Huge concern that Classic will require higher end hardware

[Ferocity]

One of reasons I left WoW was constant increase of system requirements. My disks also seem to hate the change from MPQ to CASC format. Basically BfA isn't playable to me right now as system requirements were doubled overnight. And no Fullscreen was like spitting all over the face to many players. I will probably make a huge revelation for some people, but Windows supports all DX, including DX5, DX 6, etc. Just need to install appropriate libraries/modules, but current devs seem to be too much focused on pissing off whatever little of their loyal veterans, who actually helped Blizzard to become as famous as it is now.

There was some blue post saying something along the lines that Classic will use the modern WoW Engine but with reconstructed models and content.

Since then I have worry that it will be a colossal disappointment to everyone expecting that WoW Classic will have mild system requirements (I mean, not everyone can constantly upgrade hardware just for a game). Especially if they will enforce DX12 bullsh!t.

I think that focus on CASC and DX12 must go DIAF and Classic should support all older DX and be based on MPQs. WoW Classic required like 512 RAM and 32 VRAM. But I am afraid that new Classic will have drastically different requirements.

Anyone else shares my concerns?

[Lindon]

WoW Classic will most definetly have a way higher system requirement than what it had in 2004. Is this a bad thing? No.
Times change and this is a normal thing to occur. Blizzard updates their game constantly and if a small part of the playerbase refuse to adapt to the changes they will be left behind.

[Shurtugal]

What kind of potato are you playing on?
Russett or maybe a Yukon gold.

[Nynax]

(I mean, not everyone can constantly upgrade hardware just for a game).

I find that the interesting thing about PC's today, is there are basically only two reasons to have a powerful machine. Either you are a professional designer/video editor of some sort...or you're a gamer.

For everyone else, inexpensive computers with integrated graphics are more than powerful enough to run their word docs and netflix binges.

[Apanonar]

512 MB RAM can't even run windows 7

[Ferocity]

I find that the interesting thing about PC's today, is there are basically only two reasons to have a powerful machine. Either you are a professional designer/video editor of some sort...or you're a gamer.

For everyone else, inexpensive computers with integrated graphics are more than powerful enough to run their word docs and netflix binges.

We live in a world with very unstable economics, so upgrading PC is done when there is an actual necessity. Upgrading PC to play 14-years old game is nonsense.

And anyway, majority of modern games are too focused on graphics and always-online rather than on gameplay, most of real gaming gems were either made before 2010 or they don't have big system requirements (from post 2010: Minecraft, Terraria, Labyrinth of Touhou 1/2, etc.).

Oh, and Everquest II still is alive and breathing, it still has less or more same system requirements as years ago and there is much more to do there than in modern WoW and it has more depth than WoW at any stage of its life. So if Classic will require higher end hardware than it will be mostly lose situation for Blizzard, because people wouldn't go to upgrade their PC when there is global crisis blooming, they would go to EQ II (if they want WoW Classic-like experience) or play WoW private servers.

[Deleted]

You can build a pc for 500 euros that will run bfa/classic just fine. Ryzen 5 2400g processor with integrated radeon vega 11 gpu is cheap like 150 euros!

[chronia]

Not sure how serious this is, but i've never seen a WoW player leave for EQ II, let alone leave in droves.

I doubt classic will require high end hardware, i mean BFA is playable on a potato and so will be classic. But i reckon it will indeed require more than vanilla once did. Most players won't even have hardware anymore from 2004 / 2007 as modern OS won't even run good on it, and a OS like XP of Vista should never be connected to the Internet anyway for security reasons. The oldest PC i have here is from 2008 or 2009 and that runs BFA still fine, altough i did put in a new GFX card in like 2012. However Supporting hardware that is no longer supported by the manufacturer is something that most game vendors will not really do, that alone should rule out support for "ancient" hardware and OS'ses (doesnt mean it wont run, but when you run into issues you will be out of luck).

furthermore CASC seems deliver more performance vs MPQ. DX12 is a option in BFA, not forced and i still seem to have fullscreen support, atleast nothing has changed from last week since patchday.

[SinR]

save up a few hundred bucks, buy a new computer

Not rocket surgery

[chronia]

im here to calm you down. Classic will NOT require higher end hardware

Depends what "higher end hardware" is for the OP. I mean for me its X299/X399 platforms and up, for OP it might be every machine made after januari 2007

[chronia]

im still playing legion on a computer i bought at the end of BC. (2008) and its more than enough to run the game as it is right now

Ye my 2009 machine (altough its not my main machine anymore) also still runs the game fine, its not a top performer in mythic raids and stuff, but out in the world play is more than fine and even casual raids can be done.

[Deletedaccount1]

One of reasons I left WoW was constant increase of system requirements.

I can't think of a popular PC game that has system requirements as consistently low as WoW. I have an old iMac in storage from 2008 that can run retail right now above the minimum requirements. Maybe PC gaming is not for you.

[Kelathos]

The WoW client is one in the same. If you can play the current expansion, you can play on a Classic server when they release.

[willtron]

One of reasons I left WoW was constant increase of system requirements. My disks also seem to hate the change from MPQ to CASC format. Basically BfA isn't playable to me right now as system requirements were doubled overnight. And no Fullscreen was like spitting all over the face to many players. I will probably make a huge revelation for some people, but Windows supports all DX, including DX5, DX 6, etc. Just need to install appropriate libraries/modules, but current devs seem to be too much focused on pissing off whatever little of their loyal veterans, who actually helped Blizzard to become as famous as it is now.

There was some blue post saying something along the lines that Classic will use the modern WoW Engine but with reconstructed models and content.

Since then I have worry that it will be a colossal disappointment to everyone expecting that WoW Classic will have mild system requirements (I mean, not everyone can constantly upgrade hardware just for a game). Especially if they will enforce DX12 bullsh!t.

I think that focus on CASC and DX12 must go DIAF and Classic should support all older DX and be based on MPQs. WoW Classic required like 512 RAM and 32 VRAM. But I am afraid that new Classic will have drastically different requirements.

Anyone else shares my concerns?

No, because I actually upgrade my system. It's not like WoW requires anything cutting edge.

[Lochton]

One of reasons I left WoW was constant increase of system requirements. My disks also seem to hate the change from MPQ to CASC format. Basically BfA isn't playable to me right now as system requirements were doubled overnight. And no Fullscreen was like spitting all over the face to many players. I will probably make a huge revelation for some people, but Windows supports all DX, including DX5, DX 6, etc. Just need to install appropriate libraries/modules, but current devs seem to be too much focused on pissing off whatever little of their loyal veterans, who actually helped Blizzard to become as famous as it is now.

There was some blue post saying something along the lines that Classic will use the modern WoW Engine but with reconstructed models and content.

Since then I have worry that it will be a colossal disappointment to everyone expecting that WoW Classic will have mild system requirements (I mean, not everyone can constantly upgrade hardware just for a game). Especially if they will enforce DX12 bullsh!t.

I think that focus on CASC and DX12 must go DIAF and Classic should support all older DX and be based on MPQs. WoW Classic required like 512 RAM and 32 VRAM. But I am afraid that new Classic will have drastically different requirements.

Anyone else shares my concerns?

Now a days you are to expect even the old games to have a higher demand. You windows has higher demand.

[Dug]

Sounds like its time for an upgrade OP. Doesn't take a monster rig to run WoW decently

[Unholyground]

Considering you probably wont have to pay for the game and only 15$ a month it is probably good it cannot run on a Raspberry Pi or the botting nightmare would commence.

[Davins]

This has to be a troll right ?

[Ferocity]

It is interesting to read anecdotic evidences and replies from people, who had luck to live in relatively financially stable countries. However the more and more of the world is being engulfed by crisis over time "thanks" to wars of sanctions/petroleum-based wars/trade wars, so people are saving on food, nvm speaking about technics.

I also was one of those people whose PC from 2009 year wasn't good in Mists. I remember as now, fps in 25-men raids in WotLK: 60 (I had new PC at end of TBC), Cata hits, it is 20. In MoP it was 20 while solo, and during MoP I upgraded, it became around 60. In Legion it became like 20 in solo again, and BfA is basically just no way. MoP was released in 2012, so I wonder how people with PCs from 2009 without any upgrades do now, unless they are just trying to white-knight stupid decisions of Blizzard.

Now a days you are to expect even the old games to have a higher demand. You windows has higher demand.

No, they don't. If you have over 4 GB of RAM, Windows 7+ works with much better performance than anything before it. And the better hardware, the better games work. Outside maybe some such exceptions like WoW, where sys. reqs are constantly and significantly being increased with each expansion. And I don't care about current WoW, it can have whatever high sys reqs, I care about WoW Classic.

Why I brought example with EQ II: I never noticed (maybe I was lucky and I didn't play it from very launch) performance drops after new expansions. And each time I revisit it, I don't have to relearn everything from scratch because it has no ability prunes, stat squishes and constant changes to class mechanics. And it is much closer to Classic WoW in its spirit than whatever is being released in WoW after WotLK. It is very overlooked gem.

[hulkgor]

Is this really a concern?

Holy hell.