Very interesting, thanks for the input.
Sharding is basically we have 5 instances of this area, so once we’re above a certain population, it’s going to be even split between those 5 instances.
Layering, you’re in an instance of the entire continent, and a second instance is only created if enough people are online. You stay in that instance unless you group with someone from a different one.
Except that it literally doesn’t unless you’ve memorized every single person on your server to be able to notice if they’re there or not, vs just not being online at the time. If me and you are questing together in the starting zone, we’ll keep running into each other because layering doesn’t work like you think it does.
1 Like
You don’t get it if you didn’t play.
2 Likes
I was just thinking that.
“Self”, I asked myself, “what would make sharding better?”
The answer, I told myself, was obvious: a popup in the middle of the screen right while I’m in the middle of combat. Yeah, Self. Just think about it. Big ol’ box-o-text, a glowy “ACCEPT” button, absolutely no “REFUSE” button 'cuz Blizzard never makes an offer you can refuse. “That’s it, Self. That’d be the absolute best. OOH, especially if it was modal and blocked all other actions. Combat over. Pure win.”
1 Like
You do understand that it’s a CONSTANT instance of the entire continent, meaning you’re going to keep seeing the same people the entire time you’re online, and that it’s NOT going to involve people randomly disappearing in front of you, and that it ONLY happens when the population online is over a certain point, right?
It is 100% identical to the people you don’t see just not being online.
It doesn’t hurt your immersion!
1 Like
This is the proper solution. It strips out the sharding/CRZ aspects of layering while keeping the primary purpose of layering intact, merging populations after an anticipated population decline.
2 Likes
No it isn’t. Do you understand exactly how many people will be online at any given time for about a month, when Classic first launches? You also understand you contradicted yourself, right? Sharding isn’t random, layering also isn’t random.
It isn’t identical to people not being online, especially being cognisant that they are, in fact, online. When I played Vanilla, this sort of technology wasn’t in place. Does it mean it is unhealthy to have it? No. Is it authentic? No.
There’s no argument that it doesn’t break people’s immersion who have actually experienced pre-Cataclysm CRZ.
That is incorrect. You group with someone in another layer and you will see everyone disappear as you get moved to their layer.
You will see players disappear in front of you as they move layers because they grouped up.
And what happens to everyone on the boat when it goes to the other continent ? Do we all get ported to the same layer or do we all go into different layers ?
It’s not as constant as you claim.
During the first stress test, I hopped a zeppelin from Org to STV. On the zep with me was one other person, but when we transitioned to the Eastern Kingdoms, there was 10+ people on the zeppelin. Continent transitions definitely cause layer swaps.
The community really just needs to get over it.
Layering is a great solution to the overpopulation at launch problem.
1 Like
They never actually said there would not be sharding, even with layering enabled.
So then it seems you want to be in a group if you travel across continents so the players don’t all end up in different layers.
what you don’t understand is that in vanilla there were 200k people that bought the game on day 1. starting zones were still a nightmare. MILLIONS of people are going to be playing day 1 classic. starting zones will be a complete mess with a thousand people trying to kill the only 15 npc wolves that spawn. layering is also temporary and is going to be removed for good weeks after launch.
it’s also to prevent queue times and reduce server crashes/latency issues in starting zones. i do agree it’s exploitable, which is why it’s not permanent.
1 Like
I was in a raid.
200K were not all on one realm.
You will still see a madhouse on launch day because they are replicating that 3K realm cap…3K per layer.
It’s vital to the success of Classic and people need to start supporting it. When classic launches there are going to be tons of people who come just to check it out. These people will disappear over the weeks and months. Without layering, this will leave servers underpopulated and will start a chain reaction causing more and more people to quit.
We need layering, stop fighting it.
1 Like
No, what I meant if 4 people hop on the boat/zep and they want to stay together then they should group up as a party so they don’t end up in different layers when the boat/zep lands.
i actually do hope blizz makes one server have no layering that way when all the people who think layering is a terrible idea sign into that server and realize what a hot mess it’s going to be they’re going to be proven wrong and switch to the servers that do use it
What? Why would people group up simply because they’re taking a boat? Players shouldn’t need to find solutions to prevent server tech from dividing them while they play. This is one of the many reasons why the community is actively opposed to CRZ/sharding/phasing, and why it should be opposed to layering.
The community isn’t upset. Layering is largely accepted as a short term fix to startup population uncertainty.
There are a handful of people here who are really wound up about it though. But they are a small minority.
1 Like