Most players hate layering but what if Blizzards favorite tool could also become ours (the players)?
I find it hard to believe that layering couldn’t be used to separate the current Classic servers that we have all been enjoying into a Classic Vanilla side and a Classic TBC side.
So let’s say we want to hop over to Burning Crusade on a 58+ character - or level 1 whatever the ruleset for TBC is - so we head to a major hub city or the Dark Portal and flip the switch seamlessly transferring to the BC layer - kind of how Warmode works in retail.
Both layers should be able to store a copy of your character for either version and update them accordingly.
Prior to logging in could also be the option to choose which version to enter.
Now you’ve got all your friends or guildies able to play on their same servers and switch to whichever layer version of the game they want.
I find it hard to believe Blizz hasn’t considered this and find it even more difficult to believe they couldn’t do it (or maybe they have - I haven’t been following TBC talk as of late).
Adding more servers and multiple options of which version to choose at launch just sounds and feels so archaic at this point. I see it as a chance for the Devs to flex the layer muscle that they’ve been itching to convince us is there for years now.
What perspective? Development side or player side?
Development side I just find it hard to imagine that’s not something that’s doable. But I’ve no idea what goes on behind Blizzards doors.
Player side it’s really quite simple. Nothing changes. You log in and play. Want to play the TBC version? Head to Stormwind or Orgrimmar and transfer to the BC layer. Your Classic Character is saved and your TBC character is loaded.
So if you want to bring your gnome to the BC layer you’d do just that. The Classic world would “layer out” and the BC layer would “layer in”.
Everything would transfer over the first time you’d do that and that’d be the initial save of your BC character.
After that, each save would be separate. Transferring back to the Vanilla layer would reload your Vanilla character in the Vanilla layer.
And if you just want to play the BC layer there’d be that option at the character creation/login.
No need for additional servers, version launcher, etc. just Classic or Retail.
I get that. What I suggest wouldn’t impact any other version of the game. It’s basically just being able to choose which version you want to play without logging out and what not and having the added benefit of staying on the original server you chose for Classic Vanilla, while being able to maintain that same community.
That’s honestly what I’m curious about. With how much has been placed into layering, and crz, phasing, etc I’m genuinely curious if it could be done with the resources they’ve already put into it.
It likely wouldn’t happen simply because I don’t think they’d take what I imagine they see as a risk in their formula changing, but imo it’d be pretty innovative on their part to let players seamlessly transfer to whatever version of WoW they prefer without ever having to log out.
So they would be separate servers with a shared chat and a unique and limited character swapping mechanic.
Seems overly complicated and nearly useless since you know discord exists.
Like the point of layers is to be dynamic allowing more people to play on the same server so they would share things like the AH and mailboxes while being mostly invisible. With TBC vs vanilla you would need to keep them completely separate(like different servers) so different AHs and no trading/mailing between TBC chars and Classic characters.
Really just seems completely unnecessary and unhelpful.
Yeah. That’s a definitely possible perspective. You’re not the first to bring this up, but perhaps are the first to bring it up and explain how it could be accomplished.
Death to PVP. PVE only, forced like rape.
(I HATE warmode, and actually quit playing Retail, in no small part due to Warmode).
You could say anything and then this, and it will always be true.
Yep, if what I suggest is possible this would still be the case. The only difference is you don’t need new servers, it’s like every version of WoW is available on 1 server and your toon is saved individually to each of those layers. Nothing carries forward or back.
Same as above. I imagine it’d essentially just be all of versions of WoW available on any single server. Possible? No clue.
Agreed, but it was comparable to how I imagine transferring from 1 layer to the next would work.
So you suggest something that you think would be good with no idea how it’d work? How would it work if someone at 70 wants to phase into a Classic server?
As I explained, your character would be saved per layer. Transfer from your BC character (regardless of level) to your Vanilla character. What I don’t know is if this is technically possible with their current product.
Not at all what I’m describing. And who is to say what layering could be used for? Initially it was designed to solve problem x and could be expanded to redesign how accessible the game is.
That’s not how layering works. Layering is a dynamic thing based on population, and you can swap layers.
But again, you’re suggesting something completely unnecessary. Opening up two or three (at most) Classic-only servers is better. There’s no reason to try and fudge with a technology that can’t actually do what you think it can.
If you don’t have any understanding of how the system works, how can you even remotely suggest something that hasn’t even been shown to be possible?
That’s fine if you think so and that’s what will probably happen, but neither you or I know if that’s possible. I’m not arguing to argue what you and I both don’t know - I’m suggesting what could be if there is the capability, which would be a modern and seamless experience.
From the surface I understand the reasons for and why layering was introduced. I’m just asking the question of what more it could be used for. They’ve clearly spent a lot of time, particularly in retail, of displacing players and npcs to alter quests and progression.
I think the problem is you do not understand how realms work or how layers work or what they are supposed to do.
You want separate characters just like you have on separate realms.
These chars would only be able to interact and trade with other players on there same layer just like separate realms.
You would be able to switch between the characters at will just like you can with characters on separate realms.
You would be able to choose which layer you want to log in on just like you select a realm to play on.
You would be able to play with all your guildies who are on your layer just like you can on separate realms and if they are not on your realm you could chat with them through like a community chat or through discord.
Seriously other than how you switch chars which in your model is stupidly restricted because it essentially requires going back to a capital city to switch as opposed to just logging out and back in on a diff realm. What is different?
The only thing that would possibly be changed is the chat.
The point of layers is to be mostly invisible while allowing more players onto the same realm, they are not meant to handle things like the AH which would have to be separate.
Seriously there is no advantage to this system over just having separate TBC realms and Classic realms. Having a seam is a good thing because you want a clear border between TBC players and Classic players so that both are getting better more authentic experiences and not being slapped in the face constantly with the fact that they are in some strange basterdized hodgepodge realm.
Also yes we know how layers work and what they can do Blizzard has explained how the tech works many times. What you want is something new that serves no purpose that separate realms do not already do a better job at handling.
