Lordaeron pool

[Bast]

I would definitely be starting a toon on Lordaeron for an authentic leveling experience again... I miss it!

[karlxz]

Despite numerous attempts, it proved to be one of the more difficult raids to script on Wrath of the Lich King. Current condition is the best we've been able to do it and will be worked on depending on new BugTracker priorities for outstanding Wrath of the Lich King issues.

Hi Kaer, my (and many others I'm sure) only real concern is that it will hurt population, RDF will take forever, BG ques will go back up to over half an hour, arenas won't pop, 3v3's will probably never be live, 2v2's will only be live during early in the day in my timezone, is there a possibility cross-realm BG's could be expected in the near future? Thanks for your time replying in advance.

[DarkGrudge]

The population wont drop at all. Ppl dont leave warmane just because of lower rates. The opposite gonna be the case. The population will grow because ppl that enjoy leveling and exploring will join our realms. Also ppl wont get bored that fast on x1 realms because it takes longer until their char is complete. The donation will increase because ppl that are too lazy to level will buy instant max lvl. After all the realms will only benefit from x1 rates.

I guess I disagree -- I think the population absolutely will drop (I personally cannot predict how fast or how much, of course).

The issue is that many of us who already have several ridiculously geared toons MIGHT level up one more toon at most (just to experience Warmane's version of the WotLK leveling experience) -- but there's no way we'd do more than one. Which means, we've now capped my time here on Ragnoros, causing me to eventually leave, or at best, try a different expansion here. By comparison, if we're at x7, I might be enticed to level a few more characters (I personally feel x7 is a great balance to feel like you leveled the toon, yet fast enough to not get stuck on broken/incomplete hub areas for too long), then spend even longer at end-game again.

Furthermore, to the new players surfing for a new private server to try, seeing the only option as x1 would be an immediate turn-off, especially if you've played other more "incomplete" private servers -- they're literally going to assume that leveling is going to be horribly painful here and why bother with it. Meaning, new players won't replace the "retiring" of the veterans who don't want to x1 level again (even with heirlooms, that's still slow).

Note, this is very different than saying we need x20 and free instant max-levels. I think some of the most fun I had on retail was leveling my toons, especially once I got to populated PvP contested areas. That's simply something lost on private servers today.

[DarkGrudge]

The reason old Lordaeron died was not because of bugs, but because of lazy people who couldn't be arsed to level up and think that World of Warcraft is about doing dungeon finder from level 10-80.

This is exactly the issue, though. Unless you have a gigantic population on par with retail, leveling is always going to be a horribly lonely one (and, a repetitive one), which is why most people won't do it more than once (maybe twice). More than that, though, Warmane WotLK is a product that is, by definition, old content. Meaning, many of us had already leveled several toons on retail WotLK, and so there's nothing "new" here (there can't be, or it wouldn't be "Blizzlike").

Instead, the real reason most of us are here are because we want to experience the remaining things we didn't get to do on retail (or, at least didn't get to do often)...meaning, down Lich King on Heroic, clear Ulduar, top out on Arena Ratings, get those BiS items that glitter so bright...etc. I already know what the leveling experience was like, what I don't know is what the Yogg-Saron encounter is like. I don't know what it's like to do the portals for VDW, or what it's like to be a DPS and hop on the platforms for the Malygos encounter -- that's why I'm here.

Should you start a x1 WotLK -- I might be bothered to level one toon and play there occasionally. I can almost promise you that never level more than one, however -- even if everything were perfectly working.

/but, that's my opinion -- I certainly don't think it's wrong to try one!

[Jakkre]

I guess I disagree -- I think the population absolutely will drop (I personally cannot predict how fast or how much, of course).

The issue is that many of us who already have several ridiculously geared toons MIGHT level up one more toon at most (just to experience Warmane's version of the WotLK leveling experience) -- but there's no way we'd do more than one. Which means, we've now capped my time here on Ragnoros, causing me to eventually leave, or at best, try a different expansion here. By comparison, if we're at x7, I might be enticed to level a few more characters (I personally feel x7 is a great balance to feel like you leveled the toon, yet fast enough to not get stuck on broken/incomplete hub areas for too long), then spend even longer at end-game again.

Furthermore, to the new players surfing for a new private server to try, seeing the only option as x1 would be an immediate turn-off, especially if you've played other more "incomplete" private servers -- they're literally going to assume that leveling is going to be horribly painful here and why bother with it. Meaning, new players won't replace the "retiring" of the veterans who don't want to x1 level again (even with heirlooms, that's still slow).

Note, this is very different than saying we need x20 and free instant max-levels. I think some of the most fun I had on retail was leveling my toons, especially once I got to populated PvP contested areas. That's simply something lost on private servers today.

After all we can only guess if the population will drop or increase from lower rates.
Personally i dont think that many ppl leave warmane just because of lower rates.
Newcomer that dont enjoy leveling would still have the option to buy instant max level when they hate questing that much.

[DarkGrudge]

After all we can only guess if the population will drop or increase from lower rates.

Admittedly, I can only speak for myself, just like anyone else. If we drop to x1, and the perks require coins to get back to x7, I will not be as active here -- not trying to be a pouting child or anything, just the truth as I see it today. Now, if we create a new x1 server, I would probably level one there during the initial rush when everyone's leveling together, but continuing to level there would depend on how that experience went.

Personally i dont think that many ppl leave warmane just because of lower rates.

Maybe not initially -- the first rush of leveling on a new x1 realm could/would be glorious. Imagine actually finding people to run RFC, or better yet, BRD. The issue is what will happen AFTER everyone levels one toon to max -- once again the landscape will be barren as people will either purchase max level, buy the perks to skip past as much as possible, or simply move to a high rate server again. After a few months of ~500 people, we'll circle back to Molten's decision -- try to salvage the realm by offering free transfers, allow marketplace again, or simply close/merge it elsewhere.

Newcomer that dont enjoy leveling would still have the option to buy instant max level when they hate questing that much.

Or, they'll just play somewhere else that has higher rates.


---

One final thought: maybe the answer is simply to keep recreating a x1 server every year or so. For example, start Lord now, after a year or two when population suffers (if it suffers), merge it to a higher rate server and recreate a new x1. This allows a massive wave of people to level together and will make the world feel alive for awhile again. You can be attracted by "being the first" or leveling with others again, or simply a fresh start with a new economy. It also allows for you to keep playing your older toons, just on a differently named server.

If predictable (ie, every two years), then it might even build some anticipation as you get close to it to get people excited again.

[Mahourai]

Despite numerous attempts, it proved to be one of the more difficult raids to script on Wrath of the Lich King. Current condition is the best we've been able to do it and will be worked on depending on new BugTracker priorities for outstanding Wrath of the Lich King issues.

Ulduar has incredibly simplistic bugs like Razorscale, XT and Iron Council not even dropping loot. Is that really due to an inability to script the boss to such an extent that you can't even loot them properly?

[Jakkre]

once again the landscape will be barren as people will either purchase max level, buy the perks to skip past as much as possible, or simply move to a high rate server again.

Thats why i say that all wotlk realms would need to be x1.
Ppl are lazy so the high rate realms have always the highest population but that doesnt mean that they wouldnt play on x1 rates when there is no different option.

[DarkGrudge]

Thats why i say that all wotlk realms would need to be x1.
Ppl are lazy so the high rate realms have always the highest population but that doesnt mean that they wouldnt play on x1 rates when there is no different option.

I don't mean to be snarky, but there are other options still if you do that...which is exactly the problem and why you can't do it.

[tumorikax]

I remember when I joined Molten the realm of WOTLK that delivered a lot of success was Frostwolf in 3 xp rates. I think many ppl loved it and it was still a bit challenging to level up, why no put those rates? since it got updated to CATA well...things changed, in my opinion.

[Lheon7]

Alright, cheers. we thought it was better to open a new realm and slow down the development. New realm usually makes developers work slower and makes it more difficult for them to fix bugs. Instead, we will just focus on making sure everything is 100% working.

Don't know why such sarcasm. Suggestion was simply to put donations in hiring more (and capable) devs for fixing bugs/achievements, instead of using them to sustain an hardcore server.

Anyway i think low rate realm will be unsuccessfull not only for possible bugged quests (which are very frustrating in 1x growth) but also because people who want to grind in an expansion which is getting older and older are few.

[brukihr]

I don't see a problem with bugged quests. 4 years ago, people could level to 80 without a problem and there's probably less bugged quests today than then.

[eddimurpi1]

So is there a x1 realm coming soon? Stopped playing here because of the high rates.. Oh and BTW Lord wasn't dead... it was quite populated, don't spread false words because you live in a timezone when everyone sleeps law.

[Ashmir]

A pool? I'm interested! It's so hot here this time of the year...

EXACTLY what I thought when I saw thread.