Vanilla WoW....How would you build it ?

delete5230

If you can build Vanilla World of Warcraft how would you do it ?

We all have our opinions, but this is my own: 
- Don't even try to please everyone 
- Introduce Monk class
- Fix all the bugs, that's a given 
- Huge graphics update  
- Balance a few classes in the background ( depending on version ).  
     Druids were too weak 
     Priest and Mage need more early mana.  Subjective, if you knew how to play then no  
     Rogues needed more love early, then less at mid and high levels 
     Hunters were too strong after they get their pet 
- Up difficulty 10% more than it was 
- Fix crafting
     Less materials needed, too much grinding 
     No matter how Guild dependent, players were always behind on level of crafted gear. 
- Faster mount at level 30 and 15 gold.... Lets not irritate players 


New and modern features:
- Modify the Social panel for LFG..... It's an absolute must that players are aware of this. It already worked, but NO ONE USES IT !
- Dual Speculation ONLY for Tanks and Healers so they can solo... More incentive to play. 
- Really fix the summoning stones for dungeons, only one or two players needed, no more 30 second cast for drama.  
- ALL caster classes get summoning players, no more 30 second cast for drama. 
- Warlocks and Mage get "Soulstone" to be given to resurrect classes to revive themselves.....Let's not irritate groups (remember, 10% harder).   

Long range goals: 
- Have a full expansion ready to go.  YOU STAY LEVEL 60 ( perks not worked out yet )
- Advertise expansion on day 30, execute it at day 60.... Why?.... Don't over crowed servers, more will jump in knowing this information.  Timing must be perfect to catch the power levelers. 
- Keep expansion secret for shock value and double release.  


How would you do it ?

malikhigh1978

The only thing I care about is having it so that enhancement shamans can wield a 2 hander again. I hate the dual wielding version. Simply not high enough windfury proc's to raise my eyebrows.

Galadourn

I'd start with patch 1.12.1 and gradually iron out bugs and exploits. 

Then I would start implementing content from the expansions that followed: dungeons and raids (Karazhan comes to mind, would make a perfect 10-man raid, and then Caverns of Time dungeons)  scaled down to fit a level 60 environment. And then areas; there are many areas in classic wow that were shown on the map but were not in game (Hyjal, Dragon isles, and a few zones in Eastern Kingdoms).

I would expand on the class quests - giving the "non-viable" specs a "half-solution" through further gear upgrades. perhaps upgrading dungeon 2 set to dungeon 3 set and adding a class weapon to the set.

At some point, I would like to see Northrend in game as a level 60 group only continent for epic questing. That would be a blast indeed.

I wouldn't touch anything on the mechanics of the game post 1.12.1.

jmcdermottuk

I'd start with patch 1.12.1, apply bug fixes, balance any class issues that were needed and then I'd leave it alone. People asking for these classic servers want Vanilla WoW and that's what they should get. No frills, no expansions, just Vanilla WoW but with no bugs and balanced properly.

Once you start taking bits from here or there and adding this or that, it's no longer a "Classic" server. People asked for classic servers, not progression servers. You can have progression servers but they should be separate from classic servers.

Galadourn

here is the sword to go with the paladin dungeon set 2:

SEANMCAD

How would I build it?

I would pull the original code from source control, create a dedicated server and put it on that server, then I would hire some developers to make all the needed patch fixes that correct bugs that might have been in future updates.

done

Kyleran

SEANMCAD said:

How would I build it?

I would pull the original code from source control, create a dedicated server and put it on that server, then I would hire some developers to make all the needed patch fixes that correct bugs that might have been in future updates.

done

Decent approach but I think you are overlooking what they said, original source code will not work on their current architecture without modifications.

SavageHorizon

Exactly as it started, no different. No battleground and use the same time table they used to add content. 

Kyleran

SavageHorizon said:

Exactly as it started, no different. No battleground and use the same time table they used to add content. 

Ah, a 1.0 purist,  don't see many of those around these parts. 

I like the approach, as long as they provide more time to get through the horsemen this time around.

With no BC planned this should not be an issue.

dlld

I think simply recreating vanilla and calling it a day is a mistake and won't have any long term appeal. A big part of what makes an mmo an mmo at least for me is the fact that it isn't stagnant.

Who can stomach running stratholme for the now 500th time or for those mount seekers a billionth.

But preserving  what made vanilla vanilla and use it as a base to continue on the game on a different design philosophy could be interesting.

delete5230

dlld said:

I think simply recreating vanilla and calling it a day is a mistake and won't have any long term appeal. A big part of what makes an mmo an mmo at least for me is the fact that it isn't stagnant.

Who can stomach running stratholme for the now 500th time or for those mount seekers a billionth.

But preserving  what made vanilla vanilla and use it as a base to continue on the game on a different design philosophy could be interesting.

I totally agree, 

At the minimum fix what's irritating.  

I hate to say it but without an eventual expansion, it would be slow suicide.  But with all mmo expansion's they outdate older good content.  This has to be somehow fixed with all mmos.

Vrika

delete5230 said:

dlld said:

I think simply recreating vanilla and calling it a day is a mistake and won't have any long term appeal. A big part of what makes an mmo an mmo at least for me is the fact that it isn't stagnant.

Who can stomach running stratholme for the now 500th time or for those mount seekers a billionth.

But preserving  what made vanilla vanilla and use it as a base to continue on the game on a different design philosophy could be interesting.

I totally agree, 

At the minimum fix what's irritating.  

I hate to say it but without an eventual expansion, it would be slow suicide.  But with all mmo expansion's they outdate older good content.  This has to be somehow fixed with all mmos.

What's wrong with a slow suicide? Vanilla servers would need to gain huge popularity for development of regular new content to be a good idea.

Blizzard should just launch Vanilla and let us run through all Vanilla's progression again. When that is done hopefully we'll have had a year of fun and Blizzard has made a tidy profit. There's no need to overthink it.

Coated

Blizzard already has an example of how these should be run.

Go look at the private servers that were wildly popular. How did they run it? If the answer is exactly like Vanilla WoW, then Blizzard needs to make it just like that. The private servers have already demonstrated what will work. Every change Blizzard makes away from that model is a change towards disaster. We all know how good Blizzard is as adding new content

Kyleran

Coated said:nu 

Blizzard already has an example of how these should be run.

Go look at the private servers that were wildly popular. How did they run it? If the answer is exactly like Vanilla WoW, then Blizzard needs to make it just like that. The private servers have already demonstrated what will work. Every change Blizzard makes away from that model is a change towards disaster. We all know how good Blizzard is as adding new content

Except if they make them exactly like free private vanilla servers what is the incentive for players to start paying $15 a month to Blizz.

There needs to be discernable benefits or many won't do it.

Question of course is, how much different can they be?

BeansnBread

Kyleran said:

Coated said:nu 

Blizzard already has an example of how these should be run.

Go look at the private servers that were wildly popular. How did they run it? If the answer is exactly like Vanilla WoW, then Blizzard needs to make it just like that. The private servers have already demonstrated what will work. Every change Blizzard makes away from that model is a change towards disaster. We all know how good Blizzard is as adding new content

Except if they make them exactly like free private vanilla servers what is the incentive for players to start paying $15 a month to Blizz.

There needs to be discernable benefits or many won't do it.

Question of course is, how much different can they be?

I don't think they NEED to be discernable from private servers, at least when it comes to gameplay systems. I think the only way they need to be discernable from the private servers is by giving the players great, reliable, legitimate servers with some Blizzard polish and support and people will pay to play the game. I played on Nostalrius in the past (it was shut down, so all progress lost) with my brother and the jank was noticeable.

btdt

A reliable server is what players are paying for.  You fix the obvious bugs and give them a stable server and release the content as it was originally released and you have a good vanilla server.

That means, no blink to death, falling through the world, fear into inanimate objects, stuff like that.

We don't need quality of life improvements... that's what retail is all about.  Vanilla is retro gaming, not modern take on an old game.  It's called vanilla because it's a blast from the past.

If you want modern conveniences... just wait for time walking to cover all the dungeons/raids... there's your modern WoW with old stories.  Not going to be the same because it isn't the same.

Complaints on private servers is downtime due to constant DDOS, broken/missing quests, and bugs.  That is what Blizzard should fix.  Nothing else.  

Octagon7711

I agree with making it exactly as it was or it wouldn't be vanilla just some sort of vanilla 2.0  At least at first start it the way it ways.

Galadourn

Kyleran said:

Coated said:nu 

Blizzard already has an example of how these should be run.

Go look at the private servers that were wildly popular. How did they run it? If the answer is exactly like Vanilla WoW, then Blizzard needs to make it just like that. The private servers have already demonstrated what will work. Every change Blizzard makes away from that model is a change towards disaster. We all know how good Blizzard is as adding new content

Except if they make them exactly like free private vanilla servers what is the incentive for players to start paying $15 a month to Blizz.

There needs to be discernable benefits or many won't do it.

Question of course is, how much different can they be?

Blizzard adapting content from future expansions to vanilla game system is the way to go; it does not disturb the quintessence of "vanilla" but adds hundreds of hours of gameplay and lore for players to explore.

Loke666

Take the game from Summer 2005 and up the graphics, then take care of the bugs.

Trying to add features from current Wow would kinda take away the point with the project but it need a graphic overhaul to look pleasing enough for modern players.

delete5230

Jean-Luc_Picard said:

Coated said:

Go look at the private servers that were wildly popular.

And NONE of those private servers were run as pristine "Vanilla". None.

Absolutely not true !!!!  

When someone uses the word pristine, its a hard word to argue. 
It would make people say "I better not fight this battle"... But it's just a powerful word is all !  

OK on topic:
The private server I'm on is the most popular and has been for years.  It has many servers and many expansion servers, infact their adding Mists of Pandaria soon if not already, I don't know I'm only interested in Vanilla, however my friends talked me into Cataclysm for awhile and hated it. 

- It's solid and stable 
- It's never down (logged in last night to check) 
- Graphics are beautiful 
- Never crashes 
- Always packed with players of every level and all zones ! 
- People are amazingly nice and helpful 
- Close to no asshats for some odd reason 
- Doesn't cost anything, download and make an account
  

In all the years I've played I could name the few broken quest (at least the ones I know of) 

- Darkshore, tame a bear.... The bear will not follow 
- Uldaman, the large stone statue boss is broken, I forget why 
- The rogue quest line stops at the end (it's always been that way) 
- All battle grounds are dead, could never get groups (never looked deep into this) 
- Druids are too weak, and Paladins can't heal very well  

So you can take the word "pristine" and shove it !

tawess

I simply would not as i still see it as a waste of money. 

But since i am also petty and cruel i would pick as early version as i could and then spend a improper amount of time making sure that all the brokenness was put on front row just to kill the rose glow that many people have about how fun the game was... 

And when they complain about it... I d simply tell them that this is what they asked for... =P 


On a more serious level... 

I guess that if i was tasked with doing it. I would find the most stable version of the classic server era and get that working. Then i would try to iron out the bugs and then just sit back and watch the mayhem. 

delete5230

I would address 4 things: 

1 Fix bugs 
2 Repair all irritations that should have been done 
3 At some point their should be an expansion 
4 Give the players at least some small perks  
- Monk Class 
- Global chat at level 20 
- A voice chat program 

SirAgravaine

I thought WoW Classic was going to be everyone doing the content in reverse, and as they kill monsters they lose xp and levels? When you get to each content expansion, the code goes backward in time until eventually you reach level 1 for the 40-man Hogger raid. Isn't that what the trailer was?

Phry

delete5230 said:

I would address 4 things: 

1 Fix bugs 
2 Repair all irritations that should have been done 
3 At some point their should be an expansion 
4 Give the players at least some small perks  
- Monk Class 
- Global chat at level 20 
- A voice chat program 

Are you sure those things are even relevant to Vanilla WoW?
Fixing bugs, sure, you can pretty much say that about any game, repairing irritations, have you tried using savlon . expansions, perks, and Monk class? so not vanilla, introducing Monk to Vanilla WoW would be like adding an 'alpha class' it would be a huge mistake. global chat from 20 onwards i think you mean, which why? and a voice chat program too?
honestly, are you serious about even wanting Vanilla WoW in the first place?
Personally i'd be more than happy if they just rolled back to WotLK but i have no doubt others would prefer even earlier stages, can't say i'd blame them either. But what you are suggesting, what there is of it that is, is just weird.

TalulaRose

What's there to build. If you want vanilla WoW then you want it as is.

Title should say "What is your version of WoW".

Wizardry

It is not about how i would build vanilla Wow,it is more about how i would build a mmorpg...period.

NO hand holding,it should not exist anyhow,you are suppose to be immersed into a living world where you talk to npc's and NOT moving towards them because of some yellow marker over their head.
SKILLS/abilities should be improved through use or some other plausible system and NOT automated to get better because you got some xp for some meaningless quest.XP is ok to be used as a character overall level but should never be carried over to skills and abilities.

Quests are fine,just NO xp for doing them.I have never in my entire life seen anywhere in the world where you become more experienced doing an errand/quest unless it is directly related,example you are on a quest to Mount Everest,well your cardio and conditioning would obviously be improved and you could say you are then a more experienced hiker/mountain climber,but you wouldn't be a better fireball caster from it.

currency...this is a long topic but just like in real life,different currency for different regions of the world.

It is actually impossible to explain a game design in a forum chat box,this is something that takes a binder/book full of pages to do properly,although judging from recent games i see on the market,many look like fly by night designs.