ClassicLFG Addon will still work

[vsb]

Everybody's got their anecdote, I just don't even remember an addon like Call to Arms even being brought up in Vanilla. People were still talking in chat to form UBRS groups or what have you in late 2006. And I played a lot on pservers, and they just simply did not exist. I don't know who these Vanilla veterans are that loved LFG addons, but I've never met them.

They did not use LFG addons as well. But they hated LFG channel spam and they were happy to find proper LFG tool in TBC. And they don't think that LFG addon will ruin anything in Classic, quite the opposite. Not everything in vanilla was the cornerstone of game design, I know, it's hard to swallow, but some things could be improved without losing anything. And improving them with addon is an ideal situation, because base game stays pure museum with no compromises.

[Dacien]

They did not use LFG addons as well. But they hated LFG channel and they were happy to find proper LFG tool in TBC. And they don't think that LFG addon will ruin anything in Classic, quite the opposite.

Nobody even used the LFG channel, they used /2. That was just the way it was. Everybody talking like it was a townhall, you find someone looking for a group, you connect with them. It was fine.

[ShmooDude]

Carbonite used to (and might still) have the ability to display other users on the minimap using the addon message functionality. If you and all your friends had it you could keep track of each other without needing to be grouped.

Role-play addons are actually very reliant on the hidden addon channel to communicate the extra information they supply to other users of the addon (background, surnames, etc.)

These are the most legitimate use for the global addon channel I can think of.

For those that don't know, we're likely talking about this: Send Addon Message. Currently you can send messages using "PARTY", "RAID", "GUILD", "BATTLEGROUND", "WHISPER", and "CHANNEL." The problematic one here being "CHANNEL" because you can create a custom chat channel for your addon that is server wide. I'm assuming they're going to remove the channel option and leave you only with the other 5 (which are all limited in scope) or somehow limit the scope of the channel option.

I don't know if this is possible or if Blizzard is thinking of doing this but if they added a "SAY" (and/or "YELL") they might be able to preserve the role-play addon functionality while still restricting the server wide functionality the channel option gives you. RP addons may be able to get some of their functionality back using the whisper channel, although I suspect that would likely be more CPU intensive as you'd have to have it pull names from target/focus/mouseover/etc. and that would require a lot more iteration because you'd have to "whisper" all your updates to each individual player instead of as a one time broadcast to the channel (I'm guessing as I haven't actually looked at how they're coded). IIRC you're also limited to only being able to send so many messages before the server cuts you off (luckily there's a library to help you avoid that, but it would likely result in delayed updates).

[vsb]

Nobody even used the LFG channel, they used /2. That was just the way it was. Everybody talking like it was a townhall, you find someone looking for a group, you connect with them. It was fine.

/join LookingForGroup
It was known channel. I think that it was created near end of vanilla.

[Dacien]

/join LookingForGroup
It was known channel. I think that it was created near end of vanilla.

Yeah I know it existed but everybody used /2

I mean you could look in both to increase your chances because yes, some people did use it, but /2 was where everybody met to sell/buy/trade/run dungeons.

[ShmooDude]

You know what? You can always join /join ClassicLFG, hide that channel from user and then exchange some cryptic mumbo-jumbo that nobody can decrypt anyway. So here's your hidden channel LoL.

Actually, I don't believe that's quite correct. While technically you could do that, IIRC traditional chat channels have much tighter spam controls than addon ones and thus would likely cause problems once you passed a certain number of users.

[vsb]

Actually, I don't believe that's quite correct. While technically you could do that, IIRC traditional chat channels have much tighter spam controls than addon ones and thus would likely cause problems once you passed a certain number of users.

Huh, so the solution is to apply those spam controls to addon channels then. And it's still avoidable with creating multiple channels. ClassicLFG_000, ClassicLFG_001 and so on, if those controls are per-channel. There will be some complex routing logic, but it's doable.

[RobertMugabe]

"Chat channels", so you mean it will do the same thing vQueue does?

vQueue was an addon for pservers that pretty much just scanned chat channels for LFG messages and displayed them all in a window, allowing you to whisper the person as well. Nobody used it because...literally all it did was just keep a listing of LFG messages from chat channels.

I used vQueue actually. It was pretty useful, because of all the other spam and shitposting that was happening in the world chat.

Since the realms are gonna be way bigger than even nostalrius I will probably use an addon like that again if the spam is too big. Otherwise I wouldn't use it

[vsb]

Since the realms are gonna be way bigger than even nostalrius I will probably use an addon like that again if the spam is too big. Otherwise I wouldn't use it

If those channels are shared between all layers (and I think that they are shared), on full servers after few weeks it'll be hell But must be better when they'll disable layering.

[RobertMugabe]

They are restricting the "social network" created by the addon ingame. (or so i understand by the blue post)

I dont mind (i think) a pure and simple chat filter.

Yup same here. These filters are really really useful when the realms end up having like 50k concurrent players

[tru]

It's not the pure vanilla experience... Who cares if something might help the overall longevity and health of the game. Idc either way personally I just need a decent ui and I'm good to go. But players communicating with others and showing respect again was what it's all about. No game can top the old community.

[RobertMugabe]

If those channels are shared between all layers (and I think that they are shared), on full servers after few weeks it'll be hell But must be better when they'll disable layering.

well AFAIK the channels are realm wide and not per layer. That's why I am concerned ^^

[kail]

If it works the way Call to Arms did or some other addon did back then, I don't have a complaint about it. I just don't see it being used by the people most likely to constitute the core player base. If I had to guess, the only people that would use something like this would be people not likely to stick around very long.

I think you underestimate the appeal of continence for most people. If an addon provides a cleaner interface for grouping compared to raw chat channels, short and long term players will make use of it. If Blizz hypothetically enables an optional area loot feature in Classic (key word: hypothetical), people are going to switch that on.

[kensim]

I have played since day 1 and was a leader in a server first guild throughout Vanilla (and Cenarion Circle Scarab Lord).

I have zero interest in Classic, been there done that. My opinion is why would someone intentionally want to play an outmoded game?

That all being said I am not against Classic; if there is a player base and Blizzard can make some money then more power to everyone. Unless there is proof Classic is pulling resources away from Retail then there really shouldn't be a for or against.

However I am chuckling a bit; this unified outcry of "OMG WE WANT THE VANILLA EXPERIENCE" and the before launch there is 3rd party addon already moving Classic more towards retail at launch. For some reason group finder was this big bad villain for "purists". While what I am about to say wouldn't work in retail, the Classic environment should be doable...don't use the addon if you don't want to.

Done.

Like this whole thing makes me laugh. It is what 15 years later now; people are better at mods, online capabilities are more mature; things like discord exist. At some point people will realize that the time in which a game exists influences it and the perceptions surrounding it. In LFG addon won't work...ok LFG Discord go!

This was totally predictable as well. I hope everyone gets what they want but....let me ask...what about all the dps sites and tools; and WoWhead and the like is infinitely better than Thottbot; or the fact all the theorycrafting is done for all the classes? How are you going to capture "the newness of WoW" when everything is figured out.

Just in case anyone wonders why i won't touch Classic, I like PVE content; Classic will never have a draw for me; I beat all those bosses years ago and other than artificial gear limits their mechanics are a joke compared to modern games (with the exception of something like 4 horsemen in naxx maybe).

Anyhow this is amusing to watch. Good times.

[ShmooDude]

Huh, so the solution is to apply those spam controls to addon channels then. And it's still avoidable with creating multiple channels. ClassicLFG_000, ClassicLFG_001 and so on. There will be some complex routing logic, but it's doable.

Pretty sure the chat spam controls are done based on user, not channel. Try making a macro that does /say, /yell, /1, /2, /3 etc. all at the same time and I bet you only get maybe two off (pretty sure 2 simultaneous messages is one of the limits, there's several limits such as per second vs per minute or others).

As far as the addon version, that's actually network based (ie the number of packets your WoW client is sending). There's actually an entire library devoted to ensuring you don't get kicked off for exceeding this requirement. Even with the library you will still get kicked off occasionally if you're in a big city or raid that sends an unusually high number of network packets (as there's no way in game to know exactly how much WoW is using baseline).

[Dacien]

I think you underestimate the appeal of continence for most people. If an addon provides a cleaner interface for grouping compared to raw chat channels, short and long term players will make use of it. If Blizz hypothetically enables an optional area loot feature in Classic (key word: hypothetical), people are going to switch that on.

We had Call to Arms and things like that apparently, and I guess some people used them. The experience I remember was connecting with people in chat and getting invited, not being listed as an entrant in a scroll menu. I think long-term players would eschew that kind of thing, but that's just my own speculation.

[vsb]

Pretty sure the chat spam controls are done based on user, not channel. Try making a macro that does /say, /yell, /1, /2, /3 etc. all at the same time and I bet you only get maybe two off (pretty sure 2 simultaneous messages is one of the limits, there's several limits such as per second vs per minute or others).

As far as the addon version, that's actually network based (ie the number of packets your WoW client is sending). There's actually an entire library devoted to ensuring you don't get kicked off for exceeding this requirement. Even with the library you will still get kicked off occasionally if you're in a big city or raid that sends an unusually high number of network packets (as there's no way in game to know exactly how much WoW is using baseline).

Well, I don't think that LFG addon would need much traffic to global channels. All you need is to send short string every minute or something like that to announce your group. And may be send updates if someone joined or left or you're full and delisted your group (does not happen often too). Other communication happens in whisper channel and should not be subject to those throttle rules.

[anon5123]

Every vanilla player I know likes this addon and they think that spamming in LFG channel was the stupid thing.

Every vanilla player I know hates this addon and is shrieking that having it ingame will turn Classic into retail.

/shrug

However I am chuckling a bit; this unified outcry of "OMG WE WANT THE VANILLA EXPERIENCE" and the before launch there is 3rd party addon already moving Classic more towards retail at launch.

It's almost like the Classic community is comprised of hundreds of thousands of people with different opinions on addons.

Imagine that.

But thanks for stopping by just to proclaim how superior you are to all of us filthy plebians who dare to enjoy a game that you don't.

How are you going to capture "the newness of WoW" when everything is figured out.

It's almost like people want to play classic because they LIKE AND ENJOY THE GAME, not "to recaptur da newnezz" or whatever other bullshit strawman you want to build.

Imagine that. People enjoying a game on its own merits without some psychological ulterior motive behind playing it. No, that's too far-fetched, isn't it? Everything has to have some unsavory and illogical ulterior motive behind it.

[Dacien]

It's almost like people want to play classic because they LIKE AND ENJOY THE GAME, not "to recaptur da newnezz" or whatever other bullshit strawman you want to build.

Imagine that. People enjoying a game on its own merits without some psychological ulterior motive behind playing it. No, that's too far-fetched, isn't it?

The whole reason this game has any nostalgia to begin with, or why it has such a cult following bringing hundreds of thousands to private servers, is because the game was fun.

- - - Updated - - -

However I am chuckling a bit; this unified outcry of "OMG WE WANT THE VANILLA EXPERIENCE" and the before launch there is 3rd party addon already moving Classic more towards retail at launch.

I seriously wonder who these people are that want to "move Classic towards retail", because it's none of the people I know from Vanilla or pservers.

Like this whole thing makes me laugh. It is what 15 years later now; people are better at mods, online capabilities are more mature; things like discord exist. At some point people will realize that the time in which a game exists influences it and the perceptions surrounding it. In LFG addon won't work...ok LFG Discord go!

I don't know why you would alt-tab or move over to another monitor when you have people literally advertising for groups in-game right in front of you. Maybe for setting up guild groups I could see Discord being helpful.

[Gerron]

Nobody even used the LFG channel, they used /2. That was just the way it was. Everybody talking like it was a townhall, you find someone looking for a group, you connect with them. It was fine.

If you started playing after 1.12 that would probably have been the case as you'd have to join the LFG channel manually. Many players didn't even know it existed due to that nor that it was a global channel (it was a local channel before patch 1.9 and linked channel after then a global channel after 1.11). Really we should want people to use the specific channel for what they're doing. Just using trade for everything is lazy and will be hard to keep track of with the populations the classic servers will have.