Layering Info from the AMA

[Maester]

From the AMA currently in progress on the Classic WoW subreddit.

I'm so glad you asked this question.

We’ve seen some confusion about layering, both about how it helps support our launch, and how it’s supposed to behave while its active, so I’d like to both speak to it and clear up some misconceptions about it.

First, we’re absolutely committed to reducing to one layer per realm before our second content phase goes live, and the sooner we can get there, the better. The reason we can’t do that initially is that on launch day, everybody will be clustered in the starting zones, and having players so close together causes an exponential drain on server resources. In fact, the same number of players cause more server problems crammed into Northshire than they do spread across all of Elwynn Forest. We expect that even after the first couple of days, we’ll need fewer layers than we need for the initial hours of launch, and our stress tests have confirmed that expectation.

A related concern that was raised during our pre-launch test was that capital cities felt empty, but that only occurred because we left the pre-launch test running two days past its original end date, and we didn’t reduce the number of layers at all during that test. During our launch week, as the players spread out across the world, we’ll monitor activity and reduce layers as necessary, so the world continues to feel full.

Some players have suggested using sharding in low level zones to address launch demand, both because we talked about that at Blizzcon, and because it’s what they’re used to from our modern expansions. Unfortunately, while modern WoW has content designed to work with sharding, WoW Classic does not. The most obvious example of incompatible content is Rexxar’s famously long patrol path, but there are lots of other examples throughout WoW Classic. Since we want all that content to work as it was originally designed, we’ve made sure that every layer is a copy of the entire world, so you can kite Anachronos all the way to Orgrimmar, and you can ride the boat from Ratchet to Booty Bay with the same people alongside you the whole way.

Some players have asked us to use realm caps and login queues to handle the demand, and while those are tools we have at our disposal, we don’t want to rely on them exclusively, because they keep people from playing the game.

One of the most frequently reported problems during our tests was players transferring to a layer for what seemed like no reason. There were several bugs that caused this, and we’re confident we’ve fixed them. At this point, the only thing that should cause you to change layers is accepting an invite from a player on another layer. Additionally, it should always transfer the player who was invited to the layer of the player who invited them.

Nonetheless, after accepting an invite, the layer transfer doesn’t always happen immediately, because we don’t want to transfer you in the middle of combat, or before you get a chance to loot. During our pre-launch test, we saw a few reports of what seemed like random layer transfers, but when we investigated, we realized this was due to us making that transfer delay too long. The delay was so long that players could unintentionally chain one delay into another by starting combat immediately after looting. Because of those reports, we’ve fixed the transfer delay to give you enough time to loot, without being so long that you’re left wondering why you can’t join your friend. We’ll keep an eye on that, and we may decide to reduce it further.

We’ve also seen reports of people transferring suddenly at the entrances to capital cities, which was related to the transfer delays. If you’re waiting to transfer to your friend’s layer, and you enter a capital city, we ignore the delay and transfer you immediately. The long delays were making it more likely that you’d enter a capital with a transfer pending, and now that we’ve reduced the transfer delay, it will be a bit more clear that your transfer was the result of accepting a group invitation.

Regarding PvP, we saw many posts from players wondering if getting invited to a party is a good way to escape from PvP combat. I’m pleased to say there’s actually a separate, longer transfer delay following any PvP combat. We know a lot of world PvP enthusiasts are excited for WoW Classic, and we don’t want the additional layers to feel like they’re robbing you of your kills. When the time comes to withdraw from the fight, you’ll have to escape from your enemies and get to a safe place before you’re able to join your friends on another layer.

I’d also like to clarify how multiple layers work with logout. Early in our stress testing, players reported that logging out and back in would let you hop to a new layer to farm the same mineral or herb node on different layers. That was a bug, and we’ve fixed it. Your layer assignment now persists for a few minutes between logouts, long enough that by the time the game would choose a new layer for you, that node would have respawned on its own anyway.

I hope that all makes things a bit more clear.

[Big Thanks]

TLDR:

You will not be able to run from PvP situations
No more bugs of randomly changing layers.
One layer always unless you party up

Not explained/care for abusing it for nodes/skinning by invite.
Will there be a Devilsaur mafia who conquers ALL layers in one server? Seems like hard work but you will be rich.

EDIT: apparently there was a CoolDown on layer hoping in classic beta, but nothing official was said about it. The developer forgot to mention it on this post

[Maester]

Not explained/care for abusing it for nodes/skinning.

Last paragraph explains this:

I’d also like to clarify how multiple layers work with logout. Early in our stress testing, players reported that logging out and back in would let you hop to a new layer to farm the same mineral or herb node on different layers. That was a bug, and we’ve fixed it. Your layer assignment now persists for a few minutes between logouts, long enough that by the time the game would choose a new layer for you, that node would have respawned on its own anyway.

[Big Thanks]

Last paragraph explains this:

They adressed the logout bug.
But what if you PARTY with someone on a different layer?

[tikcol]

TLDR:

You will not be able to run from PvP situations
No more bugs of randomly changing layers.
One layer always unless you party up

Not explained/care for abusing it for nodes/skinning.
Will there be a Devilsaur mafia who conquers ALL layers in one server? Seems like hard work but you will be rich.

There will be. It means ill have 300 leather sitting on my bank instead of 100. Flooding the market is always a bad idea and the whole point of the mafia is to control most of the supply so the price of the leather is also controlled by the mafia.

[anon5123]

They adressed the logout bug.
But what if you PARTY with someone on a different layer?

"One of the most frequently reported problems during our tests was players transferring to a layer for what seemed like no reason. There were several bugs that caused this, and we’re confident we’ve fixed them."

It's like you didn't even read it, and are just looking for things to whine and doomsay about.

Shoo.

[Big Thanks]

There will be. It means ill have 300 leather sitting on my bank instead of 100. Flooding the market is always a bad idea and the whole point of the mafia is to control most of the supply

Im going to wait for them to kill Devilsaur.....SAP....CHEAP SHOT...GOUGE the 3 mafia guys and skin the mob and vanish.
Ill be remembered by the rogue who conquered the mafia.

- - - Updated - - -

"One of the most frequently reported problems during our tests was players transferring to a layer for what seemed like no reason. There were several bugs that caused this, and we’re confident we’ve fixed them."

It's like you didn't even read it, and are just looking for things to whine and doomsay about.

Shoo.

Literally the next sentence:

At this point, the only thing that should cause you to change layers is accepting an invite from a player on another layer.

[tikcol]

Im going to wait for them to kill Devilsaur.....SAP....CHEAP SHOT...GOUGE the 3 mafia guys and skin the mob and vanish.
Ill be remembered by the rogue who conquered the mafia.

- - - Updated - - -



Literally the next sentence:

At this point, the only thing that should cause you to change layers is accepting an invite from a player on another layer.

That works once in a while. Most people know better and even if there's nobody around they use skull of impending doom before looting

[ellieg]

TLDR:

You will not be able to run from PvP situations
No more bugs of randomly changing layers.
One layer always unless you party up

Not explained/care for abusing it for nodes/skinning.
Will there be a Devilsaur mafia who conquers ALL layers in one server? Seems like hard work but you will be rich.

No mafia in phase 1. Too many layers to dominate.
No mafia in later phases. Mafia requires collusion. When horde try to skin, an ally in mafia will kill them. Same vice versa. If ally and horde work together to control the supply, it's against the ToS and they will get suspensions. Gonna be pretty obvious when its 4 ppl always farming there never killing eachother but instantly killing someone not in the mafia.

Also its region based servers. Unlike "other" servers where u have a global population, youd have to group with ppl to cover all hours of the game to ensure no one else gets any. Mafia falls apart if others can still get the leather at any point

[Big Thanks]

No mafia in phase 1. Too many layers to dominate.
No mafia in later phases. Mafia requires collusion. When horde try to skin, an ally in mafia will kill them. Same vice versa. If ally and horde work together to control the supply, it's against the ToS and they will get suspensions. Gonna be pretty obvious when its 4 ppl always farming there never killing eachother but instantly killing someone not in the mafia.

Also its region based servers. Unlike "other" servers where u have a global population, youd have to group with ppl to cover all hours of the game to ensure no one else gets any. Mafia falls apart if others can still get the leather at any point

I can live with the problems of layering.

IMo the only bad thing is that SOME people will be incredibly rich who abused layering.
Im talking rich rich like not having to farm gold for 1 entire year or more.

[ellieg]

I can live with the problems of layering.

IMo the only bad thing is that SOME people will be incredibly rich who abused layering.
Im talking rich rich like not having to farm gold for 1 entire year or more.

Can you explain how? Theres a cd on swapping layers. How do you believe it will be abused to get 3+x as many resources

[Big Thanks]

Can you explain how? Theres a cd on swapping layers. How do you believe it will be abused to get 3+x as many resources

There is a cd?
I read the entire post and either forgot or didnt see that part could you quote it plz

[Apanonar]

I thought you're bound to one layer with character creation? How could people relog to get into a new layer?

[ellieg]

There is a cd?
I read the entire post and either forgot or didnt see that part could you quote it plz

They talk abt a delay before you can transfer because of combat in the op. I believe a week ago they mentioned a "CD" that would be added to stop abuse. I dont know if it was on the front page at any point but ppl had linked it.

- - - Updated - - -

I thought you're bound to one layer with character creation? How could people relog to get into a new layer?

You are not bound to a layer. They are dynamic. It wont change randomly but actions like being logged off for a while or getting invited will change it. It's not as if there are layers a, b, and c and u are bound to b.

[Big Thanks]

They talk abt a delay before you can transfer because of combat in the op. I believe a week ago they mentioned a "CD" that would be added to stop abuse. I dont know if it was on the front page at any point but ppl had linked it.

I searched the interwebs and there is nothing official about it.
It was just peoples experience in classic beta

A cooldown would be a good idea!!

It was a missed opportunity to not mention it on this post

[ellieg]

I searched the interwebs and there is nothing official about it.
It was just peoples experience in classic beta

A cooldown would be a good idea!!

It was a missed opportunity to not mention it on this post

Type in classic wow layer cooldown. First few results will show it. I believe it was a developer commenting on a tips out video or something.

[Big Thanks]

Type in classic wow layer cooldown. First few results will show it. I believe it was a developer commenting on a tips out video or something.

Nope.

Just speculation from experience and trial and error in classic beta. (from my detective work) Nothing official

[Unholyground]

There is a cool-down when switching layers which increases each time you switch, this was implimented before they took beta offline the first time.

[Gorgodeus]

I searched the interwebs and there is nothing official about it.
It was just peoples experience in classic beta

A cooldown would be a good idea!!

It was a missed opportunity to not mention it on this post

Try reading the OP. lol

[Sensa1]

I searched the interwebs and there is nothing official about it.
It was just peoples experience in classic beta

A cooldown would be a good idea!!

It was a missed opportunity to not mention it on this post

this sentence may also cover it as well

"Your layer assignment now persists for a few minutes between logouts, long enough that by the time the game would choose a new layer for you, that node would have respawned on its own anyway."

while the situation you refer to doesn't involve logging out this statement combined with the fact that they want pathing npc's etc to work properly etc suggests that when transferring between layers there is some level of brief "persistence" between layers that might be the equivalent of the CD there poster referred to that would prevent abuse.