Things are subject to change. This is just a foundation.
You cannot layer hop while in combat.
First, not all places need to be layered (if you can figure out how to do this then very GJ Blizz) making it so whoever goes to that place/area/zone instantly gets put on Layer 1 (which realistically, should be the most populated layer).
-Example #1 - Gurubashi Arena in STV
-Example #2 - Main Cities
Zones are Layer-Specific/Limited.
-Example #1 - Entering a level 50+ zone automatically puts you in Layer 1 with high-level players (so 35’s can’t go farm herbs/mines/etc freely).
-Example #2 - Entering a level 30+ zone automatically puts you on Layers X (read below).
Layering should also be level based. I would have to let Blizz figure this one out but here’s my idea. The higher your level gets the less amount of layers are available to you.
Essentially pushing all 45-60’s onto Layer 1 only (note: a 45-60 cannot leave Layer 1. If you invite a 45-60 or get invited by a 45-60 you will be moved to Layer 1). Same goes for levels 30-44, they are stuck on Layers X.
Levels 1-29 can be spread amongst all Layers.
Levels 30-44 are spread between X (Layer 1 included) amount of Layers.
Levels 45-60 are all forced onto Layer 1. Percentage wise, not even 1/4th of the server will be 45+ b4 layering gets removed. This Method keeps endgame how it was in original Vanilla WoW.
That’s all I have for now. Ty for reading.
I made this because of too many complaints I have read.
If at any point all layers can converge into one via the players. It is not layering. It is then sharding. People need to view Layers as if they were servers. The intention of these “servers” is to have them converge with each other as playerbase diminishes.
Only solution I see as actually being plausible is limiting layer hopping. Think of it like how you can’t requeue for dungeons in Retail if you left one too soon. Layer locking would do about the same thing since layers are basically instanced servers. For a set amount of time after hopping into a layer, you are unable to hop again. I would suggest 30 minutes as a basis currently, but that time can be adjusted.
The point is that Blizzard will have Layering in as a complete blanket for EK and Kalimdor. There is no changing that in any capacity. So it would be better to focus on how to fix the problem of layer hopping than trying to deconstruct layering itself.
You’ve basically described Sharding, their currently zone by zone implementation.
What happens when you’re level 45 and you want to help your level 10 friend travel from Darnassus to Ironforge. You step into the Wetlands and “bam” different layers?
As I said, the time can be adjustable. The purpose of layer locking is to discourage people abusing it by having it consume more time to use it in that purpose. But it keeps it open so that you can join parties to play with friends and so on. Finding the right amount of time is the only real factor. Could even be something like increasing increments of time for each layer hop until you reach a specific amount of time to reset it.
I appreciate the effort here but this is very similar to Sharding. Not to mention Layering, I’m guessing, was made to mitigate the constant pop in and out of players, mobs, and nodes. Even then; Layering isn’t a perfect solution. But when the players rose up and said “No Sharding” our voices were heard and we were presented with Layering.
I agree with Pwnsdruid. I think we should focus more on patching up Layering rather than trying to break it further, since I don’t know if it’s ever going away until after that nebulous “first few weeks and levels” statement.
Yes, a type of layer forcing that forces you onto specific layers for specific zones and levels… creating less abuse to game mechanics+resources. It’s complicates but flows extremely smooth once u fully understand how it works.
The level 10 will be forced onto the 45’s layer when grouped… no diff layers stuff.
… and there’s the same loophole that hasn’t been fixed in the existing stuff. If grouping to exploit layering still exists, your solution merely makes a confusing mess of an otherwise simple solution.
There’s not going to be more than 2-3 layers on any given server at a time anyway.
Layering is designed to give a specific player access to “one realm’s worth” of resources and other players. So it feels like a normal unlayered realm “to that player”.
By grouping, people can force a shift to another layer, enabling them to get access to that other layer’s resources, and then another group, another layer, and so on.
i.e. On Server 3, where they intentionally pushed too many layers, someone managed to loot the Gurubashi Arena chest 9 times on a single spawn time.
“besides resources” kind of ignores the actual “multiplying resources” problem. Gurubashi is an example not the sum total. Hopping layers to farm Black Lotus, Devilsaurs, Copper Nodes, Peacebloom, Level 20 Rare Mobs and any other thing that is of limited quantity in the world is a problem.
Layering is better at it than Dynamic Respawns, but it still suffers the exploit.
Why make it more convoluted? Put a debuff of 30 mins on layer hopping or a max of 3 times a day and be done with it. Exploit problem solved. Oh that’s too long? Guess everyone shouldn’t have been so keen on abusing it. /shrug