A fool's plea

WoW Classic WoW Classic Hardcore
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The state of classic era servers is extremely questionable. Why are there so many left to rot apart and why can’t we get a simple response on the topic? What decision made is there that is preventing server merge from happening? To push us to play a different version of the game? It should go without saying: People like different versions of games and a lot of the time, yes, it can just be previous versions. It doesn’t have to be because new versions are trash, garbage or whatever rhetoric the latest social media algorithm suggests. It can be most simply: There are games (to name just Blizzard IP) like classic WoW, Diablo 2, Starcraft 2, Warcraft 3 that have both incredible depth and a fond place in our hearts of times past, with all their quirks and own idiosyncrasies included.

Many games are still ‘successful’ with vibrant communities, even if they are niche and smaller, because… (Any guesses?) they are cared about. Sometimes it does mean being taken into the hands of players in active and consolidated community, for there will always be people that will care about their niche interests and come together to enjoy something they mutually find special. But, when the official Blizzard servers are needlessly split? The community is further, needlessly, split. We all know where people were playing Classic WoW before Blizzard released Classic again. So I can’t help but think: Is that the direction it will have to go again? It’s no secret many jumped ship to Anniversary when it launched, but where will they go when that ship reaches the end of its journey? And what becomes of those left behind? It is unlikely wish that they return, although some of us will try to keep the lifeboat out as long as we can.

I do speak for a minority but particularly for the HC era folk who are invested in remaining with their community/server, and characters, it would be a great recognition of care and consideration to merge like era servers with low population such as Defias Pillager and Skull Rock. So, at the very at the very least, I ask that you (Blizzard) acknowledge that people still play on classic era, for whatever reason that might be. The great majority of us obviously don’t understand anything of the working implications or logistics of something like this @Blizzard, and so if I am missing anything, please, just at least communicate something.

I play Horde on Hardcore Classic Era (Defias Pillager). I want to continue to do so. I like that we have to give serious consideration and use to defensive consumables, talents and gear in Hardcore. I like that there isn’t dual talent specialization and that subsequently player identity is made more special (and of course there is part of me that enjoys the portion game integrity is kept). I like the long history and close relationships that are built on a well established server that doesn’t have players hopping on and off with the latest streamer craze. I have a regular day job and I am not a content creator. So, will my voice end up being another tree that falls in the forest with no one around to hear it? Blizzard… eventually that forest will be gone. Perhaps it will just be good riddance. Do I really make such a fool’s plea?

inb4 go play anniversary

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Please read this topic, or at least acknowledge that you know of the contents.

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The clusters are good. Cluster Defias Pillager and Skull Rock.

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They probably should … or never have made anniversary HC - I really cannot get why they made it, as it does not progress to TBC.

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It seems a few people have made efforts to observe and collate data concerning player counts and advocating for server merges in order to keep this as an MMO.

There’s 42 servers under the Era listing. Every single one of them is listed as Low Population. While that can be mitigated with sharding, there’s definitely an issue with the OG Hardcore realms in that sharding doesn’t exist. While I was personally collecting data, I would bring the topic up in the LFG chat on both factions of Defias Pillager and Skull Rock. I play on Defias Pillager Alliance. On the three playerbases that I’m not a part of, the vast majority of responses I got were VERY negative when bringing up any form of server merge or possible incentives to increase our declining population. And I mean extremely vitriolic responses. I still have the screenshots to prove it. The rest of the responses were generally apathetic. They either don’t care one way or the other, or they’re demoralized and simply don’t want change.

The higher player counts we had pre-SoD and during last October pre-Doomhowl were boom towns. I guess what’s left is the natural conclusion of it. Every player who’s stuck around either hold onto the investments they’ve made into their characters and guilds, are people who basically got the pseudo Self-Found server they always wanted, or the occasional new player who is unaware of these issues in the first place.

For those of us who do care, our only recourse is to either keep playing or move onto greener pastures. If it gets better, it’s going to happen due to natural causes. Otherwise, only expect for things to get worse if Blizzard takes any action. Asking Blizzard to simply respond is a dead end at this point, let alone them fixing the issue. Hardcore is in a very low-maintenance period now. DDoS’es are the only thing that begets an actual human response from them now, in the form of an announcement. Even then, only sometimes.

My condolences to you on Defias Pillager Horde. After the <Don’t Be Weird> wipe, I had heard that their guild dissolved to go to Doomhowl. I’m assuming those who remained went to Horde Depot or are floating around now. I appreciate more than anything that you guys are sticking around as much as you are.

The best of luck to you, Kimahraein.

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But only 12 Clusters:

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Got investment into 4 characters on Defias Pillager Horde side rotting away on a ghost town. Can we get a server transfer to another HC server? If you want to keep paying players then do not let servers go barren and keep the servers combined please.

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WoW players are like abuse victims. We shouldn’t need to preface what we say because we’re paying customers. That should entitle us to a quality product - stable servers and basic customer support.

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:toilet: vs :plunger:
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:toilet: vs :plunger:
:toilet: vs :plunger:
:toilet: vs :plunger:
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