AQ gates opened for players on transfer servers
by Mike Schramm 
Dec 18th 2007 at 5:00PM
Blizzard has just recently opened a new server over in the EU realms called Molten Core, and not only are they already seeing queues on there (due to all the migration), but Blizzard is thinking about opening the gates of AQ for them.Which strikes us as a little sad. Admittedly, the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj is a huge undertaking, and it would likely take a long time for the players on the new realm to get the War Effort over and done with (and surely Blizzard wouldn't want that competing for attention with any World Events planned for the next expansion). And even after the gates open, players can still complete that giant quest to get the Scepter anyway (just as they can right now on any other live realm). And as Blizzard says, most of these incoming players are coming from realms where the gates are open already anyway.
But it's still a little sad that Blizzard is stepping in to open the gates automatically rather than leaving the task up to the players. Just like all of the old world instances, Blizzard seems more than happy to leave all their old content and hard work behind, and instead focus players on what's coming out in the future.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Events, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Lore
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Chris Anthony Dec 18th 2007 5:14PM
I wonder if this decision isn't predicated less by a desire to leave their old content behind and more by a desire to avoid the server-hoppers who are only there for the server-firsts. I say this with the recent contretemps over server transfers and player titles firmly in mind; since the Scarab Lord title can apparently transfer between servers, it wouldn't surprise me to see a full guild transfer to EU Molten Core, grab the title, and then transfer back to their original server. If Blizzard removes the gate-opening event, that's neatly countervened.
I do agree that it would be sad if Blizzard didn't hold the event - maybe they could just turn off the Scarab Lord title on that server? - because I had a lot of fun with it the first time around; it was cool to not only see numbers that huge but to see the progress that was being made. (Also, I wish there were still a way to pick up commendation signets, because the blue question marks from the officers are still there, taunting me...)
Oldbear Dec 18th 2007 6:05PM
I too would like something done with the commendation officers.
Isambaard Dec 28th 2007 5:10AM
Seriously, the scepter chain and war effort are so much fricking work that anybody who manages the Scarab Lord title has still earned it, even at 70. And the game needs more battle tank mounts out and about.
imparush Dec 18th 2007 5:25PM
I find it okay they need to move forward not backward, If they started to remove new thing would it not be bad too?
kuett Dec 19th 2007 11:39AM
yep. i'm playing on MC , russian populated server
Blizzard is really thinking about opening the gates for us )
raogrimm Dec 24th 2007 4:39AM
Well I do see where blizzard is coming from, nearly all of the new servers that were created with the Burning Crusade had their gates opened when transfers began. The reason I know this was that I am one of those people who completed the chain on another server then transfered over with the scepter. I did actually ask the new servers if I could do this and ended going with Quel'dorei (yes its me Rao *wave*). But I still kept an eye on the other servers just see how long it would take for their gates to open. Which to no surprise to me by the end of the summer all of those gates were opened, even the servers that turned me away because they wanted their own to do it, eventually had someone transfer over with the scepter and bang the gong.
This in its self has created alot of controversey, on those servers where people wished to open the gates on their own. It was for this reason that it had been rumored before the servers were to be opened for transfers Blizzard was going to force the gates open, but for some reason decided not too. Another problem is that those who earned the scepter at 60 are upset that those who transfered had an easier time getting the scepter in that we gained our rep by doing AQ40 which is much faster. I'll even admit for the most part I solo'd everything in the quest chain, except the raid portions which were alot easier at 70 (2.5 hour BWL FTW!). Even the small raid bosses I just ended up pugging like the world boss on Alcatraz Island.
JPN Dec 18th 2007 6:15PM
But, why WOULD they? To stop players from moving realms or creating alts on realms where it's unopened? That was all before my time but I would love to see participate.
They should just set it up where, you can't move/join an unopened server if you've had any chars on an account where it's been opened.
Shumina Dec 18th 2007 6:46PM
This essentially brings a new realm online with content removed, which makes it a sub-par realm. Even though the quest can be undertaken, the event itself is content that new members (which is really why they need a new server, right?) will not get to see. Shame really. I hope that the good folks at Blizzard somehow offset this for those EU folks signing up.
Orestes Dec 18th 2007 6:54PM
I'd be bloody well beyond livid if they did that on any truly new realm I was on. To hell with their expediting the process I'd want my shot at a black scarab.
Jason Dec 18th 2007 7:00PM
It's not as if anyone is actually going to run AQ anymore. No point. Go to outlands and get your better gear.
Shinesse Madison Dec 18th 2007 7:13PM
I play on Farstriders, which opened up in Jan of this year when BC came out. Our gates were all ready opened for us. I would have liked to have seen the event and done everything that leads up to it. I wasn't playing when AQ was introduced to the game so it is kinda sad I'll never see that. I hope that in the future I get to see some kind of huge world event such as this.
Whistor Dec 18th 2007 7:48PM
Aww, thats a shame. I loved that event and wish there were more like it. I even loved the war effort, heck had I realized how nice the rep gains actually were I would have worked harder. I enjoyed it so much I made a movie of ours!
http://www.impalers.net/aqopens.htm
Jagers Dec 18th 2007 8:44PM
So far having the molten core realm in our battlegroup has soured our bg's, there does not pass a single bg where there isnt afkers or botters and so far no action has been made by blizzard to combat this.
Before MC join the battlegroup you might see 1 or 2 afkers on alliance & horde, last nite I got a new record, 15 alliance afkers 13 from MC.
And 8 hordies from MC botting in FW.
I'm sure there are some decent people among the MC people but first impressions are bad so far.
hpavc Dec 18th 2007 11:05PM
Worst idea ever, those hand ins are amazing while leveling toons on a virgin reroll server.
But I guess if you cannot handle BWL you might beg for such a thing.
Ahoni Dec 19th 2007 12:01AM
and?
robodex Dec 19th 2007 1:09AM
I don't think many people realize that this is a TRANSFER server, as in it is closed to new players. Which means that everyone transferring are coming from a server where AQ is already opened. There's no reason for Blizzard to let them do it again when they already had their chance.
Boonie Dec 19th 2007 2:32AM
Did they have their chance though... on Dath Remar the gate were opened LONG before I started to play... so just because 'some' players had their chance.. I would love to have been a part of opening the AQ gates... maybe even getting that mount that you have to get within one hour of the gates opening. The problem is that some people forget... not everyone has been/claims to have been around since beta... I've been playing WoW for almost a year now... my wife and I bought the game for each other for christmas... an early christmas... :)
So for Blizzard to remove that chance for newer players sucks... and for all you who had your chance... that's great... but perhaps others would like a shot too...
Gareth Dec 19th 2007 4:45AM
Agreed, I play on Bronzebeard and I had to look up to see what opening the gates mean't as I joined long after that event happened.
Apart from the gates of AQ there have (to my understanding) been no world events at all to get involved with, I'd like to have a richer moving storyline here to get me more involved with the game and world events sound just the ticket for me.
For new servers like this (ok this is a transfer only server so maybe it shouldn't apply) but they should lock the gates for a minimum of three months to allow new players to level up and prevent the ninja'ing of world events by players with way too much spare time and cash from other realms.
Still, hoping they provide something of interest for WotLK, I brought the burning crusade at the same time as WoW and to be honest the new content hasn't been as good as the old world, it seems to lack that depth of story.
/giggles Dec 19th 2007 11:02AM
who would par take into the War Efforts when they have Outland to go do. christ on my server peeps dont even bother with lvl57+ dungeons let alone anything in other zones like Silithus or Winterspring.
I think blizzard really redo the whole lvl60 raid [MC,BWL, AQ] cuz in my eyes theyre just wasting away sitting there empty
Theyre doing Naxx for lvl80 becuz they can redo the lore for it but MC or BWL?? The item u get from even the first 4 quests in outlands are almost equal to as u get in BWL LOL wtf blizz
KitKatDruid Dec 19th 2007 12:29PM
What next? Are they going to level our characters for us too?