Why are they removing spell batching???

[Garymorilix]

People really would rather gimp their game for the sake of "nostalgia" rather than have a functional experience.

Looking at active Classic players this doesn't even matter.
The argument kills itself with 200ms ping.

[Naraga]

That's what I got from it. Batching was a tool that the modern game doesn't need.

The modern gamer doesn't need to SWD? Vanish spells? Pre-interupt? Shattercombo? Cross-CC? Counter-CC?

That's a bold statement.

[Mosha]

So 1 page full of QQ and nobody telling a casual pass by reader what spell batching is in clear details :P

I’m not going to be able to go into full full detail but I can put it in laymen’s terms.

Basically the server is always ‘updating’ we will call these updates ticks. When the server ticks, it’s basically receiving inputs and then outputting what is suppose to happen. (Server receives my input of Fireball, and updates my target with how much damage it takes).

Well back in vanilla these ‘ticks’ were like 400ms, or .4 seconds. Well a lot can happen in .4 seconds as we all know, but sometimes even though I may input something before you input something they may be input on the same ‘tick’ which causes spell batching. So you’ll see things like a mage getting off a poly on a priest who just feared them, you’ll see rogues being able to completely vanish deathcoils, you’ll see tanks dying on a hit even when they received a heal, you’ll see rogue sap each other, mages Polly each other. The servers today have about 10 ms ticks or .01 seconds... so spell batching is pretty rare.

Without spell batching it would make pvp a lot different for high level players, because a lot of them actually use spell batching to their advantage, mostly rogues though.

[Nnyco]

Imagine asking for a fake high ms.

[Mosha]

Imagine asking for a fake high ms.

That’s literally not what it is, but ok.

[Pohut]

#nochanges

[arkanon]

So is this a #Change, or just improving something?

For those unsure, this is a pretty good basic explination:

What is Spell Batching?

For those unfamiliar, Spell Batching refers to how the WoW servers process incoming interactions. Instead of processing everything immediately, the server creates batches of actions (attacks, buffs, debuffs, etc) in order to process them all together. This is done to optimize the amount of time the server spends processing those effects. The side effect of this is that actions in the same batch are considered simultaneous and don't affect one another.

In the past, back when servers had less computing power than phones nowadays have, these windows could be very large, with some games having up to 200ms windows of batching, including WoW. With better technology and servers, this system was improved over the years and, while it still exists, and effects from it can still be seen, the windows are much smaller, being 20ms wide for abilities in retail WoW. This means that abilities cast within 20ms of each other are considered simultaneous in the eyes of the retail WoW servers, while this window was about 200ms during Vanilla.

This large window leads to very interesting interactions, as listed below, mages able to Polymorph each other at the same time, other classes being able to break CC like Polymorph by using self-harm effects like Dark Rune, etc. This happened because those abilities ended up in the same batch of actions, being validated before the other happened. These effects have very important repercussions in PvP mainly, so it is important that Blizzard is keeping the large window for spell batching to preserve the Vanilla experience in Classic.

#NoChanges #SomeChanges #OnlyChangesILike

[SirReal]

The modern gamer doesn't need to SWD? Vanish spells? Pre-interupt? Shattercombo? Cross-CC? Counter-CC?

That's a bold statement.

He said the modern game doesn't need batching because of modern technology. What you said is a bold, dumb statement.

[Mightytasty]

Then do tell. Stop with the smart ass comment and educate us. Believe it or not, some DON'T KNOW what it is.

Spell batching means in-game actions occur every 0.4 sec. Example, you land a poly on a warlock 0.399 seconds before his fear finishes casting - guess what you're both CC'd. Or, your tank gets slapped and you heal him 0.399 sec before the next hit lands - oh look he's dead anyway

#NoChanges people will say: Keep spell batching because it was also 0.4 sec in vanilla.

Everyone else will say: I get 4ms ping with my fiber optic internet as opposed to 300 ping with dial up in 2004. Spell batching is far far more noticeable in Classic and the gameplay experience is not representative of vanilla.

[Mosha]

He said the modern game doesn't need batching because of modern technology. What you said is a bold, dumb statement.

And what he is displaying to you, is that batching isn’t just about people wanting it because of computing power reasons, but because the effects of it define the meta for pvp.

[Frinata]

I like how alot of people are coming in here to barf out "#nochanges" and either opt to ignore all the changes that happened either at launch, or post, because it just so happened to improve the situation, because, low and behold, certain vanilla features are just untenable in the modern day. Be it to contend with bots, or just to promote a more healthy game, all the while trying to keep within the spirit of Vanilla.

The game needed the changes that came out post launch, at launch, but people decided they wanted to gatekeep fun for a false sense of nostalgia. And people need to quit doing that. Vanilla isn't sacred. Nothing is. If there is room for change that improves the situation at hand, without removing what makes vanilla vanilla, then go for it, so long as there is room for it.

What that means, before a #nochanges comes in to fill the blanks with #nochanges, is things like how BGs worked at their launch, compared to how they work now. That was a change needed at launch, and the game still feels like vanilla. What is not needed, is buffs to Warrior to help them dps better, as that takes it out of vanilla, unless a weird interaction was occuring with an item.

Whenever Blizzard has made 'balance' changes, they look at what has happened to prompt the need, and consider if this would of occured in the game back at vanilla. There was a quest reward item that tanks got to negate threat, so that was removed, because they felt that would of been a fix that occured in vanilla.

#nOcHaNgEs is just a way to be toxic without seeming like it. Change is good.

Within reason.

[Aggressive]

Spell batching means in-game actions occur every 0.4 sec. Example, you land a poly on a warlock 0.399 seconds before his fear finishes casting - guess what you're both CC'd. Or, your tank gets slapped and you heal him 0.399 sec before the next hit lands - oh look he's dead anyway

#NoChanges people will say: Keep spell batching because it was also 0.4 sec in vanilla.

Everyone else will say: I get 4ms ping with my fiber optic internet as opposed to 300 ping with dial up in 2004. Spell batching is far far more noticeable in Classic and the gameplay experience is not representative of vanilla.

Mightytasty Thank you for the reply. I appreciate it. I didn't even know that it got that precise in WoW. But then again this game is complex and seems to be getting more and more that way every expansion.

[Naraga]

He said the modern game doesn't need batching because of modern technology. What you said is a bold, dumb statement.

Well right back at you and I don't even have to point out why cause someone else did so already.

[Craaazyyy]

No Changes people be damned. This is a great change.

this is not a great change, a great change would be to reduce it to a lower ms, like 100 or 150

[Asrialol]

Funny how the people shouting for no changes are the people who has changed - and thus, classic has been and always will be, changed.

[Frolk]

Just wait until people start rioting about it and they add it back again. Don’t fix something that ain’t broken.

"Don’t fix something that ain’t broken"

You mean when paladins heal with Lay on Hand, target dies and LoH still goes on CD?

Ye totally dosnt sound broken

[arkanon]

this is not a great change, a great change would be to reduce it to a lower ms, like 100 or 150

or like...........10ms for example?

[Relapses]

This is obviously laying the groundwork for TBC which would be a shitshow if they left spellbatching in. I'm 100% willing to lose a couple nostalgia-blinded forum posters if the trade off is more widespread accessibility. Additionally, this tells me that the devs are likely taking the "community-driven changes" route instead of the hilariously one-dimensional #NoChanges direction. BlizzConline is gonna quite a show, I can't wait to watch this place have a meltdown.

[Naraga]

This is obviously laying the groundwork for TBC which would be a shitshow if they left spellbatching in. I'm 100% willing to lose a couple nostalgia-blinded forum posters if the trade off is more widespread accessibility. Additionally, this tells me that the devs are likely taking the "community-driven changes" route instead of the hilariously one-dimensional #NoChanges direction. BlizzConline is gonna quite a show, I can't wait to watch this place have a meltdown.

I see you're slamming that yes button repeatedly in your sig.

[BeepBoo]

@OP

1) Spellbatching was already being faked as it was.
2) I *ALWAYS* wanted vanilla with sprinkles. I specifically signed the petition stating I wanted classic but with ret to be viable DPS, so please... stop talking for everyone.