First off, appreciate all the replies. Agreed or disagreed, there’s some pretty insightful comments here.
For my part, I’ve been playing MMO’s since 1999, with Asheron’s Call being my first. To me, it’s always devastating when an MMO closes down, largely for the same reason; because I’m losing my character(s). It’s something you can’t really replace.
In having all these different “versions” of WoW, it’s a feeling that seems mirrored in some ways. I’ve fallen off retail in recent years (in fairness, I might have a better time with it once I can afford a better PC; having choppy framerate is never fun), but it’s been pretty interesting seeing how different Classic really was.
But a lot of the motivation of spending weeks or months progressing your character is the end-goal of being able to enjoy a “finished” character. We might say “it’s more about the journey than the destination”, but if there’s no destination, then the journey itself feels kind of pointless.
More than anything, though, I would appreciate more communication and transparency. I think it’s wild that we’re months into the Anniversary servers, and being have no idea whether their characters will be able to remain in Vanilla, or if TBC is going to be temporary and then progress onto Wrath like the “main” servers did.
Players shouldn’t be asked to take a leap of faith when months or even years of our time is on the line. If these characters and their experiences are going to be “temporary”, then just communicate that. I’m willing to jump through a lot of hoops for a cosmetic item; but the end-goal will greatly impact the way that I play a character.
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Almost all of the information you seek is out there, Blizzard has talked about it on more than one occasion and some are even in the title of the version.
Season of Mastery and Season of Discovery were excatly that, limited play time experiences, it says it in the names.
Classic is something that has been ongoing but it appears now that they are just going to keep on rolling on. I suspect the next point you will need to look at it possibly stopping is probably Legion.
Anniversary Realm they stated very early on would be rolling into TBC servers. They have already done this once, I expect it to work just exactly like it did the first time with the Classic servers. That means every character will move on to TBC unless they open up transfer to Era. What happens at the end of TBC obviously still needs an answer, but it wouldn’t shock me if it does either become the static TBC server or one the rolls from Vanilla to WotLK constantly.
If you want a server that is static Era is your only choice, and that includes retail.
I’ve been playing MMO’s as long as you have and at a certain point you need to learn to let characters go. They are a part of your play experience, not your life, at least not anymore. I learned to let mine go when SWG ended, and its been a much more enjoyable MMO experience once I did. Seeing friends I experience things with on these MMO’s come and go is far harder than letting a character go for me.
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nah they want to make SoD permanent now it seems 
their awful version of classic+
Your guild probably wouldn’t wipe to Emeriss in SoD.
Wasn’t it a pug?
Not that it really matters considering the common denominator is someone that apparently still doesn’t get what Fade does.
Classic+ already exists. It’s called SoD, i.e. “classic zones and level cap, but with a select few quality of life improvements from later expansions that any sane person would agree makes the game better.”
At least according to the devs.
As far as the players go, everyone’s definition of classic+ differs, but it always follows that formula.
“Classic… but flying would be nice.”
“Classic… but dual spec would be nice.”
“Classic… but Ice Lance/Mutilate/Seed of Corruption/whatever I want to complete my spec would be nice.”
TL/DR I want Classic my way and wont accept change. Classic forever is the hill I’ll end on. Retail exists but I’m stuck in my ways and blind to reality.
There is NO WAI they would drop a server named 20th Year Anniversary Realm; thats all I am saying.
it wasn’t my guild it was a pug
a pug on the superbowl
So go kill Emeriss on SoD, with your guild.
implying I would ever touch SoD, even once, ever
So if your guild wanted to play SoD, you wouldn’t join them.
how dedicated
Isn’t SoD giving out free 85lvl boosts?
The babyrage this has sparked is hilarious.
Unsure it adds much to the conversation, but my guild on SoD has already gone on hiatus due to the announcement, and where I thought it might be a good time to check out the Anniversary servers, it seems the announcement comes just way too close to Phase 5 dropping, basically preventing players from even a chance at participating in the AQ gates opening. Considering it’s arguably the most unique “event” in all of WoW, that’s honestly a pretty big bummer, and does have me slightly regretting my choice to play SoD.
Again, it just sucks to feel like you “wasted” your time, or spent it playing the wrong version. Particularly since this could well be the very last time we ever see Scarab Lords in the game.
This is the way I thought they were gonna do it originally, was truly surprised (and disappointed) to find out they didn’t preserve TBC era.
When a player reaches 60 they could decide to copy (rather than transfer) to TBC Era, maintaining the Classic (read Vanilla) era version of the character. This would give the option of progressing to TBC while still having the ability to play in Classic Era with the same character. Same option at 70 to WotLK. Classic players would have the option to maintain their max level characters in each era server. You could revisit them at any time, or roll new in any particular era. Your guild could exist in each era, so raids could be scheduled between expansions. This system would pretty much ensure that I would NEVER un-sub, I would NEVER get bored, and I think it would be the same for most other Classic players.
I mean I feel like this was a very basic concept, I don’t understand why they didn’t go with it. One day I think it will have to operate this way for perpetuity.
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Sounds like a serious case of fomo.
I dont know your age etc, but the truth is, its not that serious. When you start using terms like work, to describe your experience and relationship to the game, i think you need to steo away and ask yourself, why am i still here.
If you are not having fun, why play? What are you getting out of this and what are you looking for? At the end of the day this is a hobby, a time sink and a legitimate waste of time. You cant sugar coat it, if your investment to the game leaves with these feelings. Then maybe just step away.
Its ok to grow out of something, its totally ok to let things end, thats part of life.
Good luck and and i pary you find something more meaningful in life that brings you joy and satisfaction.
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I get the same feeling from your thread post OP.
But Blizzard does not want us to ‘grow out of something’. They would rather we keep paying the subscription fee forever. The OP is much more likely to keep paying, rather than eventually suffering burnout and alienation, if his ‘work’ were more dependably preserved.
Yes obviously things change in our lives and we move into and out of things, but I can tell you that if Blizzard had preserved my pre-expo state with each expansion, where I could continue to play it as-is if I did not enjoy the new expansion, I would not have un-subbed so many times in the past 20 years.
I realize this was not viable for most WoW’s existence, but with modern server farms, it should not be a problem today. They have even created a framework with ‘era’ servers.
Moving on from a game should be a personal decision, but (from a developer perspective) it should not be based on the game fundamentally changing in ways that you do not enjoy when it is so easy to preserve what you did enjoy.
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I echo
but HC servers … they should progress through the three Classics with their own Era servers and as you say:
It’s not noone actually. A few are still convinced people would use HC as a short cut to PvP servers … I’ll just leave this here.
And I dare any Hunter feeling that way having levelled 1-60 on PvP Era to match my 1-60 /played time in HC: 22 days 6 hours 42 minutes 45 seconds
Yes, yes, yes!
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