Alex Afrasiabi on Cataclysm and the origin of phasing
by Mike Schramm 
Sep 25th 2009 at 11:00AM
And boy are they doing it. As we knew, Desolace and Azshara are getting revamped completely, while Feralas is in for some questing changes and zones like Loch Modan are seeing some "light" modification. Blizzard apparently looked at each zone and determined where it lay on the list of todos: Azshara is becoming the 10-20 Horde zone and so will get reworked extensively, but Silithus, while it may need work, probably won't get more than a few tweaks.
Afrasiabi also talks about the surprising origin of phasing and Blizzard's philosophy. More after the break.
Get this -- phasing, the revolutionary technology that allows Blizzard to make a more transitive MMO than ever, started out as one of those 180,000 bugs. After a programmer came up with a way to fix a bug in Blade's Edge that allowed different people to see different things happening in the world, they later decided to use that bugfix as the foundation for the death knight starting area, largely considered one of the best experiences in the game.
Afrasiabi says that Blizzard does know what they're doing (he specifically says they aren't making it up as they go along, forum trolls take note), but from what he describes, it does seem like the process is very organic -- one idea is had, and then it's used in other places and other ways until they've developed something that seems completely different. Blizzard has been criticized in the past for some of their design ideas (the work they do, just in terms of an art and gameplay sense, does tend to borrow a lot from what's come before it), but Afrasiabi does the right thing in the end: he lets the work talk for itself. Blizzard may have borrowed the MMO form from a lot of different places, but no one can argue that what they've done with it hasn't turned out to be extremely impressive.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From Goblins and Worgens to Mastery and Guild changes, it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Instances, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jason Sep 25th 2009 11:03AM
That's interesting!
Too bad about Silithus, though - that's one of the zones that needs the most "freshening up", in my opinion.
mtsadowski Sep 25th 2009 11:13AM
I say drop a huge can of RAID in that zone and then pave that damn place! I hated it... stupid bugs!
impurezero Sep 25th 2009 11:18AM
I love Silithus as well as AQ, mainly because I love the plotline of, "Oh..we've been fighting amongst ourselves for all this time, and meanwhile these bugs are set to destroy the world? Oops." I just wish the zone wasn't based primarily on mindless grinding anymore. That may have worked when it was end-game, but now it's just plain stupid. Seriously? I gotta wait for this bug to spawn everytime I wanna pick up a repeatable quest? Seriously? The repeatable quest is to kill 120 friggin' bugs?
Get rid of the grind, and give some more plot-driven nonrepeatable quests and the zone could be saved, if you ask me.
Josin Sep 25th 2009 11:29AM
That place needs a complete overhaul, though with the Old Gods being more in the forefront, with Ulduar and then Uldum, maybe it'll see more traffic, which would make it more enjoyable as well.
Travel's the main issue there, but with flight being possible, it will be a definite upgrade.
Domandred Sep 25th 2009 11:50AM
"The repeatable quest is to kill 120 friggin' bugs?"
Should change them to the daily format. 5 or 6 dailies, 2 to kill 10 to 20 bugs, 1 to get something or other that drops, 1 to kill some boss (elite or non) and one to do something else, and adjust the rep to fit the new faction grind format used for several things now that started with Sunwell factions.
It's still a grind but it's broken up so it doesn't seem so grindy. Course doesn't really matter anymore except for vanilla accounts and exalted rep collectors.
Rhabella Sep 25th 2009 12:06PM
I agree about Silthius, but how many of us really see it. I was hoping they would tune down the old world max level areas so you were encouraged to go see them before heading to Outland. Without a retuning of those areas, it seems like a waste of effort to adjust them though.
AND...
I know this will sound like I’m trying to be a jerk, but I SWEAR, I’m not. I read, listen, write enough Blizzard bashing.
MIKE SCHRAMM IS BACK! FANBOYS REJOICE! It doesn’t hurt to have some positive spin every now and then with so much negativity.
Nice post Mike, liked the troll jabs and grats on the successful move.
Bullseyed Sep 25th 2009 1:18PM
Time to comment jack.
So is this developer calling GC a liar? GC had previously stated that phasing technology has been in the game since day one and that stealth is handled the same way phasing is.
Is Ghostcrawler wrong again or just lying?
NekoDaimyo Sep 25th 2009 3:24PM
Bullseyed: Sounds like you need to provide some sauce for your comment.
d Sep 25th 2009 4:28PM
@Bullseyed
I'd guess that they're both correct. Code-wise, the function would look something like:
PersonA.CanSee(PersonB)
(or NPC, or whatever.) In the initial version of WoW, this would return a true or false value based entirely on whether PersonB was stealthed/invisible, combined with a check as to whether PersonA had a 'see invis' ability.
During BC, they had a bug, and someone had an idea to use the CanSee function for another purpose to fix it. The results of that were pretty cool, so they expanded it into the whole phasing thing, by not just checking for stealth, but also what quests you're on or have completed. The basic technology WAS there from the beginning, but is now vastly expanded and serving a much larger purpose.
raspybunk Sep 25th 2009 4:57PM
Well put, D
I think we have one person on one side explaining how phasing is ok and swell. The other side is referring to how phasing is used now in these newer situations.
Neither one is a liar, they're just talking about different things.
Looking forward, not that phasing hasn't already done some sweet stuff, they're looking at group mechanics and how to force one side of phase or the other with the least necessary input of players.
All extremely cool stuff. This means if you come to ice crown and don't know where something is or need help in a certain part of the phasing, it will be easier than ever to group up and have someone that's done with all of it help you.
What it means to the game is amazing advancing story in an actually changing world more and more with a rediculous ease for the end user.
YAY
raspybunk Sep 25th 2009 5:02PM
Oh yeah, I believe I also read they're looking at tinier bits of phasing andgetting it to work for things that "you can't use that yet" like portals etc you can't click on till level 50 or whatever.
That would also be awesome, since you're not at that point in the story and that portal hasn't been created yet. Would make you feel less noobish not seeing all the stuff you can't even do. That way you're not someone who hasn't made it to 80. You're an amazing lvl42 killing stuff like nobody has before.
SamLowry Sep 25th 2009 11:52PM
I had also read recently that phasing has been in the game from the beginning, with corpse recovery being the most obvious example. So I, too, was surprised to read this claim that it was something new, dating only to BC.
Babaloo Sep 25th 2009 11:05AM
Must resist... the temptation to look like a noob and say "First"... Gah, the temptation is strong, you guys should really try and experience this for yourselves before criticizing others, it's overwhelming. ;P
Babaloo Sep 25th 2009 11:06AM
Good thing I didn't too, I would've looked like a complete ass...
devilsei Sep 25th 2009 11:10AM
Dont count yourself out babaloo, you would of been first!
First ass with a silly name at least :O
skreeran Sep 25th 2009 11:10AM
You already look like a complete ass for even bringing it up.
On topic: Very interesting. I wish I could read the whole interview right now, but my work's network has Gamasutra blocked. It's good to hear Blizzard has it all planned out though. I get worried from time to time when the comic or Knaak just throws a character in and says "He's epic. Love him."
impurezero Sep 25th 2009 11:13AM
Yeah...now you only look like a partial ass. You're like the bad guy in any old comic book who spends enough time explaining his fiendish plot, giving the superhero time to break free and put a stop to it.
Thank you Jason! You've saved the day, yet again!
Endario Sep 25th 2009 11:13AM
Don't worry, you still look like an ass ;)
Jason Sep 25th 2009 11:27AM
Woohoo!! /flies off
Tom Sep 25th 2009 11:11AM
Blizzard has my vote to break the Loch Modan damn! BREAK IT!!