So going over feedback on the official forums, reddit, some light in game prodding, and checking with my guild, there appears to be two schools of thought on this. Outside looking in stating it is a good change and inside looking out stating is a bad change. Specifically, most of the positive feedback are from players who appreciate the change and are looking forward to trying ranking. However, the negative feedback is from players who have done or attempted the ranking itself. I myself have not tried ranking myself and was also intrigued by the points made on the post initially. However, after reading the comments, I would like to clearly lay out the points made by the dissenting as I believe they are in the right.
1. There’s a lot of pressure to grind HKs nonstop
The very nature of Ranking in the old system is what makes it so venerated. It is such an alternative style of play compared to something like PvE where players are restricted on a weekly or hourly basis. It satisfies a particular niche of players who have the time to put in and can draw in others who would normally think they do not have the time to play. Removing this aspect fundamentally changes not only how ranking is done, but how it is perceived and thus diminishes the efforts of those who have ranked in the initial classic release and in Era. As taxing as the time commitment is, the very real effort needed to take time away to rank is something that can only really be experienced in either PvP ranking or the scarab lord grind. Furthermore, playing the same PvP with the same players day in and day out does create social bonds that are uniquely forged in the r14 grind. I understand in the recent past with Vanilla’s re-release there were “mafias”, but in Era, with a smaller population and more connected community via discord & server connections, it is very much a close community effort.
2. Since players are ranked based on a percentage of how many PvP participants there are, some players will engage in an activity called “pool boosting”
The core problem identified in the pool boosting issue is the concern of players botting to automate the process. However, the issue solely lies with botting software and bad actors, which is what should be acted upon. The fundamental design of having a pool based ranking system means that the MMO aspect of the game would need to be satisfied in order for players to rank. I am aware that that many rankers have made alts just for PvP and promptly deleted them, but they did this manually and was a communally agreed upon necessity for the ranking process in Era when the population was sparce. In fact, “pool parties” were common even in the Classic re-release wherein Horde and Alliance rankers would take time to make alts and fight each other for a few hours each week. Now that more players have returned to Era and are engaging in PvP at all levels, I expect the need for bots will diminish. Furthermore, I would advise not seeking an alternative solution like “deleted PvP participants no longer count towards the pool” as that received a large volume of backlash as it did with Kaivax’s October 2020 post. ref: PvP Rank Pools Hotfix Coming October 13
3. Bracket fixing becomes the meta
What is described as bracket fixing is a natural progression of the system wherein a player may need to leave their current guild and current in-game friend group in order to pursue a PvP ranking guild and new friend group. It was very much the spirit of the old system as it was present and tolerated in Vanilla WoW and in the Classic re-release so there should be no surprise it is present in Era as well. The teamwork needed to get players ranked and stick around to help others reach rank as well as the notoriety earned by the infamous bracket breakers becomes its own social microcosm that only a game as complex as Vanilla WoW is known for. However, I understand the argument that “it has always been this way” is not sufficient as to why change should be avoided. So, I cannot speak from personal experience, but from what I heard from previous rank 14 players is that the whole process of ranking and setting up an order with other rankers was that was the time where they made some of the closest friends they ever had. I believe that point and the incredibly unique way to pursue real bonds is a sufficient enough reason to keep this old system as it is.
4. The old PvP Honor system script is complex, takes a long time to run, and is error prone
Oddly enough, I have not come across any complaints at all in this matter. In fact, I distinctly recall a consistent stream of bug reports and complaints in Era about honor not updating as it should due to the inherent delays of the old system. I suppose this is the one change no one has anything bad to say and would be acceptable as many current Era players believe the delayed honor reports are caused by a bug.
5. Eliminate ranking points
I believe my previous points provide some reference to this matter, but I will use this opportunity to clearly restate my key point against this. The way players pursue ranking in Era WoW is a completely unique system that is not present nor possible in any other iteration of WoW, aside from the Seasonal Scarab Lord bug grind. What is perceived as the faults and time sinks of the system instead encourages alternative styles of play and a necessity to work in tandem with other players in a concentrated period of time. This uniqueness of the system is also what makes the position of rank 14 so venerated. Furthermore, without ranking points, players are able to pursue ranking as a completely solo activity without needing to cooperate with other players via sand (explained in point 9). Ultimately ranking as of now is just another pathway in which players can bond with others and make friends and foes alike.
6. Grant Honor and Honor Points at the time the HK (or DK!) is earned
Like in point 4, I have not seen any complaints at all in this matter and I suppose it can only benefit rankers as they can figure out when they can stop for the day rather than trying to track honor manually during pool parties.
7. Move the weekly honor updates to a more efficient and performant method of updating individual player ranks
As referenced above, removing the RP system would be a detriment to the WoW Era PvP system and fundamentally change how it is pursued. So, this point is moot.
8. Remove de-ranking
This is a bit of a tricky one. De-ranking part of what makes the PvP ranking system as it is by fundamentally encouraging players to perform ranking in a concentrated period of time. It is more or less a necessary byproduct of the PvP system to encourage a social effort. Furthermore, it creates a natural “passing of the torch” to your fellows when ranking. Also, it is unnecessary as players have very tangible proof of their ranking efforts by their weapons, gear, mounts, etc. From the commenters, though, this is something seen as overwhelmingly positive by players who never even attempted ranking. I would classify it as something of a necessity to retain the PvP system as close as it is to the original to retain unique social microcosm it facilitates.
Sand Marshal
Something I have noticed that was omitted from the PvP post was the running of sands in Era. For the longest time in Era there were simply not enough players to PvP to rank. So regularly there would be pool parties to increase the pool and for grinding honor, players would run sands (Silithyst) in Silithus for honor. It made a very unique dynamic of Silithus being the PvP zone and the de facto way to rank. This was very much reflective of the Bug Grind for Scarab Lord as it required the assistance from other players and made for another unique ranking system. However, with the recent boon of players came the advent of botters and gold sellers. There is concern, now, that some rankers are buying gold and offering gold in Silithus in order to other players for running Silithyst to them at the turn-in spot. They are colloquially known as “Sand Marshals” and due to the nature of the current, social PvP system, they are no more than nuisance bracket breakers. However, if the PvP system was to change to an individual progression system, then bad actors can effectively buy r14 for real money and only diminish the social value of the rank 14 even further.
In short, I would advise against changing the ranking system and save it for the seasonal servers as a QoL change. Fundamentally, though Era should be left as it is.