Zero wrong with sharding at the start

WoW Classic WoW Classic General Discussion
1
There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with sharding in the starting zones, since sharding does not affect community in the slightest.

There is no cross-realm, so everyone you see/speak to is on your realm.

Zone-wide General chat is unaffected, so you can still type /1 LFM killing wolves, Defias, spiders, etc. and get a group you can see, play with, and speak to.

You will still see people, the quests will still at least be completable, and it won't take people 6 hours just to complete a starting quest because of mob tagging...

PvP is unaffected, as most starting zones are sanctuaries anyway.

I absolutely do not believe that sharding should extend beyond the starting areas, but I absolutely see ZERO negatives for it in the starting areas around launch time.
2
Hypocrisy.
They want to give the authentic classic exp. They talked about how DEBUFFS were a technical thing and the devs of the time would increase it if they could have but RAM would not allow.
So they'll keep 16 debuffs because Sharding.
3
Are you assuming that many people will quit before level 5 that sharding won't be needed in the next zone (5-10) ?

Say server cap is 6K. 6K start but only 2K reach level 5 and move to the next zone ?

What if...6K start and 5K move to the next zone ? You'll need sharding right ?

here's some hard numbers for you:
Northdale peaked in June with 12K. It's November now and peak is 9K.
Only 25% dropped out over the course of 6 months.

If Northdale was a Blizz server you'd have sharding in all zones.

The way everyone is talking it's like you hope wow classic flops 2 weeks after launch so that these servers are left with 2K population that doesn't need sharding.
4
Sharding at the start is just as bad as sharding throughout. There is zero proof that it will be any better than sharding forever.

We can both make wild assertions.
5
The difference is... Everyone's going to start at the same time, but in reality... People are going to advance at different times.

Some players may relish each and every line of each quest in the starting zone, some may simply breeze through it to level as fast as possible, some are going to play the first few super slow levels and quit...

I honestly don't think that the 2nd areas (at least on Alliance) are going to be that busy. Darkshore, Loch Modan, Westfall... (Many Night Elves make the naked run to Westfall to quest anyway) I really think the main mess is going to be in the starting areas with everyone fighting there.

It should naturally spread out after that. I don't think sharding will be needed past the starting zones.
6
Sharding at the start is just as bad as sharding throughout. There is zero proof that it will be any better than sharding forever.

We can both make wild assertions.


What is "wild" about it ?

Sharding is used when there is a high pop in a specific place.
One has to assume that the majority of players will quit before reaching the next zone so that you never see sharding again.

What is so "wild" about that assumption ?
7
11/06/2018 06:52 AMPosted by Fallanaa
The difference is... Everyone's going to start at the same time, but in reality... People are going to advance at different times.

Some players may relish each and every line of each quest in the starting zone, some may simply breeze through it to level as fast as possible, some are going to play the first few super slow levels and quit...

I honestly don't think that the 2nd areas (at least on Alliance) are going to be that busy. Darkshore, Loch Modan, Westfall... (Many Night Elves make the naked run to Westfall to quest anyway) I really think the main mess is going to be in the starting areas with everyone fighting there.

It should naturally spread out after that. I don't think sharding will be needed past the starting zones.


First of all..the 2nd areas are not what you listed.
Everyone goes to their 2nd area because there are class specific quests that you can only get from your own race NPC's.

2nd questing zones are:
Dun Morogh
Elwynn Forest
Teldrasill

It's not until you've done your level 10 quest that you have more choices as to where to quest.

My recent experience on a high pop server was that the crowds didn't start thinning until near level 30. And that was because the majority of players are not speed levelers.
8
If sharding stays at 1-10 for the first couple days. There will literally be 0 issues. These guys are just freaking the F out because they are worried that blizz will make it longer than that. Blizzard has said they understand this and they won't do that. But that isn't enough for these guys so they are freaking out.

The issue isn't the actual idea for the sharding, its that they are worried they will continue using it.
9
If people are okay with standing around waiting for mobs to spawn, I say leave it out. But if you start crying about spawn times and get on some "OMG I have limited play time and I'm just wasting time waiting for boars to spawn" crap, feel free to shut up.
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11/06/2018 06:59 AMPosted by Kansaskidd
If sharding stays at 1-10 for the first couple days. There will literally be 0 issues. These guys are just freaking the F out because they are worried that blizz will make it longer than that. Blizzard has said they understand this and they won't do that. But that isn't enough for these guys so they are freaking out.

The issue isn't the actual idea for the sharding, its that they are worried they will continue using it.


For sharding to only be in the starting zone you have to assume that either a majority of players quit or a majority of players are speed levelers.
11
Sharding for 1-5 makes much more sense than the rest of the starting areas on launch week. You've got all those people squished into that one tiny area, but the instant you get out - there's all sorts of different places you can do and things you can hit.

So long as it's only for the Valley-of-Trials/Northdale style areas, I don't see an issue with having it for the first week or two. Past that, it is absolutely a negative and a problem.
12
First of all..the 2nd areas are not what you listed.
Everyone goes to their 2nd area because there are class specific quests that you can only get from your own race NPC's.

2nd questing zones are:
Dun Morogh
Elwynn Forest
Teldrasill

It's not until you've done your level 10 quest that you have more choices as to where to quest.

My recent experience on a high pop server was that the crowds didn't start thinking until near level 30. And that was because the majority of players are not speed levelers.

That's where we differ. I consider Northshire, and the other starting "mini-zones" part of Elwynn, Teldrassil, etc... As they have the same zone-wide general chat (if I remember correctly.)

I would think that sharding will also help spread that out a bit more, since it won't take people quite as long since they won't have to fight as much frustration to get out of the early starting mini-zones.

I still don't see a negative to it being in the starting zones since the benefit of it not being an absolute disaster far outweigh any negative of not seeing thousands of people in one tiny contained area. (Which I don't want to see anyway.)

I think part of some peoples' problem is that private servers have misled their perceptions and expectations. We DON'T want Classic to be like Nostalrius or Light's Hope. In no way, shape, or form.
13
11/06/2018 07:02 AMPosted by Derka
If people are okay with standing around waiting for mobs to spawn, I say leave it out. But if you start crying about spawn times and get on some "OMG I have limited play time and I'm just wasting time waiting for boars to spawn" crap, feel free to shut up.


This discussion is not about "no sharding". Have you not read any of the comments ?
14
Are we assuming everyone is going to pick the same server and same starting zone?
Because of .. streamers? I know the Burning Crusade everyone funneled through the Dark Portal into one zone. Substantially less for upcoming vanilla imo.
15
11/06/2018 07:05 AMPosted by Fallanaa

That's where we differ. I consider Northshire, and the other starting "mini-zones" part of Elwynn, Teldrassil, etc... As they have the same zone-wide general chat (if I remember correctly.)

I would think that sharding will also help spread that out a bit more, since it won't take people quite as long since they won't have to fight as much frustration to get out of the early starting mini-zones.

I still don't see a negative to it being in the starting zones since the benefit of it not being an absolute disaster far outweigh any negative of not seeing thousands of people in one tiny contained area. (Which I don't want to see anyway.)

I think part of some peoples' problem is that private servers have misled their perceptions and expectations. We DON'T want Classic to be like Nostalrius or Light's Hope. In no way, shape, or form.


So you're assuming we all march to level 10 and need sharding but after that we don't. Why ? What magically happens at level 11 that you suddenly have less people in the zone ? You're next zone is 10-20..there's only 3 and for aliance most will to to Westfall because of DM.
16
11/06/2018 07:05 AMPosted by Brockthorn
11/06/2018 07:02 AMPosted by Derka
If people are okay with standing around waiting for mobs to spawn, I say leave it out. But if you start crying about spawn times and get on some "OMG I have limited play time and I'm just wasting time waiting for boars to spawn" crap, feel free to shut up.


This discussion is not about "no sharding". Have you not read any of the comments ?

uhh pretty sure this is a sharding thread, not sure what thread you've been reading
17
11/06/2018 07:04 AMPosted by Brockthorn
11/06/2018 06:59 AMPosted by Kansaskidd
If sharding stays at 1-10 for the first couple days. There will literally be 0 issues. These guys are just freaking the F out because they are worried that blizz will make it longer than that. Blizzard has said they understand this and they won't do that. But that isn't enough for these guys so they are freaking out.

The issue isn't the actual idea for the sharding, its that they are worried they will continue using it.


For sharding to only be in the starting zone you have to assume that either a majority of players quit or a majority of players are speed levelers.


No, you are assuming a healthy chunk of them are NOT going to be speed levelers. Some may just wonder around aimlessly checking stuff out, some may be questing together and may take longer, some may have not played vanilla in years and kinda suck, some may decide to walk to a different zone because they dont want to level in their races zone.

But there will be people who speed level and people who just want to make a level one and everyone in between. Which will easily be spread out after the first 10 levels.
18
Have any of you "no sharding at the start!" people even played opening week in vanilla?

First of all there certainly wasn't the amount of players then as now. The experience you had on your pserver (yea i was their too) is NOT authentic in anyway.

I hate to break it to anyone that feels opposite but really there wasn't 100s of players running around starting areas waiting in lines for that quest mob. Just - did not- happen!

I'm not a fan of sharding, but that is their solution for opening day and the first week or so. Different problems for today then 15 years ago. Deal with it.
19
11/06/2018 07:09 AMPosted by Brockthorn
11/06/2018 07:05 AMPosted by Fallanaa

That's where we differ. I consider Northshire, and the other starting "mini-zones" part of Elwynn, Teldrassil, etc... As they have the same zone-wide general chat (if I remember correctly.)

I would think that sharding will also help spread that out a bit more, since it won't take people quite as long since they won't have to fight as much frustration to get out of the early starting mini-zones.

I still don't see a negative to it being in the starting zones since the benefit of it not being an absolute disaster far outweigh any negative of not seeing thousands of people in one tiny contained area. (Which I don't want to see anyway.)

I think part of some peoples' problem is that private servers have misled their perceptions and expectations. We DON'T want Classic to be like Nostalrius or Light's Hope. In no way, shape, or form.


So you're assuming we all march to level 10 and need sharding but after that we don't. Why ? What magically happens at level 11 that you suddenly have less people in the zone ? You're next zone is 10-20..there's only 3 and for aliance most will to to Westfall because of DM.


People get spread out. How do you not understand this? The first 100 people to hit 10 in the starting area will more than likely hit 20 before the last half of the people hit 10.

Also, as time moves on, people will logoff and logins will be more spread out as well. This really isn't that hard to understand dude.
20
11/06/2018 07:08 AMPosted by Babana
Are we assuming everyone is going to pick the same server and same starting zone?
Because of .. streamers? I know the Burning Crusade everyone funneled through the Dark Portal into one zone. Substantially less for upcoming vanilla imo.

I can't say for sure. I don't think anyone can.

I do think Blizzard is expecting a lot of people, but that will partly depend on how things go between now and release.

I see a lot of people wanting it to be just like private server fresh server releases, and while they find that frustration fun, many of us don't. Give people the chance to be a troll or jerk and they will. People massing on top of quest givers, trying to tag as many mobs as possible even though they are done with the quest, etc... At that level, reputation doesn't matter.

Overall, I am not a fan of sharding. I am however, a fan of using it in this situation. Especially since there's no cross-realm involved. I think Classic launch is going to be big. Especially since it's one sub for all of World of Warcraft. It will bring in a lot more people initially than separate subs would have.

I think sharding the starting areas is going to be positive.