While I enjoy Classic, it can be challenging to defeat multiple mobs at my level and group content is prevalent, such as in Redridge Mountain. Finding groups while leveling is difficult due to low server populations. However, I appreciate the group dynamic and do not want the content to be made easier.
An idea could be to add AI players that can participate in quests, collect gear, and manage inventory, but you would need to invite them to a group while you’re out questing in the open world. They would also roll on group loot and beat you to chests and nodes. In effect, they would be as close to real players as possible so it wouldn’t exactly make everything soloable.
I do not find it a horrible idea myself (looking at the Dark Iron Dwarves in Wetlands) however, I do not think Blizzard is ready to open the can of worms AI “players” would bring in, especially with the ongoing requests for them in retail for running dungeons.
Every suggestion you add on beyond the basic bodyguard functionality that already exists in-game increases the complexity of the ask by a factor of 10 reducing the likelihood of it’s implementation.
Basically, keep it simple. You’re aiming for Andromeda with all those suggestions, the moon would be a better goal.
I have been playing Classic, and really loving it. On my Server (Remulos) there are usually ten to twelve Alliance playing, and sometimes as few as three.
But I did solo all of Vanilla, so I’m liking the Challenge.
However I’m worried about when my Pally or Lock need their Mount, and how will I experience the end game content, which I was NEVER able to do back in Vanilla because I had toddler Twins.
So I agree that for some content AI help would be great.
For me, I’d only use it End Game, because I’m loving the challenge of soloing more efficiently than I did back in the Day. (I died six times trying to get the necklace for my Warlock Void Walker quest two days ago!)
I haven’t done that one yet, my highest level is only 23 so far.
I’m not sure what I’ll do with the really tough quests later on; I’ve convinced my sister to play Classic with me, so we’ll be a team I hope; NE Hunter and Priest.
Comp Stomp exists, also Faction Champs in Trial of the Crusader.
They could use AI ‘helpers’ instead of players with dungeons, I feel like open world would be more abused since every player could opt-in. Just imagine a few players running around together with their army of NPCs, lol.
Maybe if your dungeon queue takes too long, you get an AI tank instead or something.
FF14 does this extremely well- you have one full AI squadron to build, and you can choose their classes/race, gear, customize them etc.
It completely goes against the intention of WoW and particularly classic as a medium.
If you were to suggest it for retail, I honestly wouldn’t think much of it. However, we are talking about a game that is focused on the social aspects over the actual gaming aspects, in which an automated queue function was denied implementation in the current version in an effort to nurture or at least somewhat preserve those required interactions.
That may be the case but then they really ought to do something about the sparse server populations. I feel the amount of servers are overkill. Why not just merge them all into one giant one?
I thought people were playing classic because they liked the original game. Classic isn’t that challenging you need AI to help you. The odd quest yes a problem but easy enough to skip those until you have friends on or a group to help.
There are open world elite group quests in every zone 20 and up. Mo’Grosh Stronhold in Loch Modan, Dun Modr in Wetlands, Stonewatch Keep in Redridge, Mor’Ladim and Stitches in Duskwood to name a few. It would be nice to be able to do that content while I’m leveling in those zones as opposed to coming back to solo it 10 levels later, or begging high level guild members to help. I mean, it’s not the end of the world, but a slightly larger player base would make a difference.
I feel there are quite a few servers with healthy populations, I don’t know enough about the other outlier servers to know if they need/could be merged.
Although I do believe PvE servers don’t perform as well on the classic reams so perhaps that’s where a lot of the struggling realms lie.
This is of course for WotLk classic, not necessarily classic/SoM. Although there are many locked NA servers for SoM so I assume it is surviving well enough over there.