I had originally planned on playing on an RP-PvP server and never even for a second did it occur to me that there is even a slightest chance that they won’t be including RP-PvP servers on release. Their reasoning is also extremely problematic, by saying they think it’s simply too niche it kinda shows just how low their expectations for Classic are.
I’ve been talking to people who were brainstorming ideas and planning on making RP guilds on RP-PvP servers and many of the ideas were pretty cool. Sentinels and Warsong guilds that were to be centered in Ashenvale and engage in PvP with each other in an RP manner. A Blackrock orc guild planning on making Redridge their headquarters. An undead guild situated in Duskwood whose members would roleplay as the local undead harassing the locals. For these guilds to work, the PvP part of the RP-PvP servers was absolutely crucial, and if there are no RP-PvP servers, only RP-PvE servers, many of them will probably not be made, and that’s a pretty sad thing to hear.
That being said, the more I think about it, the more I am okay with this decision. Not for the reasons they have listed, but for a completely different reason entirely.
The thing is, RP servers have one major problem. They’re absolutely overrun with people who have no interest in RP whatsoever, but only play on RP servers because of RP servers’ reputation as a “more mature community”. So when you end up in a situation where 90% of the people on so-called RP servers are non-RPers, RP dies out and they just become normal servers with a nerdier name.
I believe that the vast majority of the people who will be playing Classic will be rolling on PvP servers and PvE servers will be relatively underpopulated. So if the “I want mature community” non-RPers who were planning on rolling on RP-PvP servers have to choose between PvP servers and RP-PvE servers, I believe the vast majority of them will choose to roll on the PvP servers. Which means that there yet may be hope for the Classic WoW RP community, as RPers would be the higher percentage of the playerbase on “normal” RP servers. While if you had both RP-PvE and RP-PvP servers, most RPers would choose to play on RP-PvP servers, leaving RP-PvE servers to die, and then have their own RP-PvP servers’ RP community die as they end up being a tiny minority of the people playing on those servers.
No RP-PVP servers at launch video is in my OP if you’d like to see of Ion saying Nay.
As to the OP. While it’s food for thought, i do there is enough playerbase with interest for a single RP-PVP server. I myself will move to a PVP server if there is no PR-pvp one, Although history has shown us both server types can have a healthy population at least in the US and EU English speaking side.
As a non-RP player, I raided on an RP server for high-end Ulduar progression in WotLK. As soon as I arrived there, I asked in trade:
“Is this actually an RP server?”
“No, RP is dead.”
That tiny exchange illustrates very well that those guidelines are often ignored. I never encountered any RP on that server before I quit some time after the release of ToC.
It may just be one of those things where you designate on realm forums (if we do get them), “this is an RP server.” There is no rule against RPing (unless it’s the infamous Goldshire Inn kind and it gets especially out of hand), so players can just play it by ear as servers are released.
Listen, pal. My character crashes weddings. That’s what he does. I’m in character when I do that.
Also, your logic is “hey kids! it’s great that RP-PVP won’t be a thing, because my server type is going to turn out better with your loss! got mine, skruw u!”, and I don’t find this particularly enlightened. I hope that every time you try to ERP a dwarf tries to join in.
RP-PVE servers have had a self hating ‘nerd’ stigma for quite a while. They are the first to become just another PVE server with no RP. Curious choice by Blizzard for that reason.
RP-PVP servers tend to have a lot of salt that fuels the RP and the PVP. Most intelligent people who play on RP-PVP that aren’t into the RP side still at least recognize and respect this as important to the health of the community.
I rerolled on a RP-PvP server in TBC. I don’t expect everyone to come up with a novel long backstory (complete with mary sue born on a mountain with a rainbow and dragon overhead, knows Thrall, Arthas, and Jaina, and has special abilities that conflict with warcraft lore probably from anime) and act like they’re attending ye olde renaissance faire (Come woo me, woo me, for I am in a holiday humour and like enough to consent!), but it’s amazing how people can’t resist bringing in real life stuff and can’t just at least RP being some dumb ignorant jerk that at least only talks about ingame things and could vaguely be considered not OOC.
That would be interesting… but it won’t happen. For everyone saying #nochanges there’s one HUGE way in which Classic will be different from vanilla: There won’t be 1/1000th of the GM involvement/monitoring/enforcement we saw in vanilla.
Maybe so but asking never hurt anyone, So i will continue to bump my OP
Are you telling me that you, some one from WRA wouldn’t support your ED brothers?! Even if there is a slim chance of it happening, with your voice Ooga!?
It’s a shame since it’s pretty sheisty of Actiblizz to charge us a monthly subscription fee, yet not provide the full time GM support we’re paying for.
