How to win the expac war

WoW Classic WoW Classic General Discussion
1

This three phase approach to populating Classic WoW TBC servers covers all the bases. Why each phase is necessary will be discussed.

Yes, I am making this a thread because I believe no one at the helm in Activision-Blizzard has a clue in this regard, so they need this input. No, I do not believe A-B management pays attention to this forum, but ideas have a way of spreading.

All naysayers shall hold their tongues, or the hungry mutts over there shall eat them. Kidding. Or am I?

BETA - Phase 1 [3 months]

There are two reasons (not the only two) beta phase is so popular among MMORPG fans.
  1. Content gating usually gives players enough time to experience all the content while maintaining competitiveness with other players. The most important of these gates is character level. Although level caps are normally expressed by game developers as a restriction, it actually is a preferred way of community progress. Players do things that would not occur in the unrestricted game, like doing dungeons or raids with low level toons. The challenge to achieve is rewarding more so than “balanced” content. Also, most players do not fall behind the power curve.
  2. Gaining prior knowledge is a reward in itself, but there is also value in the (right or wrong) hope of beta gains being transferred into the released game, even partially.

With TBC presenting two new races we have a situation that makes gated beta progress feel most beneficial. A massive number of players will want one or more characters of the new races. In another thread I recommended that the two new races be neutral to encourage adoption and discourage resentment about racial traits causing population imbalance. Think of how awesome beta would be if that was true, and those characters were able to transfer directly into Classic WoW TBC upon launch. Even if the two races were not made neutral, the benefit of all the players playing through the same zones would be enough to probably make the majority (if not all) TBC hopefuls participate.

It is my recommendation that:

  • The servers that handle beta become the first servers of Classic WoW TBC; no transfers required for beta characters.
  • Beta begins with a level cap of 15, and progresses by 10 levels until a final cap of 55.

Fresh Start - Phase 2 [3 months]

Whether beta characters were allowed to transfer directly into a release server, or the beta server became the real servers, does not change the need for fresh start to allow characters of all race+class combinations to experience growth through the natural process, rather than boosting in any form. The cry for Classic was about community, and one of the things counted as community building is group formation.

Fresh Start is the imperative to meeting the needs of Classic WoW only fans, and modern WoW slaves will fall in line as always.

It is important to give new and returning players a chance to enjoy their beloved TBC content without the abusive play potential of the exodus from vanilla servers. This is about fair play. It is fair that new characters have time to build gear, bank, and prestige prior to the bot fed masses. Guys. Pause. Relax. Admit. It is fair. Everyone can begin on the server, so no one is denied, and no one suffers from irrelevance.

I recommend that:

  • Players have an unlimited option of starting characters at level 58 (possibly gated daily), plus enough gold to pay for starter gear, repairs, and a first transport flight, or the equivalent in tradeable tokens if there is no way to stop problems that could result from free gold. Yes, this will curtail the number of players who choose to start at level one, but that option started with beta, so they already had an additional three months to do so.
  • All vanilla flight paths will be unlocked.
  • (OPTIONAL) Dungeons will be accessible for leveling in lieu of the mess in Hellfire.

DELAYED xFER - Phase 3

The gates open and the flood comes. August 10th would be a full two years of Classic WoW vanilla content. It is enough time. Six months for the TBC fans. More than six months of Naxrammas for the vanilla crowd. Even better, the new servers will get a surge of players and the gold and mats brought from the transfer, if allowed.

One thing that Blizzard could do to let players self-select who goes through the portal first is to add a cost for early entry. August 1st could be a day for early entry, where players would pay the standard transfer rate of $25. Something must be done to stymy the flood, so that congestion does not destroy the day one TBC experience for transfer characters. August 10th would be free to everyone, of course. Maybe the cost of transfer could be prorated to further encourage separation of portal entry.

I suggest that:

  • Because of the time delay for fresh characters originating on the Classic WoW TBC dedicated servers, that no need exists to punish players for their exploits in Classic WoW vanilla servers. I have been the most ardent forum poster against transfer of Classic WoW vanilla characters or their gains into Classic WoW TBC, so for me to state that now intervention is necessary should matter a lot. If the devs still believe that some loot must be curtailed, then it certainly does not have to be a crazy amount. Delayed transfer is the justifiable answer.
  • No favor or advantage or deal of any kind will be given for delayed transfer characters. Well, besides the early entry thing to prevent too many being in the same zone.
  • Classic WoW vanilla character transfers should happen by character copy.
2

TLDR

Dont care, no ones cares.

Put the wall of text down, we all know you’ll play no matter what they do.

Deal with it.

7 Likes
3

Really? You know that? I quit Classic WoW last year for ten months because the devs chose to move forward with 1.12 AV. I rejoined at the end of last year to experience BwL, AQ40, and something of Nax before TBC hit. That is $150 they lost because of a stupid move. I have a $50 Blizzard balance card, and I am wondering whether to use it myself for a Classic WoW TBC sub, or give it as a gift to someone else.

4

Don’t play then don’t think anyone will care, game will be fine without you.

5

This is way too long-winded, I’m afraid.

1 Like
6

why do people make such long, drawn-out posts when it’s obvious it’ll just be TBC as it was?
i cant be the only one tired of these same threads saying “well THIS is how tbc should be done”

7 Likes
7

Because vanilla was not done the same way it was done 17 years ago, so there is no precedent to believe that TBC will be done the same as in 2007. Therefore, there is room for discussion about how best to do it.

8

Blizzcon 2021

Continue playing my current Classic character on my existing server as it progresses to the Burning Crusade expansion, with the option to transfer to a Classic server that will never progress past level 60.

With a Fresh Option

Replicate this the same way for Wrath

Continue playing my current Classic TBC character on my existing server as it progresses to the Wrath expansion, with the option to transfer to a Classic TBC server that will never progress past level 70.

With a Fresh Option

FYI as a player that played all three Versions (I liked TBC the best and have no Interest in Wrath), thinking things clearly this is the best way to organically progress the game while separating the versions “SORTING” all the players into the Version they want to play.

1 Like
9

Yes there is. The ONLY reason vanilla was different is because they didn’t have any data pre 1.12. They have all of the tbc data.

2 Likes
10

100% correct

2 Likes
11

I really think this guy just rolls his face across the keyboard without doing the tiniest amount of research. Either that or he’s gonna be super disappointed at blizzconline.

1 Like
12

What is wrong with this generation?

4 Likes
13

Who knows I just want everyone to have a home. Vanilla, TBC, and wrath. All the fans deserve their version of Wow. We are all in this together.

3 Likes
14

Lord have mercy. No way I’m reading that. Add a tldr if you’re going to write more than a few paragraphs.

1 Like
15

TLDR;
Open beta TBC servers. The characters you create there roll over into the servers that open for live game play in The Burning Crusade Classic.

ANSWER: NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

Move onto the next thread discussing some other “new” thing that won’t be happening during The Burning Crusade launch…

This is identical to the guy that keeps opening new forum topics concerning the want of having fresh start servers.

1 Like
16

Fresh is ok as a option. But progressing everyone and offering transfers for those whom want to stay on a vanilla server stasis is the smart way to go. Vanilla players are consolidated together.

1 Like
17

This is a dumb argument. Of course the game’s success doesn’t depend on any one person quitting. But if large amounts of people stop paying a subscription it matters to blizzard and the game.

2 Likes
18

which is why the best way to separate Vanilla players from TBC/WRATH is to progress servers forward and offer transfers downward to stasis vanilla servers and consolidate all the people who just want to play vanilla.

Blizzcon 2021

Continue playing my current Classic character on my existing server as it progresses to the Burning Crusade expansion, with the option to transfer to a Classic server that will never progress past level 60.

With a Fresh Option

2 Likes
19

I really don’t care what your reasonings are behind this idea (I did read it), that’s a HUGE change in the way BC played, making it not BC, anymore. Blood Elves are a Horde Race, and Draenei are Alliance. They’re not Neutral Races.

This doesn’t help test Outlands Content, which you must be at least level 58, for.

While I don’t mind “fresh” BC Servers, you contradict yourself, the further I read your thread. You say this:

Then this:

Um, what?

I understand your thought process behind this (if we’re starting at 58) because that’s how it is with DKs and DHs, but we’re changing how BC is played, now. Your idea isn’t BC, at all.

What?

Uh…no?

  1. That’s why they invented Layering, and 2. What character transfers? From where to where?

Um, there should be NO connection between Classic and BC. Keep them separate and divided. This should not be in the hands of the players. If anybody is copying characters, it should be Blizz. Here’s what I suggest:

I wholeheartedly disagree with your idea, COMPLETELY.

1 Like
20

Nobody really cares about “FrEsH SeRvRs” - This meme is played out, I support blizzard making one fresh server so we don’t have to hear this anymore.

Just release TBC as is then Wrath within year and a half to 2 years and call it good.