"Classic" servers for a simpler time
by Mike Schramm 
Apr 3rd 2007 at 10:29AM
Bob (nice name), like many players, finds himself pining for the days of yore. Sure, we're almost all flying around in Outland now. The loot is nice and the instances are plentiful. But there's something missing-- it's the weekly runs through BWL and AQ and ZG. It's Stratholme and Scholomance and leveling rep with Argent Dawn. It's raiding with 40 people at one time, and it's a world where you can be proud to be a hunter in full Tier 2, not embarrassed that you haven't picked up anything better.And Bob's solution is an interesting one: he says it "would be awesome" for Blizzard to implement "classic" servers-- that is, servers that don't have the 60+ content. They could still have the Draenei and the Blood Elves (and Shaman and Paladin on both sides, I guess), but 60 would be as high as players could go, and the Dark Portal to Outland wouldn't be open-- Naxxramas would be the current pinnacle of raiding. Just like the old days.
It's not an unprecendented idea-- Dark Age of Camelot has a few "Classic" servers, in which one of the expansions simply isn't included (and the rules are tweaked a little bit to what I think is a previous patch). That was implemented based on player demand, and so if there's a lot of player demand for a non-Burning Crusade server, Blizzard could probably put it together. Drysc answers in the thread that while it's been considered, it's not likely-- Blizz doesn't want to split up players based on what expansions they own.
But I don't think that's all that's going on here-- Bob is 70, so he owns BC. He just wants a simpler time, before Fel Reavers, before Karazhan (whoops-- would Kara be on the classic servers?), and before Shattrath City. I don't know if I'd play there all the time; I might feel kind of silly fighting to finish MC when I knew I could just log out and back in to a character 10 levels higher. But I know where Bob's coming from.
Filed under: Realm News, Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, Expansions
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mylena Apr 3rd 2007 10:42AM
I would definitely love to play on a classic server, but not for nostalgia reasons. I am in a small guild that never got to see the end-game raid content, and I would love to be able to see Naxx and BWL, whether or not the gear is obsolete. I think that the Classic server concept would allow those of us who haven't had the chance to see those uber instances to get a look at what we missed.
Bahgraq Apr 3rd 2007 10:53AM
Hey i know where Bob is coming from, living up to the weekend when you would spend 3 hours + raiding with 40 of your guild mates. Now a days I'm benched because the raid to karazan can only hold 10 people and all thats left is doing some heroic runs with randoms.
O well it could be worse at least i'm meeting new people again.
As for the clasic content server think it would be great and if they make one i'm probably gonna rool a charecter there as well as for the new races, no thanks.
to quote a piece of text from a flash movie i once saw: we don't need no silly blessings, we don't need no bubble boys ... Hey Blizzard, leave the Horde alone.
Strongmark on Arthas Apr 3rd 2007 11:01AM
IF they were to do this, then I wouldn't agree with having blood elves and draenai... part of the nostalgia is the fact that these chars did not exist prior and the unqiue classes were there. I like the idea, but I probably wouldn't play often. Maybe an alt, just because.
Derbeste Apr 3rd 2007 11:02AM
In MY day we didn't have all these fancy level 70s and outland gear.
We fought people with nails on sticks!
The only shows I like are "that 70s Show" and "Matlock".
I also have an unhealthy fondness for calculator watches.
I remember a time that we had to walk to fight Ragnoros through 10 feet of snow! Up hill both ways!
That's the way it was and we liked it!
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go pick off my liver spots.
Elbows Apr 3rd 2007 11:04AM
This sort of thing is natural with any MMO. As you mentioned DAOC has classic servers, as does EQ. Ultima Online has an entire emulation community built around this very desire. I wouldn't be suprised if sometime in the distant future (5+ years) you see something like this.
Burning Adrenaline Apr 3rd 2007 11:08AM
@3 It doesn't have to do with being cheap, but with players not having had the chance to experience to old dungeons, the old style of gameplay. I'm sorry you feel the need to focus on the negative possibilities, like so many other World of Warcraft players, but there are many good reasons for such servers. Most people wanting this feature aren't doing so because they're too cheap or were lazing around.
I don't have a need for this sort of server, but admit that the idea has at least some merit, and I've pondered the idea myself.
Toolio Apr 3rd 2007 2:33PM
I think it's a really good idea. I'd put a toon in a throwback realm.
Doole Apr 3rd 2007 11:19AM
I agree with poster #1(Mylena). I did not start playing WoW until it was out for almost a year and a half. Being a more casual player, it took me a longer time to reach 60 and I had little time to try out the high end content before BC.
I would use these "classic" servers as a way to go to areas that I have never been to that might/are hard to get to now on current BC servers.
I would like to experience going to MC, BWL, Naxx with your fellow lvl 60's, experiencing the hard work and (hopefully) gratification of beating the dungeons the way they were played before the expansion.
Sylythn Apr 3rd 2007 11:43AM
If they'd just knuckle down and update the old end-game content to be on par with the new end-game content, we wouldn't need classic servers. I know it's a lot of work, I know there's problems they don't want to deal with - but I'd give up new content for 6 months to have the old stuff be worthwhile again.
Genius Jones Apr 3rd 2007 11:31AM
Absolutely stupid idea. I mean, you can reroll at any time. And people are doing it all the time. You could also organize a trip to MC. *shakes his head*
Todd Apr 3rd 2007 11:31AM
Nice idea, but would never happen. People who haven't, or flat out refuse, to buy the expansion would exodus over. Sure this might sound nice, freeing up server loads. However, Blizzard has already stated that no new servers are being opened.
I think the best alternative would be to tweak or add heroic versions of the old instances. Better yet, putting a raid cap on these 40 man instances for people over level 60. Imagine doing MC or BWL with only 20 people or less.
Theadrick Apr 3rd 2007 11:48AM
WoW is not old enough, nor does it have enough expansions out, to warrant a "classic" server. By the time EQ did this, there were already a dozen or so expansions separating the current game from the original incarnation.
Silly idea at this point. When 3 or 4 expansions are out, then I can see the viability of it... right now WoW just simply isn't old enough. The pre-TBC content is tired and worn out anyway.
Amanna Apr 3rd 2007 12:43PM
Ummm, maybe I'm missing something but if Bob had just not installed BC then wouldn't he have exactly what he's asking for?
Or is Bob saying he wants his extra levels and new gear so he can own the instances that were so tough before? Again - do-able now.
andrea Apr 3rd 2007 12:25PM
That does not create enough incentive to get as many people as possible to buy the expansion and that is what matters most, like it or not.
You can still do it, if you want to just see the old content, if you can't find enough to do it with you now, I doubt you would on another special server either.
All this says to me, is that the expansion is a rather boring let down.
Chase Apr 3rd 2007 12:44PM
That's a freakin' GREAT idea...
Ahoni Apr 3rd 2007 12:46PM
Content is not "content is tired and worn out" if you have never seen it. I only started playing about a year ago. I got into a guild that was just starting to raid. We did most of ZG and were starting MC when drama killed the guild. I joined another guild that was about the same place, but they never progressed much further. So I've seen all of ZG, but haven't downed Hakkar. I've done MC up to Geddon, but have never gotten him down. So how exactly would killing Ragnaros be "tired and worn out" for me? BWL? AQ? Naxx? Would be entirely fresh and new for me. Pretty sure there are lots of other people out there who are in the same boat. Sorry we haven't been around as long as you have, sorry we are bored with the end game content. Sorry I'm not exalted with everything.
Right now it is impossible to raid any of those. Sure, I could get a group of 10 and go kill Ony or 5 man ZG, but that is not fun. Why don't i just go abuse some 30-something allies in STV while I'm at it.
Ryan Apr 3rd 2007 12:49PM
Dumb.
Argent Apr 3rd 2007 12:54PM
i find it pretty pointless and a waste of some perfectly good server hardware myself. if you seriously wanna go do AQ or naxx, put together a pug/friends raid and just do it. people in my guild have done it for naxx on a few occasions and it's fun for some (personally, it just reminded me as to what horribly lame zone naxx was, but to each their own.)
Molagmal Apr 3rd 2007 2:03PM
/cry
miss the old days :'(
Scott Apr 3rd 2007 1:14PM
I think it would be cool to be able to power level to 60, and just have it set up as a raid server, with no cool downs on the raids. I never experienced it but i always wanted to. MY first character just hit 59. I also think it would be kick ass to have something to do on tuesdays when the servers are down. I am only able to play on mondays and tuesdays and this cuts out a lot of my play time.