligations and hit the ground running? I can imagine -- if your computer can handle it -- in the rush with thousands of other players grinding out the new content at the same time.


Do you wait a couple of days after launch so that you may not run into any technical (log-in, server disconnections, mass DDoS attacks, etc) issues?


What are some launch event rituals you will partake in and why?

Last 2 releases have been very different. Legion I was employed, came out Tuesday night for us here so I took the rest of the week off and just kept going til I hit level cap. Stayed up all night, had coke and other things to keep me awake.

BfA I was not employed but I was really sick day of release. Kicked off 8am here and I tried to power level but just couldn’t stay awake so gave it up.

SL I will be unemployed again, am studying to try and get a better job so hopefully no illness and if it’s an 8am start again that would be ideal

[Kuja]

I usually play for a few hours. Sometimes more. It's not a race for me, so I do it slowly and enjoy it And it usually involves a lot of flower picking. So much gold to be made in the early game.

[Unholyground]

Well we have until almost the end of October, but until then I am grinding gold to buy the expansion by running the 3 WoD raids on 4 characters, nets me like 45k a week so it will not take me long to get it, may even go for the most expensive one.

[Tavin]

Besides taking off from work? Nothing really, logging in at 6 in the morning (when i normally wake up) has worked pretty well so far. Not too many ppl going on at that hour. The midnight players usually go to bed around then to lunch.

Might stock up on an extra big load of fruits tho

[Pakheth]

I'm in EU so I stay up for midnight launch and if the servers aren't croaking(like they did in WoD) I play until I get tired and then go to bed. I don't take any time off or anything and from then on just plays when I have time.

[DechCJC]

Normally it's a few days of me no lifing the absolute shit out of it; I'll hit max within the first played session guaranteed (WoD was by far the worst due to the lag, I could have slept 8 hours and only would have been one level behind).

2020 has been a long year and there hasn't been much gaming altogether, mainly due to COVID and the fact that I've been out of area in the Falklands for the last few months (returning in October!). I have a lot of problems with WoW and don't always play it that much, but the expansion release is always my special time where I just don't give a fuck for a few days and have a generally pretty great time with my online mates. I'm hoping that I get back just in time for it, as I'll have a solid month or so free at that point - Fingers crossed!

[exsanguinate]

EU here.

I used to stay up until the next day (go through the whole night and day), but tbh the last time I did that was MoP and WoD.

I'm late 30 now and you will be surprised, it is not that easy anymore to stay awake for that long.

So for shadowlands I will start at midnight and see how far I will get. In BFA I made it until 5am or so, then I almost felt asleep at my table.

[Itori]

People have a ritual or something special they do for expansion release? I just wake up make breakfast and log in like normal, if you can log in that is xD

[clownpenisfart]

it's the same ritual I have whenever I play the game, gank everyone I can and camp them when the opportunity arises

launch days are rare opportunities for this because there are so many people everywhere and they are so focused on rushing through the quests that you can kill some ally right in the middle of a bunch of other allies and they won't even lift a finger to help, it's awesome

[Huntaer]

Wait for launch, lagging like fuck, play through launch, lag more, go to bed after 30 minutes.