When do you think the Classic servers will be released?

[CellarDoor]

Unfortunately I do not see them releasing Classic Servers before they release their new expansion, as that will get people hooked on classic and hurt the sales of their new xpac. I see the classic server being released by the end of 2018 personally. What do ya'll think?

[Deztru]

They said that they only have a very basic infrastructure in place, so it definitely will be later than 2018

[Tehterokkar]

Hoping for summer 2018. There's a lot of shit they need to figure out and make work, maybe even re-write part of vanilla code to make it run on newer machines. Even though Vanilla is from 2004, the game runs like ass on newer hardware.

Then there are the other issues, network infrastructure for Bnet(possible Bnet friend list intergration?), finding hardware that can run the servers at Blizzard standards, anti-bot/cheat measures(I think Nostalrius people might share their anti-cheat scripts?), deciding on game client version and what content is available(is every raid unlocked from the start, or are they locked for a few months?). There are a lot of kinks they need to iron out that might seem small.

[Deleted]

There's no way classic will be released before 2019. First of all they are super busy with BFA expansion, plus they have to figure out what version of Vanilla they want to bring to us.

[JustRob]

There's no way classic will be released before 2019. First of all they are super busy with BFA expansion, plus they have to figure out what version of Vanilla they want to bring to us.

A separate team is working on Classic, stop spouting bullshit out of your ass.

I'm hoping for a 2018 release. They've announced it, they can't wait two or three years now before they finally release it. Gotta ride that hype train.

[Deleted]

A separate team is working on Classic, stop spouting bullshit out of your ass.

I'm hoping for a 2018 release. They've announced it, they can't wait two or three years now before they finally release it. Gotta ride that hype train.

2018 release? Really? If you followed Blizzcon they aren't even sure what exactly they are gonna do about the whole classic thing, just that they want to deliver the product instead of people using illegal private servers.

Edit: They need to decide on what kind of Vanilla they want to deliver.
is it gonna be with the same exploits and bugs?
What patch? Will they start from scratch and slowly patch the game every few months?
What about class balance? Will moonkins/elementals suck dick and only prot warriors will be viable?

Etc etc. If you think this is easy for them to solve you are naive at best.

[JustRob]

2018 release? Really? If you followed Blizzcon they aren't even sure what exactly they are gonna do about the whole classic thing, just that they want to deliver the product instead of people using illegal private servers.

Edit: They need to decide on what kind of Vanilla they want to deliver.
is it gonna be with the same exploits and bugs?
What patch? Will they start from scratch and slowly patch the game every few months?
What about class balance? Will moonkins/elementals suck dick and only prot warriors will be viable?

Etc etc. If you think this is easy for them to solve you are naive at best.

Oh no, it's not easy. They haven't said anything about a release date, not even months or years. Just that it's a massive undertaking. But Blizzard is a massive company and the biggest game developer in the world. I'm sure they can bring this to us in the near future.

[Woobels]

Oh no, it's not easy. They haven't said anything about a release date, not even months or years. Just that it's a massive undertaking. But Blizzard is a massive company and the biggest game developer in the world. I'm sure they can bring this to us in the near future.

I'd be extremely surprised if this releases in 2018.

Some kind of beta will happen at best.

[RedTempest]

I don't think they would've announced anything yet if they didn't think they could release it within the next two years.

In one of the interviews I've read (not allowed to post links; it's the PCgamer Interview) J. Allen Brack mentions that the biggest issue for classic WoW so far was to get it running on their current hardware and it seems like they found a way to do just that.
It all comes down to optimizing, bug-fixing and figuring out how to integrate it into their current services after that.

Personally I think it'll be released mid-late 2019.

[Deleted]

Oh no, it's not easy. They haven't said anything about a release date, not even months or years. Just that it's a massive undertaking. But Blizzard is a massive company and the biggest game developer in the world. I'm sure they can bring this to us in the near future.

Sure if they went all out, but Classic servers isn't, and should never be even 1/10 of the focus of new content/expansion.

But it's not even about that. Blizzard want to launch these servers so people dont go elsewhere to get the experience, but they need to figure out, in conjunction with the community, what experience is expected and must be delivered.

If you check the multiple threads on these forums, people already ask "hey should they rebalance classes?" "hey what about LFR?" etc etc.
This is not the original Vanilla experience. But maybe that's not what the majority want? Maybe people just want to be 60 and do the old raids, but with current WoW mechanics.

[JustRob]

Sure if they went all out, but Classic servers isn't, and should never be even 1/10 of the focus of new content/expansion.

But it's not even about that. Blizzard want to launch these servers so people dont go elsewhere to get the experience, but they need to figure out, in conjunction with the community, what experience is expected and must be delivered.

If you check the multiple threads on these forums, people already ask "hey should they rebalance classes?" "hey what about LFR?" etc etc.
This is not the original Vanilla experience. But maybe that's not what the majority want? Maybe people just want to be 60 and do the old raids, but with current WoW mechanics.

Just gonna throw quotes at you at this point

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-big-questions

Do you think there'll be a line to walk for the team, then? Somewhere between creating that authentic experience that people have asked for, while also figuring out what doesn't make sense anymore? For example, with the Intellect buff, is it important to you that players do need to drink after casting it?

J. Allen Brack: Yes. That's part of the level 60 experience. Our goal is to recreate that classic 1-60 gameplay. Some things changed as time went on, with different patches. How does that get manifested? That's one of the outstanding questions. But yeah, the goal is to recreate that exact experience, for better or for worse.

[Deleted]

Just gonna throw quotes at you at this point

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-big-questions

Do you think there'll be a line to walk for the team, then? Somewhere between creating that authentic experience that people have asked for, while also figuring out what doesn't make sense anymore? For example, with the Intellect buff, is it important to you that players do need to drink after casting it?

J. Allen Brack: Yes. That's part of the level 60 experience. Our goal is to recreate that classic 1-60 gameplay. Some things changed as time went on, with different patches. How does that get manifested? That's one of the outstanding questions. But yeah, the goal is to recreate that exact experience, for better or for worse.

I guess you're some die-hard Vanilla lover or what? I don't get why you have to act like an ass and get so defensive about the subject.

If you followed Blizzcon it's pretty obvious they aren't even remotely close, otherwise there would be demos playable.
Allen also mentioned "authentic vanilla experience", no where did he state they would make an exact copy of the vanilla game, this leads quite a few to believe it might be vanilla as current content, but with modifications.

[Sargerus]

Considering they are still going to hire people to work on this i don't expect it before end of 2018.

[JustRob]

I guess you're some die-hard Vanilla lover or what? I don't get why you have to act like an ass and get so defensive about the subject.

If you followed Blizzcon it's pretty obvious they aren't even remotely close, otherwise there would be demos playable.
Allen also mentioned "authentic vanilla experience", no where did he state they would make an exact copy of the vanilla game, this leads quite a few to believe it might be vanilla as current content, but with modifications.

I just don't understand how you can not comprehend "exact experience". I'm done here.

[Deletedaccount1]

I guess you're some die-hard Vanilla lover or what? I don't get why you have to act like an ass and get so defensive about the subject.

If you followed Blizzcon it's pretty obvious they aren't even remotely close, otherwise there would be demos playable.
Allen also mentioned "authentic vanilla experience", no where did he state they would make an exact copy of the vanilla game, this leads quite a few to believe it might be vanilla as current content, but with modifications.

Did you not read the quote? They made it explicit that it is going to restore the game to its original vanilla state. What they don't know yet is when exactly in Vanilla they want the game to be set (1.0 vs 1.12 for example). Once they figure it out and have a core developed, it won't take long to recreate a 13-14 year old game that has been closely recreated by far less experienced teams many times.

[Pulp5850]

early 2019

[Skulkesyk]

Hoping for tomorrow, but im assuming by the end of 2018 maybe?

[Deleted]

I just don't understand how you can not comprehend "exact experience". I'm done here.

That'd be great, you have no place in a forum with that attitude anyways.

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Did you not read the quote? They made it explicit that it is going to restore the game to its original vanilla state. What they don't know yet is when exactly in Vanilla they want the game to be set (1.0 vs 1.12 for example). Once they figure it out and have a core developed, it won't take long to recreate a 13-14 year old game that has been closely recreated by far less experienced teams many times.

No, they said they were gonna give an "authentic vanilla experience". This is not the same as copying 1:1 the vanilla game. Their responses are so vague, simply because they currently have no idea other than they will attempt to deliver. This thread is about when the servers will be up, and it's quite obvious from their answers we are a very long time away.

It may have been "closely recreated" by other people, but I haven't tried a single server where the quality wasn't quite there, which was OK since it was a private server, but we are talking about an official server from Blizzard so it's quite obvious the quality must be on par.

[Deletedaccount1]

This announcement will lose a lot of steam quickly and the vanilla community, which has been shit on multiple times in the last two years, will not wait patiently for over a year. So for the record, I think that mid-2018 is a completely reasonable expectation especially when J Allen Brack has said they have received the core of the-server-that-must-not-be-named.

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No, they said they were gonna give an "authentic vanilla experience". This is not the same as copying 1:1 the vanilla game. Their responses are so vague, simply because they currently have no idea other than they will attempt to deliver. This thread is about when the servers will be up, and it's quite obvious from their answers we are a very long time away.

It may have been "closely recreated" by other people, but I haven't tried a single server where the quality wasn't quite there, which was OK since it was a private server, but we are talking about an official server from Blizzard so it's quite obvious the quality must be on par.

I'm assuming that is a typo. I guarantee you that the most successful private servers in the last two years have been at least 95% faithful to the original game in terms of recreating quests, mob spawns, mechanics, etc. Even ones that were made by one person. It won't take Blizzard very long to create bug free vanilla.

According to Merriam-Webster, authentic means "made or done the same way as an original". It is fair to surmise that Blizzard is not adding anything that wasn't in vanilla based on that comment or the simple fact that it would accomplish nothing but piss people off.

[Deleted]

This announcement will lose a lot of steam quickly and the vanilla community, which has been shit on multiple times in the last two years, will not wait patiently for over a year. So for the record, I think that mid-2018 is a completely reasonable expectation especially when J Allen Brack has said they have received the core of the-server-that-must-not-be-named.

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I'm assuming that is a typo. I guarantee you that the most successful private servers in the last two years have been at least 95% faithful to the original game in terms of recreating quests, mob spawns, mechanics, etc. Even ones that were made by one person. It won't take Blizzard very long to create bug free vanilla.

According to Merriam-Webster, authentic means "made or done the same way as an original". It is fair to surmise that Blizzard is not adding anything that wasn't in vanilla based on that comment or the simple fact that it would accomplish nothing but piss people off.

Die-hard vanilla players will wait, because they have no other option. Every other server is being brought down by Blizzard.

By quality I meant server stability etc.