"But yeah, the goal is to recreate that exact experience, for better or for worse."
Direct Blizzard quote on WoW Classic.
They have Vanilla code from 2004 in their code repository. They can deploy the exact 2004 version if they wanted to 100% right now.
Read carefully what they said "the goal is to *recreate*... not *use exact code from 2004"
They will be re-creating as in trying to match it as close as possible and thats why it will take a lot ot work to do this.
Wow nice deflection, focus on the phrase that makes your argument instead the other 2 that TOTALY DESTROY IT. Want a hint of wich they are? "EXACT" "BETTER or for worse"
I bet you dont find it wierd so many people disagree with you. Everybody is wrong and you are right of course.
I was quoting Blizzard not talking out of my azz, but keep trying grasshopper.
"But yeah, the goal is to recreate that exact experience, for better or for worse."
Direct Blizzard quote on WoW Classic.
They have Vanilla code from 2004 in their code repository. They can deploy the exact 2004 version if they wanted to 100% right now.
Read carefully what they said "the goal is to *recreate*... not *use exact code from 2004"
They will be re-creating as in trying to match it as close as possible and thats why it will take a lot ot work to do this.
Wow nice deflection, focus on the phrase that makes your argument instead the other 2 that TOTALY DESTROY IT. Want a hint of wich they are? "EXACT" "BETTER or for worse"
I bet you dont find it wierd so many people disagree with you. Everybody is wrong and you are right of course.
I was quoting Blizzard not talking out of my azz, but keep trying grasshopper.
You do you, pal. At least we have some fun around here.
For anyone expecting this to be 100% authentic vanilla WoW - you are going to be in for a rude awakening.
This will be Blizzards version of what they deem "classic" so set your expectations straight
"Our goal is to recreate that classic 1-60 gameplay. Some things changed as time went on, with different patches. How does that get manifested? That's one of the outstanding questions. But yeah, the goal is to recreate that exact experience, for better or for worse." - J. Allen Brack
The exact experience, for better or for worse. Sounds like they want it to be the exact experience.
@DMKano I am sure they have stated that the biggest issue is getting that old 2004 code to play nicely with the new server infrastructure
As for anyone else who touts the "thousands" of players on private servers. Oh i am sure that they know what they want. Just like how people who are in the WV beetle appreciations club like the Beetle. That does not equal that everyone who like the car would care to own and drive it.
Same here... Many people who are nostalgic about vanilla (but do not play on a pirate server) will have their nostalgia beaten out of them pretty soon. So it is two different things... diehard fans and casual fans....
They have Vanilla code from 2004 in their code repository. They can deploy the exact 2004 version if they wanted to 100% right now.
Read carefully what they said "the goal is to *recreate*... not *use exact code from 2004"
They will be re-creating as in trying to match it as close as possible and thats why it will take a lot ot work to do this.
Also not to toot my own horn - but I know folks @Irvine studio
My guess is that besides making that work with the new server clients they probably plan to add the graphics updates as well to the old game which of course is a lot of work aas they said they have before they can release it.
I have a feeling that they plan to beat the illegal vanilla servers by far, it wouldn't be Blizz if they just used one of their codes straight over.
You do realise that when TBC came out 90% of the people that bought Vanilla were still playing it (that is 2years+), <snip>
Not aware of Blizzard making any such claim. Feel free to correct me.
What Blizzard said later was that Blizzard "accounts" had passed 100M. So - on average - c.10M people a year were leaving.
Did 10M leave in year 1?
Is your claim correct? I actually suggest that 100% of people who bought BC also bought Vanilla but that is not what you are saying. The issue is "did 90% of the initial few hundred thousand purchasers stick around for 2 years". With the other "c.10M players" who bought it in the first year leaving within 30 days because - maybe - they didn't like the initial implementation.
We don't know. Lots of ways the numbers could be shaped to fit what we know. Blizzard know though and it will probably factor into their decisions.
You do realise that when TBC came out 90% of the people that bought Vanilla were still playing it (that is 2years+), <snip>
Not aware of Blizzard making any such claim. Feel free to correct me.
What Blizzard said later was that Blizzard "accounts" had passed 100M. So - on average - c.10M people a year were leaving.
Did 10M leave in year 1?
Is your claim correct? I actually suggest that 100% of people who bought BC also bought Vanilla but that is not what you are saying. The issue is "did 90% of the initial few hundred thousand purchasers stick around for 2 years". With the other "c.10M players" who bought it in the first year leaving within 30 days because - maybe - they didn't like the initial implementation.
We don't know. Lots of ways the numbers could be shaped to fit what we know. Blizzard know though and it will probably factor into their decisions.
LoL i was waiting for someone to correct only piece of information i pulled out of my azz, if i wrote 30% or 60% it wouldnt have mattered since we are talking about tenz of milions of players, also that information had pretty much nothing to do with discusion in the topic (just his reply, wich made little sense anyway) wich is why i didnt care to actually research it.
Other 2 pieces of info in that reply are that less then 1% of wow population (confirmed) have ENTERED Naxxramas40 wich was the last raid of Vanilla when TBC launched, and that less the 1% have been rank 11 out of 14 in pvp wich even tho im guesing im quite sure is correct since i played Vanilla myself and have a rank14.
For anyone expecting this to be 100% authentic vanilla WoW - you are going to be in for a rude awakening.
This will be Blizzards version of what they deem "classic" so set your expectations straight
From what I saw of the presentation on youtube from the opening night event it does seem like they will be aiming for an almost exact replication of the classic servers . They already said there would be no dungeon finder etc .
But then so does modern WoW, look at it now, it's more a glorified lobby game than a world. Smash to max level in couple of days every expansion then spend your time in a queue face rolling through dungeons until you hit the gear wall and hop in to raids.
Classic seemed to me to be more rpg than today's incarnation, you had to make an effort to get things, you had to actually (shock horror) communicate with people if you wanted to do dungeons and if you were a known toxic player or just crap then good luck getting stuff done, your name would be known on the server as dross and you wouldn't get in groups / raid guilds.
I miss the brawls that would erupt in various areas in WoW, like STV or doing a raid on the alliance queuing for AV or WG or the ability to be on a level 50+ and slap a raid geared level 60 because you could manage to outplay them.
It's not nostalgia for me at least, I remember full well some of the tedium, hell I still to this day remember all the spawn locations of Black Lotus in EPL but for me imperfections make character, this stream lined shit they roll out now I personally find about as interesting as watching paint dry.
It will be Blizzard's version of "classic" - whatever classic means. As they said in the follow up WoW changed a lot in the first two years.
Players won't see the code. What they will experience are the results of the design decisions they make; the what "classic features" to keep, what "modern" stuff to scrap. (On an individual feature level cost of doing something one way vs. a different way won't be a factor.)
1. Their stated aim is: recreate as closely as possible - and that will drive many of the decisions. 2. Their unstated aim of course is: make money - whatever that means!
Now "make money" may seem obvious. It will actual mean something like "make the most money in the first year / next 5 years". Which will probably factor into their decision making.
So take a feature and assess it against the aims.
@Alciun said For instance, I can't see them reverting what they call "quality of life" issues: - making Hunters need ammo , wait until level 10 to get a pet, have to feed pets, etc. - making rogues skill up lock picking - having shaman quests for totems - making players visit class trainers --------------------------------------
Against criteria 1 - take in back to what it was - all these features would be implemented. Against criteria 2 - well they add a certain amount of grind = more money! Over time though people found it boring - and left so ... decision. Personally I suspect they would reintroduce these features.
So whats the real difference between vanilla wow and regular wow??? I like the original game not after burning crusade came out and all the new talents system and all that + I hear bosses were real bosses not this watered down stuff we get in games today?
It was pretty much the same to be honest, except ordering around 40 people instead of 10-20 had a lot more human error and standing around afking.
As someone who actually raided on weekly basis in vanilla Id describe the experience as nighmare and something I do NOT want to go back into.
I hope they reverse talents to what they were back then, I really do. So all these nostalgia blinded people can try what it was to buff 40 people with 5 min duration blessings one by one, over and over for hours. ---------------------------------
As one of the very first max level Warlock summoning was a pain. Players had to travel to dungeons. So a summons from a warlock. The summons needed a soul shard. Max soul shards 4. So it was summon and then go kill some mobs; rinse, repeat. Especially if the group wanted to enter an instance and then summon people into the depths of it.
Against criteria 1 they do it all as it was.
I agree with @Xarko though there was a lot that was boring and tedious - so against criteria 2 that suggests they will do some things differently. - Have 40 player dungeons and versions for fewer players maybe - 20, 10? - Will people have to travel to dungeons as they did? Or have a dungeon finder? Talent tree probably yes but .... - Will warlocks need soul shards to summon? - Will buffs be for 5 mins only leading to constant rebuffing (same as EQ1).
They are going to have to make lots of small yes/no decisions. Criteria 1 will give them an "obvious" answer. It keeps the decision making simple, quick and will keep costs down. It will only be the starting point though - against which to assess against criteria 2. Basically will people keep playing this - so keep subbing. And along the way they will do assessments - to make sure the overall "feel" is right but "better".
LoL i was waiting for someone to correct only piece of information i pulled out of my azz,
Your inference though was what they released on day 1 must have been good since everyone stuck around. And we don't know.
Now I actually believe that a lot of people did stick around for "longer" than they do today - at least on the PvE servers - because in the first 2 years a major content patch every 2 months. And then they released BC! (Unlike recently when its been: we can't do content patches because we are working on the expansion. No its all about the money.)
Anyway like you I don't know. Maybe 99% left after 30 days and only 1% liked it as it was!
People will simply have to trust Blizzard to "do a decent job" of recreating "the feel" but they shouldn't get hung up on "the exact features".
I think a lot of people are gonna be disappointed. People have been clamoring for the glory days of vanilla and how they wanna play the way it was meant. Now, with the announcement, were already getting 'woot, but I hope they dont include this' and 'I hope they change that' and 'I don't want those old graphics'......
It sounds like ppl are already asking for a dlc to vanilla WoW. Careful what you ask for. You might actually get it.
The graphic update with the vanilla gameplay will make sure the private servers won't be able to compete with them and will justify any charge for the client plus subscription if they decide to do that.
10k people play on the Elysium that's like even if you give a ten multipler only 100k but millions have played WoW so we might see a huge influx initially but the problems that plagued WoW will drive many away in the end. It will interesting to watch and see and I have no idea how the server will do after a year.
For anyone expecting this to be 100% authentic vanilla WoW - you are going to be in for a rude awakening.
This will be Blizzards version of what they deem "classic" so set your expectations straight
I'm going to agree too, and this is not cheap for Blizzard to make. I am sure there is a catch to make their money back as fast they can before it dies down. I be surprise if this is a gift to the wow players with out a cost.
Now dear Blizzard it is time to release server list(fast) so we can start theorycrafting which server we pick etc and can start building our guild sites,recruitment etc,thanks in advance.
So, did ESO have a successful launch? Yes, yes it did.By Ryan Getchell on April 02, 2014. **On the radar: http://www.cyberpunk.net/ **
I loved the trailer almost cried but I pulled myself together....so happy . Because of what happened recently to Elysium and then to The Light's Hope I don't want to play there. There's no guarantee for all the work you put into your characters it is painful when you realise how you can lose it all. You log off happy next day the server is gone so yeah really happy about this and I will pay whatever they ask.
@DMKano I am sure they have stated that the biggest issue is getting that old 2004 code to play nicely with the new server infrastructure
It is not an issue, it is impossible.
To run a vanilla, they would need entirely separate infrastructure and database, something they are not going to do.
What seems to be their aim is to find a way how to integrate some later game version into current infrastructure and make changes from there - the Pristine realms they talked about in the past.
@DMKano I am sure they have stated that the biggest issue is getting that old 2004 code to play nicely with the new server infrastructure
It is not an issue, it is impossible.
To run a vanilla, they would need entirely separate infrastructure and database, something they are not going to do.
What seems to be their aim is to find a way how to integrate some later game version into current infrastructure and make changes from there - the Pristine realms they talked about in the past.
To keep the cost down I see them using the same infrastructure, same engine. Most likely porting ideas and system from the old game. Then recode it from the ground and up, as the old wow had so many problem they won't keep it 100% same way, like class balance and some other stuff.
@DMKano I am sure they have stated that the biggest issue is getting that old 2004 code to play nicely with the new server infrastructure
It is not an issue, it is impossible.
To run a vanilla, they would need entirely separate infrastructure and database, something they are not going to do.
What seems to be their aim is to find a way how to integrate some later game version into current infrastructure and make changes from there - the Pristine realms they talked about in the past.
Furhermore the auth/account platform integration has drastically changed since 2004.
Even if they stood up a separate 2004 DB with old world and auth servers - they wouldnt be able to pass the platform login tokens (battle.net session) to old 2004 code (not without major rework)
IMO thats the biggest hurdle which is why Blizzard wont be doing 100% authentic Vanilla WoW ever. Period.
It all depends on how the original coding was done. If they were smart about it, and Blizzard is pretty smart, they kept excellent documentation and used a modular design framework to be able to isolate and 'fix' what needs fixing.
It will be a challenge for sure, but not impossible. They have the resources.
I think much depends on what code they base this on. If they take the 2004 code and make it work with the new infrastrucure, it should be no problem creating a exact vanilla experience. If they base on current code and make an emulated experience from that, then it will be a less exact experience (this is what eq progression servers do, and it is for good and for worse a different experience ).
As for population and popularity I think we can also use eq as an example, in percentages. I am not aware of the correct numbers but it is safe to assume that 3/4 of players will not stick around.. For wow numbers that will still be a lot of players.
i did a 16 hour Alterac once start to finish. I had so much fun when we finally won. Getting 1 point per kill. Seeing your nemisis guild on the other side log into it after they were done raiding to feed you fresh kill points.
Valholl the undead shadow priest shall rise again!
Raiding vanilla in a group of all warlocks with my shadow dots was hilariously fun.
Comments
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Holy Flamin' Frost-Brand Gronk-Slayin' Vorpal Hammer o' Woundin' an' Returnin' an' Shootin'-Lightnin'-Out-Yer-Bum!! ~Planescape: Torment~
Yeah, you had me hypnotized
Lost and found and turned around
By the fire in your eyes
I've seen your face a thousand times
Every day we've been apart
And I don't care about the sunshine, yeah
'Cause mama, mama, I'm coming home
I'm coming home
I'm coming home
I'm coming home
-Blizzard, I'm Coming Home. Kudos.
So, did ESO have a successful launch? Yes, yes it did.By Ryan Getchell on April 02, 2014.
**On the radar: http://www.cyberpunk.net/ **
The exact experience, for better or for worse. Sounds like they want it to be the exact experience.
As for anyone else who touts the "thousands" of players on private servers. Oh i am sure that they know what they want. Just like how people who are in the WV beetle appreciations club like the Beetle. That does not equal that everyone who like the car would care to own and drive it.
Same here... Many people who are nostalgic about vanilla (but do not play on a pirate server) will have their nostalgia beaten out of them pretty soon. So it is two different things... diehard fans and casual fans....
Do this make it clearer.
This have been a good conversation
I have a feeling that they plan to beat the illegal vanilla servers by far, it wouldn't be Blizz if they just used one of their codes straight over.
What Blizzard said later was that Blizzard "accounts" had passed 100M. So - on average - c.10M people a year were leaving.
Did 10M leave in year 1?
Is your claim correct? I actually suggest that 100% of people who bought BC also bought Vanilla but that is not what you are saying. The issue is "did 90% of the initial few hundred thousand purchasers stick around for 2 years". With the other "c.10M players" who bought it in the first year leaving within 30 days because - maybe - they didn't like the initial implementation.
We don't know. Lots of ways the numbers could be shaped to fit what we know. Blizzard know though and it will probably factor into their decisions.
Other 2 pieces of info in that reply are that less then 1% of wow population (confirmed) have ENTERED Naxxramas40 wich was the last raid of Vanilla when TBC launched, and that less the 1% have been rank 11 out of 14 in pvp wich even tho im guesing im quite sure is correct since i played Vanilla myself and have a rank14.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Holy Flamin' Frost-Brand Gronk-Slayin' Vorpal Hammer o' Woundin' an' Returnin' an' Shootin'-Lightnin'-Out-Yer-Bum!! ~Planescape: Torment~
From what I saw of the presentation on youtube from the opening night event it does seem like they will be aiming for an almost exact replication of the classic servers . They already said there would be no dungeon finder etc .
You could be right of course but I hope not .
But then so does modern WoW, look at it now, it's more a glorified lobby game than a world.
Smash to max level in couple of days every expansion then spend your time in a queue face rolling through dungeons until you hit the gear wall and hop in to raids.
Classic seemed to me to be more rpg than today's incarnation, you had to make an effort to get things, you had to actually (shock horror) communicate with people if you wanted to do dungeons and if you were a known toxic player or just crap then good luck getting stuff done, your name would be known on the server as dross and you wouldn't get in groups / raid guilds.
I miss the brawls that would erupt in various areas in WoW, like STV or doing a raid on the alliance queuing for AV or WG or the ability to be on a level 50+ and slap a raid geared level 60 because you could manage to outplay them.
It's not nostalgia for me at least, I remember full well some of the tedium, hell I still to this day remember all the spawn locations of Black Lotus in EPL but for me imperfections make character, this stream lined shit they roll out now I personally find about as interesting as watching paint dry.
Players won't see the code. What they will experience are the results of the design decisions they make; the what "classic features" to keep, what "modern" stuff to scrap. (On an individual feature level cost of doing something one way vs. a different way won't be a factor.)
1. Their stated aim is: recreate as closely as possible - and that will drive many of the decisions.
2. Their unstated aim of course is: make money - whatever that means!
Now "make money" may seem obvious. It will actual mean something like "make the most money in the first year / next 5 years". Which will probably factor into their decision making.
So take a feature and assess it against the aims.
@Alciun said
For instance, I can't see them reverting what they call "quality of life" issues:
- making Hunters need ammo , wait until level 10 to get a pet, have to feed pets, etc.
- making rogues skill up lock picking
- having shaman quests for totems
- making players visit class trainers
--------------------------------------
Against criteria 1 - take in back to what it was - all these features would be implemented. Against criteria 2 - well they add a certain amount of grind = more money! Over time though people found it boring - and left so ... decision. Personally I suspect they would reintroduce these features.
@Xarko said:
It was pretty much the same to be honest, except ordering around 40 people instead of 10-20 had a lot more human error and standing around afking.
As someone who actually raided on weekly basis in vanilla Id describe the experience as nighmare and something I do NOT want to go back into.
I hope they reverse talents to what they were back then, I really do. So all these nostalgia blinded people can try what it was to buff 40 people with 5 min duration blessings one by one, over and over for hours.
---------------------------------
As @Xarko says running dungeons was a nightmare.
As one of the very first max level Warlock summoning was a pain. Players had to travel to dungeons. So a summons from a warlock. The summons needed a soul shard. Max soul shards 4. So it was summon and then go kill some mobs; rinse, repeat. Especially if the group wanted to enter an instance and then summon people into the depths of it.
Against criteria 1 they do it all as it was.
I agree with @Xarko though there was a lot that was boring and tedious - so against criteria 2 that suggests they will do some things differently.
- Have 40 player dungeons and versions for fewer players maybe - 20, 10?
- Will people have to travel to dungeons as they did? Or have a dungeon finder?
Talent tree probably yes but ....
- Will warlocks need soul shards to summon?
- Will buffs be for 5 mins only leading to constant rebuffing (same as EQ1).
They are going to have to make lots of small yes/no decisions. Criteria 1 will give them an "obvious" answer. It keeps the decision making simple, quick and will keep costs down. It will only be the starting point though - against which to assess against criteria 2. Basically will people keep playing this - so keep subbing. And along the way they will do assessments - to make sure the overall "feel" is right but "better".
Now I actually believe that a lot of people did stick around for "longer" than they do today - at least on the PvE servers - because in the first 2 years a major content patch every 2 months. And then they released BC! (Unlike recently when its been: we can't do content patches because we are working on the expansion. No its all about the money.)
Anyway like you I don't know. Maybe 99% left after 30 days and only 1% liked it as it was!
People will simply have to trust Blizzard to "do a decent job" of recreating "the feel" but they shouldn't get hung up on "the exact features".
It sounds like ppl are already asking for a dlc to vanilla WoW. Careful what you ask for. You might actually get it.
I self identify as a monkey.
10k people play on the Elysium that's like even if you give a ten multipler only 100k but millions have played WoW so we might see a huge influx initially but the problems that plagued WoW will drive many away in the end. It will interesting to watch and see and I have no idea how the server will do after a year.
So, did ESO have a successful launch? Yes, yes it did.By Ryan Getchell on April 02, 2014.
**On the radar: http://www.cyberpunk.net/ **
To run a vanilla, they would need entirely separate infrastructure and database, something they are not going to do.
What seems to be their aim is to find a way how to integrate some later game version into current infrastructure and make changes from there - the Pristine realms they talked about in the past.
It will be a challenge for sure, but not impossible. They have the resources.
I self identify as a monkey.
As for population and popularity I think we can also use eq as an example, in percentages. I am not aware of the correct numbers but it is safe to assume that 3/4 of players will not stick around.. For wow numbers that will still be a lot of players.
"I am my connectome" https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HA7GwKXfJB0
I had so much fun when we finally won. Getting 1 point per kill. Seeing your nemisis guild on the other side log into it after they were done raiding to feed you fresh kill points.
Valholl the undead shadow priest shall rise again!
Raiding vanilla in a group of all warlocks with my shadow dots was hilariously fun.