Instead of a rant about what horrors are coming after Classic LK (or earlier if some of us don’t stop asking for LFG and dual spec and other retail ‘life improvements’) I’ve listed a number of benefits we will all get from petitioning early to retain the Classic servers without cross realm LFG / Layering. LFG can work in Classic and details are at the mid-section of this post, but please, read on.
If you’re to believe that historical behaviour can be an accurate predictor for future outcomes, you’re pretty correct. It’s not often we see a franchise like Classic / BCC reinvent itself in a ‘no changes’ (well, some changes) over a decade later. Why was it able to do that?
Answer: You created an ORGANIC-demand for the supply of Classic and BBC - and Activ-Blizz delivered. You aren’t casuals, for the most part. Dedicated gamers who have one main, maybe a couple of alts and usually commit to raiding times - you enjoy a harsher game style becauese it’s more rewarding and you likely set unrelentingly high standards for yourself.
Indirectly, that same demand is what fueled the mighty and powerful partnership between Activision and Blizzard’s game-direction in August 2008. By 2010, (about 3-4 years from now (Christmas 2024 maybe?) by BBC timeline) we entered retail WOW / LFG / Cross server ninja looters and the fracturing of not only Azeroth at the hands of Deathwing, but of many communities just like the one you’re currently in.
After attending the France Blizzcon in 2008 where I had the pleasure of meeting the game devs, I returned home to the Christmas release of WOTLK. Ten years later we were near BFA and deeply into retail - want to change that?
Hands down, WOTLK was outstanding.
Patch 3.3 was the last LK patch and…in came Cataclysm.
It was the first LIVE and VIRTUAL (no maintenance) launch of an expansion and we were all huddled in SW by the FP near the front gates. The server restarted and we were thrown into an awesome multi-layered world showing Deathwing’s destruction.
I tanked on my Vanilla-created account warrior through the expansion and began to see great changes not only within the world of Warcraft, but the early signs of retail were breaching the community’s gates. The main causes were cross-realm LFG/LFR, Ninja Looting and aims to make the casual player subscribe. A bit like some of you, my guild and friends were oblivious to what was happening. What if…we can prevent retail after LK?
Here’s the punchline: If you create an overwhelming demand for the classic experience you’re presently having, (same - realm, same server-lfg (perhaps?) and the WOW of present Classic and BCC, you will likely heed the attention of the powers at be and avoid seeing yourself in retail wondering ';what happened?) By retail I mean THIS game is heading there. You can have a say in this NOT happening by CATA!
Here’s what you will retain and NOT LOSE if you petition Acti-Blizz to keep same-server - same-classic feel - same realm LFG/LFR by the end of LK:
- Your reputation among other players you’ve known since Classic launched
1b) RETAIN CROSS-CLASS CODEPENDENCY (This slides away nearer to MOP excluding end game content, of course)
- A feeling of exclusivity for what you’ve achieved on mains and alts
2b) Avoid the mobs in your world’s area to level with you (yes, seriously - if you’re level 12 in retail and you’d like to run a WOTLK dungeon with end gamers, you’ll be auto queued and the mobs will scale…) Sounds good? Imagine the impact this accessibility has to game-reward…
- Maintain a solid difference between retail and Classic long term
- Keep, and develop, ongoing loyalties and friendships
- Avoid falling in to a leetist mind set of ‘back in my day’
- Continue with game satisfaction (effort = reward instead of everyone getting epics every damn dungeon)
- Impact how Classic could have been after WOTLK
- Feel rewarded from excelling among your peers and separate your community from retail mindset and community
- (My personal gripe) Retain your damn Spectral Tiger and Tyrael’s Hilt on ONE ACCOUNT instead of seeing it de-value across 10 accounts per owner! (:D)
- Retain a game pace worth dedicating to - grind for rep and associated rewards
- Avoid auto rolls and automated loot distribution
- Avoid more money grabbing shop items which result in players not understanding their class or appreciating the grind you’ve done
- SHARE THE IN GAME JOURNEY WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE MUTUALLY LOYAL AND ACCOUNTABLE
- No participation award trophies
- Find the time to level an ALT or more than one as you wait for valued and worthy content to come out - knowing the calendar from historical releases
- Retain game difficulty (mana issues, not single shooting mobs and aoe gathering everything for XP or profit because everyone is doing exactly the same thing)
- You will also AVOID DISCREET BUFFS like Automated tank threat generation! Roll a tank now = auto threat even white-hitting…
- Enjoy the expansions thoroughly! Each expansion was about 2 years apart yet retail allows players to pump through it within 3 days - resulting in omission of carefully and lovingly crafted worlds - all fast paced now, no lore or need to learn much - just level and auto loot).
- Child-like cartoon animations and appeal to young players for casual commitments can be avoided
- Look at your friends now - your guild - a guild you’re aspiring to move to - friendships you’ve formed - loyalties and generosity you’ve given and received - keep these and more.
20 Seemed like a good number but can you add to the list? Then we can deliver it to the community manager.
I can understand you may not believe this can happen to your beloved world, but have you noticed this early in BBC the amount of posts asking for things like ‘duel spec’, ‘LFG’, ‘Insta Q’s’ etc? Isn’t this how retail started?
By the end of LK, Acti-Blizz began breaking two of Mike Morhaime’s core gaming principals:
Avoid monetizing virtual goods and services, especially in game shop items and if we could snap our fingers and remove the AH (retail tokens etc), we probably would.
Players’ feedback guides us but we don’t let that base DIRECT the path WOW takes - we all play our games and we love them. We believe players will enjoy what we create after we test things thoroughly. ← This one is in YOUR hands now.
Retail’s main directorial drive by devs was passionate game play, however the formidable driver at the top-end of the company was profit and this was achieved by making the game accessible for casual players (DK’s were and other hybrids later) A small but loud population of previously humble players just like you created the demand for what became retail.
Do the same by demanding Classic retains the same -server game play and same -server LFG/LFR, if it’s needed at ALL.
PS: I truly believe you can create a demand for whatever game you want to see in the future - I’m not invested in the outcome anymore. I just ask for constructive comments to promote retention of Classic beyond WOTLK so I can be a conduit to the devs from this thread.
Sincerely,
Wornox of Aman’Thul